I need ideas for either a Christmas or New Year's Wedding. Attire, but more especially food and decor.?

Question

An intimate affair is planned at home and the living room is still bare of furnishings. I am considering renting round tables for that room and letting the place settings be the ceremony and receptions seating. What do you think?

Answer 1

I think that you should do whatever you want for your wedding.

Your dress could be white with a colored trim or accent to celebrate the holiday while still looking like a tradtional dress. Try adding a winter fabric, maybe at the neckline, like velvet, to look more festive.
Your decorations should reflect that it's a wedding first and a holiday second. Going overboard with the holiday look may seem like it's more of a Christmas party than a wedding. Try sticking to white tableclothes and add your colors/decorations as centerpieces. Have only a few touches of the season, you are celebrating the wedding not the holiday.

Christmas Colors:
White
Red
Green
Silver
Gold

New Years Colors:
Blue
White
Silver
Gold
Metallics (any color)
Black

Winter Fabrics:
Velvet
Faux Fur
Lace

Winter Flowers & Plants:
Holly
Poinsettia
Evergreens
Amaryllis
Roses (always a classic)
Paperwhites
Berries

Christmas Decor:
Angles
Bells
Ornament balls
Candy Canes
Stars
Nativity
Santa
Tinsel
Wreaths

New Years Decor:
Confetti
Horns
Blow-outs
Noisemakers
Champagne (already in a wedding theme anyway)
Stars

General Winter Decor:
Snowflakes
Icicles
Snowman
Pine cones

I would stick with a more winter generalized theme. Some people don't celebrate the holidays the same way, so a winter wonderland in your living room may come off better than a Christmas celebration or a New Years party.

Your food can be anything you want. Since it's a small event, try a carving station with traditional holiday meats - ham and/or turkey. Then add some traditional and non-traditional side dishes so that there is plenty of variety without having a full holiday spread. The food should be hot and more filling, light finger foods should only be offered as an option, not the meal. Soups, hot cider, hot chocolate, warm bread/rolls are another thing to think about adding. You could even have winter shaped cookies. If you choose to have a cake, then maybe decorate it in the same winter theme. Snowflakes around the edges could look nice.

Mainly, have fun and do what you and your fiance what.

Answer 2

That could work, however you might want to try hosting the wedding in a different area and just having everyone stand. The same could go of the reception after or you could just rent chairs and place them against the wall and set up some banquet tables for food and drinks. This way people will be more willing to mingle with each other and you won't be running around the room trying to greet everyone. You can let them come to you. If you do decide to have everyone stand you should be slightly elevated so everyone can see you, a small stage or steps would be perfect. Also, instead of the traditional red for a christmas wedding try silver and blue.

Answer 3

For a new Years wedding i would make it uber formal. Black tie affair. You can decorate with lots of glitter and glam- with stars and champagne and lots of pearl lace.

Round Tables would be very nice, but if you are having a small number of people, maybe two larger straight tables, pushed together so everyone is facing each other. Round tables would force a few of the guests to have to turn and face you, which can be a bit awkward if you think about it. If you want to do the ceremony in the same area- i say separate the tables to either side of the room so you can do it in the middle...

For food- make it elegant, but not over the top expensive (unless you have the funds). Try filet Mignon or you could even make it a wine/cheese/bread appetizer thing (keeping in mind the new years holiday). Finger foods with wine and mingling always go good together!

Congratulations!

Answer 4

It may be uncomfortable for some people to see your ceremony if they are sitting on the wrong side of a round table. It may also be awkward moving the chairs. Do you belong to a church or know of a small sanctuary you could use for the night? Then everyone could drive over to your house for dinner. If you have your heart set on a ceremony at home--you can make it work! A lot of people used to get married in their living rooms! My grandmother did when she was young. It would have a much more "intimate" effect than a church, which seems like what you want.

About colors--I had a Christmas wedding and my colors were berry red and silver. I love Christmas but don't like green too much, so it was definitely going to be red. Garland and wreaths make lovely floral decorations for a Christmas wedding. They'll make your home look warm and inviting, and they'll last so your house will look great through the holidays. I carried plain red roses in my wedding, and my bridesmaids carried white. The special bouquets had holly in them, and mistletoe would also be pretty.

Christmas weddings are beautiful! Good luck with planning and decorating!

