Winter Weddings. Everything You Need To Know.
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Winter Weddings. Everything You Need To Know.
Author : Wedding Photography Select
Article Date : 04 Dec 2014
Candles, cinnamon sticks, roaring log fires, pine cones, twinkling fairy lights, the colder months can definitely set the scene for a fairytale winter wedding. Here's our no-nonsense guide to ensuring that your plans meet their magical potential.
When planning a winter wedding, it's advisable to choose a venue that's reasonably accessible. Snow creates amazing photographic opportunities but can create wedding day chaos. Transport options on your wedding day can be completely derailed in bad weather. Hiring a Scottish castle for a Christmas wedding sounds quite heavenly, but be prepared that you may receive a number of last minute cancellations if the weather is looking too hideous for guests and suppliers to comfortably brave the journey.
Look after your guests as soon as they arrive at your wedding ceremony. A warm drink will go a long way to eradicating any stresses of the journey they may have experienced. Organise your ushers to serve mulled wine or hot chocolate to guests on their arrival at your ceremony. Small touches shows appreciation to your guests for coming and gets everyone in the mood for a day of celebration. Choose a seasonal treat that's fragrant and it will add to the magic of your day; winter warmer scents such as cinnamon sticks and orange will add to the visual magic of the setting.
Buy or hire warm blankets and make them available to guests throughout your wedding day. Ladies in dresses are likely to feel the chill and will be hugely appreciative of an extra layer to wrap up in. Where possible, organise guest transport at the end of your wedding reception. This could cover drop off at each place listed on your recommended accommodation options, enclosed with your original wedding invitations. Out of peak season, taxi companies in remote areas are unable to cope with catering for 140 guests rolling out of a wedding venue at 1am.
Embrace seasonal foliage. Red and green are obvious colour choices if you're hosting a Christmas wedding, but consider white as a theme for your winter wedding. Looking for high impact statement pieces? Urns filled with white hydrangeas and soft ranunculus contrast beautifully with green leafy foliage to create stunning visuals. The dark winter nights create an ideal setting for a wedding by candlelight. Create the ultimate romantic ambiance by adding clusters of candles to your wedding ceremony and reception designs.
Back up your equipment. Adverse weather conditions can really put your power sources to the test, especially if they're temporary and operating at al fresco weddings. Whilst summer time power failures at weddings can prove annoying, winter weddings minus heat and/or hot food can halt your reception altogether. Go crazy on generator hiring; you'll need backups in case the heating fails a few hours into your wedding reception. This is particularly relevant if you're planning a marquee wedding on privately owned premises during the winter months.
Give consideration to your exterior lighting options. There is no point in hiring 500 candles to decorate the steps up to your reception venue if there is a howling wind and downpour of rain on your wedding day. Plan all-weather options such as professionally designed light installations that are ensured to remain memorable for all the right reasons.
