The original saying from Victorian times is “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” Most of us have heard of the tradition of the bride wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue on her wedding day, but most often we leave out the sixpence in modern times. Arranging her attire to include each of these items was once thought to ensure good luck to the bride and the custom has endured to this day in Britain and North America.
Something Old
Something old symbolizes the bride’s connection with her family and her past as a single woman. A woman may choose to wear a piece of antique family jewellery or part of her mother or grandmother’s wedding outfit. The wedding gown itself is often passed down from generation to generation, but alterations may need to be made and some don’t wish to make any changes to the original gown. Embroidered handkerchiefs are also popular items to be passed down.
Something New
A new item in the bride’s attire represents the new life she will soon begin. Something new should be an object that makes her think of the joys her future married life will bring, so it makes sense for the new to come from her soon-to-be husband or in-law family. Some good ideas are jewellery, shoes or the wedding gown. The fiancé may also want to get some lingerie for his bride to wear under her dress that will be a sexy secret between them.
Something Borrowed
Borrowing an item to carry or wear on her wedding day reminds a bride that her friends and family are there for her should she ever need their help. Ideally, the item should be borrowed from a happily married woman so that some of her coupled bliss can rub off on the new wife. The bride’s best friend could lend her wedding veil to her for the big day.
Something Blue
In many cultures, blue symbolizes faithfulness and loyalty. Blue ribbons adorned the border of an ancient Israeli bride’s wedding clothes and in ancient Rome, the bride wore blue to denote love, fidelity and modesty. The colour also represents purity, perhaps as a result of the Virgin Mary being depicted wearing blue. In the past, many wedding dresses were blue. These days, the something blue is often the garter, so even if blue doesn’t go with the colour scheme, the bride can still wear it hidden under her skirt.
A Silver Sixpence
A sixpence was a silver coin worth six pennies in England between 1551 and 1967. It was placed in the bride’s shoe to attract wealth to her new marriage. This symbolic act may have originated with the Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for luck. To achieve the best chance of financial security, a bride should put the coin in her left shoe. In modern times, a penny or other coin is often used in place of the sixpence, but there are companies that sell special keepsake sixpence coins for the occasion.
