Wedding Traditions

 

Something old, Something new
Something borrowed, Something blue
And a Silver Sixpence in your shoe

Weddings are full of tradition from the groom not seeing the bride in her dress before the big day to throwing the bouquet. Wedding traditions have been passed down through the generations and it often falls to the Mother of the Bride or Groom to bestow these traditions on their children. In the twenty first century however these tradition can be easily lost. So we have taken the famous “something old” saying and told you what it actually means and how you can apply it to your son or daughters wedding day.

The above saying is thought to have originated in the Victorian era although some of the good luck customs, referred to in the saying, have been around much longer.

The idea of having ‘something old’ is supposed to be as a link for the bride to her family and life before marriage.  Traditionally, this ‘something old’, would be a piece of jewellery belonging to the mother of the bride, grandmother or other female relative.  It could also be a piece of material from a relative, their own wedding dress or a hankie.

‘Something new’, is to symbolise the new life the bride is about to embark on with her husband.  The wedding rings or the wedding dress itself is often used for the ‘something new’, and is supposed to symbolise the happy future for the couple.

The bride is supposed to have ‘something borrowed’ to bring her luck.  This traditionally would have been an item borrowed from a happily married couple.  The hope was that their happiness would be passed over to the newly wed couple. You could borrow anything from a friend or family member who is already married, perhaps a veil or a shawl.

‘Something blue’ dates back much further.  Blue is traditionally a colour to symbolise purity. In the Christian faith, the Virgin Mary wore blue and even in Roman times, blue was used to symbolise purity and modesty. In the 19th century it was a popular colour for the wedding dress itself, but now is generally worn on a garter or underwear.

Finally the tradition of a ‘silver sixpence in your shoe’ has many possible origins. The silver sixpence was minted in Britain between 1551 and 1967and is thought to symbolise a financially secure future for the couple.  However, a Scottish tradition is for the groom to wear a silver coin in his left shoe, and this custom may derive from this tradition. You can still buy a silver sixpence, but some people use a penny instead.