Each Wednesday, we tackle wedding etiquette. At times, it’s a reader question or one from a colleague, friend or family member and other times we’ll cover a popular issue. This week, we are sharing a question about the “something old, something new …” tradition from Dee Lane’s column in New Orleans Bride Magazine.
— Melanie Warner Spencer
Question: It isn’t very long until my wedding and my mother just informed me that it’s very important to her that I have the “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” The something new is easy — I purchased a new wedding dress — but could you help me with some ideas for the others?
Answer: Though it might seem to be an outdated tradition, incorporating these objects into your wedding day will not only help to make your mother happy, but also, there ways to add some very special touches to your special day. The “something new,” as you wrote, is easy: your dress is something new, as can be your lingerie or even a present from your groom. For “something old,” the traditional touch is a British sixpence worn in your left shoe for luck. As an alternative, consider wearing wedding bands from chosen matriarchs in your and your groom’s family on your right hand. “Something borrowed,” can be as simple as incorporating a piece of heirloom jewelry (as in the bands mentioned above) or carrying a handkerchief of your mother’s. For a different idea, why not ask your maid of honor if you can wear that pair of earrings of hers that you’ve always admired or borrow a cufflink from your groom and attach it to your garter? The last, “something blue,” is the most straightforward one for the modern bride to make her own. From wearing blue shoes to painting your nails and, or toenails blue, from carrying a peacock feather in your bouquet or wearing one in your hair to embroidering your wedding date and initials onto your dress lining in blue or even wearing pale blue underthings, the options are limited only by your imagination.
