Having your wedding on January 1st is a wonderful way to celebrate the beginning of a new year as well as your new life together.  It also has the added benefit of being able to easily remember your anniversary.

As long as you give your guests plenty of notice, there shouldn’t be any reason why a New Year’s wedding would be difficult for people to attend.  After all, with the Christmas rush behind them, most people are ready to kick back and have a good time.  Why not let it be your wedding that they celebrate?!  If you’re concerned that your guests may still be recovering from a New Year’s Eve party, try having a late night wedding on December 31st and be pronounced man and wife at the stroke of midnight.

If your decorate your reception hall in keeping with your New Year’s theme, the cost can easily be held to a minimum.  Balloons, confetti, streamers all work well into this type of theme.  Your wedding favors can also continue the New Year’s theme.  Give your guests a ‘Let’s Celebrate’ Champagne Ice Bucket Timer as a thank-you gift and they’ll always be sure to remember your special day.

If your wedding is late at night, most of your guests will have already eaten dinner, so late night hors d’oeuvres and finger sandwiches may be sufficient for a reception menu.  Keep in mind, however, that the bar bill will more than make up for what you save on food at this particular time of year.  In order to keep this cost down, and out of concern for your guests’ safety, consider having a cash bar, which is becoming more and more acceptable.  If you really feel you want to provide an open bar, limit it to the first hour and then serve champagne for the remainder of the reception.

Do you love the idea of a beach theme wedding and reception, but aren’t real crazy about taking a chance on the variables such as blistering temperatures, sky-high humidity and unexpected rainshowers?  Here’s an alternative that you may want to check into.

Consider holding your wedding and/or reception at an aquarium.  There are several aquariums around the country that have banquet rooms cozy enough for a party of 50 and large enough to accomodate up to 500 people.  Just a few of the states that have aquariums that cater to weddings and receptions are: Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee.  Do an online search in your particular area to see if there is an aquarium located near you.

Being located in Georgia, I’ve done a little checking with the Georgia Aquarium.  You can choose your own caterer or you can use the aquarium’s famous caterer, Wolfgang Puck.  Meals range from ‘coffee break’ type foods and hors d’oeuvres, to buffets and exotic sit-down dinners.  The prices, as  of the writing of this article, start at $5 per person and can go as high as $75 per person, so it’s fairly easy to fit into your budget and style.  Informal weddings, as well as extremely formal elegant weddings fit well into this aquarium’s atmosphere.

The best part of this type of beach theme wedding is the scenery.  Rooms are lined with gigantic windows peering into the aquarium itself.  Whales, sharks and other exotic aquatic animals happily join your celebration as they give an ever-changing backdrop to your reception room.  Plus, by holding your event at an aquarium, there’s no need to wait on warmer weather to be able to incorporate your beach theme.

As you know, theme weddings are a great way to plan a wedding and reception.  It gives you a ’springboard’ from which to start when deciding on the many details of a wedding.  One of the easiest and most versatile theme is the use of color.  You can choose one color or a color combination that you’re particularly fond of.

A color theme wedding doesn’t confine you to specific types of decorations, style of gowns, or menu selection.  But it will allow you to express your own individual unique personality in everything you plan.  As an example, let’s say you want to plan a wedding using the traditional white (bride) and black (groom) colors with a splash of red.

As I’ve said before, begin at the beginning.  Incorporate those colors, especially the red, into your wedding invitations.  A lovely red rose or heart would be a nice start.  HINT:  When ordering the invitations, don’t forget to also order matching thank you cards.  This continues the theme all the way to the end. 

Use these same colors in the wedding attire.  One of the most striking wedding party pictures I’ve ever seen was with the bride in white carrying a red bouquet and the bridesmaids in red carrying white bouquets.  

Extend the color theme to the reception featuring specialty drinks.    Talk with your caterer about creating drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, using fruits like strawberries or raspberries to give these specialty drinks the color of your theme.

Adorn the wedding party table and the reception tables with touches of red in the centerpieces and the wedding favors.  Make a request of the wedding party decorating committee that red and white be used when adorning the getaway car.   

Creating a wedding with a theme makes the planning easier and tends to give the whole ceremony and reception a more polished look.  A theme can be anything you can imagine from destinations to hobbies to colors.

A theme should begin at the beginning ~ with the wedding invitations.  Springtime wedding invitations featuring pastel butterflies or wispy flowers would set a lovely romantic tone for the entire wedding.

If you’re having a destination wedding in Hawaii, choosing a beach theme would be perfect.  The idea brings to mind many images such as tiki huts, sandy beaches, seashells, palm trees, tropical sunsets and native Hawaiian-style music. 

