There's something magical about a winter wedding, and if the romance of twinkling fairy lights, snuggling up under blankets, and ending the evening with the childlike joy of writing your name with sparklers is your thing, then planning a winter wedding when guests are less likely to be away on holiday and the most popular wedding venues have better availability, could reap big rewards!
There are however a few things to consider when planning your winter wedding, the weather being only one of them!
Here I share my 8 favourite winter wedding tips to help you plan the perfect winter wedding...
1. Stay Cosy
You want to feel the warmth of love and togetherness on your wedding day, not be shivering as the temperatures drop, so make sure you invest in a jacket, a pashmina, a wrap, or a cute faux fur number to keep you toasty when you need to step outside the warmth of your wedding venue for the all important photos.
This avant garde embroidered denim jacket from Northern Ireland based Niamh Designs, is a super stylish throw on for when you need to keep cosy whilst looking cool.
It's also worth choosing an outfit for your wedding day that's full length to keep those legs protected and to perfectly hides a pair of tights and chunky boots, and that also features long sleeves for lovely warm limbs!
The KAYA wedding dress from UK wedding dress designer the BOHO BRIDE ticks all of those boxes and with it's tiered skirt also taps into the popular 'Cottage Core' trend.
If choosing a suit head for heavier weight fabrics such as tweed, cord or a delicious velvet to keep the winter chill at bay.
With sunlight in short supply during the winter months, taking the time to consider the different ways to light your venue and how to make the most of what natural light there is on a cool November day, is right up there in importance when planning your winter wedding.
First and foremost I'd be booking an appointment to chat to your photographer ahead of your wedding to discuss which of your photos you'd like shot in natural daylight as this will dictate the timing of other elements of your day. It's also worth having a back up plan for what to do if the weather is too challenging for outdoor photography. Photos taken in sheltered doorways, under the canopy of a gazebo or evergreen trees are all good options in this instance.
It's also a good idea to talk to your venue about the best way to light up dark corners. If they allow naked flames then candlelight has to be the most romantic option, but if real candlelight is a no go then opt for naturalistic battery operated candles to add soft lighting.
Many venues already have fairy and festoon lighting installed, but if not, then asking a wedding venue stylist or whoever you've chosen to help you style your space, to add this most magically seasonal form of lighting is an absolute must for photos that will ignite your memories!
3. Consider Dried Winter Wedding Flowers
Bear in mind that the choice of fresh flowers can be limited at this time of year, especially if you're conscious of the environmental impact of your wedding and want to avoid unnecessary air miles involved in shipping fresh flowers to the UK.
A wonderful alternative to fresh flowers are bouquets and instalments that use either a mix of fresh and dried flowers, or purely dried flowers, as seen here with the pure white and ivory wedding bouquet arrangement and button hole by dried and preserved wedding flowers specialist, Horse Shoe Flowers
4. Wear Wedding Accessories That Sparkle
Wedding accessories that use materials that reflect the light will add that extra sparkle to your winter wedding look. Think crystals and diamanté for that magical twinkle that will look especially effective when caught in any videography of your wedding celebrations.
Also consider chatting to your wedding accessory designer about which of their designs might echo the forms found in nature at this time of year. Opting for wedding accessories that echo the patterns found in nature on a frosty, snowy, dewy morning, will tie your wedding styling firmly into a winter wedding theme.
5. Add Seasonal Details
If you're looking to reflect the time of year in your wedding day styling talk your venue's stylist, your private wedding planner, or if overseeing the styling yourself consider how you might achieve this.
If you're heading for a boho style winter wedding, macrame shapes are an extremely versatile and effective way of achieving this. Hang macrame snowflakes from the back of chairs, arrange them in your table settings, or have them included in your ceremony space styling.
Festoon your ceremony and celebration spaces with seasonal elements such as xmas tree baubles and fairy lights for a budget friendly, beautiful way to nod to the time of year.
6. Choose a venue that's all under one roof
A venue where your ceremony, food and party celebrations can all be accommodated under one roof means that you and your guests can stay warm and dry whatever the weather decides to do outside. It's really no fun having to make a dash in the pouring rain for the toilets or restaurant space if they're situated a distance away from the main ceremony area.
But, if you've fallen in love with a wedding venue that isn't all under one roof, a bit of planning ahead to make sure umbrellas and maybe even shawls are to hand to keep everyone warm and dry is a great back up option.
7. Don't be afraid to choose neutral tones
Winter weddings are often associated with rich jewel tones, but if your style is more aligned with a colour palette of cool creams, ivories, taupes and whites, these colours will look starkly elegant and align beautifully with a winter wonderland theme.
8. Daylight and the schedule of your day.
Bearing in mind that full daylight in the UK during the months of November, December and January is limited, with the Winter Solstice seeing less than 8 hours between sun rise and sun set, this will have an impact on when you will need to schedule some of the moments requiring the best daylight during your day.
Any events that you would like captured by your photographer with the best possible natural light will have to be planned into your day with perhaps some creativity around when you come together for any traditional elements like cake cutting. Bear in mind that a day that runs to a wedding prep, travel to wedding venue, wedding ceremony, speeches, food, cake cutting, first dance, then partying format, might need to be changed up to allow your photographer to take you away from your guests and use the best of the daylight for your photos.
I'd advise you to have the scheduling conversation with your photographer, videographer, venue and any wedding planner involved, ahead of the big day to make sure you don't miss out on any photos and video moments that you had your heart set on and that rely on good light.
I sincerely hope that these hints and tips learnt from my 12 years experience working as a wedding accessory designer in the UK's wedding industry, help you plan the most amazing winter wedding, and if you'd like further advice on what wedding accessories to wear for your winter wedding just drop me a line at heidi@gloriousbyheidi.com
Photography credit to Gabriela's Photography and Film
Featured venue - Stretton Manor Barn
Hair by Kelly Hanks Hair Design
Make Up by Derbyshire Bride
Florals from Horse Shoe Flowers
Venue Styling by Rustic Rose Events
Stationery from Harriett and Joel