How to celebrate an original and lovely Italian Christmas wedding? Although Sicily is a land of typically summer weddings, more and more couples decide to celebrate their big day in autumn, winter or get married at Christmas.
I have already told you about all the good reasons to get married in winter and how a professional is even more important in this season to guarantee you an unforgettable and unique event.
The main concern of couples who decide to get married at Christmas is often: where to find ideas for an original Christmas wedding in Italy? The magical atmosphere of the festive period is precious everywhere: lights, decorations, colours of gold, silver and red. How to make your wedding stand out amid this riot of lights and glittering decorations?
In this article, we will talk about trends and original ideas for all aspects of wedding design: invitation, dress, decorations, tableau, place cards and even favours! Are you ready?
Getting married at Christmas in Italy: which dress?
One of the main concerns of brides in celebrating their wedding at Christmas is the dress. Will I be able to wear what I want? What if it’s too cold? Although these concerns are correct, I can immediately reassure you. Many solutions can make your dream dress perfect for your big day, even if light and with a wide neckline!
If we talk about the perfect dress to get married at Christmas in Italy, this could probably be a sparkling long-sleeved dress, in lace or satin, completed by a romantic silk veil. But it is not the only type of dress you can wear!
Satin, chiffon, tulle, lace, silk, baggy or mermaid dresses: the choice is yours. To be avoided absolutely? Linen, really too summery, and sandals.
If you choose a low-cut, sleeveless dress, remember to select an overcoat – even if these proposals are also well suited to long-sleeved dresses. Whether it’s the classic fur coat or the ultra-modern and trendy stole in thick wool, it will ensure you won’t feel cold on the most important day of your life.
Wedding at Christmas in Italy: the colours of a Christmas wedding…not only red!
When planning a wedding at Christmas, it is essential not to visualize it as a “Christmas party”. What? How? This is the hard part! We are talking about an event that must be unforgettable and merge into the Christmas atmosphere without getting confused between festive lunches and dinners. To do this, it is crucial to play with the right colours.
We know the classic colours of an Italian Christmas wedding are red, gold, silver and green.
Although they are traditional tones, these can also be declined in modern and trendy shades: red becomes burgundy, gold and silver are dressed in patinated, and chrome and green become dark and deep.
Alongside these, less seen and more original, we find dark brown, combined with dusty rose, white and gold, as well as midnight blue, which with silver – but perhaps even more with gold – will make your design truly elegant and modern.
For example, brown, dark green and gold are perfect for all those Christmas weddings celebrated in boho-chic or country locations, with natural decorations: wood, bark, ornamental green, pine cones, hawthorn and the inevitable fir. On the contrary, if our location is a historic Baroque palace, the decoration of our Christmas wedding could be totally white, with blue or red details. In an environment characterized by frescoed vaults and golden tones, it will be of sure impact!
Now that we have seen the colours, let’s see how to make the most of them in the decorative elements and the graphic coordinates.
The invitation to the Christmas wedding: 6 original, warm and elegant ideas
The Italian Christmas wedding invitation must be chic and harmonic with the theme and the chosen location. Here are 6 good ideas for the wedding invitation and the rest of the graphic design!
- Soft as a cloud
Use handmade paper, possibly optical white with a natural border – that gives the idea of soft cotton! - The elegance of yesteryear with sealing wax
How about a wax seal – red, blue, green or gold – with the couple’s initials? So wintery and elegant!
- Ribbons!
Say yes to velvet (or satin) ribbons and thick brown twine. But I will tell you that even the wool thread is really adorable and original. - Do you love dark tones?
Then a burgundy card with gold or silver italic text might be what you are looking for. - Invitations…to hang on the tree!
Small wedding invitations, not necessarily in the shape of a Christmas ball, provided with a small hole and a special ribbon, could be a delightful idea! - Invitations in wood or transparent plexi
Directly from the latest trends, the latter idea is the most expensive and therefore suitable for small or – really – luxury weddings. What is it about? Have the invitations to your Christmas wedding made with engraving on small plates of wood or transparent plexi. The result is a special invite that will surely leave your guests amazed.
All these ideas can be easily reflected in the wedding graphic design and, in particular, in the menus. For the tableau and placeholders, I have some other juicy and original ideas for you. Let’s see them!
Italian Christmas Wedding Tableau Ideas: Getting married on Christmas has never been so romantic!
The classic Italian Christmas wedding tableau is…the Christmas tree! How can we not give in to the temptation to insert tags with the tables’ names instead of balls?
While this idea is very nice, you will agree that it is not very original.
But don’t worry, I have found some ideas for you for a perfect Christmas-themed tableau that are a bit unusual!
- The tableau…nougat!
