Today is the time to think of descending from a long line of “traditional” wedding ceremonies, which are limited to only dancing, eating and drinking to some unforgettable festive themed wedding. Couples these days are looking for ways to go beyond these traditional setups and considering to have some additional flavor to their weddings. After all, their wedding is a once in a lifetime event and they don’t want to leave any stone unturned at their wedding.
Luckily, we are in an era where everything including weddings have evolved. Of course, they’re still about the sacred union between the two, but they’re also about having a real good time with your loved ones. Regardless of how grand or low-key, yet elegant wedding is, one needs something more and unique than the old dance and music performances. Moreover, it is important that the whole affair suit a bride-to-be’s and her significant other’s likes, preferences, and personalities.
If you are looking to host an unforgettable festive themed wedding, then here some best advice from experts that will ‘wow’ everyone nonetheless:
1. Size of the wedding
First things first, to host a wonderful festive themed wedding it is crucial to decide the size of the wedding first. Yes, knowing the size of the wedding in advance will help you create your event in a stunning way.
2. Type of your wedding
Whether you are planning to host a wedding in your home town or in some other location away you’re your home (Destination weddings), you need to know it beforehand. Knowing the type of wedding in advance helps in arranging things at the wedding accordingly.
3. Your festive themed wedding budget
Another important pointer is to decide the budget for your festive themed wedding. Once you know the type of wedding, setting budget becomes easier. It is crucial, whether your wedding is a destination wedding or the regular wedding in your hometown deciding your wedding budget is crucial. It helps you have your wedding celebrations in your budget. So, before planning for a stunning festive themed wedding set your budget, accordingly you can do all the bookings and invite your guests as well.
4. Season of your festive themed wedding
Season of your wedding reception will matter a lot. For instance, if your wedding is happening in beautiful winters than nothing can be better than taking advantage of the beautiful weather and the gorgeous outdoor venue simply by kicking off your wedding celebration with wedding lawn games. According to the season of your wedding you can decide the theme of the wedding, wedding colors, décor, wedding fun games etc. which can help you tell your story in a better and subtle way. Or if your wedding is in summers then you can plan a beachy wedding amidst the festivities of sparkling water.
5. The venue of your festive themed wedding
The location of your festive themed wedding will play a key part in your wedding. Whether it is in some hotel, or private resort, or at your home you are planning to host your wedding will matter a lot.
Well, it is always advised to select a venue that is close to the wedding ceremony location. That way, you can save a lot of money and trouble on transportation, not just for yourself but also for your guests. Moreover, you can keep your guests entertained while you two spend some alone time before the reception party begins. So, decide on the venue: barn wedding reception venue, garden wedding reception venue, or beach wedding reception venue etc. Once you know the venue arrangements become easy.
6. Book your wedding venue in advance
Once you have finalized the wedding venue, book them early. Because there are many like you who are getting wed-locked and they are also looking for the best wedding venue for their wedding. So don’t wait for the last minute booking, book well in advance. Also, if there are some out station guests, book for their accommodation as well. Check with your hotel or resort if they provide accommodation also, if not, then you will have to arrange for your guests’ accommodation in some nearby location.
7. Theme of your wedding
After deciding the location and other aspects of your wedding, you need to decide the theme of the ceremony. You can go for any theme as long as it represents you two perfectly. If you have problem finalizing the theme but you have hired a wedding planner then you can speak to the person and finalize your wedding theme or else work out with people close to you.
8. Prepare your guest list
Now this is a harrowing job for any couple, especially if yours is going to be a low-key ceremony. Your wedding budget be it local or outstation, will be analogous to your guest list. Your budget will surely go high with every guest you increase in your wedding guest list. Also, there will be clashes, your parents may want to include some of their close friends but yours is an intimate event due to which adding too many people will add to the cost. So, the best you can do is make your guests list with your family, and your partner and his/her family. So that all your people who you want at your wedding are invited.
