Christian Wedding Traditions

Have you ever wondered where a lot of our Christian wedding traditions came from?

How about:

Something old,

Something new,

Something borrowed,

Something blue.

Why? What does this mean? This poem, one of the most familiar of all bridal traditions here in the United States, has meaning.

The bride wears something old to symbolize her ties to her single life and childhood family.

Something new refers to the bride's hopes for the future.

Something borrowed is an item that is meaningful to a close family member of a dear friend. It must be returned to the owner after the wedding for good luck. (I don't believe in luck but it is still a fun Christian wedding tradition.)

The something blue was an old tradition practiced in Israel, when brides wore blue ribbons. The blue ribbons symbolized their fidelity.

But did you know that the poem has another line? I did not. I only discovered the next line while researching this poem. It goes like this:

Something old,

Something new,

Something borrowed,

Something blue,

And a lucky sixpence in my shoe.

On my wedding day, I had the something old, the something new, the something borrowed, and the something blue, but no coin in my shoe for luck. Of course, the coin would feel uncomfortable in a shoe to me.

By the way, a dime is the preferred coin in the United States. I would imagine that is because it is the smallest coin we have. Again, there is no such thing as luck--things turn out according to God's plan, not luck.

There are many other traditions used by people around the world. Please feel free to share the traditions used by your family and friends on the form below. Thank you!

Of course you have heard of the something old wedding tradition from the poem on the Christian Wedding Tradition page. Most American brides are familiar with this from childhood.

If you are like me, you used to spend hours as a little girl fantasizing about your dream wedding. I know that I did. I would actually play wedding, acting out the entire service, choosing songs, thinking about my dress, and even cutting out photos from magazines and making scrapbooks of my wedding and honeymoon trip.

So what are some of the "something old" items that you can use for your trip down the aisle? If you are fortunate, your maid of honor will help you plan some things. If not, I am here with some ideas.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is your wedding veil. You can use a vintage veil from a vintage shop or maybe you can borrow your mother's veil if it is in good condition. No doubt she would love to see you wear it on your wedding day.

Another idea is to wear a family heirloom necklace. Perhaps a grandmother or great aunt will allow you to wear one that has not yet been passed down to you. Or maybe your mom will let you use a special necklace, perhaps the one she wore on her wedding day.

Many years ago, ladies carried beautiful embroidered handkerchiefs. Either borrow one from an older relative to carry down the aisle or see if you can find one at a vintage shop. You can either tuck the hanky in your long sleeves or tie it around your bouquet, making it look pretty.

A vintage hair comb, head piece, ring on your right hand, or a bracelet or watch are other ideas for your something old wedding tradition.

A brooch found in an antique store or an antique pair of fingerless gloves also make lovely "something olds". You may also find some pretty antique clips to add to your wedding shoes. The clips can give you a one of a kind decorated pair of wedding shoes.

Your garter can be a vintage garter as well, the prettier the better. If you don't want to wear an old garter on your leg, wrap it around your wedding bouquet. Just make sure it looks beautiful. Sometimes, you can find lengths of beautiful, old ribbon at antique shops that you can tie around your wedding bouquet or put in your hair.

Some brides carry a Bible with their bouquet. Borrow a Bible from someone or carry a beautiful white Bible that you have had since you were a little girl.

With all of these ideas, your something old wedding tradition should be covered.

The something new wedding tradition is pretty easy to keep since most brides buy at least one new piece for their wedding day. Most often, it is the dress or the veil or other headpiece. Your shoes, garter, and earrings may also be brand new.

So chances are, you already have the something new covered without even trying.

But just in case you are not buying any of the above mentioned items brand new for your wedding day, I have some more suggestions for you.

By the way, if you can save money by buying some of the above mentioned items used, more power to you! For me, it is all about saving money. The more money you can save, the better. Forgo the designer dress and put the money towards your honeymoon or use it for a down payment on your new home.

Back to something new...you can buy some pretty underclothes for your wedding. How about a bracelet or an ankle bracelet? If you are having a beach wedding and you are wearing sandals or flip flops, consider buying a toe ring.

Buy a brand new Bible to carry with your bouquet. How about a tiny white cloth evening bag that you can carry attached to your dress?

Buy some new lace or ribbon and tie it around your bouquet. The something new wedding tradition can also be covered with a gift from your maid of honor or a sister or your mom. Maybe the gift will be a hankie or a piece of jewelry that you can wear.

Do you want a more original idea? How about wearing some brand new perfume or lotion? No one will be able to see it, but they sure will be able to smell it. Just be sure that it is not an overpowering scent that will give you and everyone else a headache after smelling it for a while. Test it out before your wedding day.

