0 A Christmas Wedding

As Christmas fast approaches, it feels the perfect time to write about Christmas themed weddings. Christmas themed weddings were something I hadn't thought about until recently when I saw a Christmas themed wedding dress in a bridal catalogue. This prompted me to set out to learn as much as I could about Christmas themed weddings.

It seems one of the best things about a Christmas wedding theme is that it’s likely the wedding venue will already have Christmas decorations in place. And given that a Christmas wedding takes place around Christmas (go figure!), guests are already filled with Christmas spirit and cheer.

Theme
Choosing between a modern or traditional theme and deciding upon the colour scheme is the first consideration. The most common colours for a Christmas wedding are gold, silver, red, green or any combination of these. Gold or silver themes can be used in a stylish, minimalist way or you can create a lavish look by layering different items and textures. Likewise, with the traditional red and green Christmas colour scheme, you can use it in a simplistic elegant way or opt for a rich, traditional or even cosy rustic style. Modern Christmas colours might include purple, blue or even pink.

Wedding Dress Ideas
Although you might choose to wear a traditional white dress on your wedding day, a Christmas themed wedding gives you permission to choose an alternative. Why not consider a deep Christmassy red dress edged with white faux fur? Or I can easily see how any of the coloured dresses I recently talked about could work beautifully in a Christmas themed wedding.

Photos © S.A.S.I Corp and www.bridaloriginals.com 

There are so many beautiful gold and silver wedding dresses just perfect for a Christmas themed wedding. Alternatively you could choose a white dress with gold or silver embellishments. 

Decor

Baskets of pine tree cones with pine tree branches, holly,cranberries all provide an instant feel of Christmas. You can also decorate withtinsel, garlands, wreaths, bunches of flowers and foliage.  A gingerbread house, some reindeer, a nativitydisplay or Santa with his sleigh and reindeers can be added to ensure your guestsknow it’s Christmas. Complete your Christmas theme with a beautifully decoratedChristmas tree topped with a bride angel or a bride and groom figurine.

Table Decorations

Crisp white, red or green tablecloths can lay the foundationfor your table decorations which might include sprigs of holly with bright redberries, gingerbread men, Christmas crackers, bells and candles. If choosing asilver or gold theme, you can construct a lush, multilayer look by using silveror gold tablecloths dressed with contrasting texture table runners. Use shiny Christmasbaubles, garlands and candles along the length of the table or grouped togetherto provide a beautiful focal point. Try filling a large, glass balloon vaseswith colour coordinated baubles for showy high-impact table decorations.

Food

For a true Christmas feel you could serve a full traditionalChristmas dinner complete with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, baked glazedham, roasted root vegetables with Christmas puddings and fruit mince pies fordessert. Instead of a traditional Christmas dinner, you could choose a contemporaryalternative with the help of a talented caterer or chef.

If your Christmas wedding will take place in the southern hemisphere where Christmas time is hot rather than cold, you might prefer a relaxing Christmas celebration by the sea. Australia and the Pacific Islands (such as Fiji, the Cook Islands and Vanuatu),  are well known for their seafood which typically features on the Christmas menu. A seafood buffet or multi-course meal can include prawns, oysters, mussels, lobster, calamari and fish. Any number of delectable tropical fruits can be made into tantalising desserts and cocktails. 

Treat your guests with a chocolate or egg nog fountain where they can dip skewered marshmallows or festive berries before devouring. A candy cane tower  laden with candy canes can be placed in reach of children to enable them to help themselves.

Favours

Candles make a lovely favour and can be personalised withthe date of the wedding and name of the bridge and groom. Personalised Christmastree decorations are another great idea for favours and something family andfriends will cherish year after year as they decorate their Christmas tree. Chocolateseither customised or plain, Christmas candies, or little boxes filled with Christmas treats are bound to be received by your Christmas wedding guests.

As you can see, a Christmas themed wedding can be a fun way to combine your wedding with the festive celebration of Christmas. Do you have any other Christmas themed wedding ideas to share? Have you been to a Christmas themed wedding? how was it?

Destination: Wedding - A guide to planning the destination wedding of your dreams is available in paperback and digital formats at Amazon (UK), Amazon (USA) and from www.destination-wedding-book.com.

Detail: A Christmas Wedding

0 Oh Christmas Tree? Oh Christmas Tree!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou tree most fair and lovely!
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou tree most fair and lovely!
The sight of thee at Christmastide
Spreads hope and gladness far and wide
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree 
Thou tree most fair and lovely!

Saudi version:
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
thou tree most scarce and forbidden

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
where are thy branches hidden?

The sight of thee in Saudi-land
Spreads fear and loathing in the sand


O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
thou tree most scarce and forbidden


Christmas decorations such as trees in public are pretty much non-existent during the holiday season in Saudi-Arabia. Christmas is viewed as a Christian religious holiday and all items that celebrate it are supposed to be forbidden here. Christmas trees would be seen as religious symbols (which they are not really). Despite the lack of holiday spirit in the public sphere, many expats and even locals celebrate the holidays in the privacy of their homes.
The only Christmas tree that I know of on public display in Riyadh was in Hayat mall and it was not even decorated. It's pretty amazing how they pulled that one off without the Hai'a having a say. Maybe there were too many women with nail polish around on that day for the religious police to notice anything. My friend sent me this pic:

The only way I knew people got Christmas trees in Saudi was if they had shipped theirs in like my friend Nicole who managed to ship in a pretty large fake tree among her stuff from the States not so long ago.
That's why I had given up on the idea of ever having a tree here.

