Something Old, Something New…..

We all know how the saying goes: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue. As a bride these are the words that we live by. Finding the right items to represent these words is an important search for many. Each represents something special to every bride. Ask any bride and they can tell you exactly what each item was and their meaning.

When my daughter was married, together we thought about the items and carefully selected each one. There were two items that were so special to me and they both represented the something old. The first item was my grandmother’s crystals that I actually wore at my wedding and the other item was my grandmother’s veil, both from her wedding in 1926. After my mother’s passing in 1999, I had not seen the red box that held my grandmother’s wedding garments. These garments included her dress, shoes and veil. After talking with my brother, he indicated that he had the box and brought the veil to me. Upon inspection, it was in need of restoration. While it was not in terrible shape, it had some oxidation spots and really had yellowed over the years.

I was on a mission to determine how I could restore this antique. Of course I researched this and finally found a company all the way across the country to make it look brand new. I remember putting the veil in the box and shipped it across the country. My nerves got the best of me and I could not wait until I got the signed receipt that it was received. I had placed the greatest something old from our family in a box and shipped it all the way across the country. The company stayed in contact with me during the whole process and showed me pictures along the way. Then the veil was on its journey back to me. Once I opened the box, my grandmother’s veil was packaged so beautifully and in a cotton garment bag to store until the big day arrived. I could not believe how beautiful it was, back to its original state.

On my daughter’s wedding day she was stunning. To have such a beautiful family heirloom as part of her wedding attire was truly an honor and something I will always cherish. After the wedding, I was able to determine that the veil had a long history of wear in our family. My grandmother was the first to wear it, followed by her oldest daughter, my Aunt Palma, then by Palma’s daughter, my cousin Jean, then by my sister-in-law Tina and then again by my very own daughter. I am now the official keeper of the veil in the family and could not be more proud that I have been tasked with this responsibility. In eight short years, the veil will be 100 years old. I hope you enjoy the photos of the veil.

So on your wedding day, when you are thinking about the something old, find something that truly means a lot to your family. The memories and joy that you will give to your family on that special day are more than you could every imagine.