Decorating for an At-Home Christmas Wedding: 13 Ideas

Christmas is such a special time of year. The notions of giving, family and expressing gratitude make it a perfect time for many couples to tie the knot. Not to mention, there’s no one more qualified to craft your ideal winter wonderland nuptials than you.

Here are ways to add a special touch to your at-home Christmas wedding.

 

Welcome Decor

Welcome your guests with cozy Christmas decor.

Christmas Mirror

One wedding decor trend that’s here to stay is the painted mirror. Get a full-sized mirror, and write your names, wedding date and a welcome quote for your guests in stylized writing.

Add decorative elements like a mistletoe doodle or a Christmas wreath. It’s a great way to welcome people and an opportunity for guests to take creative wedding pictures to memorialize their attendance.

 

Christmas Sleigh

Holiday enthusiasts love decorating their porches with snowmen, reindeer or Santa’s sleigh. Add these ideas to your wedding decor, featuring a vintage wooden sleigh with elements like lanterns, fluffy boots, a jar of cookies and cushions as the focal point.

Pop a chalkboard wedding sign next to it to welcome people to your celebration. You can always put it away later and keep the sleigh throughout the season.
 

Wedding Stockings

When you plan your at-home wedding, consider areas guests may have to pass through in your home. For example, they might enter the living room to get to the reception area, so light the fire and add stockings above the fireplace.

Include your bridal party with personalized stockings displaying each person’s name. As a surprise after your wedding, put small gifts in them as tokens of appreciation for your party to take home.

 

 

Seating Decor

Add a fun, festive touch to your seating chart or placeholders with these points of inspiration.

Christmas Ornament Placeholders

A great way to direct people to their seats is to use Christmas tree ornaments to hold place cards. If it's within budget, you can get heart-shaped ornaments with people’s names. Encourage guests to take them home to decorate their Christmas trees.
 

Cookie Placeholders

Dress up each table with holiday-themed cookies wrapped in bows for people to take home later. You can make almost any Christmas cookie match your wedding theme, whether it's gingerbread cookies outlined in white, snowflake cookies, gold and silver Christmas trees, or cute Christmas sweaters.
 

 

Table Decor

Explore some special touches to add to your reception table decor.

Holly Centerpieces

Fill glass vases with water, holly leaves and berries. They give a subtle splash of color that works well with neutral table settings. You can also use vases of different heights and sizes for a layered effect.
 

Floral Centerpiece With Folded Napkins

Maybe you want a subtle nod to Christmas without sacrificing your wedding colors. You could have floral centerpieces in your wedding colors, with Christmas shades for the napkins.

Your soon-to-be groom can use his pocket square skills to fold the cloth and set the table. The napkins don’t have to be red or green — you can use other Christmas colors like blue or gold.
 

Napkin Holder

Maybe you want a neutral palette with black, ivory and silver for your Christmas wedding. You can add small but noticeable touches like a reindeer napkin holder or a silver snowflake that matches the rest of the decor.
 

Christmas Chair Covers

Set the scene with tartan chair covers or faux fair at the back of each chair to add texture and warmth to your table setting. For the sweetheart table, get monogrammed tartan scarves with your names or “Mr” and “Mrs” to celebrate your union.

 

Wedding Backdrop Decor

Give your vows a sprinkle of Christmas magic.

Window Swags

Add a festive touch to the windows around your home with swags or garlands — they’re easy to make and you’ll need just a few tools. Gather evergreen branches, other types of greenery, floral wire, wire cutters, ribbons, a glue gun and suction cup hooks. Wire the evergreen branches together to create a thick base in the middle that tapers at the end.

Attach more greenery like berries, holly, pinecones and dried flowers. Alternatively, ask your florist for a sample of your bouquet or centerpiece flowers, and add them to the swag. You can also include fairy lights, vine balls and other Christmas trimming. Once you’ve made the swag, use the suction cups to keep it in place.
 

Christmas Arch

If you’re having the ceremony and reception in your backyard, a Christmas-themed arch is the perfect backdrop for your vows and for people to take pictures.

You can make it out of mistletoe, pine, holly or fir branches, with small touches like fairy lights or tinsel. You could also opt for flowers and greenery in Christmas colors, and place lanterns at each side.
 

Fairy Light Curtain

People tend to forget about lighting when planning a wedding at home, yet it's one of the most important parts. Since the occasion is much different from the day-to-day flow of your house, you need extra lighting to make sure your guests catch every moment.

Fairy lights add romance and a magical touch to outside decor. Say “ I do” with a lit curtain backdrop for a late afternoon or evening ceremony. To heighten the Christmas-y feel, opt for snowflake- or star-shaped fairy lights.

 

Special Touches for a Perfect At-Home Christmas Wedding

These unique additions will add some Christmas magic to your big day. Whether you want a simple snowflake napkin holder or a Christmas-themed wedding arch, your wedding decor is sure to be memorable.
 

Author Bio: Oscar Collins is the editor-in-chief at Modded, where he writes about a broad spectrum of topics. Follow him on Twitter @TModded for frequent updates on his work.

 

 

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