How I found my own fake tree was by pure accident. I was in an area in Riyadh which could be called a ghetto, looking around for some holiday decorations. We went there knowing they sell Christmas-sy decorations such as lights and those colorful frills people here use on Eid.


I entered one of the shops that sells all sorts of tawdry stuff and plastic crap. In Finnish I would call it a rihkama store. The place was packed with people and I saw an entire shelf full of what could not be mistaken for anything else than Christmas ornaments. I was shocked a little but happy to have found them. Out of the blue I asked the salesman if they happened to have Christmas trees for sale.

The look on his face was as if I had just asked him for drugs.

The salesman turned red and whispered back to me, yes we do have as if he was letting me in on a state secret. I remained calm but inside I was now very excited. I had not expected this at all! Christmas trees for sale in Saudi-Arabia? No way!

I excitedly asked what sizes they had since I didn't want to leave the store dragging a huge log behind me. He tried to show me the sizes with his hands while constantly eyeing the nearby Saudi customers with suspicion. He pretended to arrange some boxes around while doing it. I asked if the trees were decorated and did they have a stand. His nervous replies started to make me nervous too.

I told him I needed to see it before I could buy anything. The salesman hesitated but then motioned me to follow him. My heart was now beating faster as I realized my dream of having a cute little tree might come true after-all but at the same time I was nervous because the salesman was acting like we were about to commit a horrid crime.

It felt like he was a drug dealer about to show me his stash of cocaine.

The man walked to an aisle in the middle of the store fearfully glancing around, now visibly anxious and fidgety. He said "if any man with beard come, problem".

I nodded and said mafi mushkila. He kneeled down and removed the screws that had been loosely placed on the bottom of the corridor shelves. The front came off and revealed the long cardboard boxes hidden inside.

Now two Saudi women walked by. The salesman scrambled quickly closing the door and stood up while I pretended to browse through the cheap alarm clocks on top of the shelf. I wondered what my husband would say about the tree.

The women finally left and the salesman opened the door again. I could see three different sizes of boxes. He asked me which one I wanted. I told him I would have to see the actual tree before purchasing, but I wanted the smallest one. He opened one of the boxes and showed me the top of the tree which in all honesty looked really darn crappy, but beggars are not choosers.

"Will you take it ma'm?" I told him yes, I will take "it"!

The man pulled the box out of its hiding place. Suddenly the box fell apart and a portion of the tree was now showing.

My heart almost stopped.

The salesman panicked and started shouting in Hindi to his co-worker while trying to hide the branches with his arms. The co-worker flew to rescue with two large white plastic bags. With trembling hands they shoved the tree in the bag and placed another one on top covering all the green parts.

He told me he would take this "ahem" to the cashier to wait for me. Luckily it seemed as if the Saudi customers around the store were oblivious to our sneaky Christmas tree business and no bearded men were in sight.

With my heart still racing from the adrenaline rush this piece of green plastic had triggered, I tried to pick up some decorations for the tree. Strangely they were all out on display. I found colored pine cones, ball ornaments, frills and stars. One salesman even brought a big box of stars to me.

I wondered why it was acceptable to sell these ornaments but the actual tree was treated like the anti christ.

When I was done I apprehensively approached the cashier. I tried to wait for a moment when there was no queue but that was not going to happen on a busy evening like this. When my turn came I quickly handed him the basket full of tree decorations. He glanced around from the corner of his eyes and took the things directly into a plastic bag.

Next I wondered how I was supposed to tell him about "it". I said there was 'ahem ahem' something for me here. I tried to look for the white plastic bag and noticed it stashed behind his chair. The cashier did not understand my code language for hidden christmas tree so I had to point to the bag and say I think that was mine. "Oh OK ma'm". He did not even touch the bag.

At this point my husband suddenly rushed into the store. My first thought was he came to warn me about approaching muttawa but he wanted me to hurry up because the children were crying in the car. I pointed to the tree bag saying that's ours. He asked, "are you sure? Why is it there?" I told yes I'm very sure. So then my husband just threw it on his shoulder unknowing it was in fact a Christmas tree.

I tried to act normal but couldn't help laughing at the situation and the very pale face of the cashier. My husband with the tree hanging on his shoulder asked what's in here anyways? Weren't you supposed to buy some candles? I told him "oh, nothing special, I will tell you later."

So we ran to the car parked close by with the Christmas tree on my husbands shoulder. He opened the back door and threw the bag in. We ran not because we had just purchased a black market Christmas tree but because of the crying babies, but admittedly it might have looked suspicious. I giggled about the experience for a long time and managed to keep the tree as a surprise for my husband.

The next day I set up the tree and decorations. Although very small, it didn't look too bad at all. My husband laughed when he saw it and realized that he had been running around the ghetto with a Christmas tree on his back!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

You fill my heart with music.
Reminding me on Christmas Day
To think of you and then be gay.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
You fill my heart with music.

Detail: Oh Christmas Tree? Oh Christmas Tree!