I want to welcome guest blogger, Janie Glade from Old.New.Blue in New Orleans. Thank you for contributing today's post. Trust me, if you want a proper Southern wedding, do not call me. Janie is a much better choice.
Wedding season is upon us, and with weddings come rich Southern traditions. I am often asked what a wedding “trousseau” is, and if the tradition of the wedding trousseau still exists. It certainly does, especially in the South!
The definition of a trousseau is as
follows: “Trous-seau [French, from Old French, diminutive of trousse, bundle] The possessions a bride assembles for her marriage.”
Traditionally, a trousseau consisted of articles
of clothing that a bride brought with her on her honeymoon and used to start her new life as a married woman. While in the Victoria era, particularly in the Northeast, this
type of trousseau may have sufficed, pigs would fly before a Southern woman considered clothing the most important necessity for starting married life. In the South, clothing is only a small part of what would be considered a proper Trousseau.
For a Southern bride, family (and by family, I mean every female relative from third
Cousins on up) involvement in preparation for a wedding and a new lifestyle is an essential part of life. Southern women value tradition and tradition is passed down through the women in the family. Aunts, sisters, cousins, grandmothers and especially the mother of the bride take great pride in collecting items that a young bride carries with her into her new home. Together with the “wedding night” lingerie, traditionally given by the mother of the bride, today’s Southern Bride is sent off with linens (often hand embroidered by a member of the family or professionally monogramed), tablecloths (both casual and fine dining), linen napkins, kitchen towels and bath towels (which are also often monogramed). Formal and informal china, sterling and stainless flatware are registered for by the bride and are considered to be the appropriate gifts for a family member to give as shower and wedding presents. It is also very customary for the Southern Bride to be given a gumbo pot or a skillet that has been used in her family for years. These traditions are alive and well in the South
and are very much a part of the way everyday life is lived in this part of the
country. The wedding trousseau is but one of the many unique and colorful ways that Southern women keep their heritage alive.
About Janie Glade: Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, Janie started her career in special event planning at the age of 23 in the sales office of the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. In 1998 Janie started “An Event to Remember” and began planning special events across the United States on a full time basis.
After Hurricane Katrina, Janie opened “Weddings by Janie Glade”. In August of 2011 she expanded her Wedding Planning services to include a partnership with her daughter Marylyn Rigby and opened Old.New.Blue, a Wedding Necessities Boutique and Gift Shop on Magazine Street in Uptown.
Old.New.Blue: 6117 Magazine Street, New Orleans
Twitter: @OldNewBlue
The definition of a trousseau is as
follows: “Trous-seau [French, from Old French, diminutive of trousse, bundle] The possessions a bride assembles for her marriage.”
Traditionally, a trousseau consisted of articles
of clothing that a bride brought with her on her honeymoon and used to start her new life as a married woman. While in the Victoria era, particularly in the Northeast, this
type of trousseau may have sufficed, pigs would fly before a Southern woman considered clothing the most important necessity for starting married life. In the South, clothing is only a small part of what would be considered a proper Trousseau.
For a Southern bride, family (and by family, I mean every female relative from third
Cousins on up) involvement in preparation for a wedding and a new lifestyle is an essential part of life. Southern women value tradition and tradition is passed down through the women in the family. Aunts, sisters, cousins, grandmothers and especially the mother of the bride take great pride in collecting items that a young bride carries with her into her new home. Together with the “wedding night” lingerie, traditionally given by the mother of the bride, today’s Southern Bride is sent off with linens (often hand embroidered by a member of the family or professionally monogramed), tablecloths (both casual and fine dining), linen napkins, kitchen towels and bath towels (which are also often monogramed). Formal and informal china, sterling and stainless flatware are registered for by the bride and are considered to be the appropriate gifts for a family member to give as shower and wedding presents. It is also very customary for the Southern Bride to be given a gumbo pot or a skillet that has been used in her family for years. These traditions are alive and well in the South
and are very much a part of the way everyday life is lived in this part of the
country. The wedding trousseau is but one of the many unique and colorful ways that Southern women keep their heritage alive.
About Janie Glade: Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, Janie started her career in special event planning at the age of 23 in the sales office of the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. In 1998 Janie started “An Event to Remember” and began planning special events across the United States on a full time basis.
After Hurricane Katrina, Janie opened “Weddings by Janie Glade”. In August of 2011 she expanded her Wedding Planning services to include a partnership with her daughter Marylyn Rigby and opened Old.New.Blue, a Wedding Necessities Boutique and Gift Shop on Magazine Street in Uptown.
Old.New.Blue: 6117 Magazine Street, New Orleans
Twitter: @OldNewBlue
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