Christmas time, the season of excitement, family get-togethers, sharing and communion. It's a time when friends and family come together not only to deck the halls with boughs of holly, but to gather together in joyous reminiscing of a year gone by and to share hopeful expectations for the coming year.
Why not add to the yule tide cheer this Christmas by tying the knot with a Christmas Wedding?
Having a Christmas theme wedding this winter is a great way to celebrate the peace and joy of the winter holidays and is a sure way to make your wedding a memorable one for years to come. Sure, there are some who cringe at the thought of exchanging vows at a time of sub-zero temperatures, but winter weddings, especially during the Christmas season has become increasingly acceptable and is quite popular.
In fact, from a logistical stand point, a Christmas wedding may make more sense as family and friends are already on holidays which will make it easier to attend your wedding. But you will want to make sure that you send out your invitations at least 3-4 months in advance to give your guests ample notice of your upcoming Christmas wedding. We all know how busy it can get as the Christmas season approaches so you'll want to make sure your wedding party and guests don't overbook themselves and end up missing your special day.
Are you determined to have a Christmas wedding but not too sure how to make it all happen? Then consider the Traditional and Elegant Christmas wedding themes, they're really quite popular;
The Elegant Christmas Wedding Theme
A beautiful option for a Christmas wedding is to make everything very formal and elegant. Think black tie and evening dress and all the elegance of a grand ball. You could decorate the church or wedding hall with white lights and satin and trim the pews with gold ribbons. Dress your attendants in elegant evening wear and wear a glamorous vintage style gown. Whether indoors or out, make sure to include an elegant white Pashmina wool wrap, for you and your attendants to make sure you not too cold during the ceremony.
At the reception, have a large natural Christmas tree in the corner of the room decorated with ropes of white lights and golden bows. Decorate the tables with large bowls containing gold or white floating candles and white rose petals. As a wedding favor, give guests a small gold Christmas ornament inscribed with the date of the wedding and your names. Guests will have a memorable keepsake reminder of your wedding. Wrap all the ornaments, in a white box with a gold ribbon, and pile them under the Christmas tree. At the end of the reception invite each guest to pick their own “present” from under the tree. An elegant Christmas wedding with simple, tasteful decorations in white and gold doesn’t have to be expensive. If you are creative you can have a gorgeous and elegant Christmas wedding even if you’re on a tight budget.
The Traditional Christmas Wedding Theme
Perhaps a traditional Christmas wedding would be your style. If so, use all the traditional Christmas elements to create a romantic, warm, joyous event that will combine the good will of the Christmas season with the happiness of your wedding. Decorate the church or wedding hall with multi colored Christmas lights. Use green and red poinsettias for decorations, and carry red roses bundled together with lots of greenery tied with a gold ribbon for your bouquet. Dress your attendants in simple holiday dresses in red and green, with gold jewelry. Use Christmas present bows to decorate each pew in the church and fill the church with gold candles.
At the reception, focus on making the room romantic and cozy. What you want to do is recreate the warmth and feeling of your living room on Christmas morning. Have a large natural Christmas tree in a corner decorated with strings of colored lights, strings of tinsel, candy canes, icicles, ropes of popcorn and cranberries, bows, ornaments, and candles. Choose lots of different styles of ornaments, but make sure that each one is marked with the date and your names, even if it’s just marked with a pretty printed sticker on the bottom. Make sure there are more ornaments on the tree than there are guests at the reception and invite each guest to select an ornament off the tree as a party favor.
Make a nice selection of coffees, teas, eggnog, and hot chocolate. Have platers of Christmas cookies, candy canes, white and green mints, fudge, and other Christmas treats set out on tables for your guests to snack on. You could also serve a traditional Christmas dinner of ham or turkey with all the fixings. If you are going to allow children at the reception, consider setting up a children’s area with plenty of seating, a DVD player and holiday favorites such as The Christmas Story, Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and other holiday movies favorites to make the evening an enjoyable one for them as well.
Having a Christmas wedding can be a lovely way for everyone to celebrate your marriage and the holidays at the same time. Use the excitement, joy, love and happiness of the Christmas season to make your wedding a memorable one. The Yuletide 'tis the season to have a Christmas wedding.
Calvin Bailey has coauthored the book The Bride’s Guide to Planning a Winter Wedding as well as several wedding related articles. He resides in Ontario Canada with his wife and 5 children.
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