Answer 5

I'm getting married in December. Not a Christmas wedding, but still there is the idea of "winter" in the theme. My bridesmaids are wearing red (apple) and I'm wearing an ivory dress with red accents. I will be carrying red flowers with crystal snowflakes. My bridesmaids will be carrying cream colored flowers. For my centerpieces, I'm going cheap. I'm filling up rose bowls from Michael's with fresh cranberries and putting in cream colored pillar candles. We're also getting married at my parent's home. Use the decorations you already use for Christmas as decorations. My mom is going to do a whole tree in crystal snowflakes. I think that will be an awesome place to take pictures in front of. If you do favors, you might mix a CD of Christmas songs or decide to give everyone an ornament.

Answer 6

I would set up the chairs in a traditional set up, then have the tables brought in after the ceremony. You could assign someone to set them up while the guests go outside to send you off on a horse buggy ride around the neighborhood or do your photo shoots. Then when the guests return ( if the tables arent set up yet have hordorves in a seperate room) the tables will be ready for the rest of the evening. For the table centerpieces gather up pine cones & garland, and wreath them together with a pillar candle in the middle.I assume your having a small wedding so really you could go elabrate on the food and get it catered. Chicken and shrimp work good together. Decorations ponsieatas for flowers and mistletoe and christmas tree... good luck

Answer 7

I love the idea of a Christmas wedding. I think that maybe you should shy away from the normal Xmas colors(red & green) Try blues & silvers, or creams & golds. Maybe decorate with bells and glitter snowflakes. tule is a great & cheap fabric you can use to hang evry where (very Winter-ish) Instead of throwing rice, they can throw fake snow (craft store). As for the seating I do think that round tables will make it akward to see you 2 during the ceremony. Maybe try 2 long straight tables, this way no one has to turn around and no one will be in anyones way. For the food I would think of a typical xmas dinner with all the fixins this way every time you 2 have xmas dinner it will remind you of your wedding day. (how romantic)

Answer 8

I think that’s a great idea. I was going to have my guests sit at round tables for my ceremony and reception but we decided to have a destination wedding instead. Anyway, having guests sit at tables would be a really relaxed environment. They would be sipping on ice water or beverages. It would be very intimate. Cover the tables in dark table clothes and have candles and dim lighting. Very romantic. Hang garlands with ornaments in them and twinkle lights around the room. On the tables you could put candles and little bunches of holly and berries. (inexpensive) Make sure the centerpieces are not too high, so the guests can see the ceremony. You can get a Christmas tree and you could buy a bunch of cheap plain ornaments, Put them in a basket and have everybody write something on them (wishing you good luck with your marriage) and hang them on the tree. You can find cool metallic pens.

Hope this helps. Congrats and good luck!

Answer 9

One of the most beautiful weddings I've ever been to was a December wedding. The entire ceremony and reception was decorated in all white. It was absolutely beautiful. It was an evening wedding, which made it exquisite, with lots and lots of white candles lit and beautiful white flowers. The entire bridal party was dressed in black and white. I love your idea about round tables, all you need is lovely white table cloths and beautiful white candles with white flowers. The food can be elegant, but simple. You don't have to do a sit down dinner. You can plan a buffet, and keep your budget down. The ceremony will look gorgeous if you get married in the evening and every bride looks absolutely beautiful in candlelight. Congratulations

Answer 10

That sounds very nice and intimate....

New Years:

Because it;s going to be a small affair in a small space consider helium metallic colors (silver,blue, black )balloons with long metallic ribbons filling the ceiling,..

http://www.balloons-galore.co.uk/parties.htm

Centerpieces / favor

http://www.wanderfuls.com/?OVRAW=centerpiece&OVKEY=centerpiece&OVMTC=standard

Place a flameless candle in the middle of the favors for an intamate lighting..

http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/product/sku__NI509SML


When you rent the table and chairs get some chair covers and table clothes at the same time ..

http://www.weddingdecor.com/decor/Chaircovers.html

Serve Hor'Dourves

Finger sandwiches, cold cuts cheese and rolls, vegetable trays with dip, pretzels, nuts and a light punch along with your cake...

Or a meal

Roast beef or rosemary chicken, with new potatoes, bundled asparagus dinner rolls and side salads.. Many grocery stores will prepare the food to be ready at the appropriate time and all you do is keep it warm until serving...

You can serve it buffet style... or hire a server for an hour of two...