Paprika Southern
Burying the Bourbon and other southern wedding traditions
words by Grace Jennings illustrations by Charlotte Oden
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number of Southern traditions have been lost in time, but a handful of practices still find their way into weddings today. Groom’s cakes, mason jars, and monograms aside, there are numerous practices that can show off your southern heritage.
Agriculture has always been the crux of a southern community. Therefore, many wedding traditions have roots in the weather, most notably rain. A wedding handkerchief is a traditional southern family heirloom that is passed down from mothers to daughters. Farmers believed that a brides’ tears were lucky and would bring better rain for their crops. A crying bride meant that she would never shed a tear about her marriage. Another common tradition is burywww.paprikasouthern.com
ing a bottle of bourbon at your ceremony site. This was believed to ensure that the happy couple would not have rain on their special day. Some believe that the bourbon must be buried exactly one month prior to the wedding, others bury it a few days before. (I have to admit, we recently had a couple choose to do this, and they enjoyed sunny skies for their wedding!) Cake pulls are a very southern tradition that rarely gets practiced today. Small ribbons with charms are baked into the cake each signifying something special about their future. Common charms include a four-leaf clover for luck, a heart for love, a ring for marriage, something to signify travel, having page 20