Something Borrowed, Something Blue: The History Behind the Rhyme

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in your shoe" is the famous rhyme that superstitious brides and grooms follow in the name of luck on their wedding days. While the centuries-old rhyme has long been considered the recipe to follow for a harmonious wedding day and marriage, what does any of that really have to do with a long and happy union? Here, we outline the history of the rhyme, each piece's meaning, and our favorite ways to make the would-be harbinger of good luck part of your big day.

The History Behind the Rhyme

This rhyme dates back to Victorian England, and it seems to signify the simultaneous hope for continuity and a fresh beginning. "[It] refers to the things a bride is supposed to wear on her wedding day in hopes of having a successful marriage," explains wedding planner and president of Evoke Design & Creative Jeannette Tavares. "This dates back to Lancashire, England, in the late 1800s. The oldest written reference is in an 1871 issue of St. James Magazine." 

Tavares explains that she and her team often get questions about how to incorporate the tradition in a meaningful way. "Some couples feel that the tradition is a bit dated and are concerned with being overly cheesy," she says. "Another concern is finding ways to differentiate the items the bride wears so it is not like what everyone else does."

Ahead we have break down each portion of the rhyme and share a few ways—both modern and traditional—to fulfill them on your wedding day. Pro tip: If you're in a time crunch, you can check multiple superstitions off at once. For example, you could wear a borrowed pair of blue shoes that your friend just bought.

Something Old

“Something old" is meant to represent the best of a couple's non-married life and the intention to bring that into their marriage. This often includes a piece of jewelry worn by the bride's mother, grandmother, or aunt. Dawn, a bride who incorporated items into her wedding that had sentimental attachments to family and friends, says, "Both of our wedding bands were ‘old’: My mother gave me her band, and my grandmother gave [my husband] my grandfather’s wedding band."

Something New

“Something new” is all about the new life the couple will start together. It can commonly include a gift from the groom or the groom's family, Tavares says, but it can also include everything from a new piece of clothing to a new bridal accessory.

Something Borrowed

“Something borrowed” is a bit more superstitious, pointing to the idea that borrowing items from a happily married woman will transfer that woman’s good luck onto the new bride. It can be a hairpin or jewelry, like a bracelet from your mother, which is what bride Dawn wore on her big day.

Something Blue

The color blue is representative of “fidelity and love’s purity.” It was also a popular color to wear prior to the white wedding dress trend. Tavares says it's meant to represent an item to “baffle the evil eye.” Bride Lucy used the rhyme as a way to honor those that love her. For something blue, she invited friends to write sweet messages on the bottom of her shoes with a blue marker. Other options include a blue garter or blue shoes. "We still see a lot of brides monogram their initials or date into the bottom of the dress in blue," Tavares shares.

A Sixpence in Your Shoe

Back in Victorian times, the father of the bride would place a sixpence into his daughter's shoe as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Nowadays, many couples trade the sixpence for a penny and, instead of slipping it in your shoe, they might tie the coin to the ring bearer's pillow or incorporate the coin into the groom's cufflinks.