Making Old Traditions New With "a Silver Sixpence in Your" Shoe
"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in your shoe."
There countless wedding traditions that have developed over time, cross cultures, been combined, redefined, and made anew with each new bride that says I do (did you enjoy my rhyming?). Most people remember -at least vaguely- the tradition of having something old, new, borrowed and blue at the wedding, but they forget the whole "silver sixpence in your shoe" ending. While putting a large coin in your shoe may not sound so appealing in term of comfort walking down the aisle in already hard to walk in heels, the old-new-borrowed-blue tradition truly is incomplete without it. Each item of the old-new-borrowed-blue are meant to be tokens of luck and wishes gifted to the bride on her wedding day and each item has its own individual significance: including the sixpence.
The something old is meant to be a symbol of the past moving forward or looking to the future. Then, the something new is representative of the new life the bride and groom are starting together, and the something borrowed is meant to represent borrowing happiness. Next, the something blue is symbolic of good fortune and fidelity, and finally, the sliver sixpence is meant to encourage and wish prosperity on the couple.
Contemporary brides are known to pick and choose which wedding traditions to uphold based on what is most important to them, but if you want to uphold the old-new-borrowed-blue traditions(and yes I am aware that I am ironically leaving it out in my coining of the title to represent it), then you really ought to include the sixpence in your shoe in some form or fashion. You don't necessarily need to put it in your shoe either. A lot of brides will have it sewn in to the hem of her wedding dress or attached to her bridal bouquet. There have been other modifications from the sixpence to using a lucky penny, a minted coin, or an old coin from the country of the bride's ancestry.
Wedding traditions, like the sixpence, are a fun way to include cultural traditions and to take a look at your own past and future. You do not need to be boxed in by tradition, but can instead make it your own. By doing so, you may even be paving the way of new traditions for brides to come.
1. When deciding on something old, first look to those in your family that are important to you. This became such an apparent reason behind why something old became part of this wedding tradition as we all (if your not you should) watch This is Us's Kaite-girl trying to find something of her dad's to walk down the aisle with her on her wedding day. For Kate Pearson, it might have been a case of finding balance in feeling grief and letting go, but it's more than understandable to want her something old to stand in for her dad. So if someone is missing from your wedding, maybe this little tradition can help fill that gap (at least a little bit).
2. Another great option is a family heirloom. Many families even pass down specific things for their brides to wear. It can be something big like the wedding dress, or small like a bracelet or a tiara. Either way, it fits the bill of something old, and with a lot of meaning behind it!
Now, something blue is supposed to represent the purity of the marriage and the promise of fidelity. While anything could be your blue item, choosing something that really works with what it is symbolizing actually will add more meaning to your wedding.
7. A great option for this would be to add it to your wedding ring. Of course if you are dead set against colored gemstones in your wedding rings, then this won't work. But if not, it really is a very meaningful option. Many jewelers will even inlay a gemstone on the inside of the wedding band. Depending on how thing your band is, this could be an amazing something blue!
8. Another way to go would be to add the blue to your wedding dress! Some brides might make it a real focal point, but one of our favorites is when it is used as stitching to add in a message on the bodice or train of the dress. Some brides have done hearts or names, other's quotes or a line of their vows. No matter what you choose, it tends to be pretty special
