Wedding Invitations

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” It seems as if just about everyone has heard that old saying, but do you know the history behind it? Take a moment out of your busy wedding planning or etiquette researching to learn some more about this age-old bridal custom.

To begin with, you may not know this, but in the original saying, there’s a final line that often gets omitted here in the United States: “put a sixpence in her shoe.” While I was planning my own wedding, my grandmother sent me a sixpence and it’s a good thing she wasn’t there to see me open up the envelope because I honestly could not figure out why she was sending me loose change (and from another country, no less!). A little internet research quickly told me that custom says that a sixpence placed in the bride’s shoe on her wedding day is a wish for good fortune and prosperity for the newlyweds.

Similarly, the big four (old, new, borrowed, and blue) each symbolize other wishes for the newlyweds. Something old represents continuity, something new offers optimism for the future, something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness, and something blue stands for purity, love, and fidelity. All very welcome and worthy wishes for any bride and groom on their wedding day!

Some brides worry that they won’t be following wedding etiquette to the letter if they assemble the items themselves, but experts assure that the items need not be presented by the bride’s sister or mother or aunt in order to “count.”