Buying a new tent, don't know much about the weather-proofing process

The fabric of your tent should already be waterproof. It's the seams you normally have to worry about. Water will wick through the stitching. You apply the seam sealer to all of the seams. If it's a silicone impregnated nylon fabric use a mixture of 100% silicone and paint thinner and mix it until it's the consistency of cooking oil. Paint on the seams with a brush. Traditional water proof materials with a coating on one side and cloth on the other you can buy seam sealers in a store for this.

Camp Dry

We use this at the beginning of each season. Never had a leak to speak of. Follow the directions on the can.

Eta: The tent may not need this but it what my dad always did so I do it.

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IMO, #1 thing you need on a tent in Louisiana is a full rain fly.

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More important than seam sealing, IMHO for 90% of all applications. In a wet, wet environment, with a situation in which you cannot expect significant dry out times, and therefore, waterproofing is a must, I would go ahead and seal the seams ahead of time, check it for leaks and perhaps seal it again. Once you stress the seams, even after waterproofing, you can still get large enough openings to allow some rain in. Full fly coverage will keep you drier during downpours and extended rain cycles.

Basically, if leaky seams would be a problem, going without a fly would be an even bigger problem. Quality makers will do some seam sealing at the factory, but it's not a lifetime application.