Something...

Something old, Something new
Something borrowed, Something blue

...If you haven't heard that saying, raise your hands. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Okay, so, if you're interested in me or my blog, there's a good chance you're familiar with this age-old wedding custom. But do you know why Brides need to fill these four requirements before walking down the aisle?

Each item in the poem represents a good luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, it is said that her marriage will be happy.

"Something Old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past. This could be represented by something that was left to you by a late relative, or something being passed down to you from prior generations. A bride's "something old" could be as traditional as a grandparent's wedding picture in a vintage locket, or as interesting as her fiance's first baby tooth.

"Something New" provides optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead. This pieces is supposed to represent something you are adopting through your marriage or something that is unique to your new union. Sticking the key to your new home on a ribbon wrapped around your bouquet or even simply spraying a new perfume or slipping on new shoes will fit the bill here.

"Something Borrowed" is usually a loaned item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in love and marriage is supposed to rub off on the bride through the trinket. This item can also remind the bride that her friends and family are rooting for the marriage, and help warm any cold feet. A bride could request an old button up from their Maid of Honor to wear while getting hair and make-up done, or simply ask her future mother-in-law to pony up that stand of pearls she has always admired. 

Finally, "Something Blue" adds a bit of flair and color to the wedding. While many think that the "blue" was only included because it rhymes with new, the color has actually been around in weddings for quite some time. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty and fidelity, and before the late 19th century, blue was a popular Wedding Gown color, perhaps as an homage to the often blue-clad Virgin Mary and her purity. Today, a lot of brides have taken to the trend of wearing blue shoes, peaking them out from under their gowns for a great photo-op. Blue garters and blue panties are also popular, mainly because not many wedding color schemes allow for integration of the color blue.

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Where am I going with this? I think that bridal traditions, weddings and just about everything associated with them are the bees knees. I could (and would, just ask my friends) talk weddings all night and day. If I had my druthers, I would get paid to plan them. Maybe one day. But until then, I simply offer, through this blog, through my own ideas as well as the re-posting of others (with due credit, of course)...

Something Coordinated.