Choosing a date in December or close to Christmas for your wedding day can seem somewhat daunting. Not only will you have a wedding to organise, but you’ll likely be seeing family and friends, making plans for the weeks running up to christmas and wondering if it’s even a possibility to host a Christmas wedding
Sure, it can be a challenge but with the right wedding co-ordinator and team in place, it could be an immensely unique and magical day. Think soft lighting, candles, festive tunes and warming welcome drinks. For someone who loves Christmas, this could be your dream wedding come true…
To help you decide whether a Christmas wedding is for you, or to get started on your plans, we’ve put together some tips and ideas to inspire even those who despise the festivities.
Save The Date:
This will be one of the hardest and most important decisions you make when planning a wedding in December. Many of your family and friends will have long-standing plans of their own during the festive period, with year long traditions in place. Make sure you check your diary in advance and pick maybe 3-4 dates you’d be open to. When planning a wedding over Christmas, you really need to be flexible with your choice of dates. Once you have these dates, check them with your closest family and friends, the people you really couldn’t imagine having your wedding without. Once you’ve found the right date for you and your loved ones, get your invites out as soon as possible. Even if it seems way to early, you need to let guests know as soon as possible so they save the date and arrange their Christmas plans around your wedding.
Be prepared that you might be missing a few guests. People that simply can’t change their plans or will be away visiting their family for the season.
Choose the perfect venue:
Some venues just ooze cosy vibes; much like our own (biased opinion, we know).
Finding the perfect venue is key to planning your December/Christmas wedding. You know how sometimes you walk into a place and think ‘wow, this place must be gorgeous in the summer’ – those places, while very beautiful, might not be right for a winter wedding. Think about what style of venue you’re looking for. It’ll likely be something rustic, with a warm atmosphere and plenty of mood lighting.
We’ve held many Winter Weddings here at The Waltham Barns and we absolutely adore working with couples to plan their dream day.
Go all out with your decor:
The possibilities are endless when it comes to festive decor. If you’re planning a winter/ Christmas wedding, you might like to think about going ‘all out’ in keeping with the season. Use seasonal foliage such as mistletoe, holly and pinecones throughout your flowers and centrepieces. You could even incorporate a sprig of mistletoe when it’s time to seal your bond with a kiss at the alter.
Fairy lights are a huge must for us when it comes to planning a winter wedding. Luckily, The Waltham Barns come complete with our own fairy lights spread throughout, which help create a magically festive atmosphere.
Another great addition to your decor could be incorporating a tree, or two… or five! It’s a great place to pop wedding gifts plus will tie in really well with your seasonal flowers and foliage.
Festive Food:
When choosing the food for your Christmas wedding, be sure to take into account the season. Opt for something a little different with festive flavours such as dark red fruits, indulgent meats and warming desserts.
Our catering menus feature several fantastic options for Christmas weddings such as Deep fried brie, Confit duck leg with red cabbage, dauphinoise potatoes and a cherry jus followed by Chocolate, orange, brioche and butter pudding, crème anglais, white and dark chocolate sauce for pudding. Yum!
Frosty Photos:
With the weather in the UK, you really never know what you’re going to get, but the likelihood is that if you plan a wedding in December, you’re probably going to be faced with either: dark, rainy or frosty weather… or even all three. But, instead of seeing this as a negative, think about the beautiful pictures that your photographer can capture.
Sometimes, photos taken in the rain or snow can turn out to be the best photos of the day; even better than photos taken in the bright and warm sunshine. Make sure you choose a photographer who knows your venue well. If you’re planning your wedding at The Waltham Barns, we can recommend photographers who 1) know us and our venue well and 2) will take beautiful pictures of your day no matter what the weather.
Winter Sun Honeymoon:
Arguably the best part about hosting a winter wedding, specifically for those of you planning a honeymoon shortly after your wedding; is booking a winter sun getaway. The best time to visit many tropical counties is usually in the winter months. Here’s where to go based on your honeymoon month:
Caribbean: December to March/April
Maldives: January to April
Mauritius: October – December
Hawaii: April
Bora bora: Nov- April
Seychelles: April or November
Cancun/Mexico’s Caribbean Coast: January
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