30 Something Borrowed Ideas for Your Wedding
Looking for something borrowed ideas? We've got inspiration for your something borrowed from experts and real couples - borrow one of these ideas!
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Choosing your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue is one of the most enjoyable fun bits of wedding admin - not least because checking them off doesn’t require a wedding spreadsheet, or cost any money!
New can easily be ticked off as your wedding outfits, while blue is easily incorporated into your big day. Something borrowed, on the other hand, is a trickier beast.
To help with your ideas for your something borrowed, we spoke to wedding experts and real couples about how they choose their something borrowed. From funny ideas for something borrowed to sentimental items, read on for the ultimate guide to something borrowed ideas…
The Best Something Borrowed Ideas
We asked real couples and wedding experts what they had for their something borrowed to inspire you - which idea will you go for?
1. Wedding Accessories
From cufflinks to hair slides and clips, Nick Harris of Just About Weddings says that wedding accessories are a great choice for your something borrowed. “Ties, hankies and pieces of jewellery are popular borrowed items,” he says. “A family heirloom, such as a vintage necklace is a wonderful, sentimental touch.”
Journalist Julia Scirrotto, did this, sharing: “For my ‘something borrowed’ my mother-in-law kindly lent me an amethyst ring, which was a family heirloom. However, I completely forgot to bring it to the ceremony!
"While my dad and I were waiting to walk down the aisle I realised the error and panicked, and in a pinch he lent me my own grandmother’s wedding ring, which he always wears on his pinky. So my mistake actually took on a really lovely and meaningful twist.”
2. Old Photographs
Your something borrowed doesn’t have to be on your person on the big day, says Nick. For example, a borrowed photo of grandparents who are no longer with us, placed in a prominent place in the ceremony works beautifully for a unique something borrowed.
3. First Dance Song
‘Something borrowed’ needn’t always be tangible – you could ‘borrow’ your first dance song from your parents, grandparents or another loved one. Those in the know will be delighted to hear it.
4. Cover Songs
Along the same lines, if you choose a cover version of a classic track, that could be your something borrowed.
5. Your Wedding Dress
For a sustainable something borrowed idea, rent your wedding dress. It’ll save you money and ticks the borrowed box too.
6. Wedding Cake Recipe
Opt for ‘something borrowed’ that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re borrowing your grandmother’s wedding cake recipe or recreating a friend’s star bake, cutting into your wedding cake at the reception will be all the sweeter when it’s one you really, really love.
7. Wedding Cocktails
Borrow a classic cocktail recipe from your favourite bar or reinterpret a friend’s expert mixology skills by serving ‘something borrowed’ as your signature wedding cocktail. "This idea is especially cool as it adds a twist to the traditional welcome drink," says Zoe Burke, wedding expert and Editor of Hitched.
"By borrowing your favourite recipes you're able to personalise your wedding and have a something borrowed all in one!"
8. Champagne Flutes
Whether you opt for a Champagne cocktail or want to toast your newly married status with extra special glasses, if there are vintage or particularly special flutes in the family, keep them to hand for your very first clink - we love these vintage champagne coupes from Not on the High Street.
9. Wedding Cake Topper
If your parents or grandparents have kept their wedding cake topper it makes for a simple, meaningful ‘something borrowed’ that’ll be revealed in all of its glory at the reception.
10. Vintage Crockery
Using mismatched borrowed crockery, like this set from Wonderland Event & Decor Hire will create a wonderful vintage vibe to the post-wedding breakfast tea and coffees, or put them out for the late night snack.
11. Your Wedding Veil
If your mum, grandma, sister or a friend of the family wore a beautiful wedding veil, borrow it for good luck on your own wedding day. Work with your hairstylist to find the best veil placement to suit your wedding day hair look beforehand and it’ll fit in seamlessly.
12. Hair Accessory
Incorporating a loaned retro or modern hair accessory into your wedding day styling makes a gorgeous statement out of ‘something borrowed’.
