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Introduction
Incorporating wedding traditions in your wedding day is a wonderful and fun way of celebrating and recognising the historical importance of marriage within a modern context. Listed below are many of the traditions that are still popular throughout the United Kingdom today. As we stumble across more while we research our articles, we will add them to our list. We should add that we have come across several explanations for most traditions during our research and have documented here the most frequently occurring. Also, many of the traditions date back many hundreds of years and consequently their origins are not fully known although most have their roots in ancient superstitious beliefs. So, if you read other explanations elsewhere, don't be surprised since there are many about and they all sound plausible.

something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue
The full wording of this popular bridal attire rhyme, which dates back to the Victorian times is 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in your shoe.' Something old refers to wearing something that represents a link with the bride's family and her old life. Usually, the bride wears a piece of family jewellery or maybe her mother's or grandmother's wedding dress.

Wearing something new represents good fortune and success in the bride's new life. The bride's wedding dress is usually chosen, if purchased new, but it can be any other new item of the bride's wedding attire.

Wearing something borrowed, which has already been worn by a happy bride at her wedding, is meant to bring good luck to the marriage. Something borrowed could be an item of bridal clothing, a handkerchief or an item of jewellery.

Wearing something blue dates back to biblical times when the colour blue was considered to represent purity and fidelity. Over time this has evolved from wearing a blue clothing to wearing a blue band around the bottom of the bride's dress and to modern times where the bride wears a blue or blue-trimmed garter.

...and a silver sixpence in your shoe
Placing a silver sixpence in the bride's left shoe is a symbol of wealth. This is not just to bring the bride financial wealth but also a wealth of happiness and joy throughout her married life. Why not treat yourself to a real silver sixpence from our online store?