Heritage theme weddings can incorporate long-lost traditions, special wedding vows, or symbolic gestures during the ceremony.  Continuing the theme into the reception would allow you to incorporate ethnic food, beverages, music and dancing.

Consider themes that incorporate mutual hobbies such as hot air ballooning, horseback riding, hiking, sports, cooking, etc.  Coffee or wine theme weddings are perfect for the couple who are connoisseurs of those particular beverages.  These themes also fit very well into the planning of the reception.  Other theme ideas include, hearts, swans, fairy tale, garden, colors, seasonal theme, a favorite movie, or flowers.

The trick to making a theme wedding work is to start with the invitations and run it throughout the ceremony and reception. 

I’ve found a few more international wedding customs that are quite interesting and may even make a wonderful addition to your heritage theme wedding.

Australia
It is traditional to give the bride and groom a marriage Bible as a wedding gift.  These Bibles are treasured family heirlooms and are often passed down from generation to generation.

Finland
Long ago, during the wedding ceremony, a crown of gold was placed upon the bride’s head.  Once the ceremony was over, the bride was blindfolded and all the unmarried females would gather around her.  The bride would then move around blindly until she chose someone to pass the gold crown to.  This person was believed to be the next to be married.

Ireland
New Year’ Day is considered to be the luckiest day to be married on.  The couple may receive a horseshoe to hand in their new home for good luck.  The horseshoe should always be hung with the open side up so none of the luck spills out.  The Claddagh ring is the traditional wedding ring.  It bears a symbol containing a heart, crown and hands which stand for love, loyalty and friendship.

Japan
Japanese weddings are known to be some of the most extravagant wedding ceremonies.  During the ceremony, the bride and groom take nine sips of sake (a traditional rice wine).  The couple is considered to be married after the first sip.  It is common for the bride to change clothing three to four times during the ceremony.  Guests not only enjoy delicious food and wonderful entertainment, they are also given extravagant wedding favors that may be valued up to half of the price of the wedding gifts given to the couple.

Romania
A common tradition here is for the guests to shower nuts and candy on the bride and groom as a symbol of prosperity.

Sweden
The bride will carry a bouquet of fragrant herbs in hopes of keeping away trolls.  Even the groom would have thyme sewn into his wedding attire.

United States
Long ago, the newlyweds would receive a drink consisting of hot spiced milk and brew instead of wedding gifts.  It was believed to provide the couple with stamina for the wedding night.  A common pre-Civil War belief among African-American brides was that Tuesdays and Wednesdays were the best days on which to marry.  It was thought to ensure a long and happy married life together.

Here’s a few more wedding customs from around the world that you may like to work into your heritage theme wedding celebration.

Bermuda
After the wedding, the newlyweds plant a tree to symbolize their marriage and growing love.

England
On their way to the church, the bride and her maids of honor travel on a path of strewn flower petals to symbolize a smooth and happy journey through life.  Bells chime as the couple enters the church and again as they leave.  Bells were believed to ward off evil spirits.

Germany
Here both the bride and the groom wear engagement bands before the wedding.  During the ceremony, the groom kneels on the hem of the bride’s wedding gown to signify his authority over her.  The bride then steps on the groom’s foot in order to set him straight.

India
Puffed rice, a symbol of fertility and luck, is prepared by the families of both the bride and the groom.  The brother of the groom showers the couple with flower petals after the ceremony.  Another unique tradition is to use henna dye to paint designs on the hands of the bride and groom.  Then the newlyweds leave their handprints on the outside door of their home for good luck.

Philippines
The couple is joined together by a white silk cord during the ceremony.  The bride’s family is not expected to pay for the wedding, however, they do provide the couple with a cash dowry.  The groom’s family customarily pays for all wedding expenses including giving the bride a gift of old coins which symbolize prosperity.

Spain
The groom wears a hand-embroidered shirt on his wedding day that has been made for him by the bride.  The bride adorns herself in orange blossoms and a mantilla, a lace veil covering.  Unlike in America, both the bride and groom wear their wedding rings on their right hands.

If you’ve chosen a heritage theme for your wedding, here are some more international wedding customs you may want to incorporate into your ceremony or reception.

Africa
Wedding customs can vary with each tribe, but a some African wedding ceremonies can include joining the couple together by the wrists with plaited grass. 

China
Red is the color of love in China and therefore is used a great deal in wedding ceremonies.  A red ribbon, which symbolizes unity, is used to tie together a goblet of honey and a goblet of wine.  The bride and groom take a sip from each goblet.  This gesture denotes their union of love.  The wedding reception may include unique food items such as bear nose.

France
A two-handled cup made of silver called the ‘coupe de marriage’ is used by the bride and groom for the first toast.  The cup is then passed through the family to future couples.

