Southern Wedding Traditions
As most of you who were born and raised below the Mason-Dixion know, tradition is an important part of southern society and weddings are no exception! Many of us have family traditions or keepsakes that have been passed down through generations and continue to be included in ceremonies. Other traditions remain an important part in every southern bride’s big day!
We’ve narrowed down our favorites and decided to share our top 3 with you!
1. Burying the Bourbon.
This tradition is wonderful for couples having an outdoor ceremony! Burying the Bourbon is a tradition carried out by the bride and groom-to-be a month before the ceremony. The couple comes together to bury a bottle of bourbon, upside down, on the spot where they will say “I do”. Tradition states that this will prevent a rainy wedding day. After the ceremony, the bottle is to be dug up and shared with special guests. Talk about a celebration!
2. Cake Pulls.
Cakes pulls is a tradition that remains uniquely Southern with a strong base in Louisiana. The act comes from an Old Victorian tradition called “the ribbon pull.”
The pulls are typically silver charms on ribbons placed inside of the cake. Bridesmaids gather around the cake at a ribbon and pull to reveal their charm. Each charm represents the fortune of that bridesmaid.
Some of the most popular pulls are the ring, representing an upcoming marriage and the fleur-de-lis which represents love and prosperity.
3. House Party.
Us Southern girls know how to make friends and wanting to include them in your special day is not unusual! But how do you do this without ending up with an enormous number of bridesmaids? The tradition of have a ‘House Party’ is the way to go!
The ladies of a house party have duties that range from reading during the ceremony and cutting the cake to helping the bride get dressed before the wedding. How are they different from your traditional bridal party? Members of the house party don’t necessarily wear the same dresses as the bridesmaids, usually just a corresponding color. These ladies also don’t stand along the alter, but rather behind the brides’ family.