If you’re in your late twenties or early thirties you may feel like you’re invited to a wedding every few months; you’re at that age where all of your friends and cousins are tying the knot! We often attend weddings and follow certain traditions – but do we even know why or what the meaning behind them is?
For instance why does the Bride stand on the left? I can explain… way back when, Brides were regularly kidnapped or attacked for their money or valuables… the Groom needed his right hand free to draw his sword at a moments notice! So the Bride always stood to the left so he could fight off the enemy. Makes sense now huh?
How about another one? Why does the Bride traditionally toss her bouquet? Well apparently, it’s not all about the single ladies trying to catch good luck and be the next in line for marriage. The reason for the bouquet toss was a little more sinister! Guests saw the Bride as blessed and believed it to be extremely lucky to touch or grab something worn by her. The wedding day could become distressing for the Bride: her dress and veil would be ripped and her flowers torn from her hands. So the bouquet toss was introduced to distract guests as she left.
Why does the Groom have a Best Man? Surely the reason can’t be to reveal devilish secrets during the wedding speech!? Not exactly, although that is one of the most anticipated parts of the day! Similarly to the Bride getting kidnapped; the Groom would often get attacked on his wedding day too, so he would choose the best sword fighter he knew to stand by his side and protect him.
Brides today still like to honour old traditions, but they like to put their own twist on things to make it more meaningful to them.
Something Old
Something New
Something Borrowed
Something Blue
And A Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe
This is one of the most well known wedding traditions, and is actually a British custom dating back to the late 19th Century. The Bride would include five items from this old English rhyme as part of her wedding outfit or she would carry with her on the day of her wedding in the hopes of having good fortune and luck in the marriage.
So what exactly does this custom involve, and how can you creatively incorporate each one on your wedding day?
Something Old
Something old represents a link from the Bride’s past. This is to do with the Bride remaining connected to her family, her past and her traditions after marrying.
Some creative ideas for a modern twist:
- Leave in a vintage getaway car
- Recreate a photo from your Parents wedding day
- If you are lucky enough to have your Grandmother in attendance why not give her the honour and embrace the trend of Grandma’s as flower girls
Something New
Something new represents optimism for the future. This relates to the Bride’s new life ahead of her.
Some creative ideas for a modern twist:
- Design new matching tattoos
- Make a new Instagram hashtag that your guests can use to tag your wedding photos
- Wear a new perfume so that the scent will always remind you of your day
Something Borrowed
Something borrowed represents borrowed happiness. Typically the Bride borrows something from a happily married friend or family member.
Some creative ideas for a modern twist:
- Borrow an idea from a loved one’s wedding; dance to your Parents first dance song or replicate your best friends wedding cake
- Celebrate your borrowed last name by stitching it inside your wedding dress
- Serve a personalised cocktail at the reception called something borrowed
Something Blue
Queen Victoria started the tradition of wearing a white wedding dress in 1840, but before this most Brides traditionally wore a blue dress to represent purity, love, and fidelity.
Some creative ideas for a modern twist:
- Wear a pale blue nail polish on your ring finger
- Ask your Bridesmaids to wear silk blue robes on the morning of your wedding
- Use a pretty blue wedding journal to plan the finer details
And A Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe
A silver sixpence represents future success and wealth. The Bride’s Father was traditionally responsible for placing the sixpence in her shoe. The sixpence is a British coin that was in use from 1551 to 1967 so can be difficult to find.
Some creative ideas for a modern twist:
- Use a coin from the year you met
- Use a coin from the year of your wedding
- Go on a date to the Royal Mint and strike your own coin
Whilst it’s not necessary to honour this tradition; modern Brides can have some real fun by creatively blending the past, present and future!
Bride-to-Be Gift Hamper
As a Bridesmaid for my Best Friend; I along with her other Bridesmaids came up with a fun way to put a twist on this old custom.
The night before the wedding we all stayed in The Old School Cottage, which was a short walk from the wedding venue. We surprised the Bride with her very own Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue gift hamper to bring good fortune and luck to the marriage.
For her something old we decided to pay homage to her favourite childhood band; the Spice Girls. We wrapped up the Spice Girls greatest hits album and hoped it would remind her of happy memories spent with her sisters and cousins.
For her something new we framed Say You Won’t Let Go lyrics by James Arthur. We hoped it would bring luck to her future by framing their chosen first dance song.
For her something borrowed each of the Bridesmaids lent a piece of useful advice. These were typed up onto a scroll and fastened with ribbon.
For her something blue we included celebratory bubbles tied with a powder blue ribbon.
The gift hamper was then presented in a wooden crate filled with soft blue heart tissue paper.
With just a little thought and imagination, this custom can be incorporated on your wedding day. The modern Bride knows that the best weddings are full of personal touches.
How did you modernise an old tradition into your wedding? Leave a comment and let me know!
If you enjoyed this post then click the like button and share on social media. You can always follow my blog Teacups and Glitter for more ideas 🙂
