“Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.”
Each item refers to a good luck token for a bride. The custom is that if the bride carries all four items on her wedding day, she will have a happy marriage.
Each verse refers to a good luck item:
- Something old – continuity with the bride’s family and the past
- Something new – optimism and hope for the bride’s new life ahead
- Something borrowed – an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride
- Something blue – Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, “Marry in blue, lover be true.”
Popular Ideas
Something Old
- A relative’s wedding gown or using a piece of the fabric to sew into your own gown or wrap the bridal bouquet
- A family heirloom: jewelry, veil, headpiece, handkerchief
- A piece of fabric from an old childhood doll or article of clothing, either sewn into your gown or used as a wrap for your bouquet.
- A locket with photos of your parents or grandparents.
Something New
- New shoes
- New jewelry
- You wedding gown, if purchased new.
- New lingerie or garter
Something Borrowed
- Often, this is jewelry belonging to someone close to you: earrings, a watch, pearls, etc.
- A veil or headpiece
- A brooch or hair comb
- A purse
Something Blue
- Monogram in blue thread sewn into wedding dress
- Blue shoes
- Blue lingerie
- Blue nail polish
- Jewelry accents in blue: earrings, rings, bracelets, anklet, toe rings, necklaces containing sapphires, topaz, aquamarine, Swarovski crystals, etc.
- Blue bouquet accents: ribbon wrap, brooches, cameos, lockets
- Blue sash for wedding gown
- Blue embroidery on wedding gown
- Blue hair accessories: hair clips/barrettes, headband, etc.
- Blue rhinestones glued to bottom of wedding shoes in shape of initials