By Kirsty Moran.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in her left shoe
The traditional English rhyme stems all the way from the 1800’s, built up during that era and details what a bride should wear on her wedding day for good luck, fortune and fertility.
Now, I’m not much of a traditionalist myself but reading into what each part represents and well, truth be told, all those rom-com’s over the years I always find it to be such a sweet and touching part to the wedding! And really, anything that’s going to bring me good luck for my special day and new married life I’ll take it!!
So, where to start?
Something Old
This is something to symbolize your lives prior to when they became intertwined and is said to bring continuity.
Image reference: Car – WVSA Supplier Wedding Cars of Derby
If you’re lucky enough there may be a beautiful family Heirloom waiting for you, ready to be passed down that will perfectly match your attire, such as earrings or a necklace – easy!
However, there are many other ways to incorporate something old (phew)…
– You may not have a specific family heirloom but maybe some family jewellery that could be melted down and made into wedding bands for both of you, or a relatives wedding dress/ tie you could use a swatch of fabric from?
– A penny for good luck from the year you both got together to represent your history
– A vintage car like the Luxurious 1934 Vintage Rolls Royce from our wonderful WVSA supplier Wedding Cars of Derby, which will have seen many a wonderful married couple take seat in
Something New
To offer optimism for the future!
Image reference: WVSA Supplier Elen Studio Photography (right photo)
Really this one can be so many things as I’m sure you will have bought some ‘new’ items for your wedding day but here are a few specific ideas:
– A new perfume; a new scent to remember the day by
– If you’ve bought your wedding rings these are going be new. First time to be worn on the day of your wedding
– Something that has come about in more recent years is a gift exchange between the bride/s and/or groom such as a new piece of jewelry like a watch or an eternity ring for this part of the rhyme (you may want to pre-agree this part though so you’re not disappointed on the day)!
Something Borrowed
Represents borrowed happiness; something from a happy marriage…
Image reference: WVSA Supplier Elen Studio Photography
– Again, you may be as lucky as Kate Middleton and have something in the family that can be borrowed for the day. Not sure we all have a vintage, diamond tiara from the Queen to loan out but something they cherish and would like to share for the day would be amazing, especially if it’s something they wore on their wedding day
– A garter is a popular choice and as it’s hidden it doesn’t have to necessarily match
– A veil from your bestie
Something Blue
Stands for purity, love and fidelity!
Image reference: WVSA Suppliers Elen Studio Photography (left photo) and Funky Florists (all other photos)
If you’re like me and love the colour blue, it may be that you’re going with a blue colour scheme so there will already be plenty throughout the day such as:
– Blue bridesmaid dresses
– Blue flowers
– Or you could stand out with a pair of gorgeous blue shoes
However, for those that aren’t a fan, do not worry, there are plenty of ways to incorporate this without it being on show such as:
– Blue incorporated in that borrowed garter
– Maybe you’re lucky enough that your family heirloom already has blue in it to double up as something old and blue
– Something blue sewn or pinned into the inside of your dress is a great way of hiding the colour; it could be a bit of blue ribbon or one of my closest friends had the sweetest idea and had the Groom’s Mum’s initials stitched in blue cotton to the inside of the dress so she was next to her heart (unfortunately she couldn’t be with them on their special day).
And a sixpence in her left shoe
I had actually not heard of this part until recently. It was added in the later part of the 1800’s and is to simply a good luck charm. Traditionally this was given to the bride from her Father as a symbol of his wishes towards her and her new partner.
If you don’t just have one lying around, you can easily buy them online. I found this one with a sweet card on Etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/516667876/lucky-sixpence-card-for-bride-wedding
Alternatively, if you’re struggling or haven’t got the patience to collect all of these items as part of your wedding planning, some clever, creative people on Etsy have put together some lovely ideas to buy to incorporate all of the good luck charms:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/536093646/bridal-charm-pin-something-old-new
Have fun planning and we hope you have the most wonderful wedding day filled with all the luck in the world!
Kirsty x