by evan
There is an old poem that has changed the way we dress for our wedding day:
something old, something new
something borrowed, something blue
and a silver sixpence in your shoe.
Have you ever wondered where that came from?
The poem originated in Victorian England as a good luck poem for the bride.
“Something old” stands for continuity with the Bride and her family and her past. A lot of brides use family heirlooms or pieces of cloth from their mother’s wedding dress and either sew it into their dress or wrap it around their bouquet. Many brides are also using lockets with pictures of family members that have passed away or wearing their mother’s wedding band on their right ring finger. Some brides have even carried their fiancé’s first lost tooth and used it as their something old.
“Something new” represents optimism for good fortune and success in the bride’s future. Most people just count their wedding dress or their lingerie for their something new, but if you want to do something a little out of the box and put your engagement picture in a locket and wear that. Brides are also carrying the key to their new home as their something new.
“Something borrowed” represents a couple of things, one being a reminder to the bride that no matter what she can depend on her friends and family for help. The other thing that the “something borrowed” line symbolizes is that the good fortune of whomever the bride borrows from will carry on to the bride. There are really endless possibilities for something borrowed. You could use something from a family member or you could borrow something from a friend whose marriage you admire like a purse, jewelry, or a hair comb.
“Something Blue” symbolizes love, modesty, and fidelity. Up until the end of the 1800s, blue was the color of choice for wedding dresses because it symbolized purity. This is illustrated through old proverbs like “Marry in blue, lover be true” and the fact that the Virgin Mary was often painted in blue. There are so many fun ways that you can incorporate blue into your wedding day even if it is not as one of your colors. Some brides have started ordering their wedding cake in their favorite shade of blue. Others wear blue shoes, or paint their toes blue. My favorite idea is putting a blue ribbon in your garter or wearing blue underwear.
The last line of this popular poem is usually forgotten, mainly because sixpences are not easy to find nowadays. But this part of the poem promises wealth and financial security for the happy couple and who does not want that! So most websites suggest putting a penny or a dime in your left shoe. There are, however, some websites that sell keepsake sixpences for all you diehards out there.
As cute as this poem is, remember it’s just a poem. Don’t let the fact that you are having trouble finding your something blue ten minutes before the ceremony stress you out. Just let the tears of joy count too.
References:
1.http://davecrossweddings.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/depalma-1049.jpg
2.www.bridaltweet.com/ profile/GabrielShimunov?x…
3.http://eastwindcreations.com/blog/2009/10/06/wedding-details-something-blue/
4. http://www.tybinc.com/resources/old_new_borrowed_blue.php
6. http://trulyweddingblog.com/wedding-traditions/bridal-traditions-old-new-borrowed-and-blue
7. http://wiki.weddingbee.com/Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue





































