Whether you’re superstitious or just enjoy having fun, there are various wedding traditions that promise brides-to-be a happy future or even just the chance to get things off to a good start.

1 Something old emphasises the transition to a new life: we mustn’t forget the past and must always carry it with us. Kate Middelton’s dress incorporated Carrickmacross lace, crafted according to an early 19th century technique.

2 Something new marks the transition to a new life, inviting the bride to look confidently towards the future. Kate’s parents gave her a pair of diamond earrings featuring an oak leaf design (the oak being a solid and symbolic tree).

3 Something borrowed, a little touch, an affectionate gesture made by someone close to the bride. The Queen loaned Kate a 1930s Cartier tiara.

4 Something given has more or less the same meaning as something borrowed: a link with a person dear to the bride.

5 Something blue stems from the English tradition. Blue is the colour of positivity (Kate Middelton’s engagement ring, which had previously belonged to Lady Diana, featured a splendid sapphire, but a simple ribbon stitched inside the wedding dress will do).

6 A message stitched inside the dress, revealing a little secret shared by few.

7 A coin in the bride’s shoe risks being uncomfortable or even painful but, apparently, it brings money and wellbeing.

8 Something red is not quite so common nowadays and harks back to the tradition according to which brides wore a red dress, which extended from Roman times until the 19th century, red being the colour of joy and enthusiasm.

9 The bouquet, in itself, is a positive symbol which first originated in the form of a bunch of aromatic herbs, used to ward off evil spirits, and now speaks the rich language of flowers.

10 The throwing of rice is thought to bring good luck and is associated with prosperity.

11 Pearls don’t bring tears at all but are perhaps no longer the best choice for a wedding dress.

12 The luckiest symbol that a bride can hope to see on her wedding day is a rainbow.