1. Light
Now that it’s November, we’re all feeling it. Winter days are just shorter and darker and there’s no way around it. When you’re planning a winter wedding, you need to make sure you consider the light for photographs during your wedding day.
First, consider holding your ceremony earlier in the day, so you can ensure you have enough time after the ceremony for outdoor group shots. Second, if you know you want glowy, bright wedding photos, talk to your photographer ahead of time to make sure he or she thinks this is possible based on your venue for the time of year.
2. Warmth and Weather
If you are the kind of person who loves cozy woollen sweaters and fur stoles, a winter wedding might be right up your alley. For a winter wedding, you’ll need to keep the weather in mind. Check with your venue or church ahead of time to make sure the building will have had time to warm up before your ceremony or reception. There’s nothing worse than your guests not being able to concentrate because they’re freezing cold! If you expect there to be a chill, set out a few blankets for your guests to cozy up in.
Likewise, if you have a long list of relatives and friends you want in your photographs – and you want those photographs taken outside – keep in mind that not everyone can look cheerful while their teeth are chattering. Depending on your location, you’ll have to make it quick if you want your bridal party to stand out in the cold and not start to turn blue!
Even if your wedding is taking place in a warmer place, you should also keep in mind that guests from snowy states might have trouble traveling depending on the weather, and you just won’t be able to predict that.
3. Color Scheme
Winter color schemes can be beautiful, but the season does lend itself to different pairings than summer weddings. If you’re opting for a pre-Christmas wedding, reds and greens can be charming instead of garish if you opt for muted tones or mix in metallics or bits of nature like pinecones or boughs.
Into the new year, keep those muted tones going, with peachy pinks or dusty greens, and you’ll avoid the “Frozen” look.
4. Flowers
Certain flowers will, of course, be more expensive or downright impossible to get during the wintertime. But that doesn’t mean you’re completely limited. Talk to your florist about what’s in season in the winter, and work from there. Greenery like eucalyptus lends itself well to a winter wedding, and branches can be downright elegant (and inexpensive!) as centrepieces. And where you can’t go overboard with flowers, you certainly can go wild with candles. With the darker, shorter days, candles will make a bigger impact than a summer wedding starting much earlier! So load up with candles of varying heights and light ’em up!
Winter weddings can be stunning – so long as you’re prepared for the elements and eventualities!
