17 Unique New Years Eve Wedding Ideas For The Big Day

Do you want your wedding to take place during a holiday so that it has a theme to go with the occasion? How about making it a New Year’s Eve wedding? Guests will already be in a festive spirit and you can easily design a wedding around the idea. All you need are a few unique New Year’s Eve wedding ideas for the big day, something we at Peerspace have plenty of! 

1. Wear a flashy wedding dress

New Year’s Eve is a truly festive occasion! You’re heralding the beginning of the New Year – not to mention a new relationship, given your marriage! So why not choose a dress that is as extra as the occasion? Something that makes a bold statement, like a gold or red wedding dress? 

2. Choose a rooftop wedding venue

When we think of New Year’s Eve wedding ideas, the venue is at the top of our list. Chic, classy, and cosmopolitan are just a few of the words that come to mind for this kind of space. So how about a stunning rooftop wedding in the middle of downtown? Your friends and family can enjoy cocktails and skyline views, counting down alongside you until the sky lights up with fireworks as you usher in the New Year!

Did you know that Peerspace has hundreds of rooftop venues that would be an amazing space for a New Year’s Eve wedding? For example, this stylish rooftop venue in New York, NY, offers ample views of the more iconic skyline sights the city is known for, with enough space for a cozy micro-wedding of 50 guests!

3. Send wedding invitations to match the theme

Since your wedding is both a celebration of New Year’s Eve and your marriage, pick invitations that reflect the theme. Custom wedding invitations that look like party tickets or come with gold foil lettering are a few ways to let guests know they are in for the night of a lifetime. You can find customizable wedding invitations with fireworks, gold foil, city skyline prints, and other beautiful touches on Etsy.

4. Add clocks as decorative elements

We’re all counting down the minutes and seconds until the New Year turns over so why not use clocks as decorations for your wedding venue? A clock right behind the wedding altar really fits the New Year’s Eve wedding theme! You can also place clocks as decorative centerpieces on tables, add a clock to the welcome sign, and even give out small clocks as party favors so everyone can take them out later and count down together!

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5. Choose a glamorous wedding cake

The wedding cake is as important as the centerpieces, wedding dress, and other decorative elements in tying your theme together. So what does a New Year’s Eve wedding cake look like?

For starters, it’s got to be classy and bold without being too over the top. So how about a metallic coating instead of the usual matte white or cream color? Think gold or silver – or both combined – as a New Year’s Eve wedding cake. Black and white are also a classic color combination for a festive occasion! You could even add a few sparklers, which would be a little over the top…But it’s your wedding, so if you want to be that extra, go for it! 

6. Cater with a cocktail-style menu

A New Year’s Eve wedding captures much of the same spirit as a chic cocktail soiree and the menu should reflect that. Instead of sitting down for plates of food, why not serve appetizers and small bites for guests to enjoy while they mingle and wait for the countdown to start? Think finger foods like pigs in a blanket, canapes, and chocolate fondue over a heaping platter or buffet!

7. Have a party hat table

Is it really a New Year’s Eve party if guests don’t have party hats? Set up a table right near the entrance to the wedding ceremony or reception venue where friends and family can snag a fun hat, beads, fans, and other accessories! It gets people in the right mood and reminds them that the fun is only just beginning! Also encourage your guests to bring their own hats, fans, boas, and other fun accessories if they have them.

8. Make it a masquerade party

How many themes can you fit into a single party? A lot, as it turns out! This New Year’s Eve wedding idea is one of our favorites because it adds a creative dimension that everyone can engage in. Masquerade balls are thrilling because they feel like a costume party yet you don’t have to commit to a major costume change. You should provide masquerade masks in advance since there won’t be time for making masks at a wedding. Have a collection of masks set near the entrance for guests to pick up as they enter the wedding venue!

9. Set up a photo booth

Photo booths give guests a fun physical print they can hang up on the fridge or tuck away as a keepsake instead of relying on their phone for quick snapshots. A rental photo booth is a unique and cheap addition to any wedding reception. Plus you can add some masquerade masks, party hats, mustaches, and other props for guests to put on before they head into the booth for some snapshots!

10. Give out sparklers and noise makers

People will be making noise and lighting bright fireworks long before the actual countdown begins…So encourage everyone to keep the party atmosphere going by handing out sparklers and noise makers! Everyone knows not to interrupt the ceremony with them – but afterwards? Time to make some noise and enjoy that classic sparkler exit!

11. Choose an elegant venue

A New Year’s Eve wedding is an elegant and glamorous affair so why not choose a venue to match the occasion? Party boats, high-end restaurants, and waterfront party halls are just a few of the spaces we’d pick. You’ll have all of the amenities of a traditional wedding venue in a space that feels festive and offers views of the fireworks and other New Year’s festivities.

Peerspace has venues that fit the bill like this historic mansion and garden in Washington, DC, with ample indoor and outdoor space for the wedding ceremony and reception!

12. Toss confetti at the end of the ceremony

At a traditional wedding, you often have guests toss flower petals or rice…But how about confetti as a New Year’s Eve wedding idea? It’s way more in line with the theme, plus the incredible color will make for some fantastic wedding photographs to look back on! Simply give out little cups or cones of confetti beforehand that your guests can toss as the ceremony ends and you walk down the aisle with your new partner! 

13. Add sequins to everything

Sequins aren’t solely for 1980s party outfits; bring them back as a New Year’s Eve wedding idea! They’re flashy like glitter and metallic paint and belong on center stage; maybe even covering your flashy wedding dress? Sequins and glitter also look great on the groom, the groomsmen, and the bridesmaids. Or if you want to tone it down a little, use them as decorative touches to the wedding arch and centerpieces!

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14. Choose glamorous party snacks

Glittery and metallic colors should be used in more places than just your outfits or decorations…Think about the possibilities that glamorous snacks offer as a New Year’s Eve wedding idea! Pick up some rock candy, macaroons, chocolates, and other treats that are dipped in gold, silver, white, and black coatings. These New Year’s Eve party treats will disappear fast and make for a memorable snack table.

15. Make a resolution guest book

Signing the guest book is an important part of any wedding ceremony and reception…But you can make it a truly New Year’s Eve-themed wedding by asking everyone to include their resolution(s) along with their signature and well wishes! You’ll be delighted to read what people come up with and you’ll have a wedding guest book like no other that you can revisit with joy for decades to come!

16. Create a wedding cigar bar

Want a classy New Year’s Eve wedding idea? For the right crowd, a cigar bar is a lot of fun! Have a set of cigars personalized with the names of your guests in advance. Set them out and let guests enjoy a good smoke together to usher in the New Year! 

17. Hand out hangover kits at the end

Hangover kits are a cute way to bring the evening to a close! Let guests know you appreciate how much fun they had at your party while giving them a few gifts to mitigate any hangover the following day. A little bit of coffee, some mints, maybe a bottle of water, and some paracetamol…It’s funny, thoughtful, and practical, all at once!

New Year’s Eve wedding ideas: conclusion

A New Year’s Eve wedding is an exciting theme to choose! From the metallic decorations to the fireworks at the end of the evening, what better way is there to get married? We hope you’ve found a few of our unique New Year’s Eve wedding ideas to be useful! As lovers of party planning, Peerspace is here to help you find everything from decorations to wedding venues near you for your upcoming celebration!

Find unique event venues near you ideal for a New Year’s Eve wedding on Peerspace