Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue: What It Means

The old rhyme says a bride should wear something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, with a silver sixpence in her shoe. Each line is a small wish for the marriage ahead. Most brides now choose four little things that mean something to them, and a blue garter is the most common way to cover the last line.

Where the rhyme comes from

It is an English rhyme from the Victorian era. Its first lines appear in print in 1871, and a full version, known as the Lancashire version, was printed in a newspaper in 1876. The sixpence line was added later in the same century.

Something old, something new,
something borrowed, something blue,
and a silver sixpence in her shoe.

What each line means

Something old

The old meaning is protection, and a link to the family you come from. A grandmother's ring or a locket with a photograph inside works well. So does a scrap of lace from your mother's dress wrapped around your bouquet stems.

Something new

Something new stands for hope in the life you are starting. For a lot of the brides we make for, the new thing is the veil. Every one of our wedding veils is made to order in our workshop in Bath, so nobody has worn it before you.

Something borrowed

The borrowed item was meant to carry good luck from a happily married woman. A sister's earrings or a friend's hair pin work well. So does your mother's handkerchief. If you are borrowing an old veil, look at it in daylight a few weeks before the wedding. Old metal combs can rust, and tulle yellows with age, so you have time to make a plan if it needs one.

Something blue

In the rhyme, blue stands for faithfulness and purity. Because it is usually hidden, it has become the most personal of the four. Brides choose blue shoes, a blue ribbon wound around the bouquet, blue stitching inside a hem, or a blue garter. There are more ideas on our something blue wedding ideas page.

A sixpence in her shoe

The sixpence was for wealth and good fortune, and it goes in the left shoe. Old sixpences are easy to find from coin dealers. If you would rather not walk on a coin all day, tuck it into your bag or your bouquet ribbon instead.

Do you need all four?

No. There is no rule beyond the rhyme. Some brides cover all four. Others choose one, or let one piece count twice. A garter borrowed from your sister, with a blue bow, is borrowed and blue at once.

My only advice is to choose things you will be glad to have in the photographs. Ten years on, the story behind the borrowed earrings is what you will remember.

Why a blue garter is the usual answer

A garter sits out of sight, so it adds blue to your day without changing how your dress looks. We make something blue garters in lace, silk and tulle. Some have a small blue bow, others are soft blue tulle all over, and all of them are made in our Bath workshop.

If you are not sure where to wear it, our post on which leg to wear your garter on answers that. If your family plans a garter toss, keep your keepsake garter and throw a simpler one. Our post on garter toss alternatives has gentler ideas if a toss is not for you.

Sarah Jane x