There are two seasons that bring us ultimate joy: wedding season and holiday season. When the two are combined, we jump at the opportunity to lend our wedding event planning services for your big day. There’s something magical about combining love and romance with the holiday mystique.
If you’re the type of person who perks up whenever you hear a Christmas song on the radio or decks the halls of your home right when fall hits, then you are a great candidate for a holiday wedding. Whether you’re putting finishing touches on a holiday wedding for this year or anticipating a holiday wedding for next year, here are a few tips for making sure that the details of your wedding glisten with the excitement of the season.
1. Holiday Colors
Nothing makes a statement more than the colors you choose to display at your wedding. Gold and silver are two holiday colors that are elegant and classy. You can choose one or both colors for your decorations and have touches of these colors for ribbons, vases, linens, floral arrangements, candles, programs, suits, dresses, signage, and many other elements. You could add hints of red for Christmas flair by having red bridesmaids’ dresses or red roses in your flower arrangements. You could also add greenery to the centerpieces to bring a holiday feel to each table.
2. Holiday Candles
We are always a sucker for candles, but even more so for our holiday weddings. The beautiful flickering of candles illuminates a charming and elegant atmosphere and contributes to a classy holiday feel. Candles can be utilized at your ceremony and your reception in many ways. They can be lit along the aisle, on all the tables at your reception and throughout your venue for an enchanting ambiance. Candles that are coated with gold or silver glitter can add an extra holiday flair. We recommend sticking to unscented candles in case some of your guests are sensitive to smells.
3. Holiday Ornament Favors
Wedding favors are the perfect way to help your guests remember your special day. They are also a perfect way to enhance your holiday theme. One option is to gift each attendee with a holiday ornament. Maybe they are monogrammed with your wedding date or have a memento of your wedding venue engraved on them. An ornament will make a beautiful keepsake for your guests that they can hang on their Christmas tree and remember your special day every time they look at it around the holidays.
4. Holiday Bouquets
You can infuse holiday elements into your wedding bouquet and your bridesmaids’ bouquets. You might add holly berries or a beautiful holiday ribbon. You can even winterize your bouquet with pine cones, poinsettias, or frosted pine. There are many ways to express the holiday spirit through your bouquet in a classy and elegant way. Your bouquet is the ultimate prop for your wedding photos, and your bouquet alone can give your wedding a holiday feel.
5. Holiday Treats
The cake is a standard feature at weddings, but yours should be anything but standard. You can jazz it up for the season with different flourishes. These could include frosted red berries, powdered sugar, gingerbread, silver or gold glaze and so much more. You might also offer other traditional holiday treats such as figgy pudding, yule logs, gingerbread cookies, fudge, eggnog and peppermint bark.
6. Holiday Drinks
Complement your holiday-themed goodies with drinks that reflect the season. Eggnog is the obvious favorite. You can also offer a hot chocolate bar with all of the trimmings (crushed peppermint, flavored syrups, homemade marshmallows, and whipping cream) or go with specialized cocktails such as a candy cane cocktail with vodka, mint syrup, and a crushed candy cane rim.
7. Holiday Entertainment
If you love Christmas music, make it part of your event. Consider hiring Christmas carolers or a string quartet to play your favorites or have the DJ mix it up with pop versions of the classics
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, especially if a wedding is in the works. Combining your special day with your favorite holiday can maximize your experience and enhance the holidays for your family and friends.
A word of caution as you plan your big day. A holiday wedding can go wrong very quickly without the right wedding or micro wedding planner. The holidays are already a very busy time for planners, so make sure to work with someone who will give you the time and attention you deserve. It’s important to be intentional with your theme and choose elements that complement each other. Make sure the colors, candles, party favors, flowers and treats work well together to create the elegant holiday look you desire. It’s all about the details!
Whether you’re planning your event in Dallas, Los Angeles or DC, start planning early so that you can reserve the venue of your choice. Make sure to send out invitations well in advance so your guests can save the date. And, of course, don’t forget for the mistletoe!