Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue.
 
This traditional saying has been around for a long time, dating as far back as the 1300’s.  Hundreds of years later, brides are still following this classic wedding tradition which originally came from an old English rhyme.  Each item serves as a good luck charm, and supposedly, if the bride incorporates each item into her wedding day, she will have a long and prosperous marriage.  Something old is a symbol of continuity, family, and tradition.  Something new represents the new life ahead for the bride and groom, and hopefulness for the future.  Something borrowed is a symbol of borrowed happiness, as well as dependability on family and friends; while something blue represents love and purity. 

It can be tricky to get creative when thinking about how to incorporate these meaningful items on your wedding day.  To help you get the wheels turning, we’ve provided some inspiring ideas for you to consider!

Something Old

Wear a family heirloom
What could be more meaningful than wearing something that has been passed down within your family from generation to generation?

Wear your mother’s wedding accessories 
Asking your mother if you can wear her bridal accessories is a special way to show her how much she means to you.

Use an old-time classic car for wedding day transportation
Don’t forget the “Just Married” sign!

Use a childhood pillow as the ring bearer’s pillow
This is a thoughtful way to incorporate something meaningful from your childhood into your big day.

Take some of your mother’s or your grandmother’s wedding dress fabric and sew it inside your gown
Don’t worry about the added fabric ruining your dress; simply sew a small piece somewhere inside the dress where only you can see it.  It’s subtle, yet meaningful.

Wear a locket with a picture of your grandparents on their wedding day inside
This is a beautiful way to remember loved ones who have passed away.  Whether you wear it around your neck or pin it to your bouquet, you’ll be carrying around a little memory of them on your special day. 

Something New

Your wedding dress
Whether you’re looking for an over-the-top poofy princess ball gown, or a romantic backless sheath, picking out the perfect gown is one of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding!

New jewelry
Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and headpieces – your options are endless! Treat yourself to some gorgeous new jewelry for your special day.

New lingerie for your honeymoon
Pick out something fun for you and your new husband!

Incorporate your new initials
After all, you better start getting used to your new initials! Including your new monogram on the ribbon that holds your bouquet together is one way to do it, or you could be even bolder and monogram your wedding cake.

Something Borrowed

Borrow the song from the your parents’ first wedding dance
We’re talking Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World”, and Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable”.

Borrow your father’s handkerchief and wrap it around your bouquet
This is a special way to honor your father on your wedding day.  After all, he was the one who let you dance on his feet all those years, right?
 
Borrow a charm from your best friend and hook it to your bouquet
Carry a piece of your best friend with you as you walk down the aisle towards your Prince Charming.

Something Blue

Wear a blue garter
This is the perfect way to subtly incorporate “something blue” into your wedding wardrobe.   It stays hidden under your gown until it’s time for the garter toss!

Wear sapphire or opal jewelry
Channel your inner Duchess of Cambridge and rock some sapphire jewelry.  It’s classy and tasteful, everything your bridal accessories should be.  This deep blue color will surely turn heads.  If sapphire is too bold for your style, try a lighter blue with aquamarine jewelry. 

Wear blue shoes
Blue wedding shoes are becoming increasingly popular among brides today! The contrast of your blue shoes against your white dress will create a beautiful pop of color. 

Incorporate blue flowers into your bouquet
A bouquet of blue hydrangeas is perfect for those spring and summer weddings.

Incorporate blue décor into your reception
Look no further than the centerpieces at your reception! With Pinterest at your disposal, you can get extremely creative when it comes to the centerpieces. Simply throw some blue in there and you’re set!

Sources: TLC Wedding Style, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings

Creating a well thought out timeline is essential to having your wedding run smoothly. Not only will your guests feel taken care of, but you will be able to sit back and relax on your big day. Although timelines may seem overwhelming at first, creating a well-planned one will make all the difference. By no means do we expect you to stick to the timeline 100%, but using it as a guideline will help the day run smoothly. Elizabeth Lowe from Lowe House Events says that starting and ending the wedding on time are key, and while hitting everything in the middle in the approximate right order is important, you will usually have to adjust a little to the particular set of people (Source: A Practical Wedding). Below we have provided you with a rough draft of what a timeline might look like for a 4pm ceremony time and 10pm reception end time – one of the most common formats wedding planners work with today.





10:00am – Hair and Makeup

12:00-2:00pm – Vendors arrive for setup

2:00pm – Wedding party and family photos begin

3:30pm – Guests begin to arrive; pre-ceremony music starts

4:00pm – Invite time (according to invitation)

4:15pm – Ceremony begins

4:35pm – Ceremony ends

4:40pm – Cocktail hour begins

5:45pm – Move guests into dinner

6:00pm – Dinner is served

6:30pm – Toasts

7:30pm – First dance

8:30pm – Dessert

9:45pm – Last call

10:00pm – Guests depart

11:00pm – Breakdown, staff departs

This is a basic, popular timeline and can be altered to fit your wants and needs! Weddings that incorporate particular religious ceremonies would naturally extend the timeline. We hope this gives you a better idea of how to plan the schedule for your big day!  

The role of a Day Of Coordinator is to ensure that your wedding day plans are carried out smoothly, and that any problems are handled immediately and discreetly, freeing up the wedding party and guests to enjoy a perfectly planned day! We've included some reasons that highlight why a DOC is so important on your wedding day:

A DOC may save you time and money.
Day Of Coordinators have established relationships with vendors, which means that they can save you time and the effort it takes to find the best vendor for your memorable day. This in itself is an extremely time-consuming task, and DOCs are there to help you find exactly what you're looking for. Often times, the time and money saved by hiring a DOC will be greater than the cost of the coordinator themselves!

A DOC has all the bases covered - from the caterers and florists, to the venue.
Often times, the couple will put the catering manager or venue coordinator in charge of everything, from soup to nuts. However, the venue coordinator's job is to make sure make sure everything runs swimmingly inside the facility; and the caterer's job is to make sure all the food and drinks are served appropriately and accordingly. A DOC will manage all of these facets and make sure that each vendor works together to make your special day a dream come true.

A DOC will provide an unbiased opinion when your family and friends are helping you with the planning process.
Your family and friends are all going to have their own, separate opinions; and while you value their advice, it's always helpful to have someone act as a third-party mediator to help you with an unbiased opinion.

It gets overwhelming with all of the options you have for photographers, videographers, venues, florists, and caterers - it helps to have someone organize your thoughts and execute them flawlessly.
With Pinterest being a major go-to resource for brides, the planning process can get quite overwhelming. Your options are endless, and you don't know where to start! A DOC listens to your ideas, and can help you narrow down your choices so that you aren't so overwhelmed with too many options.

Even though you may want your best friend to oversee everything on your wedding day, they may become distracted and preoccupied.
A DOC relieves the concerns and worries of your friends and family on the big day, which allows all your guests to relax and have a good time! Let your DOC handle everything while you, your family and friends, enjoy the most memorable day of your life!



Source: The Preppy Chic Blog