Are You Planning A Christmas Wedding?

I am so thrilled to say that I now have a complete list of 12 monthly wedding blogs – one for each month of the year jammed packed with lots of wedding tips, advice, inspiration and wedding photos from real brides! It has been such an honour featuring these weddings. This Christmas wedding blog has been a lovely one to finish the year on.

You have waited all year but this is your month! Here is to all you December brides – past, present and future!

Christmas Wedding Inspiration

Rachael and Conor’s Christmas Wedding Day in Finnstown House

There is nothing more special than your best friend getting married 4 days before you! Rachael and Conor got married on 28 December and I was so lucky to be her bridesmaid! It was such an honour Rachael – one I will never forget! And I will never forget buttoning up your dress trying not to break a nail!

We both adore Christmas weddings so it was extra special having our wedding days so close to each other! It brought us even closer! You were a beautiful bride and the most beautiful friend.

Rachael and Conor also delayed their honeymoon to be at our wedding and the four of us stayed in a hotel airport before flying out the next day (separately) on our honeymoons! It was a great night to catch up after our weddings and chat about our special days!

Rachael’s Top Wedding Tips:

1. If you just love Christmas, she can’t think of a better time to get married. A Christmas wedding is the best! And as Rachael says if you have family abroad it can be extra special to get them home for Christmas and your big day.

2. Don’t get hung up on the weather and plan for the worst day weather wise. Rachael had dreamed of a calm cold sunny day but they ended up with wind and rain. They got no photos outside but it did not bother her in the slightest.

3. The daylight is short at this time of the year but take advantage of this by dressing up your church and your venue with low lighting. Rachael used Gotcha Covered and she won’t forget the moment she walked into the room – it was breath-taking … a winter wonderland! Her wedding guests still tell her how much they loved the atmosphere from the low lighting and fairy lights around trees that the company brought in. It was worth every penny and sets an amazing atmosphere.

4. Rachael wore long gloves up to her elbows to keep her warm. She also had a long veil which extended about a half a metre from her wedding dress. With being a Christmas wedding, Rachael had a lovely fur wrap to keep her warm but she says the adrenaline will kick in and you won’t feel the cold.

5. Pick yourself up a lovely white frilly umbrella too just in case.. the black BMW one just didn’t have the same effect.

6. They had family from Denmark and they have a great tradition there which they brought to their wedding. A box is passed around with love heart paper for all the guests to write their best wishes, the box is then opened on your first wedding anniversary. Rachael and Conor were both so excited to read them all one year later. It is a small touch, easy to do and you’ll have it always to read back over.

7. If you are considering a Christmas wedding, Rachael can’t recommend it enough. Don’t skimp on making that room magical and don’t be worrying about the weather! It’s a great time to be with your loved ones and everyone is in good spirits.

Edel & Mark’s New Year’s Eve Wedding

We had never been to a New Year’s Eve wedding and it didn’t disappoint – what a year to finish one year and ring in another one! Niall and I aren’t fans of NYE so it was great to get to spend our NYE 2011 with all our friends! We will always toast a drink to you on NYE! It was a brilliant wedding and Edel you were just stunning! I was also pregnant on Seán and was trying to hide it (unsuccessfully). Edel and Mark got married in Dunboyne Castle Hotel like us – it is always so memorable going back there!

Edel’s Wedding Advice:

1. It can be quite overwhelming (and probably near impossible!) trying to get around to chat to each and every one of your wedding guests on the day of the wedding. Edel thought it worked well to spend a few minutes going around to each table during the dinner reception, in between courses. That way you can enjoy the rest of the evening on the dance floor! This leads on to her next tip!!!!

2. If you want a packed dancefloor the bride and groom have to be up there too! The bride and groom are like a magnet! Everyone wants to be where they are! Any weddings Edel has been to where the dance floor is hopping you can be sure to find the bride and groom at the centre of it all!

3. Her last top wedding tip is actually for wedding guests. A bride and groom can be months waiting to get back their wedding photos from the professional wedding photographer. A lovely gesture is, as a wedding guest, to take photos throughout the day. One of her friends (aka me!!!) did this.

I downloaded my photos onto a disc and printed them too! A little while after their wedding I popped them through her letter box as a surprise! (These are two favourites of the photos I took at their wedding!)

Roisin and Eric Christmas Wedding in Breatty House

The stunning blogger, Roisin Dolan was another Christmas bride who married her love, Eric, on 28 December 2018 in a gorgeous Suzanne Neville dress from Kadee Bride. Her dress was a silk well cut tailored Pique dress called ‘Emile’ which had lovely crisp clean lines giving a timeless bridal look that suited Roisin so beautifully! I did a My Wedding Round piece with Kadee Bride if you fancy a read.

Roisin’s Top Wedding Tips:

1. Her most important tip that she would give to any future bride would be to make sure to soak it all in and enjoy every minute of it and not to be stressed and worried about everyone else. It’s only one day and that day goes by so fast. She knows herself if she is being honest that she was stressed and worried about everyone else instead of just sitting back and soaking every minute in.

2. Don’t get carried away with yourself. They went to a few wedding fairs and she then felt like they had everything they needed. Roisin had a good few extras but looking back on it now she thinks there was probably was no need to have spent that extra money on unnecessary stuff.

3. The most important thing for any future brides and grooms is to make sure you have good food and a good band and you will be sorted.

4. Steal a moment away with your new spouse. Steal away at least 10 minutes together during the height of wedding celebration and action to talk, look at each other, and take it all in. Roisin and Eric did this from a perch overlooking the wedding, and she’ll never forget looking at his ear to ear grin while they giggled excitedly and hugged each other. You won’t be sorry and no one will be bothered that you’re gone for a little while.

5. Enjoy the build up to the wedding the week before there isn’t much more you can do so just start to enjoy it. Roisin remembers the day before their wedding when they had the Church rehearsals that evening. She was an emotional wreck that day she can’t explain how she was feeling. A few things went wrong and there was nothing she could do to change them that last minute but looking back at it now she realises they were only small things there was no need for her to stress out as much as she did.

6. The job they least enjoyed doing was their table plan because that can be tricky. Once you’ve finalized who’s coming, step one is to start grouping guests according to how you know them, such as: family members, school friends, college friends, work friends, etc. This doesn’t mean you have to sit them according to group, but a picture will start to form of who already knows each other and gets along. In addition to grouping your guests by how you know them, you can also consider your guests’ age, interests, and backgrounds. Try to make everyone feel comfortable by offering a mix of familiar and new faces at each table. And, of course, be tactful: Absolutely avoid seating people together who have a history they wish they could forget.