The something borrowed wedding tradition is usually covered by your mom or grandmother lending you a piece of jewelry.

Almost anything can be borrowed for your wedding day. My mom borrowed her cousin's wedding gown. Different relatives have borrowed necklaces, veils, headpieces, Bibles, rings, brooches, and earrings.

Maybe your aunt has a beautiful mother of pearl or cameo necklace that has been your favorite since you were a little girl. Go ahead and ask her if you can borrow it for your wedding day. Promise her that you will return it at the end of the day so it does not fall into the wrong hands while you are off on your honeymoon especially if it is a valuable, one of a kind object.

If you have a tendency of misplacing objects, do not borrow something of value. Borrow something cheap that will not cause hard feelings if you happen to misplace it. Maybe a bangle or an inexpensive piece of jewelry that you can pay for if it gets lost.

Just be sure to tell your friend that you want to borrow something of little value and that you have a tendency to lose things. Your family members and close friends will already know this about you, but mention it anyway and tell them that you will pay for it if you lose it.

Be sure you are kind enough to give whatever you borrow back to the lender before you leave for your honeymoon. Take it off at the end of the evening before you leave and place it in the lender's hand. That way, it will not get misplaced when being transported back to your home by a friend or relative and lost and not returned.

As you can imagine, this can create a lot of hard feelings, so take the responsibility of returning the item on your wedding day. Be sure and tell the lender that you will do so. Tell her not to leave the reception without first getting her possession back.

Some Christian brides don't honor the old "something blue" but blue Christian wedding customs play a big part in other brides' traditions.

No, there is no such thing as luck so nothing bad will happen to you if you don't wear something blue on your wedding day, but it is fun to keep old traditions such as "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

Most brides carry bouquets so why not carry a bouquet with some beautiful blue flowers in it? Or tie a light blue bow around the stem of the bouquet with ribbons cascading down so everyone sees that you are carrying something blue.

Some Christian brides carry a Bible along with their flowers. Consider placing a long blue ribbon inside your Bible as a bookmark that hangs out at the bottom of the Bible so everyone can see it.

Wear earrings and/or a necklace with blue stones.

Use a headpiece with blue stones in it. Or wear blue ribbon or flowers in your hair.

Use a blue pin or brooch on your dress. The stone can be blue or you can pin a blue silk flower or a blue bow onto it.

Decorate your wedding shoes with a bit of blue lace or blue ribbon.

Christian wedding customs used to dictate an all white wedding gown. Now styles are changing and brides actually combine color with their white gowns. So order a wedding dress with a blue panel or a blue sash.

Some brides use a blue garter but many Christians do not find a garter acceptable. I did not wear a garter because it was considered sin in my church to lift the dress and take off or show the garter. Also, my mother would have thrown a fit. Now I really don't think it is any big deal and I would have done things differently if I were getting married today.

These days, I think it is a little more acceptable in Christian circles. Not all, mind you, but wearing a garter just above the knee can be okay. The problem comes with removing it. Check with your church officials if you are not sure and if it will be removed on church property.

Couples Gift Registry

by Cindy
(Georgia)

A tradition is couples gift registry. The bride and groom to be go to one or more stores, either in person or online, and choose the things they would like to receive as gifts to set up housekeeping.

Wedding guests can go online or go to the store, give the couples' names and choose something that the couple wants, purchase it and either have it delivered or take it to a wedding shower or the wedding reception.

A couples gift registry is a great idea because the buyer knows that the gift he/she purchased is exactly what the couple wants since they chose it.

The couple can register at super expensive stores, department stores, discount stores, furniture stores, and the list goes on. Couples register for dishes, kitchenware, appliances, furniture, bedding, towels, bathroom supplies, TV's and DVD players......It really is a great idea since you know for sure that the bride and groom will be pleased.

Couples Gift Registry
by: Anonymous

Couples gift registry is a wonderful idea. It really helps, especially if you do not know the couple well enough to know their tastes. Also, if you have a smaller budget than some, you can still give them something you know they want.

Gift Registry For Men

by Cindy
(Georgia)

A tradition that many couples use is that of registering for gifts. Do you know there is now a gift registry for men? I saw it this morning on Good Morning America. I had no idea. It is called The Man Registry and can be found online at www.themanregistry.com . (Copy and paste into your browser.)

I had no idea this existed. This website is for men. There are articles for men so they can have a clue about various pre-wedding activities such as showers. It explains about groom cakes and suggests gifts for the groom to give to his groomsmen. There are also a ton of manly gifts that the groom can register to get as a wedding gift. It is a great idea.

Not only is it a gift registry for men, but The Man Registry educates the groom on all sorts of things such as financial responsibilities after the wedding and changing the bride's last name. Somebody thought outside the box and put up a great site.

