How to Plan a Christmas Wedding

The holiday season is set in a winter wonderland, making it perfect for a storybook wedding. Christmas can be an especially romantic time of year, making the atmosphere perfect for a wedding celebration. Bring the love and spirit of the holiday season into your special day by planning a Christmas wedding.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose your date. A Christmas-themed wedding does not have to be on Christmas day. Close to the date would be nice, but many consider the start of the Christmas holiday season right after Thanksgiving. December dates are perfect for this special holiday celebration.

2. Secure a location. Start looking as early as possible, as venues begin booking up for holiday parties. As a bonus, you'll likely find that churches and reception sites will already be decorated to some extent for the holidays. It will add some charm to your site while possibly saving you time and decorating dollars.

3. Send save-the-dates early if possible. Holidays are a busy time for families, so you want to give your guests plenty of notice.

4. Incorporate holiday hues into your special day. Deep, bright reds and a variety of greens are typically thought of as Christmas colors, but you can get creative and mix unique tones together. Try red with a funky lime green, or cranberry and wine hues. Tie these colors in through florals, bridesmaids' attire, invitations and other printed materials and decor.

5. Add the fresh scent of fir and spruce to your Christmas-inspired florals. Carnations are popular this time of year, especially varieties in bright reds and crisp whites. Red and black magic roses are popular as well. Rather than traditional fillers, such as fern and baby's breath, try sprigs of evergreen in bouquets and boutonnières.

6. Choose a wintry theme if red and green isn't your theme. Silver, white and cream create a dynamic winter backdrop. From florals to invitations, cake, favors and more, use snowflakes and glitter to create a true winter wonderland.

7. Think outside the box for your wedding cake. A dessert literally shaped like stacked gift boxes is a thought, or accent a traditional cake with Christmas ornament bulbs, evergreen or holly.

8. Create less expensive centerpieces. Florals can be expensive at this time of year. Consider holiday-hued candles set upon a mirror, or fill glass vases with monocolored Christmas ornaments purchased during after-season sales.