By the end of November everyone is in holiday mood and ready for a party, so Christmas is a lovely time for a wedding.
Be sure to send Save the Date Cards out early before people plan their Christmas holidays.
Although costs will probably be at a premium, there are many ways to get around that and still have a magical wedding with a Christmas theme.
1. Invitations
Style invitations with Christmas ornaments, ribbons and greenery. This is your first contact with guests. This way they will know what the theme of your wedding will be.
2. Décor
Filling the venue with boughs of budget friendly greenery – Ivy, Eucalyptus, pine branches and berries, will save on the cost of flowers which will be at a premium at that time of the year. Fill every alcove or fire place with greenery, pine cones, berries and candles in jars and metallic baubles. Make use of wreaths and hanging greenery.
3. Lighting
Lighting always creates a romantic ambience, and plenty of candles and twinkling lights will set the tone for romance and a Christmassy atmosphere.
4. Table decorations
For a minimalistic look, fill empty wine bottles with water, add a sprig of greenery and stick a long candle in the neck of the bottle. Floating candles in glass jars with cranberries or pomegranate seeds, and a ribbon, make attractive table decorations.
Poinsettias, those iconic Christmas flowers, are available in South Africa in December and make a bright splash of Christmas colour.
5. Place names
A great idea for place names is a gingerbread biscuit with the guest’s name piped on to it. A Christmas bauble with the guest’s name written on it, or a jingle bell attached to the place name.
A candy cane, or a sprig of greenery, a cinnamon stick and some berries tied together, and placed on the serviette will look very attractive.
6. The Ceremony
Whether the ceremony is held in a church or a gazebo, a Christmas tree with twinkling lights placed on either side of where the bride and groom will be standing, will make an attractive frame around the couple.
If you are having a flower girl, she could walk down the aisle before you ringing jingle bells.
7. Bouquets
Your wedding bouquet could incorporate greenery, berries, pine cones or Christmas flowers. An idea for the groom’s and groomsmen’s buttonholes, could also include tiny pine cones, berries and greenery.
8. Cocktails
A signature cocktail could be invented. Perhaps pomegranate juice, mulled wine, or eggnog, and give it a name like Jingle Juice or Angel Wine.
9. Wedding Cake
An idea for your wedding cake would be to decorate with traditional Christmas greenery or a wreath design with candles, lights or tiny bells. A ginger bread house for a wedding cake would make a unique statement, or alternatively, a little ginger bread house as a cake topper.
10. The Menu
Your menu could be styled and named with a Christmas theme and each dish named accordingly.
A pavlova in the shape of a wreath and decorated with berries, chocolates, silver balls and mint leaves, makes a delicious and attractive dessert. Ice lollies in Christmas colours or an ice cream bombe in the shape of a traditional Christmas pudding, drizzled with chocolate and decorated with berries is also a great show stopper.
11. Wedding Favours
An idea for wedding favours could be iced Christmas biscuits or macarons piped with a snowflake design, in pretty Christmas packages.
