Guest Author - Victoria

December is the perfect time to have an impromptu wedding. Families are already together for the holidays and friends are always available to stop by to enjoy good food, laughter and create new memories.

Theme weddings during December are the easy to plan because you can obviously incorporate one of three major December wedding themes:

1. Winter wedding
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Winter? Is it snowflakes falling or building snowmen? Going out for a sleigh ride? Making hot cocoa and cookies for visitors who stop by? Maybe you think of bundling up in coats and scarves? Ice skating at the neighborhood rink? Or maybe you go away for a ski vacation once a year with your friends during Winter.

Use your memories and feelings for this season and plan a warm and inviting wedding ceremony and reception with your close friends and family. Send invitations of winter scenes (snowflakes, snowmen, a snow lodge, sleigh rides, snowy mountains). Decorate using pine, ice, snow and seasonal flowers.

While wedding dresses for brides are traditionally white; off white, egg cream, ivory and egg shell colors are always beautiful because of the season. Same for wedding party members. Bridesmaids dresses can be shades of white or you can use colors of the season which are always rich colors like ruby, sapphire and emerald.

Wedding favors can include a snowflake or icicle ornament, snow globes with winter scenes, personalized tins of hot cocoa or cookies, a personalized bottle of apple cider or egg nog, maybe even tins of your favorite cookie mix or holiday tea or coffee blend.

2. Christmas or Holiday wedding
When you think of Christmas or the holiday season, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it holiday decorations on your house or Christmas tree? Leaving cookies for Santa as a young child? Singing carols and setting up the Christmas tree? Playing board games during the holiday season with your family? Staying up all night helping your mother prepare the holiday dinner?

Use your memories and feelings for Christmas and the holiday season to plan a warm and inviting wedding ceremony and reception with your close friends and family. Send invitations of Christmas scenes (fireplace with stockings, carolers, Santa Claus, reindeer flying over homes, children in pajamas unwrapping presents, families around the Christmas tree). Decorate using poinsettia, holly, wreathes, garland, seasonal flowers, and of course, red and green flowers.

While wedding dresses for brides are traditionally white; off white, egg cream, ivory and egg shell colors are always beautiful because of the season. Same for wedding party members. Bridesmaids dresses can be shades of white or you can use obvious Christmas colors of red and green or gold and silver accents.

Wedding favors can include a holiday ornament (which can be bought to suit any budget), tea lights, CDs of your favorite Christmas songs or favorite carols sung by celebrities, small wrapped presents of a picture frame for photos from their favorite Christmas, miniature pumpkin pie, personalized tins of hot cocoa or cookies, maybe even tins of your favorite cookie mix or Christmas tea or coffee blend.


3. New Year's Eve wedding
When you think of New Year’s Eve, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it a group of friends at home watching the ball drop in Times Square? Is it a big dinner with close friends who meet every year on the last day of the year to talk in person about things that have happened over the past 12 months? Have New Year’s Eve memories usually included champagne, thoughts of New Year’s resolutions you end up breaking a month later, the down payment on a fitness club membership?

Use your memories and feelings for Christmas and the holiday season to plan a warm and inviting wedding ceremony and reception with your close friends and family. Send invitations of New Year’s scenes (snow, New Year’s babies, the New Year). Decorate using white or very light colored seasonal flowers. When you think of January, you think of new and clean things.

While wedding dresses for brides are traditionally white; off white, egg cream, ivory and egg shell colors are always beautiful because of the season. Same for wedding party members. Bridesmaids dresses can be shades of white to keep with that new and clean look.

Wedding favors can include icicle candy, sugar cookies, a gift certificate for a linen store (white sales are abundant in January!), tea lights, a camera to capture New Year’s Eve memories they spend with you, and because of the weather in most states during January, personalized tins of hot cocoa or cookies, maybe even tins of your favorite cookie mix, tea or coffee blend.