You’ve probably all heard the saying, “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”, and while it is an absolutely classic piece of wedding culture, its meaning can be a bit confusing. So, I’m going to give you all a short history lesson followed by some ideas of items that a bride could incorporate into her wedding in order to fulfill the classic proverb!

History

The origin of the saying comes to us from an old English rhyme, dawning back to the 19th century in the town of Lancashire. The full rhyme actually includes a fifth line, allowing the whole to read something like this, “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in your shoe."

The rhyme was originally intended to be a way for brides to remember a list of extra items to keep on them for luck. While nowadays luckiness is not the main focus of the rhyme, however, it is still a commonly practiced tradition, and many brides incorporate at least one item from the list into their wedding day attire. The meaning of each line is unique unto itself, with something old being a tie to the past, something new being a hopeful optimism for the future, something borrowed being an item borrowed from a happily married relation in order to procure luck for the brides soon to be marriage, and finally, something blue relating to the color that was said to ward off evil. The color blue also stood for purity, love and fidelity!

What can a bride use?

When it comes to selecting objects for use, there is no hard and fast set of rules, at least not anymore. Generally speaking, the objects would come from female family and friends, however, these days it’s not uncommon to incorporate one or more of the elements into the wedding day instead of the attire. Something borrowed could be the car that the couple will drive away in, something blue could be a floral decor, the cake or even a part of the bouquet. Again, there’s no real set of rules, it’s all just for the sake of tradition.

Something Old

This object is generally something that is symbolic of age and has come from someone near and dear to the bride. For example, most brides who attain an object for this category receive some kind of old jewelry like a ring, a necklace or a locket with a photo inside. This item could be hidden on their person or placed in their bouquet. It could also be an article of clothing like the dress, if it was worn by say a grandmother or great grandmother. The old object could also be a more practical item for the wedding, like the getaway car or something to be used during the reception.

Something New

This object doesn’t necessarily have to come from someone related to the bride. It could be something that she purchased for herself, or a gift from the groom. Generally, the new object is something that has yet to be used by the bride, in any capacity, thus the item doesn’t have to be brand new, just new to her. It could be a piece of jewelry, a wedding gown, a nice pair of wedding shoes, the wedding ring and so on and so forth.

Something Borrowed

Something borrowed is somewhat dependent on receiving an item from another person. Although in modern times something borrowed has also been known to be “borrowing” the same first dance song as her parents or grandparents, or it could be saving some money by borrowing the veil of a happily married friend. The point is to utilize an object that has been used by another; someone who is happily married. Often, the something borrowed is an antique set of pearl earrings, or a crystal necklace. Something that would complete the beauty of the bride, that she doesn't have to acquire herself!

Something Blue

Like I explained above, something blue was meant to ward off evil, while showing a certain level of purity, love and fidelity. Nowadays, it’s commonly used to add a splash of color to the bride's getup. Some brides choose to wear a blue garter, while others choose to incorporate the color into their shoes, handbags, hair clips, bouquet and so forth. The object doesn’t really matter, it simply has to be the color blue! It’s also quite popular for brides who want the pure white wedding attire to incorporate the color into another part of the wedding like the cake, or the decor. Again, there’s no set list of rules to follow, simply whatever your heart desires!

While this tradition has been around for a long time, it’s certainly not a requirement for a happy marriage and a blessed wedding day. That all depends on you and your friends and family. Although if you do happen to include this tradition into your wedding day, be sure to enjoy it! It’s not a tradition that’s meant to box you in with rules, it’s meant to be a way for you to be supported by your loved ones and to show them how much you love them all!