9. Hire a professional to have a stunning festive themed wedding
For that stunning wedding and if your budget allows, hiring a professional is a great choice. Everyone wants to have their wedding celebration unique and gorgeous by all ways. If you also want to have an unforgettable wedding celebration, it’s always good to go with a professional. They are quite talented to make your dream a reality. Though hiring a professional will add to the cost, but trust hiring a professional will not only help you in managing your wedding impeccably but also the pain which you will go through otherwise will be reduced to a minimum.
10. Book your vendors
If you are not considering a professional wedding planner for your wedding than it becomes very important that you book all your vendors early. Start researching for vendors’ online, take details from them, and meet them in person. And if it is in some other location then set up virtual meetings with your vendors. Whosoever you find best amongst all, hire him immediately. Make sure you meet and interview them personally (if in the same town) online maybe over Skype (if some other location).
11. Create a personalized wedding program
If you really want to add to the wedding, try to create a personalized wedding program. By personalizing your wedding program with interesting details (matching with your wedding theme) about you and your groom, with the content of the ceremony’s proceedings, and other important information that your guests should know, you will simply capture their attention.
12. See if you can manage an off season festive themed wedding
If your wedding is an off season wedding then saving on cost is no problem. In fact, you will be able to host a lavish wedding ceremony for your guests. Because in peak season you end up paying large amount; however, an off-season wedding gives you a chance to throw a party in better rates in your budget.
13. Festive themed wedding venue décor
You can either DIY few things to make your venue look stunning or if you want you can buy or rent décor items. Your venue décor will play an important role in your festive themed wedding celebration. Because your wedding will be the first thing your guests will encounter. Choosing a barn, a restaurant, or a resort with an outdoor seating area or a garden, or the beach will allow you give your venue a nice décor. You can easily arrange for décor items, such as flowers in wooden crates, lanterns and lots of lighting, hanging candle, chandelier etc.
14. Arrange for wedding games
Arrange for wedding games so that when your guests would need a break from dancing, they can just indulge themselves in some games. Wedding games are fun ways to keep your guests engaged and get your friends and family to interact with each other. There are many wedding reception games which you can add to your party as well. Wedding games add to the fun element at the party. Some options are: Dart the balloon, Poker station, Photo booth, Tic-Tac-Toe, Giant Piñata, Bocce ball, Oversized Jenga, and Backgammon.
15. Have a signature cocktails at your reception
Have a signature cocktails, especially the ones which goes well with your festive themed wedding. Serving one or two delicious customized drinks will add to the uniqueness of the whole wedding. It’ll make your reception feel so personal. Make sure you select drinks that are palatable for a wide array of people.
16. Place cards on reception table
Though some brides love to add extra elements (favors, knick-knacks, signature drinks, etc.) with the table cards, but if you do not want to spend too much on your wedding, even a simple place card on the table will suffice. Similarly, at the entrance just place a table with escort cards to let your guests know where they’ll be seated in the reception. Design your cards for reception tables that matches with the theme. Sync them with the color of your wedding theme. You can also have cards with your guests’ pictures. They can use it as a keepsake later.
17. DIY table numbers
The table numbers which you will assign should go with the theme, venue, décor, and ambiance, for that you need to be creative. You can DIY table numbers using floral vase or empty beer bottles or some other decorating piece to make it look a bit unique.
18. Type of dining arrangement
Decide the type of dinner well in advance. Whether you are planning a sit-down dinner with just a few people or a buffet for a big fat wedding reception. Accordingly you will decide on the menu also. A sit-down dinner is always a popular choice. However, the other ways to go about it are; serve heavy appetizers where guests can mingle, chat, dance, and have a great time, or serve a family-style dinner, or have a family cooking instead.
