There’s something so romantic about tying the knot in the winter months, particularly with the potential for an enchanting white wedding. However, with the cold and potentially hazardous conditions, the planning of winter weddings needs careful consideration. Here’s five things you need to take into account.
1.Make sure the venue is practical for the time of year
You need to make sure that your venue is practical for the wintery conditions. If you want the ceremony and/or reception to be outside, then make sure you hire a marquee or tent to protect you and your guests from the elements. You should consider renting heaters and offering blankets to each of the guests. Ensure there are hot drinks on arrival and that hot food is served during the reception to help keep the chill at bay.
Many wedding venues cater to couples all year round, such as Sandon Hall in Staffordshire or RSA House in London. Such venues will be experienced in hosting winter weddings and will be able to help you decide what options could work for your big day. Additionally, you should think about having your wedding ceremony and reception either in the same location, or close by. Bad weather may make travel conditions treacherous, leading to delays that could put a blemish on your big day.
2. Choose an outfit that keeps you warm
One of the most important modifications you will have to make in comparison to a summer wedding is what you wear on the big day. In order to survive the cold weather, you will need to wrap up more warmly than most couples do, because who wants frostbite on their wedding day? For the bride, choosing a long sleeved wedding dress and tights are a good start, and a groom should consider buying a woolen suit or at least a velvet blazer.
You should also consider warm accessories to keep those chills away. A big overcoat that covers your dress or suit is not the greatest wedding look in the world, so you should look at alternatives that allow your wedding attire to remain on show. For the bride, a cape, fur stole, cardigan, scarf or a shawl will keep out the cold whilst not completely shrouding your dress. As a groom, a smart jumper under your suit will ensure you still look classy but won’t be shivering throughout your big day.
It is also advisable to have umbrellas on hand in case of any downpours, and alternative footwear in case of muddy conditions. You might also want something to keep your hands warm, like gloves or hand warmers.
3. Time your wedding photos carefully
You will also need to make sure that you time your wedding photos carefully, as there is much less daylight during the winter season. This gives you significantly less time to fit the photos into the days schedule, as you’ll ideally want to start well before 2-3pm to ensure you can take advantage of the light. This is unless you’re looking for romantic sunset photos, of course, in which case you’ll need to time them at an even more specific time. Talk through the options with your photographer before earmarking a time to take them.
4. Explore prices and availability of bookings
Generally speaking, a winter wedding won’t hit your pocket as hard as a summer wedding. A survey by MoneySavingExpert.com found that the average cost of a country house hotel package for 50 guests was just £5,950 in January and February, in comparison to £12,000 on Saturdays between April and September, and £6,750 in midweek slots during this period.
With the popularity of summer nuptials, venues and suppliers are usually less busy during the winter months, meaning they may be more open to offering you special deals in order to secure your services. You will also likely have an easier time organising the day because of this, as it is unlikely that everything will already be booked out.
However, do consider that this won’t be the case around the festive period, as prices will likely be astronomical during this time spell. It may also be problematic in that many of your family and friends may have already their own plans. You’ll also encounter the same problems if trying to organise a wedding for Valentine’s Day.
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