Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

It's the night before your wedding and you're laying out all of the items you need for the big day.  A pair of white shoes, your brand new dress, grandma's diamond necklace that has been in the family for years, your sisters borrowed hair piece, and of course, the light blue garter which completes your outfit.  

Many brides will not step foot out the door without making sure all of these items are in place.  Is it superstition, tradition, or what?  Where did the need for something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue come from?  And what do they really mean?

The complete original saying goes as follows:

Something old, something new

Something borrowed, something blue

And a sixpence in her shoe.

All of the items mentioned in the rhyme are meant to be good luck for the bride a groom and definitely have a lot of meaning behind them.

Something old

The something old item is traditionally a gift from the mother or grandmother to start the brides married life.  It symbolizes wisdom being pasted onto the bride from past generations.

Something new

The something new item symbolizes hope and optimism as she starts her new life.

Something borrowed

The something borrowed item usually comes from someone who is currently happily married. The hope is that the success of this married couple will rub off on the next.

Something blue

In ancient Rome blue symbolized love modesty, and fidelity.  Purity is also associated with the color since Christians have long dressed the Virgin Mary in it.  And lastly, blue was a popular color for brides to be married in before the late 19th century as evidenced in proverbs like "Marry in blue, lover by true."

And a sixpence in her shoe

The sixpence is a coin that was first minted in Britain during the reign of Edward VI in 1551.  Grooms in Scotland were send to be the first to put the coin in their shoe on their wedding day for good luck and guaranteed fortune in his married life.  To optimize the fortune, the coin must be in the left shoe.

There you have it.  The old tradition debunked.  Keep these items in mind on your wedding day for they very well may help you to live a happy, fruitful, and bountiful life.

What did you have on your wedding day that fit each of these items?

References:

http://ask.yahoo.com/20031027.html

http://www.scotlandsmusic.com/scottish-wedding-traditions.htm

Fall Weddings

Aw, it's finally starting to feel like fall here in the SF Bay Area.  The leaves are falling, they're a slight chill in the air, and it finally rained yesterday.
Although the weather outside may be a tad cool, it is no excuse for a boring wedding.  In fact, I love an elegant fall wedding.  The natural colors of the season brighten up any room and the candles, oh how the candles create such an intimate cozy feeling.  There are many themes, too that work perfectly for this time of year.  Just today I was inspired by some masquerade masks that came all the way from venice.  My mom and I were at Natasha's Attic taking care of some business for the recent show she had costumed when I saw the glass case full of all different styles and colors.  They were all so unique with their different personalities shinning through.  Of course, after looking at them for some time I had to think of a way to use them and I thought, but of course, why not for a wedding or even engagement party.  How fun would that be?  Everyone entering the wine cellar with elegant dresses and masks to match.  You could take it back to Marie Antoinette and have professional dancers come in to instruct on traditional dances or play games where people have to find certain masks with specific characteristics.  Food could be a full feast of chickens, pork, steak, potatoes and of course loads of desserts.  Oh what fun it would be.  Candles hanging from the ceiling, candelabras along the wall and rich royal colored fabrics everywhere. Puppet shows for the kids, and plenty of beer and wine for the adults.  Oh what a celebration it would be and all from a mask in a glass case.

Challenges of a Look and Feel

I never thought designing a look and feel of a company would be such a challenge.  I've gone over what I want in my head a million times.  Simple, elegant, sophisticated, clean lines, nothing to complicated, but memorable.  How to make myself stand out against the competition?  There are a lot of Wedding Consultants out there.  The more I mention what I'm doing to friends and family the more people I find out are doing the same thing I am.  So what makes me different from the rest of them?  What does a bride look for when searching for the person to handle all of the details of the most important day of their life?
1. Understanding of their vision
2. Level headed
3. Price fit
All of these assets, every other consultant should have as well.  If they don't, I'm one step ahead.  What else is there, though?  Exclusivity. My plan is to only do 2 weddings a month (24 weddings a year).  This way I can give full attention to my brides without thinking of the 3 other celebrations I have that weekend.  Personalized attention.  Meeting with the couple in person to get a complete sense of what they are looking for in a Wedding Consultant.  Giving advice when asked, and not interfering with what they want to handle.  Letting their Wedding Day be theirs to enjoy.
How to bring that to life is going to be a challenge, but one I'm looking forward to.  Any ideas?  I'd love to hear what you would like in a Wedding Consultant.

I never thought designing a look and feel of a company would be such a challenge.  I've gone over what I want in my head a million times.  Simple, elegant, sophisticated, clean lines, nothing to complicated, but memorable.  How to make myself stand out against the competition?  There are a lot of Wedding Consultants out there.  The more I mention what I'm doing to friends and family the more people I find out are doing the same thing I am.  So what makes me different from the rest of them?  What does a bride look for when searching for the person to handle all of the details of the most important day of their life?
1. Understanding of their vision
2. Level headed
3. Price fit
All of these assets, every other consultant should have as well.  If they don't, I'm one step ahead.  What else is there, though?  Exclusivity? My plan is to only do 2 weddings a month (24 weddings a year).  This way I can give full attention to my brides without thinking of the 3 other celebrations I have that weekend.