If you know anything about New Orleans you know that the food is fabulous, the music is amazing, and the architecture is one of a kind. New Orleans is also a very diverse city with unique cultures and traditions that can be added to your wedding day.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, of course is one of the biggest traditions in the city that utilize the colors purple, green, and gold. While these colors may not sound like they go together, trust me they do. Not only do they look great together, but everyone knows that they represent New Orleans. Adding the Mardi Gras theme to your wedding can be a great way to incorporate New Orleans into your celebration. Along with Mardi Gras, of course comes the beads, doubloons, and plastic cups. Having these items used in the decorations of the reception hall will all add to the theme of Mardi Gras and New Orleans.

Streetcars

Streetcars are another thing that are very symbolic of New Orleans and represent a portion of the cities history. Streetcars still run in the city today and citizens use them as a mean for transportation. The most popular, are the red street cars that travel down St.Charles Avenue and Canal Street. A fun idea is to have the bridal party ride in a streetcar to the church and to the reception. This is a unique tradition in New Orleans and can be added to any wedding day.

Jazz & Steamboats

Jazz was born in New Orleans and is still alive and well in the city. Many famous pictures have been painted portraying famous musicians who have made a name for themselves starting in the birth place of jazz. Musical instruments such as the clarinet have always been symbolic of New Orleans. Another famous site of New Orleans is the Steamboats that float along the mighty Mississippi River. These boats offer dinner cruises and can be rented out for private parties. These boats offer a great opportunity to have a fun rehearsal dinner or wedding reception while cruising down the river.

The New Orleans Saints

The beloved football team of New Orleans offers another great choice for a theme wedding. The colors of the team are black and gold and their emblem is the fleur de lis. Any and everything can be done to decorate your reception hall with black and gold colors and the fleur de lis symbol. Many brides utilize fleur de lis jewelry for themselves and their bridal party taking the theme all the way.

Second Line Dance

Most New Orleans wedding receptions always end with a Second Line Dance. A Second Line Dance is a traditional dance done in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and at other times of the year in celebration. The bride and groom usually hold umbrellas while performing the dance, and the other guests form a "train" behind them holding handkerchiefs or napkins in the air waving them to the beat of the music. The dance itself is hard to explain because it has many variations, but basically it is a celebration dance.

While these are just a few ideas to having a New Orleans theme wedding, it can be very entertaining for your guests and very fun for you to plan. You can even incorporate several of these ideas and make your day a tribute to New Orleans.