It is one of the most well-known wedding traditions out there, but do you know what the old saying “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” actually means?

Well the saying itself comes from an old English poem “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe”. Each item is the poem refers to a token of good luck for the bride. And the old tradition goes that if a bride carries each of these tokens of good luck down the aisle with her on her wedding day she will have a long and happy marriage.

But what does each item mean?

Something old: represents continuity with the bride’s family and her past

Something new: Optimism and hope for the future

Something borrowed: Item from a happily married friend or family member that will carry over to the new bride, symbolizes borrowed happiness

Something Blue: Stands for purity love and fidelity

Sixpence in your shoe: Wish for good fortune and prosperity

Here are some examples of ways to take this old tradition and incorporate it into your modern wedding.

Something Old: Many brides keep things tradition by wearing their mothers dress or grandmothers jewelry, if you want a modern spin on this tradition try adding an old photo locket or pearl necklace of your families to your bouquet, to make a vintage statement as you walk down the aisle.

Something New: Many Brides use their wedding dress or their jewelry as their something new. If you’re looking to make this token extra special, try exchanging gifts with your groom right before you walk down the aisle. These brand new gifts will be a perfect way to start your new future together.

Something Borrowed: If you don’t want to wear your mother or grandmothers dress but still want to incorporate it into your wedding day borrow a piece of lace or other fabric from their dress and have it sewn into yours somewhere. If you are unable to add it in your dress, use the fabric to wrap your bouquet for an elegant touch.  

Something Blue: For brides who really want their something blue to stand out try adding blue heels to your wedding dress. Or, if you want to keep things simpler, use blue stitching to have your wedding date or initials monogrammed onto the inside of your dress for a special touch only you can see.