I think some wedding traditions are worth continuing and that is definitely true of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue“. It can be an opportunity to participate in family traditions and build a link with older generations of the family. What did your mother or grandmother do? According to the popular press, even Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, followed it at her royal wedding.
Something old
Something old is meant to signify continuity and a link with past generations of the Bride’s family.
There may already be a tradition in your family for a particular piece of jewellery to be passed through the female line on their wedding day. If so, lucky you! If this is not the case, anything that is gifted to you, or you already own, that is not new, will suffice. If you are getting married in vintage clothing, or your mother’s wedding dress then the criteria is definitely met!
In my case, I wore antique earrings that were the first piece my husband bought for me years earlier.
Something new
Something new is to symbolise good luck, good fortune and the future success of the marriage.
Since most of the outfit is liable to have been bought for the occasion, this is probably the simplest part of the tradition to follow.
You can nominate any part of your outfit that is new!
Something borrowed
Something borrowed is to show that the Bride’s friends and family are available to call on when she needs help. One key thing to keep within the tradition is that the borrowed item must be returned to its rightful owner.
This is the part of the tradition where you can be the most creative. I was very honoured when a close friend chose to borrow my veil for her wedding. It saved her the expense of sourcing her own and I felt as though I had contributed to the day. I should also add she looked fabulous in it! Other traditional items to borrow could be jewellery, a garter, the headdress, or you could go further and borrow the dress itself!
Something blue
The colour blue is intended to symbolise faithfulness, loyalty and purity.
If you buy a garter, it is likely to have a blue ribbon on it. Similarly, many dressmakers will sew blue ribbon into the hem of the garment. It is not difficult to build in this tradition, with blue toe nail varnish also proving to be a popular option. Or why not ask your florist to incorporate a small blue flower or ribbon in your bouquet?
The tradition goes on to say ‘…and a silver sixpence in her shoe’. I think it may be best to just gloss over that bit, but if you are dedicated I should note that the silver sixpences are available to buy online! Let’s face it though, truly beautiful shoes are uncomfortable enough!
Do you have any family wedding traditions you would like to share? Please feel free to add comments below.
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Thanks for the post