English wedding traditions

We here at Something Turquoise find that today's tradition hits a little close to home. We love to reveal the latest bridal trends, but our blog's own name comes from an adage we have all become accustomed to: "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue". Although it is difficult to exactly track down when this rhyme came into use, we do know that it is a traditionally English poem. The rhyme has been in use in America since as early as 1894, where it was printed in Pennsylvanian newspaper called The Warren Ledger. Additionally, the full poem was written as follows:

"Something old, something new,Something borrowed, something blue,And a silver sixpence in her shoe."

These five tokens of love given to the bride by her family (or to herself) are symbolic of positive wishes. "Something old" represents continuity; "something new" represents optimism for the bride and groom's future together; "something borrowed" symbolizes borrowed happiness, and "something blue" stands for purity, love, and fidelity. "A Sixpence in her shoe" mainly remains a British custom, and it symbolizes a wish for good fortune and prosperity.We've come up with some great ideas for these little gifts, and we hope that they will bring you the same luck that the original writer of the rhyme intended!Something old:- Pearls- A fur stole- A vintage wedding gown- A vintage locket with his picture and yours tucked away insideSomething new:- Your wedding gown- Your veil- Any newly purchased accessories or bridal accoutrementsSomething borrowed:- A small charm from a relative that you can pin to the inside of your dress- Vintage jewelry from an older relative- A veil used in a friend or relative's wedding- An idea you may have seen at a friend's weddingSomething blue:- Something Bleu shoes (these shoes actually knock out two lines in one fell swoop-- each shoe features a little blue gem embedded in the bottom of the sole. They're both new and blue!)- A blue ribbon, pinned to the inside of your gown- A blue garter belt- Blue flowers used in the reception- Jewelry featuring sapphires (if this is a borrowed piece from an older relative, you might even fulfill two more lines from the rhyme, as you'll have borrowed an old, blue accessory!)- Using forget-me-nots in your bridal bouquetInfo via