Legends, Folklore & Traditions;
(something old something new somithing borrowed and something blue,)
This is a good luck saying which dates back to the Victorian era and many brides will try and ensure that they have something of each in their wedding outfit.
Something Old is meant to represent the link with the bride's own family and the past particularly mother or grandmother or even most distant relations. Something old is symbolic of continuity. To symbolise this link brides may choose to wear a piece of antique family jewellery which belonged to the relative. Alternatatively they may select something from the mother's or grandmother's wedding gown. Other things that may be chosen include a handkerchief, a scarf or a piece of lace.
Something New represents good luck and success and the brides hopes for a bright future in her new married life. The wedding gown is often chosen as the new item but it could be anything that is purchased new for the wedding such as the wedding flowers or the wedding rings. Wearing a new item on your wedding day conveys the message that you and your husband are creating a new union that will endure forever.
Something Borrowed is to represent to the bride that friends and family will be there for her on the special day and in the future when help is needed. "Borrowing" is especially important, since it has to come from a happily married woman, thereby lending the bride some of her own marital happiness to carry into the new marriage. Anything can be borrowed but it must be returned afterwards. Another way to incorporate a borrowed item into your wedding day attire is to borrow a friend’s piece of jewellery. If you have a close friend who has worn the same necklace for as long as you have known her, you might consider borrowing this particular necklace for your wedding day as a reminder of your friendship. Perhaps she wore the necklace on her own wedding day.
Something Blue in ancient times is the symbol of faithfulness, purity and loyalty. Often a blue item is the garter and in olden times the couple wore blue bands on the border of their wedding attire to denote, love, modesty and fidelity. Another way to wear something blue is to include a blue flower in your headdress or theme your wedding flowers in blue.
Brides have been honoring the tradition of wearing an old, a new, a borrowed and a blue item during their wedding for centuries. Although wearing these items is supposed to symbolise good luck for the bride, they are also just a fun tradition that gives the bride an opportunity to express her admiration for a few special people in her life on her special day.
Today, the tradition of the wedding garter is tame in comparison to France of the 14th century. In North America, the bride wears two garters; one as a keepsake garter and the other for the throw away.
Both garters are worn on the right leg just above the knee.
Before the removal of the garter, the bride first throws her bouquet to the single women.
The groom removes the throw away garter from the brides leg, sometimes he removes it with his teeth , but more appropriately nowadays he uses his hands. He does this while the bride is sat in a chair.
After the garter is removed, he then throws it to the single male guests. The male guest then takes the garter and places it on the leg of the single female guest who has caught the bouquet.
Those that catch either item are said to be the next to marry. In some instances, it is said that they will marry each other.
The keepsake garter is removed later in private during the honeymoon night.
Numerous wedding garter traditions have been obtained over the years that still seem to become rules of etiquette today. Take a look at a few that are still popular and some that have long since been forgotten.
The garter tradition originated back to the 14th century. In parts of Europe the guests of the bride and groom believed having a piece of the bride’s clothing was thought to bring good luck. . It became customary for the groom to toss the garter to the men. Another interesting custom dated back to the ancient times where the wedding garter represented the virginal girdle. When the groom removed the garter from the bride, An Old English custom was while the bride and groom were in their bridal chamber, the wedding guests would sneak into the chamber picking up discarded stockings and throwing them at the couple. Whoever flung a stocking that hung on the bride or groom’s nose, would be the next to marry.
“ Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and a Silver Sixpence in her Shoe”
Did you ever wonder where the custom “Something Blue” derived from?
Wearing something blue dates back to biblical times when the color blue was considered to represent purity, faithfulness and fidelity. Back then the bride would wear a piece of blue clothing or a blue band around the bottom of her dress. .
sixpence in your shoe was belived to bring wealth and riches to married life,
in other countries, money is pinned to the brides dress on the first dance( a good way to get not to many toasters)!!!
wedding candles, symbolic as to two people joining as one starting with 2 candles you both light the one candle together symbol of 2 becoming one as in married life