Wedding Tips From Dala's

One of the most exciting parts about getting married is experiencing life with the person you love. This excitement is amplified when the holidays come around, and suddenly something you’ve celebrated for years is brought new life. Each family has its own holiday traditions, and when a newlywed couple celebrates their first holiday season together, it marks separate traditions merging into something new. Of course, when entering new territory there can be a few challenges and pitfalls along the way, so here are a few tips for newlyweds navigating the holiday season. 

Managing In-Laws 

The first challenge newlywed couples face is managing the expectations of both families and trying to keep everyone happy. Being the “new couple” will undoubtedly land you on both family’s invite list for the big holiday dinner. Sometimes balancing multiple get-togethers in the span of a few weeks can be a real challenge, and tensions can grow if it one side feels their getting short shrift. 

Just like you must learn to compromise with your partner, you should talk with both families to find a solution. If both parties occur on the same day, you might ask one side of the family to move their party a week, a day, or even a few hours so you can travel from one party to the other. If there’s no way to attend both events, you can always negotiate a yearly trade-off. 

Creating Your Wish List 

One of the best parts about being a newlywed during the holidays is that gifts seem to come in great abundance from all directions. Many of these gifts provide a great opportunity for couples to fill any gaps left from the wedding registry to build their home. When friends and family ask about your wish list, consider asking for practical gifts like a grownup dish set, knives, indoor plants, or even that one kitchen appliance you’ve been pining for. There are plenty of ideas you can add to your wish list that will benefit you and your partner in your first years together. 

Blending Family Traditions and Making Your Own  

As you enter into the holiday season, you’ll be faced with all kinds of questions on how you’ll spend your first holidays together. How will you decorate your home? What kind of traditions will you keep? When thinking of how to create the best home environment for your new family, you need to make sure that you’re both happy. The most crucial aspect of any successful marriage is compromise. As you form your first holiday traditions together, try to balance your and work to reach something that everyone can enjoy. 

Decorating the home 

The best advice for preparing your home for your first holiday season together is to start off small. Lights, garland, wreaths and a tree are a lot to manage, plus it can get expensive if bought all at once. Most families don’t even start with all of their decorations and traditions already in place. It takes years to acquire the pieces you want for your home, and traditions aren’t formed at once but over many years spent together. So go slow. Years from now you’ll be surprised at how many holiday treasures you’ve collected. 

The holidays are a magical time of year, and they become even more so when you spend them with the love of your life. Whatever steps you take in your planning, make them together, and remember to keep the love in everything you do. 

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com 

"I often see brides obsessed with an image, whether it’s from a tear sheet or Pinterest. It's nearly impossible to re-create an image exactly, so my advice is focus less on replicating a photo and instead be open and comfortable with the fact that all your inspiration is meant to be used as a springboard for a new interpretation."

—Nancy Liu Chin,   Nancy Liu Chin Designs   in San Francisco, California

"We’ve had couples who say they’re not into flowers and want to fill the reception space with nonfloral objects like candles. But, with the rare exception, a certain amount of flowers (even if it’s very minimal) are necessary to soften a space. Maybe voice that flowers aren’t the main priority, versus saying you don’t want any flowers at all. Trust your pros—they’ll help guide you to the right look."

—Julie Savage,   Strawberry Milk Events   in Alexandria, Virginia

"I think the biggest flower mistakes couples make is not being open-minded to color palettes and flower types. Many times they have a set palette [and florals] in mind, but don't know about other cool, rare blooms that happen to be in season at the time of their wedding. The best couple is one who can be loose and flexible with their floral choices, then I can find the most beautiful blooms for them."

—Alicia Rico,   Bows & Arrows   in Dallas, Texas

"Some couples assume they need to have florals on every table and in every corner. They don’t realize once the event space fills with people, most of those vignettes go unseen or unappreciated. To avoid this, focus your floral budget on one unforgettable statement piece, then use other details like candlelight to accent. Or allocate florals for the all memorable, photo-worthy moments, like your first look (highlight the bridal bouquet and the boutonniere), the “I dos” at the altar (think about what florals will frame you as a couple) and the first dance (have wow-worthy blooms over or around the dance floor)."

—Kelly Revels,   The Vine   in Saint Simons Island, Georgia

"Florals are so seasonal, and due to weather changes, some things are just not dependable. Take peonies for example: They miss their traditional start week often. Before settling on a specific flower, find out what's perfect and in season before getting your heart set on that."

—Todd Fiscus,   Todd Events   in Dallas and Houston, Texas

"A common mistake brides make is falling in love with particular blooms before finding out their seasonality or cost. While searching for inspiration is fun, it can often lead to disappointment or confusion. Florals featured on social media or in editorial spreads are typically high-end blooms and look so stunning because they’re spectacular specimens. An experienced floral designer can guide you to the right blooms for your special day that are available and within your budget."

—Holly Chapple,   Holly Heider Chapple Flowers   in Leesburg, Virginia

"After signing for a venue, couples often start the design process without considering the venue’s existing look—or they continue planning the décor and florals based on ideas they dreamt up before making a venue choice. (I've had a couple ask for a simple, modern wedding in blush, lavender and white, but they’d already selected an ornate vintage ballroom featuring white, gray, orange and red.) Some big design elements couples should consider before making their venue selection are the venue's overall style and color, as well as the lighting, chairs, linens and place settings offered. That way their palette aligns with the space."

—Natalie Walsh,   HMR Designs   in Chicago, Illinois