6 Southern Wedding Traditions Updated for the Modern Bride

The Benefits of a Southern Wedding

The South is famous for Southern hospitality and traditions and weddings are no exception. In the South, people love to have big weddings and keep traditions alive. Southern weddings are beautiful and the South’s temperate weather makes outdoor weddings a real treat. Couples should consider southern destination weddings as the perfect option to bring the family together to celebrate love, tradition, and family. For those modern brides that want to try something new and unique, here are a few ideas to update those traditional Southern wedding activities.

Southern Wedding Traditions Updated

1. Bridal Luncheon

One of the most long-standing Southern wedding traditions is the bridal luncheon. The bridal luncheon traditionally happens the afternoon before the wedding. It is a time for the bride to thank her friends and family that have helped put the wedding together and everyone in the bridal party. The bridal luncheon is traditionally an all-female affair, but you could update it to make it more inclusive. Try having a jack and jill bridal luncheon and invite the entire wedding party and close family to have a fun relaxing get-together. Make it in an informal thank-you lunch. Or the bride can get creative and try something more modern like a cocktail hour or happy hour luncheon. Serve tasty appetizers and signature cocktails to create a fun way to thank everyone for coming and participating in your special day.

2. Outdoor Weddings

Outdoor weddings are an excellent way to take advantage of the beautiful southern weather. Traditional outdoor weddings are a lovely way to create a gorgeous wedding.  To update the traditional outdoor wedding, the couple can bring their pets. Dress up Fido in a little doggy tux and let the furry family members be part of the wedding.

3. Burying the Bourbon

Burying the bourbon is a tradition you’ll only find in the South. This old-time Southern wedding tradition is supposed to ensure you have good weather for your outdoor wedding. It only works if the couple meets one month before the wedding at the venue with an entire bottle of bourbon. Then, the couple buries the bourbon bottle upside down to ensure beautiful weather on their special day. A fun way to update this tradition is to bring two bottles of bourbon – bury one, just in case. Share the other with a few close friends around a bonfire where you can toast the tasty Southern drink to a prosperous future and a special wedding day.

4. Cake Pulls

The cake pull is another Southern wedding tradition focused on predicting the future for the bridesmaids. Cake pulls come from an old Victorian tradition which was a way to ensure the bride’s single friends and bridesmaids will have some good luck. Traditionally, sterling silver charms were tied to colorful ribbons and then baked into the bottom layer of the lavish wedding cake. Before the cake is cut, each bridesmaid or single friend of the bride pulls a ribbon to reveal her charm representing her future. A small charm in the shape of an airplane means the recipient will travel. A small charm of a musical note means they will have a harmonious future. Update the tradition by putting in charms of the bridesmaids’ favorite things and hope they get their perfect charm.

5. Southern Menu

Southern food is comfort food for many and traditional Southern food makes any wedding complete. Friends and family won’t stop talking about the fantastic barbequed ribs or shrimp and grits. The modern bride could update this by finding a caterer who can make these traditional and delicious yet heavy dishes a bit lighter. Nobody wants to have their belly so full they can’t get out on the dance floor and have to spend the rest of the wedding in a food coma. Have the chef or caterer try lighting up the dishes or, better yet, make smaller portions. Have appetizers instead of a full sit-down dinner with traditional Southern favorites just in smaller portions.  Guests can still enjoy their traditional cuisine but not fill up so much that they won’t be able to shake a leg on the dance floor.

6. Southern Bouquets

Some say things in the South are bigger and better. Big bridal bouquets with beautiful flowers like gardenias, hydrangeas, and large fragrant roses are staples in Southern bridal bouquets. The modern bride can add some exotic flowers to update the bridal bouquet to make an exciting new bouquet. Find exotic flowers with the same colors and add some pizzazz to the traditional bouquet.

Weddings are a special time, and traditions are essential to families. Pursell Farms can help you make memories on your wedding day. Whether you want to stick with traditions or try something different, Pursell Farms can help make your wedding day special.