The non-traditional bride is dominating the wedding scene at Lesner Inn, which brings in new variations of the traditions we are accustomed to. Something that we see are many of our non-traditional brides steering away from is the garter removal.  Most of today’s brides are finding it a little awkward to do this in front of everyone at their reception, which we can’t argue with.  We hate to eliminate this tradition just because of a little discomfort, so if you want to still incorporate the garter removal into your big day here are a few ways to help make this tradition a little less awkward for you and your groom!

1. Icing the groom

Putting an unexpected twist on the garter tradition definitely helps take away the awkwardness of it. One great idea we’ve seen is to “Ice” the groom during this time. This helps put more of the focus on the “icing” part rather than the actual garter removal!

2. Do it later in the evening

One of the main reasons brides and grooms feel uncomfortable during the garter tradition is having all their family members watching. So another way to avoid some of the awkward vibes that come with this tradition would be to do it later in the night when most of your older family members have probably headed home already.

3. Reversing the rolls

Have you ever thought about having the bride and groom to switch roles? Have the groom toss the bouquet to all the single men and then have the bride remove the garter from the groom’s leg. This would take it from awkward to surprising and funny for all your guests!

4.Create a diversion

To take away some of the lime light, from the groom removing the garter, would be to have the bridal party do a choreographed dance during this time. Planning a funny dance is not only fun for the bridesmaids and groomsmen but it’s also a fun distraction from the garter removal for your guests!

Whether you’re a non-traditional or traditional bride, any of these alternatives to the standard garter removal can bring something new and unique to your wedding reception!  But don’t stop thinking up ideas; we would love to hear your favorite garter removal stories!