How to Have a Christmas Wedding That Isn't Red & Green

You love the idea of a Christmas wedding, but you're not keen on having a wedding that looks like gift wrap. Good news: you can have a late December wedding without it looking like you pulled out every Christmas cliché! You can even have a Christmas wedding that isn't red and green.

1. Have a gold rush.

Using gold is a way to make things festive, and it's an oh-so-glamorous way of celebrating the holiday. Plus, it works with almost any accent color (you can still add red if you want a more traditional Christmas palette) and you can use gold spray paint to inexpensively upgrade pinecones, jars, bottles…pretty much anything you want! And you can still incorporate those gold glitter Christmas bulbs in your wedding decor.

2. Use non-traditional colors.

Deep shades of plum and eggplant are a rich way to add color and sophistication to your Christmas wedding. Paired with evergreen, emerald, or gold, they make for an unexpectedly lovely winter wedding palette. Plus you can incorporate things like eggplants, artichokes, kale, and evergreen to your floral arrangements and decor to make everything even more wintry.

3. Ice ice, baby!

Icy blue, frosty white, and shimmering silver definitely make one think of winter. Think crystal, candlelight, faux fur, feathers, mercury glass, and a variety of other textures in these cool shades.

4. Pick red or green.

If you want a more traditional Christmas look, stick to just shades of red or green, but not both. You could do red, cranberry, or wine paired with gold. Take evergreen and put it with winter whites, or pair emerald with plum or gold. Whatever shades you choose, if you stay away from the red and green combo, you'll look less "Christmasy."

5. Play with patterns.

One exception to the red and green rule is using tartan or plaid in your Christmas wedding. When other colors are included it can look chic without feeling overdone. And you can use a buffalo plaid or tartan that doesn't include red or green too -- just the pattern itself makes a Christmas wedding more cohesive and cozy. You can use it in your attire, on your reception tables, or envelope liners for your invitations. Just keep it minimal -- you don't want everything to be plaid! And if you do want to have a traditional Christmas wedding, there's nothing wrong with red and green together! The above tips can help you keep it elegant and classy at the same time. Merry Christmas and happy wedding!