Use Asian Holidays For Asian Wedding Decorating Ideas

No one thinks twice about suggesting a Valentine's Day themed wedding, or one for St. Patrick's day - but why confine yourself to Western holidays? Combine holidays with your Asian theme by choosing a festival from the month in which you're marrying - and take Asian wedding decorating ideas from that festival. Not sure what those holidays might be? Take a look below.

January - New Years

The coming of the Western calendar has meant that many Asians now celebrate their New Year in January. New Years' traditions vary widely from country to country, but there are many you can use as a basis for Asian wedding decorating ideas. Traditional Chinese New Years' celebrations usually include Dragon Dances and puppets, and the prevalent colors are red and gold - for happiness and wealth.

A more sedate custom from Hong Kong is the sho-chiku-bai - a traditional flower arrangement consisting of potted bamboo, plum and pine. Miniature dish gardens that include the three plants make beautiful wedding table centerpieces. Decorate with garlands of plum blossom, and create your Asian theme wedding favors from miniature bamboo plants for good luck and congratulations.

March - Hinamatsuri (Doll's Festival)

The Doll's Festival, also known as the Girl's Festival, is celebrated in March. Homes with young girls display their dolls formally, and often host parties for them. Traditional decorating ideas for an Asian wedding in March might include Japanese dolls as favors, and delicate peach blossoms. Serve white sake and play Thank Heaven for Little Girls for the traditional first dance, or ather's Dance.

April - Cherry Blossom Festival

For a simple and beautiful Asian wedding theme, center it around the Cherry Blossom. The Cherry Blossom Festival is the traditional beginning of spring. The delicate, lacy flowers are a bridal favorite. To maintain the Japanese/Asian feel, keep wedding reception table centerpieces simple and spare, allowing the symmetry of the blossoms to shine through.

May - Tango No Sekku (Boy's Festival)

The Boy's Festival is celebrated with kites - traditionally in the shape of carp. Some Asian wedding decorating ideas based on this holiday include decorating the wedding hall with silk windsocks and kites, using miniature silk windsocks as wedding favors, and decorating with irises - because it is also the Festival of the Iris.

June - Birthday of Flowers (Birthday of the Lotus)

June 24 is the Birthday of Flowers in Peking. The lotus is the flower of the day - so one of the Asian wedding decorating ideas for wedding reception table decoration could be centering crystal bowls of water on each table and float lotus blossoms and miniature candles on the surface.

July - Seventh Night

In Japan and Taiwan, Seventh Night (July 7) marks the one day of the year that the Weaving Girl and the Ox-pulling boy meet. The tale is told that the pair met and fell in love, and in spending all their time together neglected their other duties. The gods condemned them to spend eternity apart and only meet on the 7th night of the 7 month.

In Taiwan, they say that the stars form a bridge for the two to meet. In Japan, it is magpies. Either way, silver stars and black feathers make for a dramatic wedding table decoration idea that commemorates their happy reunion.

If you're looking for Asian wedding decorating ideas that are a little out of the ordinary and steeped in lovely traditions, take a step away from weddings and look at Asian holidays.