“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…”

Something blue is one of the most famous lines of the well-known saying. And while modern brides may equate “blue” with feeling down as in “single girls’ blues,” historically blue is a bridal color.

In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. And in Christian symbolism, the Virgin Mary has often been dressed in blue with the result that the color is equated with demureness and purity. As late as the mid-19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in another saying, “Marry in blue, lover be true.”

We can establish the value of the color in the saying, but a bride’s choice on what specific blue item to bring into her ensemble is a very personal choice.

Many brides opt for one of two very simple answers:

the flowers or the garter. In the case of the flowers, one great choice is hydrangeas because they are both extremely stylish as well as naturally blue, but any blue flower will do.

As for the blue garter craze, nobody knows who launched that tradition, but often without any planning at all, a close friend or loved one will buy a spectacularly beautiful lacy blue garter and present it to the bride as special gift.

Other options:

blue toenail polish, lingerie with touches of blue, or beautiful blue Austrian crystal or sapphire jewelry.

Another option is a special handmade touch on the dress itself. You can either do it yourself or have this taken care of by a friend or hired seamstress, but sometimes, a bride will embroider his and her initials and the wedding date in blue thread inside the dress. If you want to pick this option, make sure to order your dress early enough to give you time to finish the project.

Any of these ideas for adding blue to the big day translate into a lovely, old-fashioned statement of sentimentality that is entirely befitting of a modern girl entering the beautiful traditional state of marriage.