Leading wedding and events planner Lavinia Stewart-Brown comments:
“I really do love weddings in the later months of the year – I think you have a wonderful opportunity to host a really magical celebration. The main thing to consider when planning is the logistics – there are some elements that need an extra bit of thinking when it comes to winter weddings!”
Prepare for the weather
You are definitely more likely to experience more adverse weather conditions which can impact many areas of your wedding – from parking to outfit choices, so I would really recommend thinking these things through and putting together a bit of a contingency plan as it can end up costing more than a summer celebration. For example, a marquee can still work but you need to be careful about the structure and make sure it has good heating – I have seen some guests leave straight after the meal at events when it isn’t!
Work with winter light
You will also need to work with the winter light, particularly when it comes to photos so I would recommend looking at an earlier ceremony where possible. In addition, I would always recommend dark flooring or carpet as opposed to a lighter option which will show footprints. Alongside this, make sure guest toilets are close to the marquee – this helps to avoid any guests having to trek in the rain, wind or even snow!!
Perfecting wedding cosiness
A key theme I recommend drawing upon with a winter wedding is cosiness – far too often I see couples go for a ‘Winter Wonderland’ colour scheme with lots of icy colours, but I feel warmer colours work much better. One of my personal favourite colour schemes involved lots of greens, browns and oranges which really created a warm, cosy atmosphere. With the right foliage and some candlelight, you can create an inviting, warm space for your celebration. A winter wedding doesn’t need to mean Christmas colours and decks, by using these warmer tones you can also be super creative with your decor which is a great way to bring out some more fun elements – tortoiseshell or subtle animal prints work great with warmer tones!