Wedding traditions and customs differ throughout the world depending on your culture and own personal style, and this one has been around since the English Victorian age. It comes from an old rhyme and each item (old, new, borrowed and blue) is supposed to bring the bride good luck in marriage. Something old should bring continuity from the bride’s family, something new brings her optimism for the future, something borrowed should be given by a family member who has been lucky in marriage so the new bride can ‘borrow’ her happiness and something blue represents purity and fidelity of the bride.
There are many ways to include this tradition into your wedding, and brides get more creative every year. We’ve found some great ideas on Pinterest that may inspire you to think out of the box.
For ‘Something Old,’ breathe life into heirloom jewelry by attaching them to burettes is both creative and beautiful. Including an old family heirloom with your bouquet makes your flowers that much more unique. Or taking some of the lace from your mother’s or grandmother’s vintage wedding dress and turning into a hair piece can bring in that old tradition flare to your look.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest
For ‘Something New’ clothing and accessories are always a good option. These can include your wedding dress or your wedding shoes. Another clever idea is a monogrammed necklace that feature your new initials.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest
For ‘Something Borrowed,’ we suggest going the jewelry route. It’s the traditional way to go, but often family jewelry has important meaning behind it, not to mention, if you’re a bride on a budget it doesn’t hurt to save that expense. Another item that is often kept by brides is their garter, so borrowing a relatives is another good way to check off that ‘something borrowed’ box.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Finally, for your ‘Something Blue’ there are several options. Some of our favorites mostly involved the shoes. If you’re not in the mood to wear blue shoes with your wedding dress, a somewhat hidden but adorable way to have your something blue is with stickers on the sole of your shoes that say a cute little message. Another great way, is tying a little blue ribbon onto your heel for your walk down the aisle. And one of our favorite ideas is taking blue fabric from a piece of clothing (like a relatives shirt) and sewing it into your dress. What a great way to honor someone that is close to your heart.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Just remember to be creative and that your items come from the heart. And don’t forget, you can mix and match too, maybe a blue garter or an old and borrowed pair of earrings!
See You Soon,
~Paula & Martin Ramirez
Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.
