Weddings are a mish-mash of traditions passed down through the years and one of the most popular is the classic British bridal rhyme “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe” who has turned into a worldwide wedding tradition. Originating from a charming Victorian customs, the bride should add to her wedding outfit or carries with her five items while she is walking down the aisle, small personal treasures typically unique to each bride and rarely obvious to anyone only by those who know and love her most. These five tokens are simply good luck charms, but each with a different meaning.
The something old represents continuity, the something new symbolizes hope for the future, the something borrowed signifies happiness because it’s supposed to be borrowed from someone in a happy marriage, the something blue stands for love and fidelity and the sixpence is a good luck wish for prosperity. You can incorporate the items into your wedding look however you want, but here are a few creative ideas for your something old, new, borrowed, and blue.
Something Old
It can be a really sweet way to inject an element of the traditional into your wedding. Many brides keep things traditional by wearing their mother’s or grandmother’s gems on the big day as it is both sentimental and practical. You can stylishly incorporate into your wedding look: vintage hair accessory or an art deco bracelet.
Something Blue
Something blue can be incorporated into various aspects of the wedding, the conventional something blue is a garter but many modern brides are looking for a more stylish, individual and creative way to embrace this centuries old custom like having a blue monogram embroidered in with your wedding date or we can suggest blue-topaz ring.
If none of these sounds appealing to you can use a blue ribbon for your bouquet or another way to incorporate something blue would be to get a nautical blue rope bracelet.
Something New
Brides already purchase many new items for their wedding day looks, so “something new” should not be too hard to find but if one seeks to step outside of the box, some personalized options can include a gift of jewellery, presented to the bride by the groom and monogrammed with her new initials. Or even if your budget is tight, you could just buy a new lipstick or make-up.
Just make sure your something new is something practical that you’re going to enjoy.
Something borrowed
Much like something old, something borrowed is yet another way to pay homage to a friend or family member. It’s also one way to add a sentimental twist to everyday items. You would like the item you borrow to be meaningful and valuable. So, to help you brainstorm, here are some ideas for your borrowed item such as your great-grandmother’s gorgeous platinum ring or set of earrings, your best friend’s veil or if you want you can also host your wedding in a borrowed location, like a friend’s backyard or uncle’s ranch. Or borrow flowers from a family member’s garden and put them in your bouquet.
Nothing is more touching to a beloved friend or family member than reusing a part of their special day in your very own wedding.
Silver sixpence in her shoe
The final part of the poem is ‘and a silver sixpence in her shoe’. Traditionally the bride’s father would slip a sixpence coin into his daughter’s left shoe on the way to the altar, to bring luck and wish the happy couple a long and prosperous life together. Today, you can buy special wedding sixpences to recreate this tradition.
It is bad luck to skip one part or all of this tradition, after all it is a great way to create new memories you’ll carry throughout your married life. I vote go for it – but don’t stress if you can’t meet all requirements!