Burying the Bourbon – A Southern Wedding Tradition

Of the many Southern wedding traditions that brides and grooms still observe, burying the bourbon is a popular favorite. Legend has it that if you bury a bottle of bourbon at the location of your ceremony, you’ll be rewarded with a rain-less wedding day.

There are some specific rules that you have to follow when carrying this tradition out, like burying the bourbon exactly one month before the ceremony in order to completely ward off rain.

Your wedding day should be perfect一great weather, true to Southern tradition, at your dream venue.

Why should I bury the bourbon?

You can count on the constant humidity in the South. Heavy rains and monsoon weather are not uncommon, even during the spring and summer. As a bride or groom planning your wedding day, you’ll take every possible precaution to guarantee good weather, even if it means carrying out a tradition that doesn’t actually correlate with weather patterns.

If you’re not superstitious, you might simply want to respect Southern wedding traditions by incorporating local culture into one of the most important days of your life. Either way, burying the bourbon can be a meaningful memory made with your soon-to-be spouse.

How do I bury the bourbon?

There are four important steps to take when burying the bourbon:

When to Bury the Bourbon

You have to bury the bourbon exactly one month prior to your ceremony. If you’re sealing the deal at 7 p.m. on May 3, you need to be out digging a hole for your bourbon at 7 p.m. on April 3. This is an easy step to mess up, but it’s arguably the most important!

What to Bury

The bottle needs to be full of actual bourbon. Some people use the terms bourbon and whiskey interchangeably, but there’s a distinct difference that could throw a wrench in your Southern wedding tradition. The difference is this: bourbon is made in the US, has 51% corn mash, is aged in an oak-charred barrel, is no less than 80 proof, and doesn’t have any extra flavorings. Pay attention when choosing your bourbon for burying.

How to Bury the Bourbon

When you bury the bourbon, the bottle needs to be completely full, and it needs to be buried upside down. You can’t crack it open for a quick drink beforehand, and your hole needs to be deep enough for the bourbon to be buried vertically.

After the Ceremony

The last step in completing this Southern tradition actually happens after the ceremony. Once you’ve officially sealed the deal, you have to dig your bottle of bourbon up and share it with your wedding party. Whether you successfully warded bad weather off or not, your wedding day will be special, memorable, and topped off with a little of your favorite bourbon.

What are other old Southern wedding traditions?

The South is a unique part of the US thanks in part to a culture that has been passed down through generations. Southern wedding traditions in particular have been kept alive by couples with ties to the area. In addition to burying the bourbon, other Southern wedding traditions:

• Seersucker suits: This breathable, stylish fabric is a common choice for outdoor Southern weddings.
• Cake pulls: Symbolic charms are attached to ribbons that are baked into the bottom layer of Southern wedding cakes. Bridesmaids and other single women at the reception pull the ribbons out, and the charm they receive is symbolic of their future.
• Groom’s cakes: In addition to a traditional, elegant wedding cake, many Southern grooms request a cake representing something important to them. A groom’s cake might come in the form of a home state, college mascot, football helmet, or something else significant.
• Wedding traditions for the bride: These include using family heirlooms for their “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue,” a bouquet made of classic Southern flowers, a bridal luncheon, and a pounding party.‌

Why a Wedding at Hamilton Place?

Hamilton Place at Pursell Farms is the perfect place to bury the bourbon and hold your dream ceremony. Its gorgeous and historic grounds, overnight suites, dressing areas, and hair and makeup stations provide an unreal background for photography and videography, not to mention the wedding package that comes included.

Covering 26 acres, Hamilton place offers a number of options for your ceremony and reception locations. This venue offers the reliability of securing a traditional venue with a degree of personalization that’s hard to find in the wedding industry. Your perfect Southern wedding awaits you at Hamilton Place!