Everyone has heard the little poem:
Something Old, Something New,
Something Borrowed, Something Blue
And a sixpence in her shoe.
Okay well maybe you haven’t heard that last line, but the famous bridal rhyme originated in the United Kingdom where sixpences are readily available to stick in your shoe, but what about the rest of the poem? What do each of the Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue represent?
Something Old is usually something that is a part of the bride’s history; something from her mother or grandmother to continue the lineage. This is different from Borrowed because it becomes the Bride’s to keep. I have heard of a lot of different “Old” items, the most popular being a piece of Mom’s dress. Whether having a piece of her dress on yours, or a piece wrapped around your bouquet, having that piece of Mom with you when you walk down the aisle is symbolic of a bride’s love and trust for her mother.
But what about something other than fabric? A girlfriend of mine got married last year and she and her mom were members of the same sorority, so she had her and her mother’s pins attached to her bouquet. They also observed the Alpha Phi tradition of the Loving Cup. She was able to use her mom’s cup and was saving her’s for her daughter when she became a member of the sorority and could use her cup.
Another idea might be something old of the bride’s like her baby blanket. Something you carried around as a kid, that you grew up with, that you even took to college. It’s a tender way to pay homage to your childhood as you take the next step into adulthood. Sew a piece of it into the bodice of your dress or make a bow and attach it to the dress or bouquet. You want to be careful to not look like Linus from Peanuts when you walk down the aisle though. I don’t have a “blankie” or that would be something I would do. I mean, I can’t carry my stuffed dog Mutsey down the aisle with me.
Something New typically is the dress. The time spent looking for the dress and finding “the one” is an amazing feeling, but in the case that you’re not going to buy a new dress or you’re doing something non-traditional, what about a new accessory? A watch or some other sort of jewelry that you can wear everyday and get more use out of than say the dress. It’s a symbol of a new life and future with your spouse.
Something Borrowed is derived from the ancient tradition of borrowing the family jewels. When Kate Middleton walked down the aisle, she borrowed the crown on her head from HRH Queen Elizabeth II. That crown was originally forged for Kate’s great grandmother-in-law, the late Queen Mum. Anytime anyone in the royal family gets married, their Something Borrowed comes from the vault of the Crown Jewels. Can you imaging wearing one of the Crown Jewels? It’s like that moment in The Princess Diaries when Anne Hathaway’s character is taken into the vault by her grandmother played by Julie Andrews to choose the jewels she will wear when she makes her grand entrance as the next in line for the throne. Epic princess moment.
Okay, so not all of us have access to the Crown Jewels, but some other neat ideas other than borrowing the family jewels might be the veil. Headpieces are very popular these days, so maybe Gramma or Mom has a fashionable headpiece of veil hidden in there. If not a headpiece, what about a fur coat or stole? That’s perfect for winter weddings. You could even choose something as simple as your mom’s perfume. The familiar scent will trigger all kinds of great memories, so include your wedding day as one of those memories.
Something Blue is by far the most creative outlet for brides in this little poem. You can kind all sorts of blue ideas and products while looking for ideas. Most commonly now a days are shoes, lingerie, or flowers. Recently I called out to the Twitterverse about different blue ideas and a few twitterers mentioned embroidering the wedding date into the dress with blue thread. Perfect idea for someone whose wedding colors would clash with a lot of blue.
As someone who is a little bit funky, I like the idea of putting the blue into something a little more unexpected. Since I am always dying my hair a new color, what about putting a streak of blue in your hair? You can either clip it in or actually dye it. Whether you wear your hair up or down, it’s there and it’s fun and funky. How about painting your fingernails or toe nails? You can wear the color boldly or hide it like a secret in your shoes. I also am a big fan of crinoline (poodle skirts people!), so a blue crinoline would not only liven up the dress, but it would incorporate the blue. Then when you’re bustin a move out on the dance floor, you can shake a tail feather and show the blue crinoline! You could always go extra funky and use a deep blue eyeshadow or liner to pump up the volume with your makeup and wear your blue.
I even know some brides that have combined some of the traditions to minimize the amount of effort put forth. Combining the items makes it easier to save. Obviously you cant save the borrowed, but the other three can be incorporated to one thing. My friend Sarah got married this past summer and she hit the nail on the head with this amazing combo!
Sarah’s mom made her a garter from the lace of her own wedding dress and the silk from her mother’s gown. A blue ribbon was added. The old was the fabric from her mother and grandmother’s wedding dresses, the new was the new creation of the garter, and the blue was in the ribbon. The broach you see in the foreground goes back six generations! Sarah loved the broach so much she chose her dress around the broach which she turned into a necklace for the big day.
Whether you combine the elements of the age old poem or you find individual ideas, don’t feel confined to traditions. Think outside the box and find things that mean something to you. It’s your day, make your own traditions and carry on the old ones.
-Hilary
by hilarysmith
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