History of Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Every bride has heard of this traditional wedding day checklist. But, did you ever stop and wonder how this tradition came about in the first place?

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Every bride has heard of this wedding day checklist, and if you’re hoping to head off bad luck before heading down the aisle, you’re probably planning to stick to it pretty faithfully. But, did you ever stop and wonder how this tradition came about in the first place?

Well, as it turns out, brides have been sporting some of these good luck charms down the aisle for centuries. The color blue has actually been associated with weddings since way back in ancient Roman times as a symbol of love and fidelity, so who wouldn’t want to wear blue on their wedding day? You can have fun bringing this age-old tradition into your day with a blue sash, blue garter, or even blue shoes! For those of you looking for something a bit more sweet and subtle, you can sew your name or wedding date into your wedding gown with blue thread.

Something old, borrowed, and new date back to the Victorian era. Something old symbolizes the progression of the bride’s old life into her new married life. It used to be that the something old was the wedding dress handed down from the mother (and sometimes, it still is!), but with fewer brides wearing mom’s gown, it’s a great chance to incorporate a meaningful family heirloom as an accessory. “Something new” symbolizes hope and the bride’s new life, and is a pretty easy tradition to check off the list. As for “something borrowed,” an item is borrowed from a happily married family member to carry the happiness over to the bride and her own marriage.

Of course, for all you traditionalists out there, you know there’s more to the poem…"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in your shoe.” The sixpence is an old English tradition where you tuck a sixpence in your shoe on your wedding day to bring you wealth and financial luck for the future (yes, please!). Though not every bride adds a sixpence to her shoe, you can buy a keepsake sixpence, or modernize the tradition with a more current coin!

So as you can see, something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue are not only fun traditions, but have been a part of weddings for centuries as a way to bring happiness and good luck to the new bride. So if you’re the superstitious sort, go ahead and use these traditions on your big day. After all, they must have stood the test of time for good reason.