Winter weddings can be great, if you think them through properly. Unfortunately far too often they go wrong when people try things that simply aren’t appropriate for the season. They think of their wedding day and they immediately think of sunshine, pastel bridesmaids dresses, light finger food, sleeveless and backless dresses for the bride, and all those other little touches that look great in summer, but simply will not work in the colder months.

Don’t Fight the Winter

The reason why that doesn’t work is because you’re fighting against reality. If you have your ceremony in months that are by definition cold, wet and occasionally snowy, then planning an outdoor ceremony won’t work. Pastel colours won’t work. Impractical clothing won’t work. The key to successful winter weddings is to work with the season, welcome it, and make it a part of your special day.

Venue

Pick a venue that works on a practical level. That generally means somewhere indoors, reasonably accessible in poor weather and sufficiently comfortable that your guests won’t be eager to get out of there by the end. If your dream nuptials absolutely require an outdoor ceremony, then make sure that you also have a standby venue, in case inclement weather makes that simply impossible. The good news is that main venues will offer discounts for out of season bookings, and availability is likely to be better.

Clothing

Winter weddings require different attire to their summer counterparts. Anything strapless or backless is going to be cold. Anything with very high heels is going to be slippery once some snow falls. It’s better to think about these practicalities at the start, so that you can come up with elegant solutions to them such as shawls or a wedding dress with some substance, rather than having to come up with last minute solutions that don’t fit with your theme.

For a choice of colours, there are essentially two ways you can go. You can go for a stark monochrome look, with plenty of icy jewellery to fit in with the conditions, or you can take a more colourful approach. Bright colours that might look garish in the spring or summer will often work much better in winter weddings.

Decoration

Take a similar approach to your decorations. Recognise that there are often seasonal conventions when it comes to decorating at this time of year, and play up to them. Ask about decorations your chosen venue might be putting up. If you’re lucky, they’ll do some of your work for you, freeing up time you can use for other aspects of planning your special day.

A Fairytale Wedding

Don’t be disheartened if that sounds a long way from the fairytale event you had in mind. It isn’t. Winter weddings are just as capable of being fairytale ceremonies as those in warmer months. You just have to think in terms of slightly different fairytales. Rather than Cinderella, try thinking of the Snow Queen. Do that, and you’ll soon find things coming together perfectly.