Have you ever wondered the origins of the old saying

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967. It was made of silver and worth six pennies. So this wedding tradition is definitely English, and many sources say that it began in the Victorian era. 

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 colourful 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 colour 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. Keepsake sixpences for weddings can often be purchased from wedding shops, such as eBay's wedding boutique, Trent Valley Mercantile.

Other sourses state the following:

Something Old is meant to represent the link with the bride's own family and the past particularly mother or grandmother or even most distant relations. Something old is symbolic of continuity. To symbolise this link brides may choose to wear a piece of antique family jewellery which belonged to the relative. Alternatatively they may select something from the mother's or grandmother's wedding gown. Other things that may be chosen include a handkerchief, a scarf or a piece of lace.

Something New represents good luck and success and the brides hopes for a bright future in her new married life. The wedding gown is often chosen as the new item but it could be anything that is purchased new for the wedding such as the Bride's Veil. Wearing a new item on your wedding day conveys the message that you and your husband are creating a new union that will endure forever.

Something Borrowed is to represent to the bride that friends and family will be there for her on the special day and in the future when help is needed. "Borrowing" is especially important, since it has to come from a happily married woman, thereby lending the bride some of her own marital happiness to carry into the new marriage. Anything can be borrowed but it must be returned afterwards. Another way to incorporate a borrowed item into your wedding day attire is to borrow a friend’s piece of jewellery.  If you have a close friend who has worn the same necklace for as long as you have known her, you might consider borrowing this particular necklace for your wedding day as a reminder of your friendship. Perhaps she wore the necklace on her own wedding day.

Something Blue in ancient times is the symbol of faithfulness, purity and loyalty. Often a blue item worn today is the garter.  In olden times the couple wore blue bands on the border of their wedding attire to denote, love, modesty and fidelity.

 

Sources:

ask.yahoo.com/20031027

somthingoldsomethingnew.co.uk