Select Page
Wedding traditions: What colour to marry in

Wedding traditions: What colour to marry in

by | 3, May, 2016 | blog, traditions

There are many traditions, rituals and customs that people uphold and perform in connection with weddings. Some of these have now lost their relevance in modern society and sometimes we are not even sure why we undertake them. However we continue to perform them for fun, family tradition and superstition, especially as many of them have derived from efforts to bestow the happy couple with good luck.

Photography by Farrow Photography

There are many superstitions surrounding what the bride wears (see our post Wedding traditions: Don’t forget the silver sixpence in your shoe!) and it is often said that is unlucky for:

  • the bride to make her own dress
  • the groom to see the bride in her dress before the ceremony
  • the bride to wear her entire outfit before the wedding day

Bridal wear is really seeing a big shift in trends to provide new, innovative and unusual styles to make sure the bride makes a statement and is different to any other on her big day. Trends that are appearing on the catwalks include: mix & match separates, crop tops, high necklines, off the shoulder, asymmetric hems, backless dresses and plunging v necks on the back. For the more daring and alternative bride there’s fringing, jumpsuits, palazzo pants, peakaboo skirts or even capes.

Rather than a plain dress, some brides are opting for a floral one or even camo print (which is starting to be really popular in the US – not necessarily in classic hunting camo but more pink or snow camo, or accessorising the traditional camo with orange accents!) Plus the recent bridal fashion shows for Spring/Summer 2017 also saw a shift towards pastel and even black dresses.

This may seem like a turn away from the traditional white wedding dress, however, it’s not that long ago that white wasn’t the usual colour to wear for your wedding day either. White was actually seen as quite an impractical colour as it would show the dirt and therefore you’d probably only get one wear out of it. So it was seen as a colour worn by the wealthy and not common as a wedding dress colour. Whilst modern culture symbolised white as a pure colour, you nearly always see the Virgin Mary depicted in blue as it reflects calm and purity. In fact, until the 15th century in the UK, white was seen (and is still in some cultures) as a sign of mourning.

Until Queen Victoria in 1840, most British royal brides wore silver. However her beautiful white lace court dress influenced the trend for white dresses in all brides as before this time they would’ve worn their Sunday best dress. In fact, red dresses were often a popular choice and this colour remains popular (and lucky) in Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Korean cultures. Then during World War 2, brides wore nice tailored suits or even their uniforms.

As the wearing of white wasn’t such a common occurrence, it’s no surprise that there was a rhyme to determine which colour would bring the most luck:

Married in white, you have chosen alright.

Married in grey, you will go far away.

Married in black, you will wish yourself back.

Married in red, You will wish yourself dead.

Married in green, ashamed to be seen.

Married in blue, you will always be true

Married in pearl, you will live in a whirl

Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow.

Married in brown, you will live in the town

Married in pink, your spirit will sink

Whichever customs and traditions you decide to incorporate into your big day, we wish you health, wealth, happiness and all the very best in your married life.

Wedding traditions: Don’t forget the silver sixpence in your shoe!

Wedding traditions: Don’t forget the silver sixpence in your shoe!

by | 14, July, 2015 | blog, traditions

There are many traditions, rituals and customs that people uphold and perform in connection with weddings. Some of these have now lost their relevance in modern society and sometimes we are not even sure why we undertake them. However we continue to perform them for fun, family tradition and superstition, especially as many of them have derived from efforts to bestow the happy couple with good luck.

One such tradition stems from an old English rhyme concerning items that the bride should wear or carry to bring her luck on her special day.

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

The full version of the rhyme includes the line about a silver sixpence which sadly sometimes gets forgotten. The rhyme is said to originate in Victorian times although some of the traditions are thought to be much older.

Something old:
This represents the link with the bride’s family and friends from the past. The object is commonly an heirloom such as jewellery or a garter and is passed on to offer good luck from a happily married woman.

Something new:
This item symbolises a happy and prosperous new life. Often this item is the wedding dress.

Something borrowed:
This lent item is to remind the bride that her friends and family will be there for her whenever she needs their help. The borrowed object must be returned to ensure good luck.

Something blue:
This item symbolises faithfulness and loyalty. The colour blue often represented purity in olden times. Sometimes the bride’s garter is the blue item or you could add a pop of colour to your outfit in the form of blue shoes or blue nail varnish. This item usually leads to great levels of creativity!

And a silver sixpence in her shoe:
Then comes the last line that is so often missed out. This part of the rhyme is about placing a silver sixpence in the bride’s left shoe to ensure the couple have wealth in the future (both financial and happiness). It is thought that this tradition came about in Elizabethan times when the Lord of the Manor would have often given a sixpence as a wedding gift to any brides that lived on his land. It also harks back to times when the bride’s parents would offer a dowry.

Whichever customs and traditions you decide to incorporate into your big day, we wish you health, wealth, happiness and all the very best in your married life.

bay-tree-4