Christmas Vow Renewal in WinMock at Kinderton with Vietnamese and Trinidadian Influences

Gathering on a Thursday afternoon to rehearse three days before their wedding, we knew Aby & Sean’s holiday theme would be effortless as we looked around the venue and admired the large Christmas trees up in the loft overlooking the wedding hall.

Welcome to a Christmas Wedding

Walking up to the front doors of WinMock at Kinderton for a Christmas Vow Renwal, guests could immediately sense the tone and theme for the day. The tall white barn with red trim was adorned with large wreaths, and the entrance hall was lined with poinsettias and Christmas trees; on wedding day, a gold-framed mirror sign covered in floral swag said “Welcome to our happily ever after – Aby & Sean December 26, 2021.”

A side room off the entrance held a welcome table for cards & gifts, along with a mirror sign and guestbook. We decorated the railing of the staircase with a winter garland, and more poinsettias guided guests upstairs to a landing that featured a memorial table with an Unplugged Ceremony sign and photos of loved ones lost, including a four-legged family member. A mirror sign read, “Heaven may be far away but we know you’re with us on this day.”

Navy and Burgundy Ceremony Design

Although the main event space is on the second floor and some family members had mobility issues, there were no concerns since WinMock has an elevator. Walking through wreath-donned doors, guests paused to admire the grand ceremony space with high ceilings and natural wood beams. A white curtain in the middle of the room blocked off the backside of the hall, so the front half was fully set for the ceremony. A hexagon backdrop was set in front of the white curtain and was asymmetrically draped with wine-colored fabric, artificial navy and burgundy floral swag, and our hanging Edison bulbs. Four large lanterns sat at the base to round out the ceremony backdrop, and the aisle was lined with floral swag and a few reserved signs for immediate family at the front.

We closed the doors to the ceremony hall at 4:30 pm so the family could gather in the upstairs lobby as we prepared to process. The groom entered with his mom, followed by the wedding party and some little ones. A ring bearer carried a sign saying, “Has anybody seen the rings?” and the flower girls carried a basket with navy, burgundy, and gold petals. When they got to the front, one of the bridesmaids passed her bouquet to the older flower girl and stepped into her place as the officiant. Since Aby & Sean were already legally married, they were happy to have Aby’s cousin bless their marriage during the ceremony, telling how the stars aligned to bring these two together from different home countries – Vietnam and Trinidad – to meet in the USA.

Cultural Cuisine for Cocktail Hour

The ceremony was full of laughter and tears, and after the couple was reintroduced as partners for life, guests were invited to head downstairs for cocktail hour while the family stayed for photos in front of the arbor. Two rooms off the main first-floor hall had space for guests to mingle and grab a drink from the bar. A dozen small tables were decorated with candles and framed photos of the couple, and the passed appetizers included treats provided by the families to represent their cultures and include Vietnamese and Trinidadian Influences. Vietnamese egg rolls with sweet chili sauce were available, as well as Trinidadian Saheena and Pholouri with chutney for dipping.

A Winter Wonderland Reception

An hour later, guests were ushered back upstairs, where the ceremony space had been removed and replaced by reception tables. Round tables were decorated with ivory linens and burgundy napkins, while the long wooden tables skipped the tablecloths. Place settings were rounded out with flatware and pre-set waters. Since we’d originally planned for 200 guests and had about 110 in attendance, we were able to include plenty of space between tables and had room for guests to select their own seats without a seating chart. The beer + wine bar moved upstairs and was decorated with a bar sign and small Christmas tree.

Aby & Sean chose to sit at a sweetheart table, which was a square farm table, and we added white pipe and drapes with fairy lights behind their seats. Floral swag, Mr & Mrs signs, a gold table runner, and votive candles topped the table, and the ceremony lanterns were moved to the base of the sweetheart table. The 18 guest tables had three centerpiece varieties, including 4 bridesmaid bouquets in clear vases with faux ice and twinkle lights, as well as 4 mini-Christmas trees. The remaining 10 centerpieces were provided by Beauty & the Budget Events and included three hurricane glass cylinders filled with evergreen springs trimmed from our Christmas tree, an inch of cranberries, and a floating candle.

Aby & Sean entered the reception and went straight into their first dance: “Conversations in the Dark” by John Legend. A father-daughter dance to “Butterfly Kisses” followed, and then Sean and his adorable momma bounced around to “Over the Rainbow” – his mom pretty much se
renaded the DJ during her dance! Two matrons of honor and the best man gave toasts before a blessing, and then the buffet was opened.

An hour later, Aby & Sean cut the cake and the dessert bar was opened. The hexagon ceremony backdrop had been moved behind the cake table, which included the cutting cake and additional floating Christmas candle arrangements. The dessert table included a mix of desserts on trays including cream puffs, Trinidadian Fudge, Trinidadian Barfi, and Trinidadian Kurma. The table also included grab bags for guests to take treats with them, photos from the couple’s original wedding day, and a mirror sign that said, “All you need is Love and Dessert.”

After dessert, Aby & Sean gave a thank you speech and invited all guests to gather for an overhead group photo. Then the dancing began! A mix of pop, cultural music, and a conga line kept guests moving until it was time to go outside for a bubble sendoff to end the evening.