When you’re putting together your wedding plan, you might be looking at adding certain color choices according to your style preference and theme, but there’s one color that often ends up somewhere on the wedding table or elsewhere in the wedding photographer’s pictures.
It’s the color blue — something blue for the bride. Why do brides like to wear something blue or include that color in formal centerpieces?
History of something blue for the bride
First of all, it’s part of a wedding trend promoted by an age-old English rhyme about what you want to have at your wedding — “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” You’ve probably heard it before.
As for why people include this saying’s advice in their weddings, each of these four recommendations started out fairly independently but all got worked into one “good luck charm” custom.
Wedding planners are encouraged to choose something old to show stability and good luck in marriage and something new to promote good luck for the future. They’re encouraged to use “something borrowed” as an additional good luck piece and then there’s something blue for the bride to wear.
Why blue? Well, traditionally, blue has been associated with virtues like love and commitment in Roman lore and with the Virgin Mary in Catholic tradition (which is, according to some, why some Catholic aristocrats were sometimes called “bluebloods.”)
To have this traditional good luck charm in your wedding, here are some neat ideas for including the color blue on your special day.
Top 10 “Something Blue” Ideas for The Bride
Blue bouquet
If the bride wants to wear something blue or present something blue on the table, she can do either one with a well-put-together bouquet of blue flowers or at least some blue tucked into the mix.
Cornflowers are a common choice, as are various types of iris or hyacinths. Bellflower and delphiniums will also do, but you can take a look at what’s native to your area.
Blue cocktails
Another easy way to add blue to the wedding is to serve themed cocktails. Two popular choices are the blue lagoon and blue Curacao, which evoke an island paradise. There’s also the blue mermaid, and, for the spookily inclined, a blue drink called “witch’s brew” that features a certain type of raspberry liqueur.
Bride wears a blue shawl
This formal wear choice is a little less common, but pretty neat if you can pull it off. Some of the new knitting and garment accessory e-commerce services available can help you put together a great plan to add this blue accessory to your wardrobe.
Blue earrings
If the bride is the type who likes a new pair of earrings, she can incorporate aquamarine, blue, or turquoise ornaments to combine with sterling silver for an attractive design. That’s something blue for the bride to wear prominently throughout the ceremony and the reception.
Blue dog cookie favors
This one is actually more popular than you might think with dog-owning couples.
People like their dogs, that’s for sure. You don’t have to own Dogecoin or a Shiba Inu to want to put your dog’s face on something round.
Check out these blue dog cookie motifs for a wedding table to give a nod to your “true blue hound.” To get started, check out sites like Etsy.
Blue and white vase
Whether you pronounce it like “face” or like “laws,” one of these decorative centerpieces can be an attractive way to blend in your blue for your wedding.
In a lot of cases, the bride and groom plan for the vase to have some symbolic value. Maybe you pull your assigned table numbers out of it, or maybe people put good luck notes into it during the reception; there are a lot of ways to go here, and you can get creative with it.
Blue guest book
The blue guest book idea is sort of like the above vase idea. It creates something useful while adding blue to your wedding plan.
Lots of brides and grooms like to make their guest books unique, with crafted covers and other types of accents. People will be writing their well wishes inside it, so it makes sense for it to be blue. If you’re the type who believes in “sympathetic magic” or resonance, this blue book will be part of your treasure collection throughout your married life!
Blue tandem bicycle
Here’s another rhyme you might have heard — about the “bicycle built for two.”
“It won’t be a stylish marriage/I can’t afford a carriage….But you’ll look sweet upon the seat/Of a bicycle built for two…”
Okay, so not everybody enjoys pumping their legs up and down in strict unison with their newlywed partner as they careen down a side street or country road.
However, the tandem bike would be a unique way to include blue in your wedding, and it also works from a fitness angle.
Bridesmaids in blue robes
Shades of druidism! Or Blue Oyster Cult! A set of blue robes is a gutsy choice. But if you feel this strongly about the color scheme, you’re certainly blazing a trail for brides and grooms after you.
Blue ring in a blue box
Then you have that very important part of the wedding ceremony — the ring!
Yes, the traditional color is silver, but more people are playing around with the wedding ring design these days. They special-ordering certain shapes or engravings to represent their love for each other and selecting alternative metals like titanium or palladium. There are many ways to work blue into this design as well.
That’s a little bit about the choices that you have in creating a blue-themed wedding, or working in at least one significant blue accent for good luck. Like the age-old New Year’s charms and divination ceremonies of old-world cultures, the “something blue” idea has kept its relevance, even in the digital age. For more tips on the best events and dining parties, check out everything at Navarra Venues, where we provide key event support for clients.
