What does something old, something new mean?
English & widely adopted · also called something borrowed something blue, the rhyme, four somethings
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe. The rhyme is Victorian English, each item is a specific wish rather than a decoration, and the fifth line - the one almost everyone forgets - is the one about money.
What each one is for
Something old carries continuity with the bride's family and past. Something new represents optimism for the life beginning. Something borrowed should come from a happily married woman, the idea being that her good fortune transfers with the object. Something blue stands for fidelity, love and purity - blue has been the colour of constancy in English tradition far longer than white has been the colour of weddings.
The sixpence in the shoe is a wish for prosperity, traditionally given by the bride's father. It is the line most often dropped from the rhyme and the easiest to include.
How couples actually do it now
The most meaningful versions are the least visible. A piece of a mother's dress sewn into the hem, a grandfather's watch in a pocket, a locket with a photograph pinned inside the bouquet, a blue ribbon stitched where nobody will see it.
There is no requirement that any of it show, and the four somethings are among the easiest traditions to adapt - couples of every gender combination use them, and plenty of grooms carry their own.
Planning it properly
A tradition only goes well if the people running your day know it is coming. These are the things to say out loud, and who to say them to.
- Sort the sewing weeks ahead
- Anything stitched into a dress goes to the alterations appointment, not to the morning of the wedding.
- Tell your photographer what they are
- These are small objects with large stories, and they are worth ten minutes of detail photography - but only if someone knows they exist.
- Ask early for the borrowed item
- Asking a relative to lend something for the day is a lovely conversation, and a rushed one is less lovely.
- Put the sixpence somewhere you can walk on
- Under the arch of the foot, taped, is the practical answer. A loose coin underfoot for eight hours is not.
Common questions
What is the full something old something new rhyme?
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe. The final line about the sixpence - a wish for prosperity - is the part most commonly left out.
Who should the borrowed item come from?
Traditionally a happily married woman, on the idea that her good fortune in marriage passes along with the object. A mother's or grandmother's item is the most common choice.
Why something blue?
Blue has signified fidelity, love and constancy in English tradition for centuries - considerably longer than white has been associated with weddings.
The vendors who make this work
Something old, something new depends on people who have done it before. Every review on Lazo comes from a couple who actually got married with that vendor, and rankings can't be bought.
Browse every category in Albany → · What a wedding stationer costs →