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Tips to plan a Christmas Wedding

Whether you love the idea of a Christmas-inspired wedding in spring, or want your holidays to be very merry with the added bonus of a wedding at the time, Christmas weddings are a delightful idea. Steeped in tradition, with so many festive elements, there are a few ideas we can borrow from Christmas and rock at your wedding.

With Santa’s visit scheduled in just a few days, this is the best time to take a look at how you can plan a fantastic Christmas wedding! So, bring on the holiday cheer and get ready to be inspired.

Christmas table decorations
Table settings with red napkins, red glass candles, glasses, and a floral centerpiece with small miniature vases of carnations tulips and holly
Image Credit: ProFlowers, via Flickr, [CC BY 2.0]

Let the tables at your wedding be elaborate masterpieces of red, gold, silver and white. Be generous with candles and throw in the seasonal signatures like fir, pine cones and holly. We love the idea of adding cute mini Santa hats and stockings with a scattering of snow for authenticity. Consider mixing in striped straws in red and white, cupcake cases that match the theme. Let the table linen be in red with white or gold accents. Or if you have a colorful centerpiece, opt for stark white table linen, instead.

Bouquets and floral decorations

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The logical choice would be to choose a bouquet of red roses and have more of them throughout the décor. However, if you don’t want to limit yourself to reds and greens, you may like to consider colors like plum, purple and berry colors. A bouquet with berries alongside flowers would look fantastic, and perfectly Christmas-y! Add lavish doses of green into your floral décor and bouquets, and it will look more refreshing.

Festive wedding accessories

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A flower crown would be festive and interesting. Or you could add tiny roses into your hairdo, and match the festive atmosphere with bright gold accessories. Add colors like berry or scarlet red into your makeup, or through your accessories to make sure you match the theme that’s going on. Skip the French manicure and do your nails in bright red. You could also consider a contrast waistband or deep red shoes for a pop of color.

Misty cool wedding dress

Choose a wedding dress that is snowy and exudes the holiday feel. Dresses with layers of misty tulle or with frothy ruffles would help you nail it. The other option is to dress yourself up in a vintage lace gown, complete with full sleeves and a high collar.

Bridesmaids in vibrant holiday colors

Experiment with reds, purples, green, silver and gold for your bridesmaids dresses. Marsala, which is the color of the year, would also be a great choice. If your wedding is in the winter, make sure you choose long gowns or find warm footwear, so your girls feel cozy. For dark dress shades, do the bouquets in white for a welcome contrast.

Make your pick from the best bridesmaids dresses and wedding dresses for your holiday wedding from our collection at Best for Bride. Merry Christmas and Happy Shopping!

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Winter wedding table décor inspiration

Now that this is the time for winter weddings, let us look at some of the most interesting décor arrangements that make the most of the cool, holiday season. Here is some inspiration for you from various venues across the world, to give you ideas for your own beautiful wedding.

The all-time favorite white and silver combination

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Image Credit: djromanj, via Flickr, [CC BY 2.0]

The festivities of the cold season are enhanced with white and silver strewn all around. Adopt the same combination for your wedding centerpieces, and you will have a classic never-fail favorite, that is both festive and stylish. Tall candles and white roses are favorites, while silver candle holders, platters and ornaments like baubles and stars can add glittering accents. For a better finish, consider throwing in crystal or glass vases, which complement this color palette perfectly.

Seasonal elements like pine cones and fir to add textural dimension

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Winter decorations with the seasonal icons like pine cones and fir branches can add a whimsical and cheerful touch to your table centerpieces. Not only are they romantic, they also have a spell binding fairy tale effect. Little pine cones scattered all over the table, used beside the place settings and if required, decorated with shimmering glitter make beautiful additions to your wintry tablescape.

Red and blue make the best colors for winter

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Red reminds us of Christmas, and deep blue is a color that magnifies the characteristic white of winter. If you want only a little color in your winter wedding, these are the ones to consider. Red and white is a classic Christmas combination. Add a few golden accents, and your centerpieces will be welcoming and warm. Choose to go with blue and white instead, if you prefer more sophistication. Purple and emerald are other beautiful colors that brighten up white and form beautiful color combinations.

Splurge on candles

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Scented candles are perfect to set the ambiance you desire. Depending on whether your table setting is long or round, choose a centerpiece that has plenty of candles. The warm glow of a lit candle is romantic, beautiful and cozy; it can brighten up any dreary winter day. So, if you have a snowy wedding, make the most of this décor element to warm your wedding venue. How about adding a few floating tea light candles or even strewing around petals for added elegance?

Magnificence of Crystal and metal

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Bring on the bling with bright metallic shimmer, through metal tree centerpieces. Another metal I love is copper, which screams winter. Copper vases and mugs can lift the cold and create a warm and welcoming ambiance. Crystal is another element that generates textural magic and rejuvenates any space with sparkling bursts of color. Hang strings of crystals or use crystal bowls and vases for your centerpieces, and they will make an enchanting décor element.

