Second Line Alternative

Negazilla

Hey everyone, I don't think this is the best place to post this so if anyone has a suggestion as to a better place to put it, please feel free to suggest.

We're thinking of a ceremony/reception that are about a block away from each other.  It's also in a cute historic city so it would be the perfect place to do a second line.  But, I don't have a Mardi Gras theme and am not interested in having one so I was wondering if any one had any suggestions for cool ways of parading everyone from the church to the reception space.

Thanks ladies!

Grabows14

What exactly is a second line?

southernbelle0915

I don't know what a second line is. Why do guests need to parade from one place to another? Can they just walk? 

RedJacks25

Negazilla said:

 I was wondering if any one had any suggestions for cool ways of parading everyone from the church to the reception space.

Parade floats!

emmyg65

Oh man, a second line would be so awesome. (LINK for people who don't know.) But if you don't think that's appropriate, you can just skip. People can walk from the ceremony to the reception without making any fuss.

daria24

Well, Second Lines aren't just a 'Mardi Gras' thing, so you don't need to have a Mardi Gras theme to have one. But I would find a second line outside of the NOLA area to be strange. You also might need permission from your city to have one. 

But I don't think you need to do anything to 'parade' people from the ceremony to the reception, people are going to walk on their own, at their own pace. 

MDbride1012

I would just allow my guests to walk over without making it into a production

[Deleted User]

What about having a bag piper lead the parade? Or a drum line from a local marching band. Heck fro a donation you might be able to get a local high school marching band to show up.

Negazilla

Well, the point was to have fun walking over, so being lead over by a band would be a cool way to go.  I'm just not into doing a traditional band for this.  

Erikan, those are awesome suggestions.  

doeydo

Ugh, please no bagpipes unless you're actually Scottish.  They just don't sound nice.  As for the second line thing, if you're having an extravagant wedding with no expenses spared, then sure that would be fun to have.  Otherwise, save your money and the guests can go to the reception site without a big to do. 

lizandmark2014

All those guests walking to the reception will be its own parade. No need to make it fancy or a second line.

WonderRed

Wow.   That's a new one for me. So I absolutely, positively get that this is clearly some kind of accepted cultural custom and I'm perfectly ok with it for that reason. But I'm  having a hard time with the fact that it's just. so. AW-ish.  I'm way too private to ever consider doing something that public and in everyone's face.   I feel anxious thinking about having to parade down the street in front of every one in my wedding dress.   But that said, we're honeymooning in NOLA and now I really hope I get to witness one.

ETA:  OK, now I can't stop watching them on youtube. Holy smokes! I just had no idea!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCNglE5fa0I

masdumas

Our second line is going to be awesome - and we aren't having a mardi gras theme at all. Do what you like. You don't have to get the full band either and @wonderred, if you're in town on the 27th of September, you can come to my second line at le Pavillon hotel. 

WonderRed

masdumas said:

Our second line is going to be awesome - and we aren't having a mardi gras theme at all. Do what you like. You don't have to get the full band either and @wonderred, if you're in town on the 27th of September, you can come to my second line at le Pavillon hotel. 

Alas, we will be there the first week of November.  But the more I watch these on youtube the more I love them. Still not for me, but what an awesome tradition.  Have fun!!!

cowgirl8238

If you really like the idea no one can stop you...but personally even as a guest, I wouldn't exactly want to take part in something like this.  I don't really like the idea of a bunch of strangers watching me march down the street with a bunch of pomp and circumstance KWIM?