It's the most wonderful tiiiiime of the year! If you're a holiday enthusiast like we are, you may have toyed with the idea of throwing a winter wedding close to Christmas—but perhaps you've asked yourself: "But how could I possibly do that without it being totally tacky or cheesy?" It's a very valid question and one that we've asked ourselves many, many times. Lucky for you, weddings are kinda our thing, so we've come up with some pretty chic—yet festive!—ideas that will certainly put you in the holiday spirit. We may even tip the scales in your deciding process toward having a Christmas wedding! And even if it doesn't, it'll at least give you some decorating ideas that don't include massive amounts of red and green felt.
Keep it simple
The rule with making any holiday-themed wedding successful and tasteful is making sure you aren't going overboard in any capacity. Having a 12-foot-tall Christmas tree decked to the nines with hundreds of ornaments and lights, with fake snow on every table and mini stockings as favors, for instance, wouldn't be an example of keeping it simple. Instead, just hint at Christmas. We love a pine garland running down long tables so you get that familiar holiday smell, plus mismatched vintage tapers in brass. (Nothing is more Christmas than lots of flickering, cozy candlelight!)
If you must go the tree route, do something with a pop
...and small-ish. We love this tree Emily Henderson decorated, for instance, with its pretty color scheme; we totally get on board for a tastefully blush or white fake tree as long as it's dressed down (a.k.a. not overloaded with ornaments…maybe just twinkle lights). The other option, if you're not too into a mod/colorful tree, is to go ultra classic with a real tree and minimal decor (no weird bows and ribbons, please). Make sure you pick a smaller sized tree, nothing too overwhelming, and if you do decorate with more than lights, keep your color scheme tight and your ornaments cohesive!
Calligraph ornaments as favors
Courtesy of Anthropolgie
Here's an idea for favors that your guests will actually love and want to keep: Have a calligrapher write all of your guests' names on pretty glass ornaments (we love these vintage-inspired ones from Anthropologie) and have them double as escort cards! We bet there are a million ways to display them for your guests to grab on the way to their seats.
Don't get stingy with the twinkle lights
There's nothing we love more than an overabundance of twinkle lights—especially when they're hung like this. It's pure magic with not too much time or money spent for such a big impact. It totally feels Christmas—and super romantic and dreamy to boot.
Break out of the red (and green) zone
It may seem natural to have some red and green details in a Christmas wedding, or even lots of white with metallics, but we're here to help you get out of your color comfort zone and do something chicer and more unexpected. We love how Erin from Apartment 34 dressed this table with deep plums, burgundies, and deep blue—not the first palette that comes to mind when you think of Christmas, but it works. Notice the pretty matte ornaments on the plates and casually strewn on the table for an extra bit of holiday-ness.
Do a modern twist on a classic Christmas drink
Justin Driscoll Photo
We love the idea of modernizing eggnog as your signature cocktail for a Christmas wedding! This mezcal saffron eggnog from Bob Peters (YUM) would work perfectly, but there are tons of variations out there! Or how about a spiked white hot chocolate with a peppermint stick? The possibilities are endless.
https://www.brides.com/story/how-to-throw-a-classy-christmas-wedding