Wedding Haiku
a sprig of ivy
in the wedding bouquet
great grandma's wish
Why Is There a Sprig
of Live Ivy in the Bouquet for the Ceremony?
Ivy symbolizes eternal fidelity & wedded bliss. A popular
Victorian tradition was for a bride to plant the ivy in her
bouquet after the wedding and watch it grow through the years,
passing down sprigs from the same plant for her daughters &
granddaughters to use in their weddings.
barefoot bride,
where to put the silver coin . . .
a wee bit ' o scotch tape
Something old,
something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.
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.
"Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family
and the past. "Something new" means optimism and hope for the
bride's new life ahead. "Something borrowed" is usually an item
from a happily married friend or family member, whose good
fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride.
The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on
her friends and family.
As for the colorful item, blue has been connected to weddings
for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize
love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the
Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color.
Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for
wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue,
lover be true."
And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents
wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish
custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good
luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left
shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes
substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for
weddings.
