8 Tips for Hosting a Wedding Around a Popular Holiday
Planning your wedding around a particular holiday can bring with it a host of festive ideas. But if you’re thinking about one of the larger celebrated holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas, New Year’s or Halloween, you may need scheduling assistance to avoid additional expenses and ensure that your day is filled with fun.
Send Out Advanced Notice
Weddings can be quite costly, so adhering to a tight budget may help you when saving for your big day. If you’d like to host your wedding venue around a major holiday, you want book the place and date well in advance. This allows your guests plenty of time to plan ahead and secure the date. Traveling around the holidays can also be costly. If loved ones are coming from out of town, this also allows them the opportunity to shop around for the best rates on flights and hotel lodgings.
Deliver Festive Tidings
When you’re looking to brighten up your venue, wedding reception decorations should be decorative, unique and functional. If you’re planning a wedding around Valentine’s Day, you can focus on colorful hearts and cupids. Christmas is another joyous time of year where you can adorn your room and tables with illuminated trees, sprigs of holly, mistletoe and ornament place cards. While you don’t have to go overboard when choosing a theme, simple holiday touches can make the world of difference.
Construct a Wedding Website
Wedding websites are popular with today’s prospective bride and groom. It’s a way for the couple to post specific details and prepare guests for the upcoming date. If you’re planning a holiday wedding, include pertinent information on the wedding website such as the date, venue and time. You’ll also want to include suggestions for lodging close to your venue.
Plan for Additional Guests
The holidays are a time for children and families. If you’re planning on holding your wedding on Christmas or some other holiday, you may want to reassess your guest list. Although you may wish the wedding to be solely for adults, your guests may not want to leave the kids at home on this special holiday. Whatever your answer may be in regards to children, it’s important to decide well in advance of sending the invitations to avoid the familial drama.
Go Seasonal
You may have your heart set on a certain style or favorite food. But if you’re planning a holiday wedding reception, you want to stick with items that are seasonal. The chef may be able to serve up sumptuous farm-to-table fare using fruits, vegetables and other goodies that have been recently harvested. If you choose a fall wedding, pumpkin, squash, pomegranates, Brussel sprouts, apples and pears are all interesting items to work around. You also want to choose seasonal when you’re selecting flowers for your bouquet and table décor. Sun flowers, mums, dahlias, lilies, holly, evergreen stems and red or pink roses can capture the warmth and beauty of the fall and winter months.
Choose Your Music Wisely
If you’re planning on a Christmas or New Year’s celebration, you want to choose your wedding music wisely. Although “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells” are festive tunes, you want your guests to feel that they’re at a wedding and not a holiday celebration. The music that you would originally plan if you were wed any other time of year should be played
Plan for Higher Expenses
Holiday weddings can be a festive time of year to celebrate your nuptials. But you may also pay more to host your event on a special holiday. When you’re putting money away, set aside additional funds for higher priced items such as the venue or certain vendors. If you still have your mind set on a holiday wedding and money is tight, you can opt for cost-effective wedding options such as a brunch reception.
Set a Later Start Time
If you’re planning on exchanging vows on New Year’s Eve, you may want to set a later start time. Although most wedding receptions typically go past the midnight hour, a 2:00 pm vow exchange can make for a very long afternoon and evening. Instead of an afternoon service, see if you can hold your ceremony at the same place as your reception. With a later start time, guests can go right into dinner and prepare to ring in the New Year together with the newly married couple.
Holidays, especially when they include additional days added to the weekend, are a godsend to a bridal couple. It’s a way for them to create a fun and festive theme around their special day. The additional days can also allow guests the time needed to travel to and from the wedding.
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