With snow blanketing the terrain and mistletoe hung in the doorway, the holiday season is one of the most romantic times of the year. While many couples shoot for a late spring or early summer wedding date to ensure good weather, there are so many benefits of having a white winter wedding. There is a feeling of peace and happiness around the holidays, and there are far fewer weddings to compete with for the best locations and services. Plus, your guests will already be in a festive mood.
The Send-Off
With this in mind, it may be remarkably easier to craft your dream wedding during the Christmas season. And, in the spirit of the season, there is a whole host of Christmas themed wedding accessories to make your special day absolutely perfect. One of the most fun wedding accessories is the send-off.
This is a chance for the wedding party and all the guests to celebrate the moment the happy couple walks away to begin their journey together. It is also an opportunity for the bride and groom to plan their perfect grand exit. This is one of the best times to capture stunning wedding photos that show everyone at their happiest.
The send-off has certainly evolved far beyond its beginnings as a time when guests tossed rice at the couple. Now, to truly achieve a memorable and picture-perfect send-off, couples are opting for things like fireworks, sky lanterns, confetti, and exit wands.
The Jingle Bell Send-Off
However, if you are planning a Christmas wedding, the perfect send-off is perhaps the most stunning and fun of them all: the jingle bell send-off. There is also a long and rich history and symbolism behind both wedding bells and Christmas bells.
In past times, the Celts believed that church bells could ward off evil spirits and grant wishes so all newlyweds were blessed with their own special ringing of the bells after the ceremony. This tradition spread to all corners of the world, and the meaning behind wedding bells is so commonly known that if a certain couple starts to get serious, they or their loved ones might say they are “hearing wedding bells” to indicate that marriage may take place in the near future.
In addition to celebrating weddings, church bells are commonly rung during the Christmas season to usher in the season and celebrate the holiday. And, as everyone knows during Christmas, every time a bell rings that means an angel gets its wings.
So, if you are planning a Christmas wedding, using bells as a send-off can be an ideal, festive and fun way to celebrate the season and your happy union that also contains very powerful symbolism and tradition!
Why Choose Bells?
Another reason the jingle bell send-off is desirable is simply because it doesn’t have a drawback like some other send-offs do. The rice send-off is now considered to be non-environmentally friendly.
Alternatives like the sky lanterns, confetti, and fireworks are not permitted in many venues due to potential damage or the difficulty of cleaning up after the celebration. However, using jingle bells is something permissible in any venue that you choose to host your wedding. And, if your ceremony is not occurring in a church, you still won’t be missing the ringing bells.
DIY Bell Send-Off Wands
It is easy to make your own jingle bell wands. You simply need commonly found and cheap materials, including the bells, dowels, and ribbon – which comes in an abundance of colors, so coordinating with your wedding scheme will be no problem!
Once you have the dowels of the desired length, you must drill a small hole at one end. You can then spray paint them, and you have the perfect wand for your jingle bell send-off. Once the paint is dry, you can use a large-eyed needle to thread the ribbon through the hole in each wand and slide the bell all the way down the ribbon to the top of the wand. You can even include a tag with a sweet message to your guests in this step if you would like. Then double knot the ribbon, and your jingle bell send-off wand is complete.
If you would like to simplify that process even further, you could forgo the wand and just thread several bells and your message onto the ribbon and knot the ends together. Either way, you will end up with a stylish and fun send-off that your guests will love. And, while this send-off could be used for any wedding, with the added importance of bells during the holiday season it is especially dazzling for those that occur around Christmastime.