The four somethings.

Old. New. Borrowed. Blue.

The four something’s.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue." A wedding custom that we are all familiar with. But is the meaning behind these words well known and did you know that there is actually another line?

No?

Well continue reading and we'll share with you the meaning behind the tradition, along with some of our ideas on how you can incorporate it in to your big day, in a way that’s totally unique to your personality.

The custom began in early Victorian times and originates from the old English Nursery rhyme:

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

This rhyme is often referred too as the four something’s (however many people do not include the sixpence). Each line represents a token that family members and guests of the bridal party would present to the bride as a symbol of good luck.

Something old:

Represents the continuity of the brides past moving along with her future.

Ways to incorporate:

- Wear a family heirloom. For example) a hair slide or a brooch that has been passed down through the generations.

-Visit a local antique or charity shop for a piece of vintage jewellery.

- Use vintage lace on the handle of your bouquet, garter or you could even incorporate it onto your ring bearers pillow.

- Use a classic car for wedding transportation.

-Incorporate photos of your journey, together as a couple, into your wedding venue.

- Or if you're looking for a bigger 'up-cycled' project then you'll love this! A couple of weeks ago, we had a bride visit us in the boutique for shoes. She shared with us that she had used her great grandmothers lace wedding dress and had it remade in to the style she wanted for her big day.

Amazing!

Something new:

Represents the optimism and hope for the future and the new life she'll share with her groom.

Ways to incorporate:

- Treat the bride to some new jewellery, make up, or underwear for her big day. This one is completely up to you

- Go with the bride to choose her wedding day perfume.

(Or if you want to treat her to a gift she'll never forget, some companies offer an experience where you help create your very own scent. See <here> for more details.

Something borrowed:

This is an item lent to the bride by somebody close to her and symbolises borrowed happiness. This can come from a friend or family member, however is traditionally given to a bride by a happily married couple, close to the bride. It is believed that the good fortune experienced in their marriage will carry over in to theirs. The borrowed item is also believed to be meaningful to the bride, symbolising that she will always be able to depend on her friends and family.

Ways to incorporate:

-   Borrow jewellery, hair pins or a head piece from your friends or family members.

-   Borrow your fiancés shirt or robe to wear on the morning of your big day whilst you get your hair and make up done.

-   Borrow a book from the library that has a poem or reading in it for use during the ceremony.

Something blue:

Represents love, good fortune and fidelity.

Something blue has been a tradition connected to weddings for centuries, starting with Rome, where the bride would wear blue to symbolise her love and modesty.

Ways to incorporate:

This part of the tradition is a place where your creativity can really run free. There are so many different possibilities on ways to incorporate this in to your big day.

- Have a blue colour theme.

- Incorporate blue into your flower arrangement, whether it be the flowers themselves or a piece of ribbon that binds them together.

- Use blue confetti.

- Have your nails painted blue.

- Wear blue lingerie.

- Wear a blue petticoat underneath your dress.

- Wear blue shoes (or if you want something really different dye your bridal shoes blue!)

A sixpence in her shoe:

The sixpence represents good fortune and prosperity. This is traditionally worn in the brides left shoe, however many women have been known to carry it in their purse or sewn on to the bouquet.

Ways to incorporate:

- Many sites online sell sixpences specifically for weddings,however if you want to add a more personal touch use a coin from the country of yours or your fiancés ancestry.

By choosing meaningful items, the English tradition will hold personal value for the bride and groom on their wedding day.

Did you incorporate this tradition in to your wedding? If so leave a comment below, we'd love to hear how you did it!