Nougat cannot be missing in an Italian Christmas wedding: why not add it to your tableau? In this case, we can choose different types of nougat and pin our table sheets above. Where to put the nougats? On the classic wooden tableau with an adorable wool or velvet ribbon or, if you really can’t give it up…on the tree! - Mirror of lights
Using a large mirror, perhaps with a huge golden or silver frame, and inserting your names here, could be an original and exquisite idea for your Christmas wedding. Certainly suitable for the chicest and luxurious events. Imagine how the mirror can reflect the lights of your wedding design: a sparkling choice! - The engraved Christmas balls
This is a modern variation of the classic tableau-tree that uses precious Christmas baubles in which your guests’ names are engraved. They do not necessarily have to be hung on the tree: for example, they can come down from the ceiling with long velvet ribbons. Scenic and romantic.
And we also have some ideas for your Christmas wedding tableau. Let’s move on to the next step: the decorations!
Italian Christmas wedding set-up and decorations: get married at Christmas with originality
On the subject of Christmas wedding decorations, we can really indulge ourselves. One of the significant advantages of getting married at Christmas is precisely that of being able to count on an overabundance of perfect decorations already available for sale.
Finding your favourite decorations will be much easier than at other times of the year! The question we should ask ourselves is how to stay original. Again, the answer is by using the right colours and the perfect mix of traditional Christmas decorations and the latest trends.
Let’s see some ideas!
Christmas mise en place: white or wintry?
The mise en place is part of our decoration but also of the wedding design. In this case, to remain original and elegant – even if the temptation to succumb to the traditional warmth of the classic red, white and green is high – we have two options.
The pure white option, then accompanied by gold, silver or blue and the wintry option, with the classic brown, dark green, white and golden colours of winter.
As for the pottery, depending on the chosen theme, the glasses in frosted crystal or smooth crystal with a metal border are undoubtedly impressive. Instead, we can indulge in elegant white or decorated porcelain for the dishes and the ultra-modern and chic transparent glass.
Cutlery? Gold or silver – perhaps chromed for a full Scandinavian style.
Flowers, centrepieces and place cards for a perfect Christmas-themed wedding
What flowers to use for an Italian Christmas wedding? When we think that winter lacks flowers, we often do not consider all the other ornamental plants that can make our Christmas wedding warm and fragrant. Therefore, for decorations and centrepieces, paying attention to the wedding design, we can choose between compositions of typical winter flowers – red and white poinsettias, hawthorn, mistletoe, fir and pine, pine cones. Instead, the chicest couples can go for ample space for candles, tall metal candlesticks, and decorations of crystals and diamonds. The mantra is light and sparks!
And the placeholders? Here are some Christmas wedding place card ideas!
- The Christmas ball placeholder with the engraved name: do you remember what we talked about for the tableau?
- The little wreath or mistletoe sprig with a name tag: super Christmasy!
- The pinecone-placeholder: the placeholder made with natural pinecone and card.
Wedding at Christmas: favours to taste
I would also like to tell you about the ideas for the confit in the Italian Christmas wedding, but unfortunately, given the Covid limitations that make us lose a bit of freedom – and imagination – I immediately move on to the last part: wedding favours!
The wedding favour is a fundamental element that should never be overlooked. With the wedding favour, we are thanking our guests for being with us on one of the most important days of our life. For this, we should take great care!
The typical favours of the Christmas wedding – given the period – are the food and wine ones. Based on the theme of your wedding, you can choose to donate:
- nougat or artisanal panforte;
- a small bottle of wine – perhaps liqueur-like marsala;
- a jar of jam or…cream of Sicilian pistachio;
- an excellent bottle of oil;
- a jar of honey.
On the other hand, if the gastronomic favours are not for you, you can always choose something more traditional. If you have not already used Christmas balls as an element of the tableau or mise en place, you can use them here. In this case, I recommend handcrafted balls made strictly in glass: these objects’ perception of elegance and quality is very high! If your guests are all Catholics – be careful here not to risk looking bad – even the idea of a miniature nativity scene is genuinely delightful.
Finally, a personalized scented candle could make your guests relive the moments of your wedding even in their homes.
The magical atmosphere of an Italian Christmas wedding with a pinch of originality
I hope in this long article I have given you enough ideas for your modern and unique Christmas wedding. Getting married in winter is often cheaper, but doing it around Christmas could be the opposite. And the availability of locations and suppliers may also be limited. This is why it is even more important to rely on a professional wedding planner well in advance. This will not only guarantee you a magnificent and never banal Christmas wedding design but also guarantee you the best prices and availability of your dream location.
Shall we start organizing your Italian Christmas wedding? Contact me!
Tania Costantino – Full Service Wedding Planner in Sicily
Crediti : Jillian Knight; Madeline Rose Photography Co. Mountainaire Gatherings; Rabecca Cruz Photography; Daniela Porwol Photography; Natalie J Weddings; Kelcy Leigh
