They are very popular here in Australia because the Christmas holidays obviously come in the summer, the weather is nice and people have time off work so they are more available to attend events – despite the Christmas week being a busy one for all.
A Christmas wedding is an event within an event, a party within a party, practically a matryoshka effect.
It has a very nice meaning too: it is the beginning of a new life, it seems rhetoric but it is not so. A day where the white of Christmas (although in Sydney it won’t snow for sure) blends with the white of the Wedding and is therefore a Total White effect!
I have heard some people even throw a Total White dress code wedding but it’s not for everyone because most brides won’t like the idea to share the colour with all the guests present at her wedding party.
For those who dare, I heard a mixture of white and red is preferred as the ultimate choice of colours for a Christmas wedding, a symbol of vitality and religious and pagan rebirth.
But life isn't always black or white, is it ? Or in this case white or red...there is also a whole scale of grey, gold, silver, green and light blue nuances, all those colours that have nothing to envy to white!
All Australians are very fond of parties, whether they live in cities to give vent to the desire to celebrate and have fun or live in the open countryside and weddings are one of the best occasions.
The traditional cake is normally a fruit cake that the bride and groom cut together and offer to the guests.
At this wedding I attended on December 18thin Queensland, I noticed that after the ceremony, as the bride walked down ‘the aisle’ her guests hanged satin strings to her wrist to wish her good luck.
At this reception, a guest was chosen to read the congratulations cards of those who were unable to attend the wedding because they were abroad or too far and who sent their wishes in a very fun and colourful way.
At the end of the reception, guests were invited to form a circle: the groom and the bride entered this circle to thank and greet all the guests attending.
In Australia there is a very romantic custom: the wedding under a big tree and this wedding was organized like this.
Tradition has it that they kiss under a pre-established tree where husband and wife communicate love to each other and some couples choose to take some engagement photos underneath it beforehand once they choose the location for their big day.
Apparently this rite was formerly linked to female fertility as the tree represented the fertility of Mother Earth, an excellent omen for the arrival of children to the married couple.
It is obvious that the location plays a decisive role in creating the right atmosphere on such an important day for the couple and the guests alike.
My friends celebrated their wedding under a big tree and then continued on with a reception at a large estate as most Australians do.
The large estate included a hotel housed in a beautiful building, a wellness centre with a swimming pool built near an old barn, a riding stable, a small farm and the restaurant for the wedding reception.
The restaurant, with a picturesque wooden terrace, enjoyed a privileged panoramic position and was surrounded by eucalyptus trees to keep the tree theme going and I think it was the perfect location for a country chic Christmas wedding! The restaurant offered a cuisine characterized by the highest quality of ingredients and the wines came largely from the area.
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