We've all heard a variation of the traditional rhyme "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in your shoe" but where does it come from?
As with quite a few wedding traditions that we still follow today, it is Victorian (according to Readers Digest) and as with most wedding superstitions, it is to ward off evil, but each item has a little meaning behind it.
Something Old ...
This represents continuity and protects the couples future children.
Often a great time to inherit a family heirloom, remember a loved one who has passed, maybe some jewellery or even your mother's wedding dress passed down for you to wear, this can be a simple one to solve but only if the items work with your vision for your wedding.
Old things can be fragile, and sometimes damaged. This is where I get to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in!
Some suggestions and examples of how Tessa's Tiaras has managed to help some of our previous couples are:
Jewellery - you still want your jewellery to match the rest of your ensemble, right? A good example is one where our bride had a pendant from a loved one but the stone was green and this was not a colour that had so far been incorporated into the wedding. I matched the colour of the necklace and used subtle crystals of the same colour in her tiara to complete the look.
Another example is an inherited faux pearl necklace. This is quite a common one for me, either some of the pearls are damaged or the string is rotten. I can re-string the pearls and colour match and replace the damaged ones. Quite often though the style of the necklace is not the bride's favoured style.
One of my favourite things to do is to dismantle the necklace (especially when there is damage) and use the undamaged beads to create new accessories, so a tiara or haircomb for the bride and bracelets and earrings for the bridesmaids and a pin brooch for the mother of the bride. I have also made tie pins for the grooms men and it meant that the whole family then had a momento of the day and of the loved one who's necklace it was originally.
Inherited veils can be slightly more precarious to alter but that is only because the tulle may be very fragile. If they are damaged towards the end of the veil, then I can shorten them, or another option is to add some embellishments or lace to cover any damage. For any veil work, I do ask to see the veil first to discuss options.
I suppose the key point I am trying to get to is don't despair if your old and cherished item doesn't seem to obviously fit in with your wedding ideas or is even broken. There are many ways and I have many ideas that may help.
Have you got something that you are trying to incorporate into your wedding? Or maybe you've already done so. Let me know in the comments below what your "Something Old" was or is going to be.
Something new ... to be continued