A flake of snow in flurry thro’ the air
Had landed as a kiss upon my cheek:
A secret message, just for me to share;
To take to heart but never dare to speak
About or presuppose to other eyes
Your open feelings – distant though they are.
And so, upon your lips, my OWN surprise:
A flake of snow returned from me afar.
- A Winter Message By Mark R Slaughter
Winter is a magical time of year. While it can be cold and dreary outside it can also be beautiful. While Spring and Summer are the most popular times to get married a winter wedding should never be overlooked. Especially if you are a fan of Holiday themes. This is one time of year where you have a lot to work with. Between Thanksgiving, Christmas New Years and Valentines Day you have a lot of themes you can incorporate into your wedding. We wanted to share some great tips and ideas with you that we have found in regards to planning your winter wedding.
The Ice Wedding Designed By Barbara Wallace – Photo By Jon Nickson Photography
In winter, bare branches sparkle with frozen crystalline droplets, creating a luminous, icy white that can set the tone for a sophisticated wedding. A winter wedding also allows you to be festive, playful and a bit unconventional. – Martha Stewart Weddings
Where to Have a Winter Wedding
Look for an inn with a fireplace for an intimate winter wedding. For a larger affair, you may be able to use a historic mansion or private club that will still have intimate warmth. Unless you’re getting married in a state that will have guaranteed snow during your wedding date, avoid a room that has a large picture window. You may imagine drifts of beautiful snow, and end up with a grey rainy day. Be sure to ask what seasonal decorations they use – you’ll save money as many sites are already heavily decorated. Also, check to make sure your site will be adequately heated during the winter months; old churches can be especially drafty.
Photo By Oakstream Photography
Planning the Menu
You can have all of your favorite food but add some winter touches like a squash dish, or warm pumpkin soup. Consider serving eggnog, spiced wine, or hot chocolate (alcoholic or non-) as special treats. Look for an all-white cake, decorated with snowflake patterns, silver embellishments, or sugar sculptures. Ask your caterer about using a decorative snow globe as a cake topper
Winter Wedding Flowers
Decide whether you want to go for a silver and white elegant look, or celebrate the season with reds and greens. For those who like silver, look for dusty miller, silver-dollar eucalyptus, and baby blue eucalyptus, mixed with white flowers such as roses, football mums, crocus, lilies and stephanotis. If you’re looking for a brighter bouquet, consider red roses with holly and pine-tree greenery. In season flowers such as tulips, roses, and ornamental berries generally will be less expensive choices. (Talk to your florist, as your region may have different availability)
Red roses, calla lilies, and amaryllis are decidedly winter wedding flowers, but if you step outside the flower box, and you’ll find a variety of options for winter blooms.
Consider fuller flowers, such as white hydrangeas and soft ranunculuses. White boutonnieres can be handsome when they’re accented with greenery, but they also look great with a simple white ribbon. Add sparkle to your bouquet by wrapping the stems in ribbon embellished with crystals.
The Décor for Your Winter Wedding
Decorate your tables with simple and inexpensive white poinsettias, or fill the room with light by arranging pillar candles on a bed of pine branches At the after-Christmas sales, stock up on strands of small white lights, then string them decoratively around doorways, over tables and on archways. Bright red cranberries in a bowl surrounding floating candles make an easy and inexpensive centerpiece. Or, decorate a pre-made gingerbread house for each table, and center it on a bed of greenery with candles around it.
If you want to heighten the drama, bring in the icy outdoors with ice-carved vases on your reception tables. Have your florist fill the vases with tall winter-white branches and hanging crystals to reflect the light from the tables. Surround the centerpieces with votive candles, and top your tables with white dupioni table linens and frosted glass china.
Winter Centerpiece By Wedding Dreamer
The Ice Wedding Designed By Barbara Wallace – Photo By Jon Nickson Photography
Favors
If you and most of your guests celebrate Christmas, an ornament makes a perfect favor. An inexpensive homemade favor is a pretty tin of spiced hot chocolate mix or hot cocoa mix with marshmallows. Also consider a snow globe, with a bride and groom inside, or a holiday cookie cutter with a cookie recipe attached that says your names, wedding date, and “truly cut out for each other”.
Always Consider The Weather
“The most important thing to remember when planning a winter wedding isn’t the fashion, or the flowers, or even the food… It’s the weather! We all know that winter can turn harsh without much warning and if you’re not prepared, it can spell disaster for your nuptials. When you begin planning, imagine every possible scenario (wind, rain, snow, etc) and think of a plan in case those elements come into play. If you’ve got a contingency plan, you won’t have to stress in the days leading up to your wedding. Think of your guests: Will they have to walk along a snowy path to get to the ceremony? Does the reception hall get chilly due to all the large windows? Should valet be stocked with umbrellas so no one gets drizzled on getting in and out of their car? These are all things you can think of in advance to ensure a flawless wedding day regardless of what Old Man Winter has in store!”
Photo By Dustin Todd Photography
Utilize Umbrellas
Having umbrellas on hand when there’s a chance of showers doesn’t have to be just about worst-case-scenario planning. Pick out fun, pretty ones and talk to your wedding photographer about creatively incorporating them in the photos.
Special touches to consider
- Have the bride and groom travel by horse and carriage to the reception, complete with a fur throw to keep them warm of course!
- Decorate the reception with miniature and life-size Christmas trees.
- Commission an ice sculpture to decorate the reception hall
- Use a crystal bouquet for that extra wintery feel. As a bonus, you’ll get to keep your your bouquet forever.
- Greet your guests with warm coffee or hot chocolate as soon as they come in the ceremony or reception site.
Photo By Design Elite
For Your Honeymoon
While many couples flee the blustery weather for warmer (and sandier) locales for their honeymoon, a winter wedding can segue perfectly into a snowy escape. Embrace the season and rent a cozy log cabin for a week in Lake Placid, or join the jet-setters at a luxurious hotel in Aspen for some serious skiing, wining, dining, and snuggling. Locally, Park City, Snowbird, Snowbasin, The Heber Valley and so many other locations offer very close to home and amazingly beautiful options for you to get away.
Regardless of where you have your wedding or where you decide to honeymoon you can make your Winter Wedding Amazing and unforgettable. What a great time of year to get married.
Photo By Dezember Photography
Photo By Swensen Photography
Photo Provided By Design Elite
Sources – About.com, HuffingtonPost.com, Casasugar.com, TheKnot.com,