Something Old, Something New... History

We all know about the wedding tradition something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, but did you ever wonder where the phrase and tradition comes from? Here is a little info on the "Something old..." tradition:

Something old, something new,
Something borrowed, something blue,
A silver sixpence in her shoe

That's the little poem that started the whole tradition. It was said that the wearing of such items on your wedding day was to bring good luck. The poem dates back to the time of Queen Victoria, which we referenced on our history of the white wedding dress here. Each item represents something different.
Something old represents the bride's ancestors. Traditionally, the bride would wear a piece of jewelry that was handed down through generations of her family.
Something new shows that the bride is looking towards the future.
Something borrowed was usually a token borrowed from a happily married friend or relative, in hopes that their luck in marriage would transfer to the newly married couple.
Something blue symbolizes purity. This color is believed to come from the Virgin Mary, who is most often portrayed in a blue robe.
A silver sixpence in her shoe is a Scottish tradition of the groom putting a silver sixpence in his own shoe to represent financially wealth and security. Now days, it is usually the bride who puts the sixpence in her shoe.
Now, do you ever wonder how to incorporate these traditions into your own wedding? Over the next week, we will go over one topic each day and what you can do to incorporate them into your wedding! Stay tuned.

Header picture credits (left to right):
Etsy, Aaron Delesie, Flickr, Tapestry Flowers