A winter wedding is such a magical occasion but as a wedding planner, I know the colder season brings lots of unpredictable factors you should prepare for if you are getting married in winter. For this post, I will be sharing some practical tips for planning your Winter Wedding. From venues and timings, to winter wedding dresses and shoes, I will be looking at 5 main areas you should consider:
1. Prepare for the weather and colder temperatures
This is quite an obvious start but you must be prepared for the weather, may it be rain, wind or snow, and definitely colder temperatures. Umbrellas could be a great idea not only for your bridal photos but also your guests if they are going from place to place. Consider providing blankets too, place them on chairs or in baskets for guests to help themselves and keep warm. In some cases, extra heating may be required depending on the venue.
2. Is your venue equipped for a winter wedding?
If you’d prefer, you could consider one venue for the entire day, from ceremony to reception, and avoid the amount of time your guests are outside having to brave the wintery elements. But it also means no hold ups with bad weather traffic! If this is not doable, try to have your venues fairly close so it’s not too far to travel.
Check if your venue has a cloakroom or coat check-in service. If not, consider creating one as all your guests will have coats and you don’t want them on the back of chairs, stealing focus in your pictures. If your wedding day is close to Christmas, always check your venue’s winter/Christmas décor and ask to see photos. Sometimes this works out great as it’s free festive décor, but if it’s not to your taste you could ask for it to be taken down.
My final and most important venue point is that as the days become darker earlier, lighting is key. Look into fairy lights, festoon lighting, candlelight and you may need to extend your lighting budget to cover extra uplighters, and what is called ‘wash lighting’ in a venue to create the perfect winter wedding ambience.
3. It all comes down to timing
Daylight hours are shorter in winter so this is really important when looking at your timings. If you are having a later ceremony you will not have much or any natural light for wedding couple and bridal party photos. Plan to start earlier if these snaps are important to you or have a first look and photos before the ceremony. Extra tip, do make sure you find a photographer who is confident using off-camera flash as it is a very different style to a photographer who loves shooting with all natural light.
With regards to date and timings, are you planning a Christmas or New Year’s Eve wedding? Or even a Friday or Saturday leading up to these key festive dates? If so, ensure you advise your guests on pre-booking taxis afterwards or provide transport.
4. Winter wedding style ideas
For your bridal attire you may need to think more sensible (but still stylish!) wedding shoes or boots even. If you are somewhere that is likely to be muddy or snowy, definitely make sure you are well equipped with appropriate footwear if you plan to do wedding photos outside. You may want to consider a long sleeve wedding dress or faux fur wrap to keep you and your bridesmaids warm, it is also definitely okay to wear thick tights under long dresses if needed! Finally, remember to pack lip balm for chapped lips and a good moisturiser, so no dry skin.
5. Taking care of you
As well as all the practical bits such as the weather, shorter days and timings, don’t forget the most important part – you! Ensure you're looking after yourself in the weeks leading up to your wedding: lots of vitamins, relaxing and good food to keep yourself healthy (you will need your immune system to fight off those dreaded winter colds!).
If you keep these tips in mind then you will have an amazing winter wedding day. If you are planning a UK winter wedding and in need of a wedding planner, then please reach out.
Photographer: Yeti Vince Photography