THE TRADITION

THE LUCKY HORSESHOE

Inspired by vintage photographs of her grandparent’s wedding in the Forties, designer Charlotte has revived the forgotten wedding tradition of the lucky horseshoe into a stylish and unique bridal keepsake, destined to bring love, luck, health and happiness to the recipients!

Our collection of beautifully decorated lucky horseshoes are designed for the contemporary and vintage bride, and are the perfect keepsake to treasure forever. Fashioned from authentic lightweight traditional silver horseshoes, which are then hand-finished with silk satin ribbon, lustrous Japanese freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals and vintage style embellishments.

Hold with, or as a quirky alternative to, your bouquet or give as a good-luck gift to a bride-to-be, on or before her big day - our horseshoes make for a special bridal shower gift. 

THE LEGEND
As legend goes, the 10th Century Archbishop of Canterbury, St. Dunstan, a former blacksmith, was fortunate to outwit the devil! It is believed the devil approached St. Dunstan to shoe his hoof; St.Dunstan realised his customer was the devil and nailed the shoe on as painfully as he could, causing the devil to beg for mercy. St. Dunstan agreed to remove the shoe on condition that the devil agreed to never enter a place where a horseshoe was hung. Thus, the horseshoe became a symbol of good fortune! Furthermore, in Ancient Greece, it was believed a horseshoe lucky, as the shape suggested the crescent of a new moon – thought to be a symbol of fertility and prosperity.

After the wedding we suggest hanging or nailing somewhere within the home. Place the horseshoe facing up – to hold the luck so that it does not run out - or upside down so that the luck pours onto you. If hung above a door, guests who enter and leave through the same door which the horseshoe is hung, are thought to take some luck with them!

                              

THE BRIDAL GARTER

Traditionally, a garter is worn by the bride on her wedding day and is removed by the groom, who throws it to a crowd of unmarried male guests; this tradition is thought to bring infinite luck and fortune to the bride and groom and is said to date back as far as 14th Century England, when it was believed owning a piece of the bride’s wedding dress would bring good luck!
Guests would literally tear at the bride’s gown, and so to save the dress from ruin, an alternative was found in the bridal garter!

TOSSING THE GARTER
The male guests would attempt to remove the garter from the bride themselves; as a result of this behaviour, it thankfully became custom for the groom to remove the bridal garter from his new wife (if permitted!) and throw to the crowd. The man who catches the garter is thought to be the next to marry. This tradition is somewhat similar to that of throwing the bridal bouquet to all the unmarried female guests.

PRESENT-DAY
Many couples still practice the garter toss today or prefer to acknowledge the garter tradition by posing for the classic garter photograph, whilst others decide to keep this special piece of bridal lingerie for their groom's eyes only! Whether you decide to keep your garter as a hidden secret until your wedding night, or expose it, is your own personal choice.

Atelier Rousseau would love to be a part of this tradition on your wedding day; as we endeavour to revive the bridal garter from a non-sentimental afterthought, into a family heirloom to be treasured.
                              

SOMETHING BLUE

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

During ancient Rome, brides would wear blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular colour for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs such as: "Marry in blue, lover be true".

To incoporate your traditional 'Something Blue' into your wedding day you may like to choose one of our couture bridal garters or lucky wedding horseshoes which feature blue silk satin ribbon or blue Swarovski crystals.