13. Wedding Shoes
We're going from your head to your toes with this 'something borrowed' idea for your wedding. If your feet are the same size as your mum’s, sister’s, aunt’s or a close family friend’s and their wedding shoes were right up your alley, ask to borrow them to walk down the aisle and dance the night away.
14. Your Wedding Fragrance
If you like the scent, wearing a sentimental wedding perfume, such as your mum or grandma’s favourite fragrance, is a lovely way to pay tribute to them on the big day - and a fuss free way to do your something borrowed.
15. A Handkerchief
Borrow a sentimental hanky to mop up those happy tears. This is especially apt if your wedding dress or suit has pockets (that's all we can ever ask for, right?).
16. A Family Member
When real couple Tim and Rob tied the knot, Tim borrowed Rob's sister to walk down the aisle with, as he didn't have a sister of his own. So cute!
17. A Ribbon
Whether worn in your hair, around your bouquet or even sewn into your dress, borrowing a special ribbon (perhaps from your parents wedding cake or grandma’s sewing kit) is a small but beautiful way to wear ‘something borrowed’ on your wedding day. Depending on the shade it could count as your ‘something blue’ too.
18. Dressing Up Accessories
If you're having a photobooth at your wedding, ask your close friends to lend you items for people to dress up in - we bet loads of people have got comedy wigs, giant glasses and silly hats they'd gladly donate to the cause!
19. A Brooch
If there’s a brooch that’s been passed down the generations in your family, consider borrowing it to attach to your wedding day bouquet, wedding dress or even to refashion into a hair accessory.
20. A Family Pen
Real couple Emily and Raj borrowed Raj's late grandmother's fountain pen to sign the register, creating a sentimental way to include the much-missed family member in the big day.
21. A Ring Cushion
It could be ornate, have been used at the wedding of a loved one or just hold sentimental value – borrowing a ring cushion will make exchanging your vows all the more meaningful on your big day.
22. Your Wedding Venue
If you're getting married at a fabulous wedding venue you've attended an event at before, be it another wedding, a birthday party or a swanky party, you're essentially borrowing the venue. Real bride Claire is getting married where her best friend held her 30th, borrowing the hall from her friend!
23. A Wedding Reading
Perhaps you found a passage you loved in a book borrowed from a friend or there’s a poem that meant a lot to your grandparents. Including a wedding reading as your ‘something borrowed’ not only allows you to reflect on during your wedding ceremony but includes your guests in the tradition too.
24. Mini Wedding Party Members
If you’re having a little one who isn’t your own child in your wedding, they can be your something borrowed! From a pageboy to a bridesmaid or even a ringbearer, this something borrowed will have a key role in your big day.
25. Your Wedding Car
Real couple Grace and Tom borrowed Grace’s dad's vintage car to drive from their ceremony to reception - if that’s not trusting your new son-in-law, we don’t know what is!
If you don’t have a vintage car in the family (not many people do, we imagine!) renting a classic automobile works just as well for your something borrowed.
26. A Cake Knife
Sheila, who was a bride in the 60s, borrowed her wedding cake knife and started quite the family tradition in doing so:
“The cake knife was bought for my parents by my uncle. I borrowed it for my wedding and when I later inherited it I was able to lend it to both my son and daughter as their something borrowed on their wedding days.”
27. A Trinket
Your ‘something borrowed’ really can be anything that means something to you – you can tie trinkets to your bouquet, borrow an ornament for the top table or even get married on a family rug. Just be sure to ask first...
28. Your Wedding Makeup
Your wedding makeup artist will use their own kit to do your wedding makeup, so that’s essentially borrowed! Real bride Joy also shared that she borrowed her best friend’s wedding lipstick to touch up her makeup as the evening wore on. Clever!
29. Cufflinks
Something borrowed ideas don't just stop with a bride - if you're wearing a suit for your wedding you can also get involved in the something borrowed tradition by borrowing some cufflinks for the day.
30. A Surprise
If you want a bit of spontaneity on your wedding day, what about asking a best friend or family member to bring you a surprise item to be the something borrowed for your wedding?
