To not have heard the age old phrase, Something Old Something New Something Borrowed and Something blue, you would be living under a rock (aka diamond!). But, did you know the reason behind this eternal wedding phrase? The bride is to have something old to represent her past, something new to represent the couple’s happy future together, something borrowed from a happily married person whose good marital fortune will hopefully rub off on the bride, and finally the blue that represents “fidelity and love”.
I loved learning the history on this one, but back in the 1800’s when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, she topped their cake with miniature sculptures of the two of them. And, now we have cake toppers! This long standing tradition has allowed for personalization modifications. For example, monograms, images or statues of certain animals, or maybe even representation of locations or heritage.
One of our favorites, probably because it’s mostly a Southern tradition is the burying of the bourbon. Legend says if you bury a bottle of bourbon upside in the ground at your wedding site one month prior to the event. It will keep the rain away. You are also supposed to dig it up after the ceremony and enjoy. We can say that this has worked for all of the couples that did this with us! And, it’s just fun and cute, right?
Another mostly Southern tradition is what is called a “house party”. This is a group of ladies who are bridesmaid adjacent. You want them included in the parties, the getting ready on the day of, but may not want that many people standing up at the alter. Often, the house party may wear a variation on the bridesmaids’ dress. Or, something that is unified but separates them but still looks fun in photos.
Finally, the tradition of the “first look”. The first look is usually when the bride is first seen by her husband. We all love the reaction from the groom seeing his soon to be bride for the first time. But, recently one of our brides did a first look with her father, and we just loved it. On your wedding day, it’s sometimes just as much about a father “giving his daughter away” as much as the groom gaining a wife!
Share some of your favorite traditions with us! What will you be doing on your wedding day?