When we began planning our Christmas decorations this year, we had an interesting event to consider: we are hosting a wedding in our home on Christmas Eve. Don’t ask me how this happened. A family friend asked and we agreed. Five people and a quick “I do” has morphed into twenty people and a luncheon to follow. We were going to spruce up and decorate anyway, so we’ve just ramped it up a notch. And there was one other thing to take into account: the bride’s favorite color is purple.
While browsing the local upscale ornament shop(okay, the dollar store), we knew it the minute we saw it. It was a color I hadn’t seen in ornaments before, somewhere between deep burgundy and plum. My sister and I began grabbing handfuls of the ornaments in this color. I later learned that in “fancy schmancy” circles it is called “aubergine.”
Suddenly, I’m seeing this color everywhere. Apparently it is one of the “it” colors this year. When I returned to the dollar store to get a few more ornaments, the color was almost sold out. We placed greens along the fireplace mantel, and mixed in the ornaments in aubergine and silver. A tall vase of matching hydrangeas sits in the center. White lights illuminate the greens and decorations, and a string of silver beads swags down below the mantel. A miniature table-top tree carries out the same color scheme. When I ran out of silver ornaments, I raided my jewelry box for dangly silver earrings. It is simple—and also quite lovely.
The dining room, where the post-nuptual buffet will be served, will be decorated in the traditional red, green and gold. We have a host of vintage ornaments in these colors, and will use those to finish the room.
It took a wedding to make us up the ante in our Christmas decor this year, and a bride who loves purple. I’m thrilled with the results. I think the aubergine may appear again in future holiday decor.