Holland
The bride and groom will attend a prewedding party given by their families.  They sit under an awning made of evergreen, which symbolizes everlasting love, and ‘hold court’.  Guests are to approach the couple while in their ‘court’ and extend their wishes for happiness.

Lithuania
Gifts that have a special meaning regarding the elements of marriage are given to the bride and groom by their parents.  These gifts include bread, which stands for work, salt, which stands for tears, and wine, which stands for joy.

Russia
Here’s a custom not too many couples will opt for.  It seems that there are parts of Russia where the wedding guest is not required to bring a gift to the wedding.  Instead, all non-family guests receive a gift! 

Wales
The bride gives all of her attendants a gift of myrtle, an evergreen plant with white or pink flowers and dark berries.  It is said that the blooming of the flowers predicts another wedding.

There are many ways to incorporate a theme into your wedding.  One of the most popular ways is to celebrate your heritage with unique wedding customs from your country of family origin.  Below are listed a few customs you may want to include in your heritage theme wedding.

Belgium
A family tradition is created when the bride carries a handkerchief, on which her name has been embroidered, down the aisle with her.  This handkerchief is then framed and displayed in their new home after the wedding.  When a daughter gets married, she will have her name embroidered on the same handkerchief and carry it during the ceremony.

Czech Republic
A wreath is made of rosemary and given to the bride to wear.  This wreath symbolizes love, wisdom and loyalty.

Egypt
A procession of belly dancers, sword-carrying men, and people creating great noise on horns travel down the street with the wedding party from the ceremony to the reception.  The bride normally will wear a traditional white wedding gown, however, the guests may choose to wear Egyptian garments.

Greece
Crowns made from flowers are placed on the heads of the bride and groom by the koumbaros (the groom’s Godfather or other honored male family member).  During the ceremony, both the bride and groom will take 3 sips of wine and travel  around the wedding altar 3 times with the officiating priest.  This symbolizes the Trinity.

Italy
The bride and groom pass out cakes and other baked items to the villagers as they travel through the streets.  The getaway car is decorated with flowers on the front grill to symbolize the ‘road to a happy marriage’.

Mexico
A white cord or string of rosary beads is wrapped around the shoulders joining the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony, symbolizing their marriage union.  During the reception, the guests will form a heart-shaped circle in which the newly married couple will dance.

Poland
During the wedding reception, the bride wears an apron over her wedding dress.  Guests place money in the pockets of this apron for the privilege of dancing with the bride.  This money is put toward the cost of the couple’s honeymoon.

Switzerland
The wedding procession starts with the junior bridesmaids throwing colored handkerchiefs to the wedding guests.  Any guest who catches a handkerchief is then obligated to give money to the bride and groom to help them start their married life together.

Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner for two or a wedding reception for over 200, you want your dining tables to look fantastic.  Try adding a little flair to each place setting with origami napkins. 

You can easily have your place settings enhance any theme you choose with this unique idea.  Books can be purchased at any bookstore that will give you easy step-by-step directions on how to create beautiful roses, butterflies, or even seashells for your beach theme wedding.  One book that is worth checking into is Brian Sawyer’s Napkin Origami, which features 25 different designs.  You may even find some free origami directions by searching on the web.

Use these stylish napkins to create a total theme-look by setting out matching wedding favors at each place setting.  Complete an Asian theme by pairing a lotus flower napkin with Double Happiness candles, or a white dove napkin with the Love Dove silver bottle opener.  The possibilities are endless and you’re sure to receive raves about your table settings.

These fluffy candles are easy to make and they can add a real sparkle to any Christmas or winter theme wedding.  Make several in different sizes and group them together for centerpieces or table accents. 

You can either start with round candles already made, or you can make your own.  If you choose to purchase the round candles instead of making them, you will not need the first three items and you can begin with step #5.

Materials:
Hollow rubber ball (any size)
2 teacups
Candle wick
Paraffin (candle wax)
Wire whisk
Cornstarch

Directions:
1.  Carefully cut the rubber call in half to create candle molds.  Place ball halves in teacups for support. 

2.  Melt paraffin according to directions on the box and fill each ball half with the melted wax.  Let cool until wax is totally set.

3.  Cut a small groove along the center of one of the candle halves.  Place a piece of candle wick in it, letting it extend beyond the end of the candle. 

4.  Dip the flat side of each half into the hot wax to coat and press the halves together.  Hold firmly until wax is set.

5.  Make sure wax is still completely melted and hot.  Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to each pound of melted wax.  This is also the time you may add any color, fragrance, or even glitter to the melted wax.

6.  Use the wire whisk to whip wax for 5 - 10 minutes until it has a meringue-like consistency.  Scoop wax fluff out with a spoon and apply to round candle.  Let set.

And there you have it!  A beautiful snowball candle that is guaranteed to bring a warm glow to any winter celebration.