Something Old, Something New…
So, for those who might not know, I just got married in October to the most amazing guy named Will. We met in New York back in 2017 and have been dating for nearly 4 years.
Our wedding was relatively non-traditional: we opted for a shoeless ceremony on the beach during a global pandemic; however, there was one tradition that I definitely wanted to keep and I’m glad that I did because it inspired an amazing idea for my bouquet.
Below, I will share the stories behind my “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”
Something Old
I really struggled at first to come up with an idea for something old because online it looked like I should stitch something into my dress, or something else that just didn’t feel right for me. I knew that I wanted to honor each of my sets of grandparents at my wedding. So, I finally had an idea to ask my father if he had anything from his parents that I could incorporate into the wedding day (maybe a locket or small item) and I was pretty sure that I wanted to use it in my bouquet since I wasn’t sure how else to carry it with me down the aisle.
My paternal grandfather was a WWII veteran, a successful small business owner of a flower shop, and a very gifted musician. Although I didn’t get to know him very well (he died when I was 6), I’ve inherited a lot from him like my passion for music and my love and gift for writing.
A Bit on Russ, also known as “Poppy”
After the war, my Poppy had dreamt of moving to New York City with my grandmother to pursue a career as a jazz trumpet player. However, reality sunk in when his father got sick and Poppy had to take over his dad’s business: a flower shop by the name of Drake’s Flowers.
In 1950, Poppy’s father passed away and two years later, Drake’s Flowers became Russ Gaffney Florist and opened up at a new location on Main Street in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He and my grandmother also now had a growing family to take care of.
For Poppy, the reality that many musicians face sunk in: trumpet would have to be a side passion for his full-time career as a florist, father, and husband.
Side note: While he was a florist for nearly 40 years, my Poppy still played trumpet and passed down his love for music to my dad, who sneakily surprised our wedding guests with a performance during the reception.
Poppy passed away in 1999, but in the 6 years that I knew him, he made a deep impact in my life.
That’s where I got the idea for my something old.
My Poppy was a deeply romantic man and wrote love letters to my grandmother, with whom I was very close until her passing in 2016.
So I called up Russ Gaffney Florist in South Carolina and asked them if they could design the flowers for the wedding as a way to honor Poppy. Then, I had the florist add in a love letter he had written to his “valentine,” my grandmother. As a result, I got to carry their love story in my bouquet.
Something New
My something new was simple and easy, I bought a brand new wedding dress! Now, while the dress doesn’t have a long history like the love letter, it still is so special to me.
I wanted a dress that glistened because I’m a huge fan of shiny things and was able to find this stunning Robert Bullock Bride gown at Bellissima Brides in North Carolina.
I loved trying on the dress with my mom and when I put it on, I broke into tears because it felt just like it was made for me. The dress was designed in New York, which I thought was really neat because that’s where I live and it’s where Will and I met, but the dress itself was purchased in North Carolina.
Even in the dress, I was able to tell a little bit of my own story.
Something Borrowed
Like I said earlier, I wanted to honor each of my sets of grandparents on my wedding day. While I’ve lost three grandparents, I am so blessed to still have my maternal grandmother and she is one of my favorite people on this earth. I love her heart for the Lord and how much she loves to laugh and sometimes I just call her in the morning because I know it will brighten both of our days. She is one of my biggest inspirations and I dream that I can be half the woman she is.
My grandma’s love story with my grandfather is one-of-a-kind. She was set up with him by a friend and really not all that interested, but when they met, she liked his red and white Ford convertible (men, take note). They proceeded to date for a year before getting engaged at Christmastime (hello, Hallmark) and were married in March 1961 and had my mother three years later.
My grandfather was a farmer, volunteer firefighter, and one of those men that every single person in their small town knew, loved, and admired. My grandmother was a librarian, and still is a gifted pianist and a wizard in the kitchen.
They used to travel the world together before he got sick a little over 10 years ago. One of my grandma’s favorite trips was when they got in their RV and my grandpa said, “Rachel, which way do you want to go?” She chose north and they ended up driving from North Carolina to upstate New York.
One of my grandparents’ traditions was that every year for Christmas, my grandpa gave grandma a new piece of jewelry. Even the year that he died, he left a $100 bill in his wallet specifically for her to buy something for herself with. He loved her selflessly until his last breath.
One of his gifts to her was a pair of gold diamond earrings, which I was lucky enough to get to borrow for my wedding day! (If you look closely in the picture above, she’s wearing the earrings there.)
My grandma also was able to make it to the wedding (a true blessing in the time of Covid) and walked down the aisle to their song, “Put Your Head on My Shoulder.”
Something Blue
Similar to my something new, my something blue was another easy one. Will and I were getting married in the fall on the beach. I knew there would be wind and we would eventually get cold, so I had all of my bridesmaids bring a denim blue jacket to wear during the reception. The jacket also helped keep me safe from the sparklers during our exit.
Conclusion
I was honored to carry both of my grandparents’ legacies and love stories with me on my wedding day. I loved getting to dig into the history behind my something old and something borrowed. I guess the reason I’m sharing this is that I think that the love my grandparents’ shared was uniquely special and worth sharing. I also wanted to share this to encourage any future brides out there to get creative with your something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.
If you’re already married, do me a favor and comment below. I want to know what you did for this fun tradition on your wedding day!
