How To Create The Perfect Winter Wedding

Winter evokes images of roaring log fires, sparkling snow and bright bold splashes of festive red and green. Winter weddings can be romantic and magical, but a major bonus is that they are very budget friendly as you can reuse a venue’s own decorations for the season.

Here are some top tips on how to plan your own winter wonderland wedding.

Book Early
Winter, as with other seasons can be very popular. A top tip for any wedding – regardless of season – is to book early. As with any wedding that might have a seasonal theme it is best to plan ahead to ensure the venue is available and your suppliers can prepare for your wedding.
Listen to your gut, follow your instincts and put down a deposit to secure their services. You don’t need to have a set theme or colour scheme in mind, especially if you haven’t selected one yet, but booking early and giving a deposit gives you enough time to settle on one.

What to wear
While winter tends to evoke images of wintry blues, silvers, reds and greens, you don’t need to feel tied to a winter palette. Bright and bold colours can help bring elements of other seasons into your wedding and create a sense of warmth and fun. While it might seem counter-intuitive to use bright colours that don’t reflect the season, remember that it is your wedding day and it’s your rules.

Don’t let the weather limit your choice of dresses or shoes. While it’s perfectly okay to wear strapless dresses instead of one with sleeves, it’s important to balance the dress with the weather and warmth. Have a coat at hand and a spare set of shoes to let yourself and the bridesmaids dash between the car and the venue, while staying warm and avoiding falls on the ice and snow.
Menu Options
Take advantage of the season and include food that reflects winter by using seasonal fruits and vegetables; cabbages, Brussel sprouts, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, citrus fruits and pomegranates are just a few of the seasonal foods that can add a splash of delicious colour to any plate. Food can also reflect some of the seasonal holidays such as Christmas, Hannukah etc and this can extend to your wedding favours, such as giving candy canes to each guest.

Winter – inspired drinks are a delicious and festive way to get your guests in the spirit of the season. For example, Sangria isn’t just for the summer; you can spice it up with spiced red wine, creating a crimson earthy and warm drink. Mulled wine is another drink that is ideal for the guests during the wait between the wedding ceremony and the reception that helps contribute to the festive atmosphere.
But the weather…
If snow and ice are a possibility on your big day it might be worth investigating if you can have the wedding ceremony and the reception in the same venue to save your guests from having to travel far. If this isn’t a possibility, look into the option of valet parking, so that your guests don’t have to walk too far to get out of the cold and into the venue.

Your guests will arrive wrapped up warm in coats, scarves and hats. Ask the venue if they have a coat room, though you might have to pay extra to have someone act as a coat room attendant.
When selecting the venue, consider the distance between the entrance and the reception room – you want that room to remain warm and toasty and if it’s close to the entrance your celebration might be interrupted by gusts of cold wind as guests arrive and leave for smoke breaks.
If your reception is outside in a tent, make sure to have plenty of heat lamps on hand, one per a table or one per ten guests should be enough to keep everyone warm.
By Felicity McKee, Excalibur Press

AUTUMN/WINTER 2017 EDITION AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE NOW