Something Old Something New

Whether you’re eloping, having a small intimate wedding ceremony or going all out with all the bells and whistles, some brides still hold on to old traditions, like “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue.”

Even if brides don’t know where or how the “Something Old, Something New tradition started, they’ve heard it from their moms, grandmothers and aunts for so long, it doesn’t matter how it start, it just is.

So here we’re going to look at some new spins on the old tradition…

Something Old, Something New – Some Modern Ideas for an Old Tradition

Something Old, Something New

Something old: Traditionally, the “old” is more like a family heirloom that has been handed down from your ancestors. It usually has sentimental value too.

It could be a locket, a particular ring or a bracelet. Or it could be the beautiful lace gloves your great-grandmother wore for her wedding, which your grandmother wore and your mother wore.

If there are no pieces of jewelry or any sentimental heirlooms that have been handed down, you can always start a new tradition.

Check out some consignment shops or antique shops and look for something old that you can wear and hand down to your daughter or granddaughter.

‘Something old’ may even be your mother’s wedding gown that she’s been saving for her daughter to wear. Maybe the daughter’s seen photos of her mother’s dress and adamantly refuses to wear it because it’s outdated, too “retro.”

In that case, the old dress can often be updated with the help of a professional wedding dress seamstress. Sleeves can be shortened, the train can be shortened, even the overall look and style of the dress can be modernized to fit the bride’s tastes.

And if none of that is appealing, and the bride has her heart set on wearing a dress of her own, then maybe a piece of lace or embroidery from her mother’s wedding dress can be made into something the bride can carry, like a small purse.

Something new: Most brides think of their wedding dress as something new. But today, some brides are opting to rent a wedding dress or buy a previously used dress from a consignment shop on an online store like eBay or Etsy.

Since ‘something new’ symbolizes everything that hasn’t happened yet – starting a new life together with your new husband, for example, your ‘something new’ can pretty much be anything you want.

You can buy a new pair of earrings and matching necklace and bracelet for the wedding. You can buy a new pair of bridal shoes, or maybe your veil will be brand new even if your dress isn’t.

Or you can get your nails done in a new style or design that you’ve never done before.

You can even use ‘something old, something new’ with one item, for example, making a new wedding dress from an old one. Or turning parts of an old dress into a new handbag or lace gloves.

Just use your imagination when looking for something new for your wedding day.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Something borrowed: Just like with ‘something old, something new,’ There are a lot of ways to add something borrowed to your wedding ensemble.

Most of the time brides opt to borrow a piece of jewelry from a very close friend or relative. And that works well if the piece doesn’t class or look out of place with the wedding dress.

Also, like with ‘something old, something new,’ ‘something borrowed’ can be just about anything from anyone. Maybe your best friend has a pair of shoes that fit you and she’s not going to wear them in your wedding, so you can wear them instead.

Maybe a close friend or family member kept their bridal veil from their wedding and it matches perfectly with the style of your dress. You can borrow a veil instead of buying one.

Think of other things like a small silk or lace purse that someone close to you used for their dollar dance. You can borrow that small purse for your wedding too.

Think about using a borrowed item in a different way. For instance, if your aunt has a beautiful brooch that would look elegant pinned to the back of your gown where the train will be pinned up, borrow that for the day.

Get creative. See how many different ways one item can be borrowed and used for your wedding that will complement, not contrast, your style.

Something blue: If your wedding theme and colors are already shades of blue, then you’ve got this part covered with blue shoes, a bridal bouquet with blue flowers in it or any number of things really.

But what if your wedding colors are brown and white? Or different shades of green or purple? How to do you fit ‘something blue’ into that mix?

Here are some ideas.

Wear a piece of jewelry with blue sapphire in it. That’s pretty easy if you were born in the latter part of September through the early part of October and you’re a Libra. You most likely already have something blue in mind.

But if not, borrow a piece of jewelry with blue in it and you’re all set.

Look at the ideas for ‘something old, something new, and something borrowed.’ Can any of those items be in the color blue? Sure!

But if blue is going to clash with your wedding colors, you can use something that will be relatively hidden. Only you and the person helping you get ready for the wedding will know you have it.

Some examples: Use a blue hair comb or clip to hold your veil in place. The headpiece can hide the comb so no one else will know it’s there.

Wear a blue garter. Garters can be any color. So when you buy your garter, make sure it’s blue.

If your wedding colors are shades of blue, you can wear blue shoes. You can buy the dyeable shoes and have them dyed the exact blue shade of your wedding colors too.

Turquoise is also a shade of blue, so if you have silver and turquoise jewelry, you can wear that. And if you don’t really want it to be seen during your wedding ceremony, you can wear an anklet instead of a ring or bracelet.

And last, you can always wear blue underwear!

No matter what the history and tradition is of ‘Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue,’ the important part is to have fun with putting it all together.

And if you can manage not to be too uncomfortable with it, the very last part of this tradition which is meant for good luck – “and a penny in your shoe.”

The Author:

Karen S Musselman works from home and blogs about a variety of wedding and party planning topics.

Photo. Ana. J