You may know by now that 2022 is the busiest wedding year of the 21st century. After two years of postponing, tons of couples are ready to tie the knot (or celebrate the marriage they already had privately).
If all of your guests are getting ready to attend multiple weddings in the next year, how can you make sure that yours stands out? If you’re hosting your celebration in the south or come from southern lineage, why not try out a few unique Southern wedding traditions?
We love sharing unique and interesting wedding traditions, from American wedding traditions to Ukrainian wedding traditions,with all of our brides and grooms. Today, we’re here to help you plan a dreamy Southern wedding for the books.
Read on as we talk about Southern wedding traditions you may not have heard of–but that you’ll definitely want to use.
A Month Out: Burying the Bourbon
No matter how lucky it is said to be, no one wants a rainy wedding day. Southerners have the perfect “solution” (or superstitious ritual) to keep the rain at bay during your wedding celebration.
One month prior (not a day earlier or later), head to your wedding venue and dig a hole where your ceremony will take place. Then, place the bourbon bottle upside down in the hole and cover it back up. To complete this ritual, you’ll need a full bottle of bourbon, a shovel, and permission from your venue.
A Month Out: Bridal Portraits
Are you going to do a practice run of your hair and makeup? Most brides do, and Southern brides have chosen to take advantage of the occasion. This one doesn’t have to be a month out, but keep in mind that you’ll need some time to complete all of the steps.
Step one: get your hair and makeup done and slide into your bridal gown. Step two: have professional portraits taken in your full bridal get-up. Step three: have the photos printed to use as wedding reception decor.
A Month Out: The Pounding Party
Once again, this Southern wedding tradition doesn’t have to happen a month out. However, it is an alternative to the typical bridal shower, which tends to fall at the month-out mark.
Pounding parties get their name from the types of gifts guests are asked to bring: pounds of butter, pounds of flour, pounds of sugar, and so forth. Pounding parties are designed to stock the pantry of the soon-to-be newlyweds, and they’re a ton of fun for the bride and groom.
(Bonus tip: ask guests to share a favorite recipe you can make using the chosen ingredients! That way, you can build up a recipe box to carry you through your years of cooking together.)
Planning Details: Seersucker for the Groomsmen
If there’s one thing that we know about the south, it’s that the spring and summer temperatures are high. Bridesmaids can wear sleeveless, flowing dresses to keep cool, but what about the groomsmen? That’s where the classic seersucker suit comes in.
Seersucker is a classy but light and breathable material that has roots in Southern culture. In fact, the first person to take this warm-weather material and turn it into a suit was a New Orleans haberdasher. That means that seersucker isn’t just weather-appropriate but also provides a uniquely Southern aesthetic to your bridal party get-up.
Planning Details: Cake Pulls
You’ve heard of bouquet and garter tosses, but the cake pull is another fun and interactive way to include your bridal party in the joy of the big day. To participate in this Southern wedding tradition, you’re going to need some distinct charms, cute ribbons, and a baker who is on board with the plan.
Here’s how the cake pull works: charms are attached to ribbons and placed inside the wedding cake or cupcakes, ribbon-side out. Each bridal party member pulls one ribbon, and the charm they receive will predict their future. For example, a ring charm means that a marriage is in sight; an airplane charm means that travel is around the corner; a rocking chair charm means a long and happy life.
Wedding Morning: Bridal Brunch or Luncheon
In the south, the wedding day doesn’t start with the ceremony. It starts with a great big brunch or luncheon shared with the women in the bride’s life. That includes female relatives, friends, siblings, and bridesmaids–and, of course, anyone else the bride wants to invite (and yes, that can include the guys).
The point of the bridal brunch or luncheon is to give the bride some less hectic time to celebrate with loved ones. It can help make the day special from start to finish and keep some pre-wedding jitters at bay.
Wedding Day: Second Line
Do you want to make sure that your marriage is marked by a noisy, joyous, memorable celebration? If so, you’re going to want to incorporate the second line into your big day, brought to us once again by New Orleans culture and history.
After your ceremony, you, your partner, your bridal party, and all of your guests will march together to the reception venue just like a New Orleans marching band. It’s a great opportunity to dance, shout, and show the world how thrilled you are to have tied the knot. If you can book a small marching band for the occasion, even better!
Give These Southern Wedding Traditions a Try
This is the year of the wedding, and we imagine that the coming years will be no different. If you’re looking for unique and joyful ways to make your wedding celebration stand out, give these Southern wedding traditions a try.
Looking for a better way to stay on top of your wedding planning? Take a look at our wedding planning checklists to complete each step of the process easily.
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