A Very Merry Christmas Wedding

All I want for Christmas is you, baby! What better backdrop for a winter wonderland wedding than a bright holiday theme? We all know December is #engagementseason, but it’s also a time for friends and family. Add it all to the hot toddy pot on the stove and what do you get? A cozy Christmas-themed wedding! Our holiday gift to YOU, dear readers, is this lovely evening—delivered in blog post form and tied together with a big red bow.

Trees and Greens

Lucky for us, Chicago floral-shop-turned-venue A New Leaf hosted this ceremony and reception. Needless to say, the florists totally transformed the space with snow-dusted Christmas trees alight in the front windows, real sprigs of pine at each place setting, and an altar backdrop of fir branches and pinecones. Plus mistletoe over the sweetheart table because…duh.

Good as Gold (and Red and Green)

Moody merlot red and deep seaweed green, that is. Would it even be Christmas without the classic color scheme? Guests grabbed their name cards (attached to candy canes) from the trees and brought them back to their tables, each of which was adorned with more fir sprigs and pinecones. At their place settings, guests found red and green plaid napkins, big metallic ornaments and shiny gold flatware to match the gold-rimmed porcelain dinner plates. All that glitters is Christmas!

Candles on candles on candles. Soft, dancing light totally transforms the space. A New Leaf is aesthetically rustic-urban—sturdy concrete floors, red-brick walls and lots of living plants and flowers. The dim lighting makes the venue feel warm, cozy and (dream) homey. Candles lined the aisle for the ceremony in the upstairs alcove, which would become the dance floor for the reception shortly after.

To transition the alcove from ceremony to reception without losing the dreamy vibe, we kept our floating candle votives lit and moved them against the wall. Add a rustic flatweave rug, an overstuffed sofa and pair of chairs, and a DJ…voilà! A modern holiday dance party is born.

Christmas Cocktails

Here in the Midwest, we know the importance of a hot drink at a winter party is not to be understated. We heat up the chilly December air with our “Warm Winter Nights” signature cocktail. The sweet scent of bourbon, honey-sage syrup and orange peel wafted out from the stock pot on the stove and warmed the whole space. For those hot-blooded guests looking for a traditional, chilled beverage, we offered champagne with smashed blackberry and thyme. It happened to fit the Christmas color scheme, too!

Festive Food

Arguably the best part of both holidays and weddings is that good grub. For this particular Christmas-theme wedding, we strove to strike the perfect balance between heavy(-ish) holiday menus and light, elevated wedding fare. We plated our famed passed hors d’oeuvres on festive serving platters garnished with even more fresh pine sprigs and tiny red and gold ornaments. Our apps menu included:

Short Rib Wagu Beef Meatball

BBQ Beef Short Rib

Burrata Pâté

Mini Brie and Raspberry Preserve Grilled Cheese Bites

Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Waffle Cone