For us Indians, winter is like an elixir, a magical cure-all for most of our subtropical woes. The very word reminds us of foggy mornings, pleasantly sunny afternoons, and colourful cuddly blankets. It refers to that time of the year when the major harvesting season is celebrated all across the country, and numerous local festivals and fairs are organized where thousands of people gather to make merry. It is during this time that the local markets are filled up with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and the whole of nature around us colour up with vibrant blooms. Christmas may be grey and white in the West, but in India, Christmas is as colourful as a rainbow. People all across the country take part in the celebrations, forgetting their religious and cultural boundaries. For us Indians, Christmas observance is not about honouring the glory of Christianity but about the celebration of the true spirit of India in the backdrop of the most-awaited season which is winter. No wonder, the major wedding season in India also coincides with this happy time and getting married on a chilly Christmas day is the fascination of many. The body-warmers, woollen shawls and numerous cups of steaming coffee or chai have their own charm and when they are mixed up with snuggly indoor mandap setups and hot chocolate as welcome drinks, magic is created. A Christmas wedding has an irresistible appeal that is hard to describe in words.
This article is dedicated to the glory of all those Christmas weddings; the pleasant vibes, the festive spirits, fab food and chilly mornings; and all that is quintessentially Delhi. It lists some of the best places in Delhi where you can organize your dream Christmas wedding and provides creative ideas for a warm and cozy reception. So, before you walk towards the mandap for a shawl-draped phera, go through this article once for some snuggly Christmas wedding ideas.
Best places to plan Christmas weddings in Delhi
1. Justa Atrio
Nestled amid plenty of greens in a posh residential area somewhere near the Delhi-Gurgaon border in Kapas Hera, is this hidden 4-star gem that can be a perfect place for glam weddings and gala events. Seductively luxurious and magnificently imposing, this gorgeous boutique hotel has all it needs to host a warm and cozy Christmas wedding. The sprawling green lawns and grand landscaped vistas provide the perfect backdrop for a picture-perfect event while the lavish banquet halls serve as the right place to keep the guests warm and protected. When it comes to hosting an event like a wedding, Atrio comes up with a lot of venue options that include a beautiful poolside space, three spacious Insta-worthy lawns and three grand banquet halls. Out of this, Victoria Hall can accommodate a massive 1500 guests at a time, making it one of the best banquet halls in Delhi to host a large yet intimate winter wedding.
Address: N.H – 8, D Block, Rajokri, Kapas Hera, New Delhi, Delhi 110037
2. Four Points by Sheraton
Located just 5 km away from the IGI Airport, this fabulous hotel is a place where luxury meets class. One of the most sought-after party venues in Delhi, this magnificent hotel has breathtakingly beautiful lawns and stunning indoor spaces that are ideal for events like grand weddings and intimate private parties. It has a massive 9150 sq. ft. ballroom and an additional smaller party hall called Utsav that make this place the right fit for gala indoor events like a large extravagant Christmas wedding.
Address: Plot No. – 9, NH – 8, Samalka, New Delhi – 110037
3. Zorba
Wedding days are very special to every woman. A lot of dreams and expectations are associated with it. And seeing all those dreams come alive is a gift of karma. But there is one place in Delhi that promises to bring every woman’s dreams of a fairy-tale wedding into a pinching reality. Zorba is an enormous event space near Sultanpur where each hosted event is a romance between fantasy and materiality. The sprawling lawns, the decorations, the lighting and the ambience; every element here creates a surreal experience. Immensely reputed for hosting all kinds of events including mega concerts and launch ceremonies, this place is also known for being one of the best wedding venues in Delhi. So, all of you who are planning a Christmas wedding this year, go and check the dates at Zorba, and if you’re lucky, your wedding would be an affair to remember.
Address: 166, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Rd, near Sultanpur Metro Station, Sultanpur, New Delhi – 110030
4. The Manor
Located in an upscale neighbourhood of South Delhi, is this beautiful heritage-style boutique hotel where luxury blends smoothly with elegance. It has sweeping lawns with plenty of big trees and flower plants, which make it an ideal place to host glamorous outdoor weddings. The tailor-made wedding planning services offered by the hotel promise to make each wedding a distinct and memorable affair. Good thing is that this 70-year-old vintage hotel has recently been completely refurbished to keep pace with the changing times and the taste of customers. So, plan your Christmas wedding here and enthral your guests with a customized winter-special wedding menu after discussing it with the executive chef.
Address: 77, Mathura Road, Friends Colony West, New Friends Colony, New Delhi – 110065
5. Maidens Hotel
Not every day do you get a chance to be hosted by a hotel that has a history of being more than a hundred years into existence and a legacy of uncompromising hospitality serving the rich and affluent of Delhi. Treat your guests to unparalleled luxury this winter by organizing your Christmas wedding at this iconic hotel in the upscale neighbourhood of the Civil Lines. The majestic white façade of the building, the mesmerising rose gardens in full bloom and the royal ambience are sure to light up your wedding like a thousand candles. Get enchanted by the regal décor and lavish wooden furniture that would remind you of the bygone Raj era. It has one of the classiest and coziest banquet halls for 150 guests in Delhi. The colonial architecture of the banquet hall with high ceilings and crystal chandeliers is bound to enthrall your guests beyond imagination. The decked-up corridors and lighted lawns would certainly make your Christmas wedding an event to remember.
Address: 7, Sham Nath Marg, Prema Kunj, Civil Lines, New Delhi – 110054
5 Best ideas for Christmas wedding reception
Now that the venue for your lavish Christmas wedding is decided, let us discuss some peppy party ideas for a spectacular Christmas wedding reception.
