How many of you have sat in consultations with new clients and cringed as they began to describe their Winter Wonderland or Magical Christmas-themed wedding? The ideas they explained to you consisted of giant glittery snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, the favors are build-your-own-snowman kits, red and green color themed food and the wedding party dressed as each of Santa’s reindeer. You know that there is no way you can take these ideas and bring them to life without wanting to have nothing to do with the wedding, so you have to take their vision and transform it into something that exceeds their expectations.

In order to get the support of your clients as you take their vision and steer it into a more classy direction, you have to keep in mind one reason they may have come up with those ideas was because of cost. The ideas you may suggest might sound like ones for a larger budget, when in fact, it does not take much to add the right amount of enchantment to an event to make it seem grand. After you have drawn out the elements that the wedding will consist of and the time comes to explain the new direction to your clients, try to use words or details they originally did, but put your own spin on them. For example, instead of hanging the giant glittery snowflakes from the ceiling of the reception venue, create the image in their minds of stringing white twinkling lights in rows instead to create the illusion of a clear winter night or new snowflakes falling softly above all of the guests. It’s important to make your clients feel as though they came up with the inspiration for this – which it did.

Now there will be ideas you just can’t turn into classy or romantic, like a wedding party dressed as reindeer. However, you can turn a wedding party into winter beauties by suggesting deep red floor length off-the-shoulder dresses for the bridesmaids carrying red roses with the stems wrapped in silver fabric and pearl pinned centers. The groomsmen in dark grey suits with silver vests and a red rose pinned on their lapel will be the perfect escorts for the beautiful bridesmaids. Explain how all of them will compliment the gorgeous bride who will appear to glide down the aisle in her gown. You could always include some of their literal ideas of needing to use snow in the ceremony somehow, by suggesting the flower girl throw faux snow instead of flower petals. Small touches like this add the simplistic beauty that creates the “wow” factor guests and clients are looking for.

In an attempt to keep your good reputation and make your clients wedding day all they are hoping it will be, stay away from the traditional red and green of Christmas and use silver and gold accents along with deep reds and dark greens to fulfill the holiday inspired theme. Strands of silver beads hanging from standing candelabras can make exquisite centerpieces and a s’mores station for guests can give that added DIY food station in place of the build-your-own-snowman-kit. Whatever the ideas that are brought to you by clients, remember that the reason they came to you in the first place was to take their initial ideas and create something their imaginations could not. You are the keeper of their dreams!

This is a guest post from Christine Pirkle. Christine Pirkle resides in Galena, IL where she lives with her husband of almost two years. She works as an Author Account Manager for Kendall Hunt Publishing in Dubuque, IA and also works as a wedding coordinator part-time for her own business Rise Events Planning.