How To Have A Christmas Themed Wedding Without Being Obnoxiously Over-The-Top

Having been in the wedding industry for the past 11 years, I have seen many themed weddings! Needless to say, some turned out more successfully than others. If you are wondering how to implement a Christmas theme without looking like Santa’s workshop exploded, and more like a reflection of your personal style, look no further! I have put together some tips that will help you achieve a classy Christmas wedding that’s stylish and elegant.

First off, ask yourself what you love most about having a Christmas wedding. The answer to this question will determine the direction of your style and décor choices. Therefore leading you to the desired tone of your wedding. So back to that all important question. Just what about having a Christmas themed wedding makes it perfect for your special day? Is it the colors? The cozy elements? Memories of a crackling fire, hot cocoa, the twinkling Christmas tree. Is it the goodies, the treats, the yummy holiday eats?

If you can’t quite narrow it down, that’s okay! I’ll break down a few scenarios.

SUBTLE DETAILS TO REPRESENT A BOLD ELEMENT

What I mean by this is, if the appeal of a Christmas themed wedding is the warm glow of a fire, then you can translate that same cozy, fire glowing feeling through tons of candlelight. If you love cozying up with cocoa in hand, you can treat your guests to a fabulous hot cocoa station.

If your favorite thing about the Christmas holiday is the festive colors and energy, consider a bold but structured palette. Think Burgundy and Champagne, and then accent with your favorite Christmas details and subtle natural greenery.

You can incorporate the fun Christmas details without being too in-your-face, Santa’s Elves gone wild, Christmas decoration explosion.

If you love the idea of a white Christmas with snowbirds and Christmas trees, there are understated ways to achieve that feel. Instead of all white linens and bird filled trees as centerpieces, consider incorporating related pieces. For example, a few white feathers in your floral centerpieces would represent the winter birds. Pine bough garlands at your sweetheart table will mirror the effect of Christmas trees. Subtle and refined will prove to be classic and elegant. You will still create a big impact and specific mood for your wedding day, but in a softer, more indirect way.

 

EXPANDING YOUR COLOR PALETTE

If you are envisioning a red and white color palette, but want avoid it feeling candy cane Christmas party,” consider shades of burgundy instead of bright red. Combining a deep hue with champagne and ivory hues can give you the same festive feel as the traditional candy stripe, without the juvenile undertones.

 

The trick to pulling off an elegant, classy Christmas themed wedding is to not combine too many bold, distinctively Christmas decor elements. Be choosy with your accents, and let those décor details shine. You, the bride, will take center stage!  You don’t want to compete with distracting décor. The goal is to lend an ambiance and feeling to your wedding without that feeling slapping your guests in the face, so to speak.

HOW TO PERFECTLY USE PATTERNS 

The same goes if you love patterns. If you want to add a pattern, like plaid or candy cane stripes, use it sparingly. Pick a solid linen color and have very subtle patterned accents. The pattern will still have a big impact, but appear thoughtful and planned.

When choosing to feature a bold element like a pattern, be sure to stay away from the easy trap of buying any and everything you think might work for your wedding and then feeling like you HAVE to use it. In this instance, less is definitely more.

By strategically using patterns, you will achieve a cohesive, complimentary design that not only looks intentional, but will leave your guests oohing and aahing over your good taste!

A great way to subtly implement patterns is on the ribbon of the flower girl baskets, the groom’s attire in the way of a pocket square or boutonniere, bride and groom chair sashes, cute colored chocolate covered strawberries, patterned cookies, cupcake wrappers, or on welcome table items like your guest book.

You can also bring your dream design to life in elements like a festive cocktail of mint and red berries for your signature drink with a matching sign, and boxes with a patterned ribbon for late night snacks of your favorite holiday munchies. Small details can have a huge impact.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Admittedly, I am driven by pretty, well planned, sparkly done right, knock your socks of beautiful weddings to remember. However, the true message (and I mean this with my whole heart!) is at the end of the day, it is YOUR day! What truly matters is that you are joining your life with the one you love, and are doing so in the presence of so many who love you and many who have traveled a distance to see you take this step!

You will laugh and celebrate, and in the grand scheme of things, the memories that will stick out won’t be a decoration from your gorgeous (and it will be!) wedding. The cherished memories will be of the day you began your new life as a “we”, danced until your legs hurt, and reveled in the love you felt and saw in the faces of those who were so over the moon happy for you!

 

However, having an elegant, classy wedding that everyone talks about for weeks to come is a very nice additional perk to all the warm and fuzzy feels. Wink, wink.