History Of Wedding Traditions: Something Old, Something New...
February 18, 2022
Dubsdread Catering Event Specialist Peighton Ballant Shares The History of Wedding Day Traditions Still Popular Today: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Six Pence in Your Shoe.
Many of today’s wedding traditions began long ago and have adapted over the years to fit modern trends. This includes the tradition of “Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” This well-known phrase originated from an old English rhyme first noted in the Victorian Era as, "Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe.” At that time, it was believed that if the bride carried these items into her married life, they would work to ward off the Evil Eye, “…a curse passed through a malicious glare that could make a bride infertile.” Today, they are a way for brides to carry a tradition, memento, shared tribute, and gifts from loved ones and family.
- SOMETHING OLD - Back in the day, it was believed that including “Something Old” was the best way to ward off the Evil Eye. However, in modern times it is a lot more light-hearted and often represents to the bride that the wedding is larger than herself. It is often a connection to family or the past and symbolizes the bringing of her family, her past, her traditions through to her future life. One example of this, is taking a piece of fabric from an old wedding dress in the family and sew a small patch into the new dress, veil, or garter.
- SOMETHING NEW - While “Something Old” is generally tying the bride to her past, “Something New” is offering the bride hope for her and her partner’s future. As the new couple is about to enter a whole new chapter in their lives it symbolizes the optimism and hopes for the road ahead. “Something New” can simply refer to the actual union being created with her partner on the day of the wedding. It can also be an item the bride receives from her future partner, her family, her bridal party attendants, or something special she purchases for herself for that day. Many brides I’ve worked with have splurged on that just right pair of shoes and called them their “Something New”.
- SOMETHING BORROWED - “Something Borrowed” was originally about bringing the new couple good luck and good fertility. The bride would receive or borrow undergarments from a female friend or family member that had a healthy marriage and healthy kids. It was believed that if the bride wore these items, the good luck would follow her into her marriage as well. Nowadays, the same concept is still applied in the sense that many items are someone’s good luck charm, something from a family member or friend who has a good marriage, or even just something that honors an important person in the bride’s life.
- SOMETHING BLUE - Wearing “Something Blue” was also meant to ward off the Evil Eye as back in the Victoria Era, the color blue represented love, purity, and fidelity. Today, blue still represents these three things, but because it is no longer a traditional color for the wedding gown, it gets incorporated in other ways. Many of my clients find small ways to incorporate it by having their garter blue, or a blue gem in their necklace, or even just adding one blue flower to their bridal bouquet. For a more noticeable splash, I’ve had clients use blue as the color for the wedding party attire, bouquets and boutonnieres as their “Something Blue” so that everyone is part of the.
- A SIXPENCE IN YOUR SHOE - This lesser known part of the rhyme is actually pretty straight forward. In Victorian England, the bride was given a sixpence coin to put in her shoe for good luck. Carrying the coin into her wedding day was thought to attract wealth and it was believed to be most effective if it was placed in the shoe by her father. Since sixpence coins no longer exist, today’s brides often substitute a penny for this tradition.
As with most wedding traditions, we have made them much more light-hearted today than their original meanings. But for those who want to honor tradition, follow it with a twist to make it more personalized, or are just plain superstitious, who knows, maybe you’ll have a lifetime of wealth if you just put that penny in your shoe.
Want more ideas to personalize your big day? Our event specialist team has the experience and insights about ways to incorporate a unique spin on any wedding tradition to personalize it to your special day.
Peighton Ballant is an Event Specialist with the Dubsdread Catering Team and is currently working on her Event Management degree at UCF. Peighton enjoys working with prospective couples to discover what they are most interested in bringing to their special day, and how to make those ideas come to life. Contact her today at [email protected].
