It’s the most wonderful time of the year—for a Christmas wedding! If you’re a holiday enthusiast like we are, you might want to consider throwing a winter wedding close to Christmas. A December wedding can be the perfect opportunity to celebrate the season and basically throw the best holiday party ever. But how do you celebrate in a way that feels more elevated than, say, your annual tacky sweater party or White Elephant gift exchange?
Lucky for you, weddings are kinda our thing, so we’ve come up with some pretty chic—yet festive!—ideas that will certainly put you (and all your guests) in the holiday spirit. Our number-one rule for the season? Don’t go overboard! Instead of having fake snow on every table, mini stockings as favors, and red and green everything, keep your décor elevated by sprinkling a dose of holiday magic sparingly and intentionally.
To inspire you, we curated a list of 18 Christmas wedding ideas that are creative, seasonally appropriate, and totally classy.
Style the Invitation Suite
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Just as the invitation suite sets the tone for the big day, the invitation suite will likely set the scene of your wedding photo gallery and/or album. For this reason, it’s a great place to embrace the season by styling paper goods with accents like ornaments, ribbon, and greenery.
Welcome Guests
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To subtlely welcome guests to a December wedding, consider adding an ornament to the welcome bag. You can choose any style you like but try to match it with some aspect of your wedding—whether that be the destination, theme, or color palette.
Set the Scene
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Of course, greenery is a natural choice for a Christmas wedding. But that doesn’t mean you have to use it in an expected way. Here, we love how garlands are used to line the tent draping, chandeliers, and pool—plus, you can’t help but notice the berry accents and classic red ribbon!
Frame the Altar With Christmas Trees
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What’s a Christmas-themed wedding without Christmas trees? Frame your altar with evergreens adorned in lights—bonus points if you are getting married after the sun sets!
Serve Festive Cocktails
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Incorporating flavors like eggnog, peppermint, and cranberry into your food and beverage can be a nice (yet subtle!) way to add a dose of Christmas charm.
Print Custom Napkins
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Any signature cocktail needs a signature napkin to match. We’re obsessed with this chic and fitting wordplay!
Make Special Signage
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From invitations to signage and cocktail names, you can take your Christmas wedding to the next level by using special language throughout the day. At this real wedding, the couple not only named their signature cocktail “Jingle Juice”—they made it known by adding a festive jingle bell straw (with a name tag!) to each crystal-cut glass.
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Embrace a Holiday Palette
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We’ve mentioned this before, but think before you go all out red and green for a Christmas wedding. Instead, we say pick your favorite holiday hue and do it up with metallic and neutral accents like this midcentury modern rental furniture, textured linens, and flocked Christmas tree.
Have Jingle Bells
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Give everyone a jingle bell favor—then, make them double as escort cards before dinner. We love this elevated take on the Christmas tradition so much that we say embrace it and have everyone ring the bell at the same time before toats begin. Trust us: It’ll create a moment you (and your guests) won’t soon forget!
Utilize Seasonal Blooms
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Potted amaryllis flowers are a staple this time of year, so why not use them in your winter wedding décor?! Take this look to the next level by surrounding the arrangements with emerald green paper goods and metallic ornament accents.
Set the Table
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A Christmas table can be set any number of ways (think greenery garlands and more!) but we’re especially fond of making the meal the center of attention with a wreath around each charger. After all, this is a season about gathering so use your table décor to do just that!
Decorate with Greenery
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Create homey holiday vibes by hanging greenery as you would at home. We’re all about this pinecone-accented wreath, gathering of Christmas trees, and modern wrapped orbs.
Hang String Lights
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There’s nothing we love more than an overabundance of magical twinkle lights. They create a romantic atmosphere no matter the season—plus, they can make a big impact without a big cost.
Set Up a Bourbon Bar
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Let guests spike their own cocktails by setting up a self-serve tasting bar.
Gift Ornaments
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Here’s an idea for favors that your guests will actually want to keep: Have a calligrapher write everyone’s names on pretty glass ornaments. There are a million ways to creatively display them for your guests to grab on the way to their seats—or out the door!
Send Guests Home with a Treat
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It’s no secret that wedding guests want something to eat or drink as a favor. Give them what they want by making small batches of eggnog and serving it in mini, portable jugs. That way, the celebration can continue after the wedding is over.
Make it Snow!
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If snowflakes aren’t in the forecast, make your own in the form of a confetti shower!
