The first tradition in our Tradition Tuesday series is one of my all-time favorites, the second line parade.

If you have ever spent time in New Orleans, you know New Orleans loves a parade. Is there a Saints game? Throw a parade. Is it a holiday? Throw a parade. If it’s the month leading up to Mardi Gras, throw a month of parades. My first day in New Orleans, there was a parade just outside of my hotel and it wasn’t even a holiday. I still don’t know what that parade was for, but I loved it. Naturally, when it comes time to celebrate your wedding, yes, throw a parade.

Wedding parades in the United States trace back to 19th century New Orleans jazz funerals and have evolved into a tradition that is embraced for many of life’s milestones. In New Orleans, wedding second lines kick off the party and often travel from the ceremony location to the reception space. A brass band and the couple, the first line, lead their guests, the second line, through the streets all while dancing, celebrating, and reveling in the music. The couple often carry a set of embellished umbrellas and hand out decorated handkerchiefs to their guests. If you have ever turned the corner of a narrow French Quarter street, to see a couple waving umbrellas in the air, guests swinging handkerchiefs to the beat of the music, and a brass band leading a throng of partygoers, you know how special a second line truly is. It perfectly involves your guests and sets the tone for an unforgettable night to come. Whether your second line winds through the streets of New Orleans or circles a New York City ballroom floor, it is sure to be one of your favorite wedding memories.