How are the post Christmas blues coming, or are you gearing up for a fabulous 2017? Today it is time to catch up with real bride Tracey, who is getting married next year!

Tracey: " Snow is falling fast in Colorado: everything is white and it's a chilly 19°F/-7°C. The trees outside and inside are covered with sparkling lights. It's a very surreal and peaceful scene that infects you with the magical spirit of Christmas.

I'm remembering my first Christmas with Thomas's family. We arrived at 12 and I was full by the third course - I'd say around 2 pm. And the courses kept coming so often that I lost count. Everyone was still eating, drinking, and talking at the table until past midnight!

The second Christmas with Thomas's family was after they officially became my family too. By then, I caught on to how it works and learned the trick: pace yourself!

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With French Christmas meals as an inspiration, Thomas and I were drooling when setting the menu with Traiteur Dumont. We want to keep the food traditional and authentic to the region. No one shall go hungry!

Here is the outline of our menu, along with a couple of food items so you get the idea:

• Cocktail (we provide the champagne): small snacks
• Atelier Terroire : Ham, Aligot, tartiflette, foie gras...
• Atelier Fruits mer : seafood platters
• Plancha : Salmon, vegetables, St. Jacques, escargots...
• Mise en Bouche : The main course, steak...
• Salad
• Cheese
• Pièce montée : The cake along with accompanying desserts.
• Coffee, tea, or more champagne!
• Late night cap for the brave: French onion soup

If you don't know what "Aligot" is, you will want to. I can only best describe it as a mashed potato fondue.

The cheese platter is very important. It will represent (at least) all the five cheeses in the region of Auvergne: Saint Nectaire, Blue d'Auvergne, Cantal, Salers, and Fourme d'Ambert.

The "Pièce Montée" is the wedding cake. The caterer can make the cake, however even they suggested that we instead have le Lautrec in Vichy make the cake, because they have the best reputation in Vichy for patisserie. Here is a picture of their Pièces Montées of 300 macarons! It looks too pretty to eat!

As for the last, we've also requested a traditional serving of French onion soup to those who last into the wee hours of the morning after a full night of dancing.

Before I go, I want to give a brief shout out to the photographer I booked a few months ago: Lifestories. I decided on them when I saw one of their videos at the early part of this year. It made me cry, and I don't consider myself that emotional. Well, maybe I am. I reached out to Yann right away and we scheduled a Skype meeting.

After the beautiful work that Purewhite photography did for us, it did make us think twice, but finally we decided to go with our first choice. Check them out and you'll see why! It was a pleasure to meet Yann and we're anxious to see him in person!"

If you are looking for ideas and inspiration on planning your wedding in France, don't forget you can catch up with Belle Bride Tracey and you can find all the Belle Brides past and present here.

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