Though a lot of couples these days opt for modern weddings, contemporary ceremonies and original receptions, most brides and grooms-to-be still like to include a few traditions in their big day. One of the most popular is incorporating ‘something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue’ into the bride’s outfit. Dating back to the 19th century, this is one tradition that’s stood the test of time.
However, just because it’s been around for a while, doesn’t mean the tradition is set in stone. In fact, you don’t have to complete the quartet at all if you don’t want to, simply pick and choose the aspects that appeal to you instead. If you’re looking for original and innovative ways to update this much-loved wedding tradition, here are a few ideas for how you can add a twist to your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue’.
Something old
Traditionally, brides opt to wear an inherited piece of jewellery or family heirloom as their ‘something old’. If you don’t want to wear any extra jewellery on your big day, you could opt to have your favourite vintage piece converted into hair grips, or bouquet decorations. Or as BrideBox suggests, “If accessories and hairpieces aren’t your style, you can take family heirloom jewelry and have it sewn directly onto your wedding dress”.
Something new
Often the bride will count her wedding dress as her ‘something new’. As well as being money saving, using the wedding outfit as part of the tradition is appropriate as the ‘something new’ represents the bride’s new life with her husband-to-be.
Something borrowed
Your ‘something borrowed’ can be anything you like. To make it more original than a piece of borrowed jewellery, why not think a bit outside the box? Instead you could opt to borrow some flowers from a friend’s garden for your bouquet, ‘borrow’ a hair or makeup style from your favourite celebrity or borrow the time and help of your friends and family to bring the day together.
Something blue
When it comes to your ‘something blue’, you can have a little fun. You could opt for bright blue shoes, blue underwear or even blue flowers. If you’re feeling bold, you could even paint your nails blue or have the person walking you down the aisle wear the colour from head to toe.
When deciding which traditions you’re going to include in your wedding, it’s important to remember it’s your day. Pick and choose the elements that feel right to you to tailor your celebration perfectly.
