Marrying on Valentine's Day? You've probably been called a romantic. Perhaps you even got your sparkler (and a great engagement story) on that very same day.
And yet, your engagement's probably not what drove you to tie the knot then.
How about this: that giddy feeling you first got in second grade ... when the cute blond boy dropped a dimestore card in the shoebox you made with doilies and ribbons.
In other words? Valentine's Day is a delicious combination of grown-up passion and schoolgirl crush.
Back or Forth? Sussing Out the Season
Your first task: figuring out whether to lean back toward a wintry look and feel, or forward into
spring. Part of this may depend on how chilly it typically gets in February
chez vous (though some places actually allow an outdoor wedding by then). But weather aside, a lot depends on your vision.
A winter-leaning wedding shares the regal feel of
Christmas: heavier fabrics, fuller skirts, classical red
roses. For colors, you might have more dignified reds and whites, with
gold embroidery and ivory overlays. (Believe it or not, even a
black and white wedding with red roses is pitch-perfect for Valentine's Day).
And your food will probably reflect winter's formality, too: a white chocolate wedding cake with red raspberry filling, say, or a red velvet cake surrounded with rich cream cheese frosting. Plus, the date sends up a green light for brides who dream of marrying in a daring red gown.
In Spring, a Couple's Thoughts Turn to Love ...
A spring-ish wedding, on the other hand, is filled with flirtier flowers:
pink roses and peonies, pale pink rununculous and lisianthus, cream tulips and hydrangeas.
Picture this: your guests mark your departure with a shower of rose petals from petal cones. Your dress? Understated, with asymmetrical draping and a sweetheart neckline. Your bridesmaids gear: tea-length gowns with ruffled hems or long, silky sashes.
You might even dispense with the cake altogether, treating the crowd to whimsical cupcake trays and bite-sized appetizers ... and invite them to wash it all down with pink champagne and a raspberry garnish. A berry sorbet with fresh mint cleans the palette between courses.
Timeless Tables
When held in a ballroom, the Valentine wedding benefits from lots of romantic draping. In addition to the masses of red roses (or springtime pinks) it calls for, you can toss together a few more whimsical centerpieces to add variety or mark a spot like the cake table.
Rose Petal Runner
A popular approach to focal points, this table treatment simply involves piling masses of rose petals down the center of the table, just like a fabric runner, then zigzagging white votives down the line.
Candy Heart Containers
For pillar candle centerpieces, fill a 1/3 of a
hurricane lamp with white
conversation hearts. Plunk in a pillar candle, then fill the remaining space with hearts. Or for a floral centerpiece, find two glass bowls, one slightly larger than the other. Fill the space between bowls with conversation hearts, then fill the smallest bowl with water and float a peony head.
Gift Box with Paveed Roses
Locate round or square balsam boxes from any craft store, and paint to suit. Fill with Oasis (moistened) floral foam cut to fit, and cover the foam with spray or sweetheart roses until no foam is visible. Tie off the gift box with a satin ribbon.
Rose Hearts on Cake Trays
Buy Oasis foam in a heart shape, or cut flat foam to shape. Moisten, and cover with spray or sweetheart roses until no foam is visible. Place on an attractive cake stand. Doll up this centerpiece even more with sheer organza draping, satin ribbon, crystal pins or votives.
What other Valentine wedding centerpiece ideas caught your eye? Share them below!
Seduce With the Small Stuff
Here's a few more details to make any February 14th wedding sizzle:
- Chocolate-dipped strawberries. This oh-so-sexy fruit seems made for this holiday ... and even more so when you dip it in the greatest aphrodisiac on earth (at least for women!)
- Pink martinis. The crowd will thrill to cosmos, no matter their age or gender.
- Valentine candy buffet. No other holiday wedding calls louder for the sweet nostalgia of the candy buffet. Your choices are numerous, from oversized wedding conversation hearts to sweet foil-wrapped chocolates in pinks and reds.
- Candy heart card box. Make an adorable card box that brings back the old days of tempting gifts from parents or sweethearts. Grab a large heart-shaped paper mache box from a craft store, paint it red, and trim the lid with multiple layers of lace and braid, just like the candy boxes you once saw in the five-and-dimes. Cut out a slot, and stamp or paste on your monogram. Adorable!
Additional Reading
Need a little added inspiration? Here are a few more spots to help with the planning:
10 New Centerpiece Ideas (in the Next 5 Minutes)
The Red Wedding Dress
The New Black & White Wedding
Cherry, Cherry Nice
Tags: 
March 30th, 2008 at 5:22 am
I was just wanting some cute ideas on what to have for decorations for my Valentines Day Wedding?
February 13th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
“She Walks in Beauty” just let fly with a beautiful post full of ultra-romantic Valentine’s day wedding ideas. Love the cameos, the beading, the long, low-backed crimson gowns, the martinis. Absolute. Must. See!
January 25th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
OK, here’s a really resourceful bride who pulled off a gorgeous red & white wedding using primarily the efforts of friends & family. She was super-organized, and set her helpers up with photos of what she wanted the rooms/tables to look like, and they did a great job!
She also created these beautiful CD favors. Don’t you just love the escort card table? That little topiary is so simple, but puts it over the top when you throw in the rose petals. Beautiful wedding.
September 8th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
March 20th, 2007 at 8:00 am
I’M HAVING A VALENTINES WEDDING AND I’MAKING MY OWN WEDDING FAVORS .I GOT MIMI WINE GLOBLET AND HOT GLUED PINK SATIN RIBBIN ON I TOOK RED RIBBIN WITH LOOPS ON THE EDGE ANDHOT GLUED THAT ON AND TOOK WHITE LACE AND GLUED THAT ON I GOT SOME VERY NARROW RIBBIN IN RED AND PINK CUT ONE PIECE OF EACH COLOR AND TIED A LOOP IN THEM AND ONE ON EACH SIDE. LOOKS VERY PRETTY