Gift Registry For Men
by: Anonymous

I saw this on morning TV also. It fascinated me and I visited the site for gift registry for men. It is a neat concept. Wish I had thought of it. They seem to be doing quite well, especially now with all of the TV coverage. Thanks.

Pass The Wedding Veil

by Rosa
(San Antonio)

In our family we have a wedding tradition called pass the wedding veil. I wore my mother's wedding veil on my wedding day. My two sisters also wore our mother's veil. My daughter is getting married in October and will wear the same veil. It is actually in beautiful condition. After my daughter's wedding, she will pass the wedding veil on to her cousins. If it holds up, it will be great to see all of their daughters use the veil one day.

I think it is a good idea and takes care of the "something old" requirement. I suppose that if the veil wears out, we can make a copy of the veil for new female bride relatives to wear.....

May I suggest to future brides that they talk to their moms about using their wedding veils? I think it is a beautiful tradition.

Wedding Veil
by: Juanita

Rosa,
Thank you for sharing about passing your wedding veil around in the family. That is a great tradition.

Passing The Shoe

by Michelle
(Chatham, IL) My friends have told me about "passing the bride's shoe".
Their maid of honor would get their shoe during the reception and take a
collection for the honeymoon. I have never heard of this. I spoke with my Aunt about it and she thinks that it would be inappropriate. I was wondering if you
have ever heard of this, would it be inappropriate? And if you have heard of it could I have a website or something to show her?! Thanks

--I would have to do some research since I have not heard much about this but in many Texas weddings, there is a money tree or a money dance where people give money to the happy couple. These are normal customs in many parts of Texas.

Getting back to passing the shoe, it is a Portuguese wedding tradition. A shoe is passed around and guests stuff it full of money to pay for the honeymoon and to help the couple set up house. If your guests are not familiar with this, they may not care for the idea, especially if they have just spent good money buying you a lovely gift...Now if you have a lot of Portuguese roots in and around your community and family, that is a different story....Best wishes.

PS If you do this, use a brand new pretty shoe, not the one you are wearing!

Silver Heart Necklace--Something Old

by Jackie
(LaGrange, New York)

When I got married three years ago, my mother let me wear a silver heart neckace for my something old. She wore it on her wedding day 26 years before. Her mother gave it to her for her wedding day as her something new. I am hoping one day that my baby girl who will soon turn one will wear it on her wedding day.

Of course, I am in no hurry for that day to come. I am enjoying new motherhood. I gave the silver heart necklace back to my mom as she has not officially given it to me yet. It has great sentimental value to her, but one day I am confident that she will give it to me.

Something Old For The Bride
by: Juanita

Jackie,
What a beautiful idea. I hope your daughter will wear your silver necklace. This is a wonderful tradition to start in your family.

Congratulations on your marriage, your baby, and a great idea for a something old for the bride tradition and keepsake to be passed down in your family for many years to come.

White Wedding Bible

by Jane
(San Antonio)

When my mother got married back in 1958, she carried a bouquet of flowers on top of a brand new white wedding Bible. She loved carrying it and still has that Bible today. She has read it all these years, even though it is coming apart now and is King James.

Her mother before her also carried a Bible at a very different wedding ceremony about 30 years before my mother's wedding.

So when I got married I carried a white wedding Bible along with my bouquet. I now have a young daughter and I hope that one day she will carry on the tradition of carrying a white wedding Bible on her wedding day.

I want to emphasize though that it is not the carrying of the Bible that is important. It is how much that Bible is read and applied to your life that is important. Accept the Lord Jesus into your heart, read His Word and allow Him to guide you and to give you strength for each new day.

White Bible
by: Juanita

My mother, too, carried a white Bible back in 1958. The church that she attended was very important to her and she loved to read the Bible. Her wedding was her last service in her church. When she married my father, she changed to his denomination. She got married on a Sunday afternoon, also symbolic of her devotion to the Lord. She still has that old white Bible. Thank you for sharing your story.

White Bible
by: Juanita

My mother, too, carried a white Bible back in 1958. The church that she attended was very important to her and she loved to read the Bible. Her wedding was her last service in her church. When she married my father, she changed to his denomination. She got married on a Sunday afternoon, also symbolic of her devotion to the Lord. She still has that old white Bible. Thank you for sharing your story.

Carry A White Wedding Bible
by: Juanita

Debi,
Thank you for telling us about how you plan to carry a white wedding Bible. That is just beautiful that your grandmother will be able to attend your wedding. I never thought about recovering a Bible. Where do you get that done? What a cool idea. My first Bible could sure use some recovering. I got it over 40 years ago and the cover is a mess. Thank you and my best wishes for your happiness for many years to come!