A garter may be one of the smaller details of a bridal outfit, hidden away beneath the dress, but it can hold so much meaning. It can be your ‘something blue’, a beautiful keepsake or even an heirloom that is passed down through generations.
I have made hundreds of wedding garters over the years and I still love creating them. Each one is made by hand using beautiful laces, ribbons and silks, with the same care and attention I give to everything I make.
I’m now expanding my ready-to-wear items and I’ve recently added a range of garters to my online shop, including classic bridal styles, dark noir garters and limited edition pieces made from rare vintage lace.
Choosing your garter
You might want something delicate and understated beneath a slim-fitting dress or a fuller, more romantic garter if you are wearing an A-line or voluminous gown. You may want classic ivory lace, a touch of pale blue or something altogether less traditional. That is why I wanted my new collections to offer plenty of choice.
Introducing my new garter collections
The Classic Bridal Collection
This collection is all about timeless fabrics and precise details: English cotton lace, pure silk satin, soft ivory, beautiful hand-tied ribbons and subtle touches of colour.
There are traditional ‘something blue’ designs as well as silk garters finished with blush, emerald and indigo ribbons. Many of the ribbon colours can also be changed, so if there is a particular shade that has meaning for you, please ask.
I particularly love combining English cotton lace with silk. They are beautiful natural materials to work with and create something that feels luxurious without losing that lovely sense of bridal tradition.
The Noir Bridal Garter Collection
Not every bride dreams of ivory and pale blue! These are the garters to choose if you want something more dramatic. Black Chantilly lace, vintage Nottingham lace, embroidered tulle, iridescent threads, crystals and deep romantic details give these garters a completely different character.
Some are bold, some are incredibly delicate and several are made using vintage lace that I have collected and kept because it was simply too beautiful not to use.
There are also pieces within this collection that cannot be reproduced once the lace is gone, including one-off and very limited designs.
The Vintage Bridal Garter Archive
This is probably the collection that feels most like an heirloom from the very beginning.
The pieces in this collection are made from finite stocks of vintage and Nottingham lace. Some feature delicate embroidery, metallic gold threads or intricate guipure lace and many can only ever be made once, twice or in a handful of pieces.
I love the thought that something which has already survived for many years can become part of a new wedding story.
Once these particular laces are gone, I cannot simply order more, which means every garter made from them is genuinely limited.
Make it your own
One of the things I enjoy most about couture is creating something for the individual wearing it and the same applies to my bridal accessories.
If you love one of the garters but would prefer another ribbon colour, want to incorporate your wedding colours or have something particular in mind, please get in touch.
I am always happy to talk about customising a design and made-to-measure sizing is also available at no additional charge.
A wedding accessory should feel like yours, whether anybody else sees it on the day or not.
The wedding garter tradition
The tradition of wearing a garter goes back as far as the dark ages. Wedding guests would try to rip off a piece of the bride’s dress as it was thought to bring good luck. Soon after garters were used instead, saving the fate of the wedding dress from being torn.
A new custom soon evolved – the garter toss – this practice remained until the 19th century when the prudish Victorians replaced the tradition with the bouquet toss, a custom that still takes place today.
Thankfully today there are no guests chasing you down the aisle for a piece of your dress!
A little piece of your wedding to keep
For many of my brides, a garter is now something much more personal. Some choose one because they love the tradition, some want a ‘something blue’ and others simply want a beautiful piece to keep as a reminder of their wedding day.
For me, that is what makes a wedding garter so lovely. It is a small detail, but one with history, personality and sentiment behind it. Long after the flowers have faded and the cake has been eaten, it is something you can tuck safely back into its box and keep.
Perhaps one day it might even become somebody else’s ‘something old’.
Ready-to-wear Garters
Discover our curated collection of ready-to-wear bridal garters made using the finest laces and ribbons, including vintage Nottingham laces
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