The Valentine’s Day Wedding
Theme
Marrying on Valentine's Day? You've probably been called a romantic.
Perhaps you even got your sparkler (and a great engagement story)
on that very same day.
And yet, your engagement's probably not what drove you to tie the
knot then. How about this: that giddy feeling you first got in second
grade ... when the cute blond boy dropped a dimestore card in the
shoebox you made with doilies and ribbons.
In other words? Valentine's Day is a delicious combination of grown-up
passion and schoolgirl crush.
Back or Forth? Sussing Out the Season
Your first task: figuring out whether to lean back toward a wintry
look and feel, or forward into spring. Part of this may depend on
how chilly it typically gets in February chez vous (though some
places actually allow an outdoor wedding by then). But weather aside,
a lot depends on your vision.
Winsome Winter
A winter-leaning wedding shares the regal feel of Christmas: heavier
fabrics, fuller skirts, classical red roses. For colors, you might
have more dignified reds and whites, with gold embroidery and ivory
overlays. (Believe it or not, even a black and white wedding with
red roses is pitch-perfect for Valentine's Day).
And your food will probably reflect winter's formality, too: a white
chocolate wedding cake with red raspberry filling, say, or a red
velvet cake surrounded with rich cream cheese frosting. Plus, the
date sends up a green light for brides who dream of marrying in
a daring red gown.
In Spring, a Couple's Thoughts Turn to Love ...
A spring-ish wedding, on the other hand, is filled with flirtier
flowers: pink roses and peonies, pale pink rununculous and lisianthus,
cream tulips and hydrangeas.
Picture this: your guests mark your departure with a shower of rose
petals from petal cones. Your dress? Understated, with asymmetrical
draping and a sweetheart neckline. Your bridesmaids gear: tea-length
gowns with ruffled hems or long, silky sashes.
You might even dispense with the cake altogether, treating the crowd
to whimsical cupcake trays and bite-sized appetizers ... and invite
them to wash it all down with pink champagne and a raspberry garnish.
A berry sorbet with fresh mint cleans the palette between courses.
Timeless Tables
When held in a ballroom, the Valentine wedding benefits from lots
of romantic draping. In addition to the masses of red roses (or
springtime pinks) it calls for, you can toss together a few more
whimsical centerpieces to add variety or mark a spot like the cake
table.
Rose Petal Runner
A popular approach to focal points, this table treatment simply
involves piling masses of rose petals down the center of the table,
just like a fabric runner, then zigzagging white votives down the
line.
Candy Heart Containers
For pillar candle centerpieces, fill a 1/3 of a hurricane lamp with
white conversation hearts. Plunk in a pillar candle, then fill the
remaining space with hearts. Or for a floral centerpiece, find two
glass bowls, one slightly larger than the other. Fill the space
between bowls with conversation hearts, then fill the smallest bowl
with water and float a Gift Box with Paveed Roses
Locate round or square balsam boxes from any craft store, and paint
to suit. Fill with Oasis (moistened) floral foam cut to fit, and
cover the foam with spray or sweetheart roses until no foam is visible.
Tie off the gift box with a satin ribbon.
Rose Hearts on Cake Trays
Buy Oasis foam in a heart shape, or cut flat foam to shape. Moisten,
and cover with spray or sweetheart roses until no foam is visible.
Place on an attractive cake stand. Doll up this centerpiece even
more with sheer organza draping, satin ribbon, crystal pins or votives.
What other Valentine wedding centerpiece ideas caught your eye?
Share them below!
Seduce With the Small Stuff
Here's a few more details to make any February 14th wedding sizzle:
- Chocolate-dipped strawberries. This oh-so-sexy fruit seems made
for this holiday ... and even more so when you dip it in the greatest
aphrodisiac on earth (at least for women!)
- Pink martinis. The crowd will thrill to cosmos, no matter their
age or gender.
- Valentine candy buffet. No other holiday wedding calls louder
for the sweet nostalgia of the candy buffet. Your choices are numerous,
from oversized wedding conversation hearts to sweet foil-wrapped
chocolates in pinks and reds.
- Candy heart card box. Make an adorable card box that brings back
the old days of tempting gifts from parents or sweethearts. Grab
a large heart-shaped paper mache box from a craft store, paint it
red, and trim the lid with multiple layers of lace and braid, just
like the candy boxes you once saw in the five-and-dimes. Cut out
a slot, and stamp or paste on your monogram. Adorable!
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