Something Old Something New

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A superstition that is so well known to not just brides, but women everywhere is that at your wedding you must always, no matter what, have something old something new, something borrowed and something blue. But we want to go deeper in to where this custom stems from and what kind of items can be used for each one.

The Tradition

It all starts in Britain, as so many good things do, with a rhyme that details what a bride should carry on her for good luck on her wedding day. The rhyme goes as follows:

“Something old something new, something borrowed something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe”

This comes from around 1898, in a compilation of English folklore where the something old and something blue are believed to ward against the Evil Eye. It also mentions that the something blue, in those days, usually took the form of the garter the husband is meant to remove on the wedding night and since the ultimate curse of the Evil eye is for a woman to become infertile, the something borrowed was customarily a pair of underwear lent to the bride by a woman who has borne children to transfer her fertility to the newlywed.

Almost all from the original text have remained respected in most countries, except for the “silver sixpence in her shoe”, which remains primarily an English tradition and isn’t often heard of in the west.

As the years and traditions have evolved, the practice more than likely took on different meanings for each of the items the bride carries. 

For example, Something old represents family continuity and the respect we have for it as the years pass.

Something new is meant to represent the prospective future of the couple to be married.

Something borrowed. While some people credit the something borrowed to flattery by imitation, we’d like to believe the something borrowed, as in the old days, serves the belief that it may pass happiness on to the bride to be. Normally you would borrow some trinket of sorts from a family member or dear friend that is happily married and you’d wish to embrace this in regards to your new marriage.

Something Blue. If you thought white was the only color associated with purity, think again, because the color blue literally reflects trust, loyalty, intellect, wisdom, confidence and faith; all things you will need, learn and cultivate in a marriage.

Ideas

​If you are at a loss of what you could possibly use as your something old something new…, fret not because we have a list of great ideas to use either for yourself or to give/lend a bride you know.

Something Old

As we mentioned, this represents family continuity, so if your something old is related to your family or ancestors, that’s a win right there. There are tons of possibilities, such as family recipes, hair pins, brooches, garters, veils, a pocket watch, a pocket mirror, an old picture, any jewelry passed down generation to generation, including inherited engagement rings, handkerchiefs or pretty much any sort of family heirloom that is a decent size to carry on your person all day. Also, brides who wear their mother’s wedding dresses automatically have this category down!

Something New

Among something old, something new and the rest, this category is probably the easiest to hone in on, since brides do all kinds of crazy shopping for the wedding day. If the wedding gown is new, this criteria applies, or if any sort of earrings, necklaces, rings, hair pins or accessories were purchased solely for the intention of using it at the wedding, this is all going towards your something new bank of items. It’s important to choose an object that personally reflects your hopes of a long prosperous future with your partner, something that will have you contemplate the endless possibilities awaiting you in your relationship.

Something Borrowed

Since you’ll eventually have to return your something borrowed, it’s best not to get too attached to it! Also, make sure you choose to borrow something who is in a marriages that honestly inspires and acts as a role model to you. It should be something from someone close to you who is happily married. As the above it’s more often than not, to be any type of jewelry, watch or hair accessory. Sometimes former brides will lend a shawl to use over the wedding dress or a ribbon for the bouquet.

Something Blue

Lastly, we have your something blue. This decision could be as simple as adding blue flowers to your bouquet, to as complicated as having your dress beaded through with blue. Other ideas for blue on your person would be any type of jewelry, hair accessory, ribbon, sash or as in the “olde” days; the blue garter.

Hope this article would help as a guide of what to look for something old something new, something borrowed and something blue. It’s always good to see what has lead us today, and make the effort to include bits and pieces of these traditions before making our decisions willy-nilly.