Something Old, Something New ...

13 years ago, I donned a white dress and walked down the aisle to the music of a guitar and a flute.  We were surrounded by family and close friends on that warm, July day when we exchanged our promises to love each other for ever.  Wow, that sounds sappy -- something I am not.  It's all true ... but still sappy.

I am, however, traditional.  And so, trying to adhere to the old saying: "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" was right up my alley.  Except, after doing some research recently, I discovered this Victorian era saying actually goes like this:

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

According to an Ask Yahoo answer, "each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy."  Let's see how I did.

Something old represents a connection to the past and the bride's family.  Very appropriate, since my "something old" was my late paternal grandmother's pearls -- one point for me.

Something new represents hope and optimism for the future.  I never actually decided on what my "something new" was -- there were so many things to choose from ... my dress, this adventure that we were embarking on, and even the fire truck that served as our limo -- yep, a brand new, bright red fire truck! Another point for me.

Something borrowed is supposed to be a token from a happily married friend or family member -- oh, oh.  This friend or family member's good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride.  It is also to remind her that friends and family can be depended upon.  One of my bridesmaids had a four leaf clover that she lent me for the day.  It was pressed and easily tucked into my dress.  If you're going to borrow something, what could be better than a good luck charm, even if my bridesmaid was not yet happily married -- she is now, does that count?  Half a point?

Something blue ... blue?  In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity.  It took some serious thinking to come up with something for this one.  In the end it was my bridesmaids who solved my dilemma.  They went and bought some blue nail polish and we painted my toenails a lovely blue colour -- since we weren't going to be wearing shoes, my little piggies needed a little pizzazz anyway.  Thanks girls, another point for me.

Can't really see the blue polish, but there we are in our bare feet!

As for the silver sixpence in the bride's shoe, I must admit that I had never heard of that part before, so no silver sixpence for me (or a shoe to put it in for that matter!).  It represents wealth and financial security -- that might explain a few things.

All things considered, we are doing pretty well (even without the sixpence!)  So Happy Anniversary Dada, here's to many more happy years together!