Photo Credit: Rebekah Westover Photography
If the raw beauty of winter is something you want to incorporate into your wedding plans but the chilly weather puts you off holding your nuptials during the season, check out our ideas for winter weddings and how you can have a show-stopping wedding without worrying about the cold climate.
A grand venue
Winter is the season of dramatic landscapes, and you might want to choose an equally show-stopping venue in which to get wed. You can’t really go wrong by selecting a castle for your big day celebrations, and fortresses are often surrounded by vast parkland, which can make for a breathtaking sight – especially when sparse branches are covered with powdery snow or hung with glinting icicles.
By choosing a fortress as your wedding venue, you can be sure of some stunning and dramatic photographs to remember you special day by, and your guests will be blown away by the striking sight of a rugged castle against the milky backdrop of the winter sky. Visit www.wedding-venues.co.uk to browse some beautiful castles for your special day.
Cozy clothing
If you don’t want the cold weather of winter to penetrate through your wedding outfits, you might need to be creative when coming up with what you, your groom and any bridesmaids or groomsmen will wear. There’s no need to forgo a beautiful wedding gown; alternatively look for a dress with long sleeves, or choose accessories that will help keep the chill out, such as a faux fur shrug or a feathery muff you could hold in place of a traditional bouquet.
The groom and his men, meanwhile, could warm up in tailcoats or full-length dark overcoats with a fleece trim that will keep them warm yet still look stylish. Hats can also help members of the wedding party retain some heat, and you might choose his and hers furry ushankas – which are Russian-style hats – in white and black respectively.
A hearty banquet
Perhaps the best way to ensure your wedding party is warm and happy during your big day celebration is to hold a seated banquet using long tables, rather than numerous individual tables. The close proximity of guests to one another should help conserve body heat, while the motion of reaching out towards food and drink will also help everyone keep warm.
This sort of communal-style meal will also mean guests might feel more at ease with one another and incite them to converse with those on either side or opposite them at the banqueting tables.
After the ceremony but before the meal, you might decide to serve warming mugs of mulled wine in place of glasses of champagne, along with h’orderves like warm blue cheese cookies or gingerbread squares.
Warming touches
When you look into the venue you plan to hold your wedding at, find out whether there are any features that can help detract from the chilly weather outdoors. A roaring log fire in an open fireplace is one such feature you could ask about, while outdoor heaters might also be useful if you plan to say ‘I do’ in an external area of the venue.
When planning your wedding, think about warming touches as favors for your guests. You might decide to give everyone a pair of gloves, a scarf or a hat as a useful memento of your wedding, and you could ask everyone to wear their woollies for some wedding pictures with a difference!
Consider a flipbook photo booth rental, where you can customize the pages of your flipbook to emulate a winter wonderland. Take home a piece of your wedding, one that will ignite your memories for a lifetime.