Mrs. Cookie, Denver
Age and Occupation: 25, Nonprofit Fundraiser/Theatre Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Financial Analyst
Engagement Date: September 2007
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: May 8, 2008
Venue: Ten Mile Station
About Me: With a degree in Theatre I never realized that planning a wedding was a lot like Theatre Management, until I started planning my own. I am a coffee addict, especially Starbucks' Grande Mochas, yummy! I love to cook (especially chocolate chip cookies for my honey), travel to exotic places, and be creative. As a couple, Mr. Cookie and I are extremely practical, down to earth, and children at heart. We live in a cozy abode with our adorable Pomeranian, and love to play board games and watch movies into the evening.
Something Old or Borrowed — I Can’t Make Up My Mind!
May 16th, 2008 @ 9:00 am by Mrs. Cookie
To help satisfy the age old ”Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue” tradition, I visited my grandmother, who has an extensive jewelry collection, to see what I could “borrow.” During our search, we found these beautiful old earrings.
The back is very unusual, it actually has a little screw that tightens to the back of the ear. I was a little hesitant about wearing “screw-on” earrings, but I think they are absolutely stunning and will go perfectly with the dress. While searching through her collection, my grandmother found her wedding and engagement ring (both very well worn), my grandfather’s wedding ring, and my great-grandmother’s wedding ring. As I was leaving, she gave me a hug and told me that the earrings were mine. Now, I have to decided which part of the tradition I want to fulfill — Something Old or Borrowed.
My wedding dress is going to be my Something New, and I haven’t decided on my Something Blue. Also, I will have to find Something Old or Borrowed depending on how I categorize the earrings. What do you think? Should they be Old or Borrowed?
Did any of your wedding day items fulfill more than one of the ”Something Old…” traditions? If so, what?
21 Responses to “Something Old or Borrowed — I Can’t Make Up My Mind!”
Since your grandma offered you the earrings, go for something old! By the way, they’re absolutely beautifull!
I say something old
Wow, those earrings look almost exactly like a pair I had as a child– I think they used to be my grandmothers. I hardly ever wore them, clip-ons hurt one’s earlobes after a while, but I felt so grown-up when I did! (no pierced ears until age 10)
I agree with swissmade, something old since she gave them to you… beautiful earrings!
something old….didn’t she gave them to you? as a gift?
I’m using my piece in my hair (a brooch that is a family heirloom) as my something old AND my something borrowed. I think if you can knock out two birds with one stone, why not!
Something Old! I read somewhere that your something borrowed should be borrowed from someone whose marriage was one you admire and hope to have for yourself…so, if that’s your grandma, definitely borrow from her too 
I’d say the earrings for the “something old” as well since they are yours now, right?
As far as the old tradition, can something be two of the things? Is that “allowed” by the “rules”?
Also, how old is old?
I think I’m putting way too much thought into this… 
i have the same dilemma - my mom is going to let me borrow my great-grandma’s blue handkerchief that she carried down the aisle on her own wedding day - but i don’t want it to be all three things!
I have a pair of heirloom amethysts with the same style backs. They’re not hard to keep on, and I never find that they hurt (as long as you don’t screw them in too tightly). Those are beautiful! I’d consider them your “something old”.
I’d say something old too, because she gave them to you, so they aren’t really borrowed anymore.
I also have the “what is this, exactly?” dilemma. My FMIL is letting me borrow her veil (old, borrowed) and my mother offered me the jewelry my father gave her for their wedding on their wedding day (old, borrowed, blue). I think I’m going to use FMIL’s veil as something old, and Mom’s jewelry as something borrowed, or maybe the necklace as something borrowed and the earrings as something blue.
I say something old. As you were leaving she said they were yours, so technically you didn’t borrow them!
They’re stunning!
Screwbacks are very common (today too, not just in the past) for nice (expensive) earrings - it is a safety precaution so the earring doesn’t fall off and you lose a precious stone. For instance, all of the diamond studs I’ve ever seen are screwback, and the earrings I wear every single day are screwback. So it isn’t odd.
Congrats on finding a beautiful something old!
Old since she is giving them to you. In that case they wouldn’t be borrowed, unless she wanted them back, lol!
Yup, my aunt’s loaning me my grandma’s purse. It will be my something old and something borrowed!
Definately try wearing those earring around for a day — I had “something old” earrings w/that style of backing from my grandmother too and after about 20 minutes it felt like my ear lobes were bleeding! If you find this to be the case with your earrings, you can take them to an antique jewelry repair store and they’ll put post-backs on them instead.
@endb: Good idea! The first time I tried them on my ear lobes really hurt because I screwed them on too tight. I’ve only worn them for a few hours, so it is probably a good idea if I wear them for a day. Thanks for the suggestion!
I also have had endb’s ear trauma experience with screw ons. If I made them comfortable, they would eventually slip off and avoiding that meant Spanish Inquisition-like screw tightening. OWWWIE!
I had a pair from my own grandmother converted to pierced– with a leverback for safety– so that’s an option you might consider if your trial-run doesn’t well.
yes, I carried my “old” & “blue” together - in a beautiful edge-embroidered handerchief my mom had carried in her little prayer book at her own wedding. I carried the little book too.
just to echo what endb said- I highly recommend getting the earrings converted to post backs. I did that with my great great aunt’s earrings, and they were way more comfortable.
