The
origin of the familiar phrase "Something old, something new, something
borrowed, something blue" became very popular during the Victorian era,
though this time-honored tradition actually has roots that can be traced back
to Roman times. This tradition comes from
an Old English rhyme which has an interesting addition at the end that many
American brides are unfamiliar with which goes like this…"Something Old,
Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Sixpence in Your
Shoe".
According to original tradition, the first of the five items or "something old" represents
continuity of the past moving into the future. The old item can be an antique,
an heirloom object, or a sentimental piece that represents the bride's
past. The 'something old" would often be handed down from a
family member and was often a piece of jewelry or even a trinket that held
particular significance to the family.
The
second of the five items or "something new" represents optimism for
the future and the new life the bride will share with her groom. "Something
new" was frequently represented by the wedding bands the couple would
wear. Today, brides AND grooms often have a heavy “arsenal” of new items,
if you will, to accommodate this line of the poem.
The third of the five items
or "something borrowed" represents borrowed happiness. Ages ago, the
"something borrowed" would be the garter of a happily married woman
with the thought that the happiness and good fortune in her marriage would be
passed on to the new bride. Today brides often borrow from a long-time happily
married couple for this item, but it can also be something from a friend or other
relative who is symbolic of happiness. (A NOTE TO THE BRIDE: The borrowed item should be returned to the
owner following the wedding day. It is helpful if one of the wedding attendants
or mother-of-the-bride returns the borrowed item to the loaner to relieve the
bride of this duty. A thank you note is always appreciated and appropriate when
the borrowed item is returned.)
Finally, the fourth of the five items or
"something blue" represents love, good fortune, and fidelity. This “something
blue" came from the ancient Roman tradition in which the bride would wear
a blue ribbon in her hair to symbolize fidelity. Incidentally, the color blue
is also often associated with the Virgin Mary...go figure! (A NOTE TO THE BRIDE: There are unlimited
ways the color blue can be incorporated into the wedding day. Keep in mind
there are many shades of blue and one may work better than another for the
bride depending on how the blue item will be used. Some brides will not want
blue to be a dominant wedding color and so they will prefer to limit the blue color
to less visible areas.)
The
fifth, and last, item traditional brides have with them on their wedding day is
a silver sixpence in their shoe. The sixpence, which represents good fortune and
prosperity, is traditionally placed in the bride's left shoe, but it can also
be carried in the bride's purse or sewn into the hem or lining of her gown.
Including a sixpence in wedding shoe remains primarily a British custom today, largely
because after 1967 the sixpence was no longer minted and they became difficult
to find. Gradually, that part of the
poem was deleted from the American tradition…but we are here to bring it
back! (A NOTE TO THE BRIDE: Silver sixpence coins can be purchased from
various online stores that sell them specifically for weddings, but many brides
have found other ways to interpret this wedding custom by using pennies or
other currency from various countries and carrying the item instead of placing
it in their shoes.)
Just remember that the four (or hopefully, five) objects that
the bride adds to her wedding outfit or carries with her on the big day are
just good luck charms. But please, don't
stress too much about them -- they are little tokens of love that a mother,
sister, other relatives, and attendants will give you to cherish on your day. Some brides even gift themselves with the
items…we have included a list below to help you accomplish this task:
Something Old
- Use/rent
a classic car for wedding day transportation
-
Decorate with vintage silk ribbon or use it in the bride's bouquet
- Place
an antique bookmark to mark ceremony readings
- Use a
childhood pillow for the ring bearer's pillow
- Get a
relative's handkerchief to tuck into your sleeve
- Display
wedding photographs of parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents at the
reception
- Find an
antique tussy mussy (a conical hand-held bouquet vase) for the bride's bouquet
- Get a
vintage purse to match the bride's gown
- Have
the bride carry a childhood treasure she has saved (like a ring, bracelet,
locket, etc.)
- Wear
heirloom jewelry such as a brooch, earrings, a bracelet, a necklace, or
some hair pins
- Tuck an
antique hat pin into the bride's bouquet
- Sew a
button from the bride's father's old coats on the inside of the bride's gown at
the hem
- Give
the bride a vintage compact mirror for her purse or a vintage pillbox with
mints
- Get a
champagne glass to use during the reception
from a relative's wedding
- Wear a
headpiece, tiara, or veil that has been handed down
- Wear
vintage white gloves
- Sew
some of mother's or grandmother's wedding gown fabric or lace inside the bride's
gown
- Display
the parents' cake toppers or use it as the wedding cake topper
- Tuck a
love letter saved by the bride's mother from the bride's father into the
bride's purse
- Carry a
wedding photo of parents or grandparents in the bride's purse
- Display
a photograph of the bride as a little girl or carry it in the bride's purse
Something
New
- Buy a
new lipstick in a pretty shade for the bride to wear on her big day
-
Purchase a new makeup bag or new purse to use on the day of the wedding
- Find a
new charm for the bride's charm bracelet
- Select
a new jewelry item to wear at the
wedding like a bracelet, earrings or necklace
- Treat
the bride to a pair of new luxurious silk stockings
- Give
the bride new lingerie to wear under her gown or on her honeymoon
- Get a
sun parasol to keep the bride cool in between all of those photographs
- Treat
the bride to a new haircut, new highlights, or new hair extensions
- Purchase
a special guest book for guests to include a personal note at the wedding
- Drive a
new car for the bride's wedding day transportation
Something
Borrowed
- Let the
groom borrow grandfather's pocket watch or have the bride carry it in her purse
- Include
flowers from the grandparents' garden in floral arrangements or in the bride's
bouquet
- Borrow
father's silk handkerchief
- Use
aunt's prayer book during the ceremony
- Borrow
a long-time family friends' timeshare for your honeymoon
- Borrow
the song from the bride's (or groom's) parents' wedding to dance to
- Have
the wedding at a borrowed location like the bride's parents' backyard
- Use a
best friend's strapless bra for the day
- Borrow
a headpiece or hair baubles
- Use
sister's silver knife to cut the cake with at the reception
- Wear
borrowed jewelry from a happily married gal pal
- Use the
same wording as the bride's (or groom's) parents' vows
- Borrow
a book from the library that has a poem or reading that will be used in the
ceremony
- Use a
wedding attendant's sunscreen to protect the bride from the sun during photographs
- Borrow
a button-down shirt or robe for the bride to wear while getting hair and makeup
done
Something
Blue
- Paint
the broom blue or tie a blue ribbon on the broom for the Jumping the Broom
custom
-Tie a
blue ribbon around the rings on the ring pillow or place the rings in a blue box
- Use
blue confetti shaped like hearts
- Wear a
blue garter
- Wear a
blue sash on the wedding gown
- Paint
the bride's toenails or fingernails with blue nail polish
- Have
the florist use blueberries in the table centerpieces
- Apply
blue eye shadow
-
Sprinkle the bride's skin lightly with sparkly blue body glitter
- Wear
blue shoes
- Dress
in a blue underskirt or petticoat
- Wear
sapphire, tanzanite or aqua marine jewelry
- Use a
blue-stone tiara
- Drive a
blue car for transportation
- Carry a
blue purse or clutch
- Pack
blue lingerie for the honeymoon
- Get a
pretty new blue scarf or handkerchief to tie around the bouquet
- Tie a
blue thread around your finger
A
Sixpence in Your Shoe
- Buy a silver
sixpence from an online store to use for the wedding
- Use a coin
from the country of the bride or groom's ancestry
- Get a
mint coin for the bride to carry
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