17 Oct Wedding Coin Tradition: A Sixpence in Your Shoe—or on Your Cuffs?
You have found the outfit, organised the flowers and negotiated the seating plan. Now an old wedding rhyme would like you to put money in your shoe. As if weddings did not already keep you on your toes.
If you are looking for a lucky wedding coin, the sixpence has a wonderful story. But there is a comfortable way to give that story a place in your outfit: wear your coins as cufflinks and leave your shoes free for dancing.
What is the wedding coin tradition?
The familiar rhyme has one more line than many people remember:
Something old, something new,
Something borrowed, something blue,
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.
Associated with Victorian England, the verse gathers together wishes for the bride’s future. The coin is a symbol of prosperity for married life. Today, it can be a small, sentimental detail in a celebration that reflects the couple’s own tastes.
There is no need to promise that a coin will bring riches. A good story, a thoughtful gift and a happy pair of feet are quite enough to be getting on with.
From a sixpence in your shoe to sixpences at your cuffs
We like to think the sixpence deserves a better view of the wedding. At your cuffs, the coins can make an appearance in the photographs, accompany the speeches and join you on the dance floor.
English sixpence cufflinks offer a wearable connection to the coin named in the traditional rhyme. You can also explore our English sixpence cufflinks with the tails design and choose the look you prefer.
This is a modern interpretation of the custom, rather than the original shoe ritual. The sentiment travels with you; the coin simply gets a wardrobe upgrade.
A wedding gift with a story attached
Coin cufflinks make a thoughtful choice for a groom or a thank-you gift for the best man and groomsmen. They also give fathers of the couple a small keepsake to wear on the day and enjoy afterwards.
For a gift note, keep it light: “For luck, love and a very good first dance. We thought your cuffs would appreciate these more than your shoes.”
If you are choosing for several people, a shared coin design can tie the wedding party together without making every detail of their outfits identical. Have a look at our wedding cufflinks guide for more inspiration.
Choose a coin that means something to you
The sixpence is the natural starting point for this rhyme, but your wedding story can guide the choice too. Irish heritage, for example, could make Ireland sixpence cufflinks especially meaningful.
A coin from a country connected with your family or your life together can become your own wedding keepsake. That is a personal variation on the tradition, so choose it for the connection rather than worrying about ticking every box in the verse.
Three things to check before choosing wedding coin cufflinks
- The shirt: double cuffs, often called French cuffs, are designed for cufflinks. Some convertible cuffs also work; check the actual shirt.
- The listing: confirm the pictured design, materials and any stated coin-year options. “Silver sixpence” is wording from the rhyme, not a promise that every sixpence is silver.
- The timing: check current processing and delivery information and allow time before the wedding for a complete outfit try-on.
Does the lucky coin have to go in a shoe?
To follow the rhyme literally, the coin goes in the shoe. To enjoy the idea in your own way, you can choose a wearable keepsake instead. Cufflinks are finished accessories, so these products are for your shirt cuffs rather than for use as loose shoe coins.
And after the wedding? Wear them for an anniversary dinner or another special occasion. The story gets another outing every time.
Keep the tradition’s charm, add your own style, and save the fancy footwork for the dance floor. Discover our sixpence cufflinks and give your lucky wedding coin a place in the photographs.
Historical background: The Royal Mint on the sixpence wedding tradition.