Marital Good Luck

Next in our series on the rhyme “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,” we look at two elements; new and borrowed.

Something Borrowed

So how does something borrowed differ from something old? The old item represents the bride’s links to her past, but the borrowed article is meant to bring luck.

This item should come from a happily married person with the idea that some of their marital bliss will rub off on this new union. So, you could use an item from an unmarried or divorced family member for your “old” object, but you would need something different for your “borrowed” article if you’re sticking to tradition.

Items commonly used include jewellery, garters and sometimes even the dress, but you can also use ornate hairpieces or tiaras.

Something New

This is perhaps the most straightforward of all as any new item could be considered as fitting the bill. The part of the rhyme represents your hope for the future, so I believe it is the most important. There are no rules regarding what counts as “something new”. From your dress to your jewellery to your shoes to your perfume, all these are ideal.

However, you can decide that you don’t want essential wedding dressing to represent your hope for the future. Instead, look at purchasing each other meaningful gifts, which will really enhances the item’s meaning. For example, you probably won’t wear your dress again, but a vintage or designer watch from your partner is something you can wear again and never lose its value.

Good Luck Gifts from Guests

On the day, your guests might give you little tokens to wish you luck in your wedding. The most common of these is a horseshoe on a string. Horseshoes have a long tradition as lucky items and are often placed over external doors to ward off evil spirits.

Another good luck gift you might receive is a love spoon. Traditionally given by Welsh men to their sweethearts to communicate their intentions, these ornately carved spoons have come to reflect a good luck charm in weddings. Different symbols have different meanings. Unsurprisingly a wooden spoon with a horseshoe motif wishes you luck in your marriage!

Why not take a look at the other wedding blogs on our website for more inspiration!