- Colour me Red
Traditionally, Christmas has been associated with the colour red. The chubby old man, Santa, is always dressed in red attire. In traditional Hindu weddings too, red is the colour that is predominantly used for its auspiciousness. The colour red signifies energy, passion, activity and desire. Hence, it would be a great idea to use the colour red in the theme as well as the décor of your wedding. Use red drapes and red flowers in mandap decorations and red velvet on chairs and sofa sets. Let your Christmas wedding be a passionate affair.
- Use a Christmas theme for the wedding
“Deck the halls with boughs of holly,” goes the Christmas song. Let your Christmas wedding reflect the yuletide spirit with glowing Christmas décor and theme. Create artificial snow all around with life-like installations of Santa in a red dress and the reindeers. Bring original boughs of holly plants and install them at the gates and seating areas. In case the original holly bushes are not available, get the realistic plastic or synthetic versions available in the market. Hang red ribbons all around from the ceilings and the gates. Hang small gifts wrapped in red cellophane from the little branches of the holly plants and encourage the invitees to pick any single gift they like from these. Also, lit up the whole venue with lots of dim fairy lights instead of using bright halogen lamps.
Click here to know more – 10 best Places to enjoy Christmas or New Year party
- Santa serving food!
It could be the most fun and fantastic idea. Discuss with your caterer and ask him to dress his boys in red Santa dresses. Imagine yourself being served your favourite paneer tikka by Santa. Doesn’t that sound interesting? Also, arrange for some men in red Santa attire to reach out to your guests and hand them over some token gifts. Arrange some special gifts for the children too. You can also arrange some fun activities with your Santa and the children of your guests.
- Delicious Christmas fare
Tweak your wedding menu a bit and include some traditional Christmas dishes like whole roasted turkey or lamb in the main course if you are non-vegetarian. Make the dessert platter full of surprises for your guests with classic Christmas fruit cakes, trifles, delicious puddings, baked Alaskas, tipsy rum balls and the classic Yule logs. Talk to your caterer in advance so that he gets time to hire the best chef for the purpose.
- Sing the choir
Instead of hiring a DJ or some orchestra group for live music at your reception, hire a choir group for some live Christmas music that would perfectly match your Christmas wedding theme and the other arrangements you’ve made. Schedule a special musical performance by the children in the family at the start of the event. This would give the parents of the children some proud moments too.
Best Christmas party or reception games for the guests
Once the venue, theme, food and ambience are set up, it’s time to get your guests in the right mood to enjoy and have fun. Ultimately, the goal of a wedding reception is to gather at a place, feast and have fun together. And what can be more fun than arranging some fun games where guests can participate too? Here are a few reception games ideas for the guests.
1. The Combo of secret Santa and Ice breaker
Since it’s a Christmas wedding, bringing in Santa in every activity is important. And what can be more appropriate than a secret Santa game? Announce the popular game to your guests but with a twist in the rules. Since the reception party and the dinner would be mostly held indoors due to chilly winds outside, you can ask all the guests to participate. Buy different token gift items for the purpose and keep them ready by wrapping them well in advance so that nobody knows what’s inside. Now, ask every guest to come to the stage, pick a gift and present it to somebody he likes in the crowd. Set rules like one person can’t receive more than one gift and no one can present a gift to his family members. Thus, this game would also break the ice between guests who don’t know each other.
2. The spy photographer
Ask your guests to snap pictures using their mobile phones of you and your spouse, the wedding décor, food, other guests or anything that relates to your wedding reception party and post them on their social media profiles with a hashtag referring to you. The pictures could be selfies or photographs, out of which the best three would be chosen within a week and attractive special gifts would be sent to the winners.
3. Spouse Sprint
If it’s a daytime reception programme, nothing can be more fun than involving your guests in some good old lawn games. Since it’s a winter wedding, the weather would be predominantly sunny with a cool breeze, clear sky and mellowed sunlight, making the pitch perfect for interesting outdoor games. Arrange a 100-meter sprint for the couples where one has to lift his/her (yup! Watch Roadies) spouse and run towards the finishing line. Winners would be awarded special gifts.
Conclusion
Although both the winter and Christmas are fun times for us Indians, observing the wedding rituals like haldi in the winter can be a bone-chilling idea. It doesn’t matter whether you have planned a Manish Malhotra or Tarun Tahiliani for your wedding or not, the good old Pashmina shawl would still end up stealing the show. Partying in clubs with friends wearing woollens and drinking alcohol can make winter seem interesting, but fasting throughout the day, walking bare feet and taking baths multiple times as part of rituals are a different ballgame altogether. However, despite its many flaws, a winter, or more specifically, a Christmas wedding is nonetheless a very good idea if you know how to look at the positive things. This article discusses all the important aspects related to a Christmas wedding like the venue, reception ideas and menu in detail. So, instead of focusing on the drawbacks, go through this article more than once for inspiration and take the plunge.
Contact Sloshout to choose the best wedding venues in Delhi
If you like what we have discussed above and yet can’t find party halls for Christmas weddings, simply log on to www.sloshout.com. Sloshout is India’s number one online venue-booking platform that lists all the wedding venues in a locality subject to a user’s requirements and allows the user to book his chosen venue from the list online from the comfort of his home or office. Interestingly, Sloshout doesn’t charge any registration fee for this service from the users. On the contrary, users get the benefit of heavy discounts on venue booking.
