Louisiana Wedding Reception Traditions Explained

Weddings in South Louisiana are unique and they come with many traditions.

If you attended a wedding reception outside of Louisiana you will see how much more relaxed it is here and you may even notice that a few wedding traditions here aren't on display elsewhere.

So, let's look into a few of South Louisiana wedding traditions and examine their meaning.

I'll start with money dances at wedding receptions in Louisiana. At some point during the reception, the band or DJ will announce that it is time for the money dances, and this allows guests to gift the bride or groom with money while having a private dance with them.

I can tell you this does not happen in many places outside of South Louisiana. I've had brides tell me to forego the money dances because some in attendance may not understand what is happening.

Next, have you ever attended a wedding reception and seen someone dance with a broom-like figure in a bucket? If so, that's because the bride or groom is younger than a sibling and the older sibling is forced to dance with a broom, being that they are still single. This can be very odd for those unaware of this Louisiana tradition.

One tradition that extends beyond just South Louisiana is the cutting of the cake. So, why do the bride and groom cut the cut together? Well, it symbolizes a couple's love and commitment to one another. Even though no one really pays much attention to this at the reception, this public form of affection was once a huge deal at a wedding reception.

The next tradition to highlight is the removal of the garter. Now, in recent years some brides have elected to bypass this too. However, the removal of the garter by the groom is a symbol of the consummation of their union. These days, this is done more to just add fun to the party.

In all, these are just a few South Louisiana wedding traditions that you should be aware of. Now, I am not going to get into music played at wedding receptions in South Louisiana because this is a whole different topic for another day.

However, we will discuss at a later date how different the music is at Louisiana wedding receptions.