Great Ideas for “Something Borrowed” for Brides

I love the continuity of how wedding customs are passed down from one generation to the next. No matter how modern you are, it is still wonderful to be able to include a few things in your wedding that you know your mother and grandmother did before you. A great wedding tradition is “Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” The idea behind something borrowed is for the bride to borrow some of the luck in marriage from the item’s owner, which is why it is best to get something from a happily married friend or family member. These are some of my favorite ideas for the bride’s “something borrowed”.

You would be amazed at how much a vintage wedding gown can be transformed into something chic and modern. This bride is wearing her mom’s re-worked 1960s wedding dress. Image credit: Courtesy of Hilary Heard Gurley and Steven Heo via New York Times.

Certainly the most sentimental idea for something borrowed is your mother’s wedding dress. Even if you do not love vintage style, you might be surprised at how you can take your mom’s gown and update it. Find yourself a good seamstress who specializes in vintage restoration, and explore the possibilities with her. Dresses can be altered to fit, necklines can be changed, sleeves removed, full skirts made more slender. You can also put your personal stamp on a dress by choosing modern bridal jewelry or a chic headpiece or a unique bouquet. And if your  mom’s wedding dress just doesn’t appeal to you, look into your grandmother’s bridal gown. Brides often find more appeal in older family dresses that have a more distinctly vintage flair.

Pinning a family cameo to your bouquet handle is a lovely idea for something borrowed. Image credit: Katie Day via Ruffled Blog.

Another great idea for your something borrowed is a special accessory from a loved one. Pin your grandmother’s cameo brooch to your bouquet handle for a charming detail. Or you can add a friend’s vintage rhinestone brooch to your wedding dress. It could go on a sash around your waist or even pin it to your bustle on the train of your gown. Brides have also used pretty borrowed wedding accessories like rhinestone clip on earrings (stitch them to your shoes or wire them into your bouquet), a string of Nana’s pearls (wrap them around the handle of your bouquet) or a piece of lace from your mom’s wedding dress (sew it inside the train of your gown).

A monogrammed linen hankie borrowed from dear old Dad can be used as a bouquet wrap or tucked into your wedding dress. Image via Ruby Lane.

Don’t overlook your father when you are looking around for something to borrow for your wedding day. If your dad has an old pocket watch, you could slip it into your clutch or even work it into your bouquet. A monogrammed linen handkerchief could become a bouquet wrap or be pinned inside your wedding gown. Another idea is to take a pair of your father’s cufflinks and turn them into chic buttons on the ribbon around the stems of your flowers.

Bride wearing a beautiful lace borrowed veil. Image credit: Rebekah J. Murray via Elizabeth Anne Designs.

Sometimes brides ask their sister or best friend to lend them something special. A veil is a good option for an item to borrow, and it will cut down on your wedding accessory costs. If you do not love the veil exactly as it is, you could see if the lender would be open to letting you embellish it with a lace trim or by adding some tiny twinkling crystals. Whatever you ultimately decide to borrow, it will feel wonderful to have a little piece of a dear friend or family member with you as you walk down the aisle.