Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church

Ceremony

The Cabildo

Reception

Our Wedding

St. Joseph's Day: A New Orleans Sicilian Tradition

We are thrilled to be able to get married on St. Joseph's Day, a day steeped in history and tradition for Sicilians in New Orleans. Liz went to the church at which they are getting married on St. Joseph's Day 2026 and stole a lemon off the altar, per St. Joseph's Day traditions (more on that below). The very next day, Will proposed, and a year later they are getting married! If you have time earlier in the day, Will's and Liz's favorite altar is at St. Angela Merici school and church - 901 Beverly Garden Dr, Metairie, LA, 70002.

St. Joseph's Day celebrations are believed to have begun in the Middle Ages, when drought caused a famine in Sicily. The Sicilians prayed to St. Joseph, Patron Saint of workers (and immigrants), to intercede on their behalf and relieve the drought, in return for which would feast in his honor every year from then on. Sicilian immigrants brought these traditions to New Orleans in the late 1800s. Since that time, churches and schools all over the metro area boast large altars and dinners. Altars feature elaborately decorated breads, Italian cookies, flowers, lemons, and more. Although less common nowadays, celebrants used to host public altars in their homes, which were commonly listed in the newspaper. Will's Nonna occasionally had one; he has fond memories of her and her friends making buckets and buckets of Italian cookies to stock her altar. We are excited to get married on a day that means so much to his family! Although Liz never had the privilege of meeting Nonna, she would like to think that our (initially inadvertent) choice to set March 19 as our wedding day is Nonna's way of blessing our union from Heaven.

What's the deal with the lemons?

According to tradition, a woman who steals a lemon from a St. Joseph's altar without getting caught finds luck in love and ensures that she will be married within the year. Liz stole a lemon on St. Joseph's Day 2026 and here we are! Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church, where the ceremony will be, always has an altar. Arrive at the church early to enjoy it! Also, be sure to enjoy some Italian cookies at the reception, which are always handed out at St. Joseph's Day celebrations.

Still curious?

<a href="https://nolalibrary.org/2026/03/18/st-josephs-day-altars-a-new-orleans-tradition/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">St. Joseph's Day Altars: A New Orleans Tradition</a> - New Orleans Public Library <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/events/holidays-seasonal/saint-josephs-day/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">St. Joseph's Day</a> - New Orleans &amp; Co. <a href="https://www.painperdublog.com/2015/03/josephs-day-celebration.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A St. Joseph's Day Celebration</a> - Pain Perdu

St. Joseph's Day

Travel

There are so many fun things to do in New Orleans! Here are a few of our favorites: <a href="https://louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/cabildo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Cabildo</a>Yes - our reception venue is a museum that you can tour! The Cabildo was the seat of the Spanish colonial government from 1799 to early 1803. By the end of 1803, the Louisiana Purchase ceremonies occurred within its walls. <a href="https://noma.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA)</a>Nestled among the live oaks at City Park, NOMA is the oldest fine art museum in the city. Their collection is wide ranging, spanning from antiquity to the modern day. <a href="https://www.nationalww2museum.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WWII Museum</a>The national museum dedicated to World War II is here in New Orleans - a nod to Higgins Industries, who designed and built the famous "Higgins Boat" was critical to the success of Allied efforts overseas.

Things to Do

This is where we will share logistical details for our wedding day. Please stay tuned!

Elizabeth & William

Elizabeth & William

Things to Do