ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Pink, your spirit will sink,
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back.
Green dresses were viewed as being a sign of promiscuity. This lead to the old saying that a woman “has a green gown.” This was meant to signify that she was rolling around in grassy fields. Back then, only Irish women were considered “okay” in a green bridal gown.
Last, but not least, we have the classic wedding rhyme: Something old, something new. It started back in Victorian times, but what does it mean?
Something old: This represents the friends of the couple and the hopes that they will remain friends throughout the marriage. This was traditionally represented by an old garter which would be given to the bride to be, by a happily married woman. It was done in the hope that the happiness would be passed onto the new couple.
Something new: The happy and prosperous future of the newlyweds.
Something borrowed: This is something lent by the bride’s family. It is often an item that is highly valued, and that the bride must return after the wedding in order to ensure good luck.
Something blue: This is an Israelite tradition. The bride would wear a blue ribbon in her hair to symbolize fidelity.
There is one more part to the rhyme that is often omitted:
And a silver sixpence in your shoe: The placement of money in the bride’s shoe was done to ensure wealth and prosperity in the lives of the new couple. For some reason or another, this portion of the tradition doesn’t appear as popular. Perhaps that is why so many couples run into money problems?