Your Wedding Affair

A wedding of your dreams does not have to be in the popular wedding months. A winter wedding can be quite spectacular and there are significant financial advantages.

 While the summer months remain the most popular time of the year to say "I Do", many couples are choosing to have a winter date for the "big event."  According to the Society of American Florists, 13 percent of weddings take place in the winter, with 11 percent of those being Christmas weddings. Summer weddings account for 35 percent, spring weddings 29 percent, and autumn weddings 23 percent.

 Décor that appeals to the senses is important when trying to pulling off a romantic winter wedding. "Choose colors of rich jewel tones such as purple, forest green, and navy. Sapphire blue, ice blue or powder blue, silver and white can be used if you want to steer clear of the traditional Christmas colors", suggests Lynette Gamble, senior coordinator of Affairs of Grandeur.  The glow of candlelight will add warmth and ambiance to your ceremony and reception site.

 Iridescent or frosted glass balls and pine cones can adorn your guests' tables.  Snowflake ornaments and glittery ribbons may be placed on the food tables or hung from the ceiling. For a simple touch, only decorate with red and white Poinsettias. Since many locations will already be lavishly decorated, your décor budget will be minimal.

To keep floral costs to a minimum, use flowers that are already available during the winter months.  Some flower choices are: poinsettias, roses, amaryllis, and lilies.  Evergreens are popular choices for decorations while holly branches and other plants with red berries are ideal for use in floral arrangements.

A cozy cottage or bed and breakfast is an ideal location for your wintry wedding theme.  Your guests may warm themselves in front of the fireplace while sipping hot chocolate or wassail during the cocktail hour. A view overlooking a partially frozen pond will add to the ambiance.  Imagine your guests delight as they get a glimpse of a deer drinking from the pond just outside the reception room window or a family of rabbits scurrying over the freshly fallen snow.

To add a little creativity to your dinner menu, ask your bridal party to submit traditional family recipes for your caterer to make for the reception.  If you don't want to serve the traditional Christmas fare, ask your caterer for alternatives and create a unique meal for your guests.  As for favors, Gamble recommends candles of course. "Cinnamon Apple, Pumpkin Pie, and Vanilla are all pleasant scents that remind you of being a kid in your grandmothers' kitchen and they're nice this time of year", says Gamble. "Spiced teas, coffee mugs, snow globes and Christmas ornaments imprinted with the couples name and wedding date will also make great favors."

 Want a memorable getaway? Give out mini bells and have them rung as the two of you make your way to a horse-drawn sleigh.  Decorate the coach and harness with Christmas foliage and chiming bells and ride off into the evening. 

The Average cost of a Wedding 

The average cost of a wedding here in New York is over $30,000 (according to the website Cost Of Wedding.com). This website has a breakdown of average costs for various items like flowers, wedding attire, and more. The question is are you in touch with your the real cost of your weddings?

Everything about your wedding, starting with your wedding invitations, should reflect your own personal style. Now, more than ever, couples are doing everything they can to make their wedding day uniquely personalized. You and your fiancé chose the location, theme and colors of your wedding based on your personal preferences. Since your wedding invitations are an introduction to your wedding, they should reflect your choices and ultimately your personalities and styles.

It used to be that wedding invitations were always very traditional in their color and appearance. Today, wedding invitations come in a vast array of exciting colors, styles, sizes and themes to reflect the creativity of modern wedding couples. Not to say traditional is out of date, but today your options are truly unlimited. There are choices based on seasons, hobbies, color combinations, themes, ceremony locations, ethnic backgrounds, flowers, etc. Your wedding invitations can have a modern contemporary look or they might feature photos of youngsters sharing tender moments.

Your choices don’t end with the wedding invitation itself. There’s the font style and ink color. Again, there is an impressive selection of font styles to fit any type of wedding design. Just keep in mind you want to choose a style that your guests will find easy to read. The more script the style, the more difficult it usually is to read. Colored ink choices are not quite as abundant as font styles, but there are still plenty to accommodate your chosen wedding colors.

Here are some questions for you to consider when choosing your wedding invitation style:

Another great idea for personalizing your wedding invitations is to include a favorite line of poetry, a beloved quotation, a particular Bible verse, or words from a special song. Many times the company who prints your invitations will also have a large selection of small verses to choose from. Just be sure your chosen wedding invitation style will have enough room for these extra lines of printing.

Your wedding invitations should be both beautiful and uniquely personal, just like your wedding ceremony. With all of today’s gorgeous choices, you’re sure to find exactly what you desire.