19. Wedding reception delicacies
When it comes to the food items, there are a few options you can choose from. You can keep your menu limited but make sure the items you add are all great. Remember that most of your guests will come for the sumptuous meal only. If you are hosting your wedding in some other land, then adding the local delicacies of the place will add to the festivities of your wedding.
20. Wedding cake
There are many bakeries that can help you create an out of the world wedding cake. So, it’s a great opportunity to create a wonderful festive themed wedding cake that will match with the theme of your wedding perfectly. Also, make sure that the cake is yummy enough to savor your guests. Some options can be: Ombre rose frosting reception cake, White reception cake with flowers frosting, Ombre tiered reception cake with floral topping, or White tiered reception cake with flowers topping etc.
Also, if you want, you can chuck pricey tiered cakes altogether and instead, serve desserts like brownies, macarons, donuts, lemon squares, and S’mores. You can ask your bakery to provide you a variety of their most popular or favorite treats to be placed on your very own dessert table in place of tiered cake.
21. Your wedding outfits
Another very nice way to add to your wedding is to have your wedding outfits that is inspired by your wedding theme. You can always choose colors or some elements that goes well with your wedding theme.
22. DIY your bar
For making your celebration more enchanting you can create your own bar. Whether it’s an outdoor cigar bar, or a sundae bar at dessert, or a biscuit bar during cocktail hour, you can build your own-biscuits bar that your guests will love making (and eating!) their own treats.
23. Hire an Emcee
Emcee’s are professionals and skilled to make an ordinary event and extraordinary one. Hiring an emcee for your wedding will help you make your event ultra-amazing. Emcee will not only keep your guests engaged, but also he/she will add to the fun element and will take charge of stage perfectly.
24. Make your guests dance
Make sure you DJ plays songs which your guests want to hear, and the ones which can provoke your guests to hit the floor. Dance is a fantastic way of making any ordinary event and extraordinary. Have your DJ make an announcement that they’ll take requests and see how the dance floor fill up when a crowd-favorite comes on.
25. Arrange for a live performance
Arranging for a live performance will add to your wedding even more. If you love music and your wedding is also an intimate celebration then you have enough reason to arrange for some live musical performance. Your guests will also enjoy your wedding to the fullest. All you need to do is arrange for the floor seating (use lots of cushions, lights, candles, and lanterns) and let your guests enjoy the performance with a glass of wine.
26. You don’t need to go by rules
If you don’t want to toss the bouquet or the garter, or you don’t not to wait until the ceremony for their first look. Then don’t do! If you can’t partake any of the traditions, don’t do it! It’s your wedding; and you can skip what you want to, you don’t need to go by all the rules.
27. Wedding favors
There are myriads of options to choose from for your wedding favors. But giving something that will remind them of your amazing festive themed wedding even after ages will be a perfect gift for your wedding guests. Otherwise, homemade items like cookies, brownies, candles, etc.make for wonderful wedding favors. Or, you can even give your guests a nice live plant. These are basically less fussy favor options that almost everyone will adore. The idea is to give something that your guests won’t leave on the table.
28. Enjoy the day to the fullest
Enjoying the day is of utmost importance, as your wedding is a once in a lifetime event. Do not take any stress… Simply enjoy and have a lot of fun, this day is not going to come again. Trust me!!
29. Make an unforgettable exit
Everyone wants to enjoy your wedding night to the fullest, nobody wants it to end, but we all know that it has to, so make sure you go out on a high note. Make your exit an unforgettable one. Plan for a fun and festive farewell, such as; you can arrange for a firework show, or sparkler exit, or even a confetti send-off! Your wedding guests will love it. Also, it will make for some gorgeous photos of your wedding that you will cherish all your life.
Wrapping up…
I hope these advice mentioned above help you host an amazing festive themed wedding. To make your event wonderful, make sure you do a lot of research and take your time in planning and organizing every aspect of your wedding ceremony and reception party. This is the biggest day of your life, leave no stone unturned to make it special. Live it and enjoy it to the fullest!!
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