Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

     Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue; does this sound familiar? Most couples would say so. The tradition of having the bride wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue on her wedding day is quite popular. It dates back to Victorian times, when it was invented to offer a few symbolical signs of happiness, health, wealth, and more. Nowadays, as the purpose of the tradition remains the same, many couples choose to incorporate it into their wedding.

     Something old should traditionally come from a happily married woman, so as to transfer happiness and wisdom. Something new should be the wedding gown or other such apparel, symbolizing a new beginning. Something borrowed should usually be an object of gold, so as to guarantee wealth and fortune. Something blue signifies the heavens and true love. Put all together, the objects are a symbol of all that a married couple should ever hope for. This tradition is a sweet and fun way of portraying such hopes, and so it's quite popular all over the world as well as in my own family!

By Julia Dankov

Sweden's Unusual Wedding Bouquets

      Flower bouquets are customary additions to weddings all around the globe, whether they stand in pots around the room for decoration or in lay in the hands of the bridesmaids. The Swedes, however, have quite an unusual take on the average wedding flower bouquet. If you ever choose to attend the wedding of any Swedish couple really wishing to follow one of the oldest wedding traditions in the book, then get ready to spend your entire night trying to breathe as little as humanly possible. Why, you ask? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that the Swedes often replace lilacs and lilies for smelly weeds.

      This old wedding tradition requires the bridesmaids to carry bouquets of putrid-smelling weeds in their arms for the entire night, just as any common wedding requires the bridesmaids to carry around bundles of pretty little blossoms. This is done to supposedly ward off trolls and other such evil spirits. You can only imagine how much fun the guests have at weddings like these, having to hold their breath for large portions of the entire night. On the bright side, at least they'll be sitting in rooms or restaurants that are virtually evil spirit free!

By Julia Dankov