Tell us, which of these will you be using at your winter wedding? For more inspiration, we suggest you look at this article on Stylemepretty. Also, don’t forget to visit us on Best for Bride for both unusual and interesting décor and centerpieces, and you will find hundreds of ideas to borrow and use.

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Guest Etiquette Elevated: Practical Dressing Tips for Every Wedding Occasion!

It is not only the bride who has trouble deciding what to wear to her wedding. Most wedding guests also spend a lot of time worrying over what to wear to a wedding, how they will look in what they choose and whether it would be appropriate for the type of wedding.

Fortunately, it isn’t too difficult to choose a dress that will be right. All you have to do is follow cues from the invitation and pay attention to the time of the wedding and the venue. Here are some tips to help you dress to impress.

The differences between dressing for an evening ceremony and an afternoon one

If the ceremony is in the evening, it is appropriate to wear cocktail dresses or gowns. This is your chance to experiment with color, texture and pattern. If you would like to stand out from the rest of the crowd, wear a bold color. A simple dress would be better for weddings that are held before five. Afternoon and morning weddings are usually not very formal affairs. So, stay away from long flowing gowns and extra embellishments in which you will look over-dressed.

Choose a vivid color for maximum impact

Jade, magenta, teal and clementine are bold colors. Bring out your personality with a color that complements your skin tone, and you needn’t worry too much about the rest of the details. Just remember that you should never upstage the bride with your choice of dress. To be safe, avoid colors like cream, white and ivory. When choosing printed dresses, go for classic designs that will drape beautifully. Chiffon and cotton are good fabric choices.

Go for classic silhouettes to look elegant

When choosing the silhouette of your dress, choose one that is appropriate for the venue. If you choose a strapless dress for a church wedding, it may be a good idea to wear a mock bolero or pashmina over your shoulders, till the reception. If your dress is in a bold color like teal or emerald, go with a classic A-line silhouette or fit and flare gown. For loud colors, keep the embellishments simple to avoid a cluttered look.

Accessorize appropriate to scale and color

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Weddings are the best occasions to bring on chunky statement necklaces, dangling chandelier earrings and killer heels. Just remember that you do not want to have too many elements that grab attention, or you will spoil the entire effect. If your dress is a stunner, keep the accessories simple. On the other hand, if your dress is relatively simple, play with oversize accessories to dress it up.

Remember that you can always wear an evening dress to more than one occasion, and create an entirely different look with it based on how you style it. Mix and match accessories, change your makeup and hairstyle every time, and you will always look unique.

We have a stunning collection of evening dresses at Best for Bride. Visit us today to find the one you will wear to the next wedding you plan to attend.

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Tips to choose the best engagement ring for your budget

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Your love for each other is priceless, but the ring that signifies it can be pricey. Engagement rings are expensive, there is no doubt about that. So, you need to make sure that the money you spend on it is worth every dime. Here are some tips to help you make sure you get the most for your money when you choose an engagement ring.

Find the right metal for your budget

Engagement rings are usually more about the stone, than the metal it is set in. So, save your money for the stone, and go for gold instead of platinum. Platinum may be the best choice in metals, but it is several times more expensive than gold. For the same effect, you can opt for white gold. Yellow gold is stunning too, when you choose a design that looks good in it. So, make your choice wisely, and you won’t have to break the bank buying your engagement ring. Now, if you choose platinum, you can still save some cash by choosing to have the stone set in a prong setting which requires minimum metal.

Choose a ring that can create an impact without a bigger stone

A design which has a circle of smaller stones around the main stone in the center will enhance the overall size of the stone setting and make the center stone stand out vividly. This is called a “halo setting”. Not only will your ring look beautiful with the added design elements, it will turn out to be less expensive too. If the bigger stone is placed within an arrangement of small tiny diamonds, the ring will still sparkle, and you will have a beautiful design that will cost much lesser than a solitaire.

Choose the cut and carat to fit your budget

Anyone who knows diamonds will tell you that the more cuts a diamond has the more expensive it will be. It is these cuts that make a diamond sparkle. Ones with less cuts cost less. These reflect less light, but the stone will look larger. So, if you choose a bigger one it will be worth its size. Another point to remember is the price of a diamond increases when it covers each carat point. By choosing a ring that is 2 carats, you will have to spend more than if you were to buy a ring that is 1.9 carats. Use this factor to your advantage and buy shy of the carat point.

Diamonds needn’t be your best friend! Be bold and choose different

If your lady love is a girl who loves individuality, you are in luck. Pretty rings are available with various other gem stones, and you can get a much bigger and beautiful stone for your budget if you choose stones other than diamonds. You could go with her birthstone, or choose a stone in a color she loves. For an added effect you could even have a design with a stone set with tiny diamonds around it. There are plenty of choices like emerald, amethyst, saphire or topaz, each of which has its distinct signature.

So, now you know what to look for when choosing an engagement ring. For more tips and advice, visit us on Best for Bride.