Weddings are special any time of year but a wedding during the holiday season seems all the more magical. With so many other activities happening this time of year, how can you pull off your winter nuptials so that they are memorable and not reminiscent of an office Christmas party? Here are our tips for putting together that perfect winter wedding.
Winter Wedding Invitations
from SayWedding.com
When planning a theme wedding, you want to make sure your invitations reflect that theme and set the tone for the event. For winter weddings, avoid invitations that look like a Christmas or Holiday greeting card. Instead of using a folded card, choose a thick white card with an engraved border or thermographed text. Your winter theme can be present with a snowflake border or one elegant flake at the top of the card. Since most people are busy with parties and social obligations this time of year, make sure to send out your invites early (as early as 12 weeks before the event) and consider sending out "save the date" cards beforehand so that guests know to anticipate the invitation.
Winter Wedding Attire
© Princess Bride Tiaras
Have your bridesmaids wear richly coloured full length gowns topped off with a faux fur wrap. The bride can mirror that look in a heavy satin, or silk dress coupled with a wrap, a shrug or even a fur lined satin cape! For a touch of "Christmas", consider a red satin sash tied at the waist. Your dress can be adorned with sequins and crystals that sparkle like snow!
© Ritva Westenius
Winter Wedding Flowers
Flowers can be hard to come by this time of year and what is available is often quite expensive. Consider carrying a crystal bouquet instead of a floral one. Not only is it everlasting but think how lovely the sparkling crystal will look as you walk down the aisle. How wintery!
For your ceremony, opt out of traditional floral arrangements and use branches or twigs instead. Spray painted white, gold, silver or left natural, this look will truly evoke a wintery feel. (Carry this look to your table décor as well with twigs, instead of flowers, in simple tall vases.)
© Susan Avery Flowers & Event Styling
Winter Reception Venue
Choose a location with a fireplace. Nothing says winter like a roaring fire to warm the heart and soul! If you don't have access to a fireplace, warm up your guests with hot cocoa or apple cider as they arrive.
Naturally, ski lodges, cabins in the woods and old "castles" look the best, but we 've also seen great winter weddings in a venerable old hotel downtown - the decor made all the difference: hanging name cards on the Christmas tree at the entrance; turkey dinner on the menu: one turkey-per-table etc etc
Winter Wedding Centrepieces
Since flowers can be quite pricey during the winter season, consider candle centerpieces instead. Or, place holly in vases in the centre of the table surrounded by multiple candles in varying heights. You can always use a little fake snow or sparkly beads to add the element of winter to your table.
Available on weddingstyle.ca
Another great winter centrepiece idea is the poinsettia. This traditional Christmas flower is plentiful this time of year and is really quite affordable. You can choose to have all white poinsettias at each table to accentuate the winter theme. Tie a beautiful ribbon around each potted plant, or spread some gold or silver sparkles on their leaves to make them glow next to the candlelight!
image © Horticultural Marketing Associates
Winter Wedding Cake Ideas
found at ChoclolateWork.com
Most couples choose to display a cake during the reception whether it is real or for display only. In keeping with a holiday theme, have a tiered cake with each tier decorated as an individually wrapped present. A Yule log with holly accents or a snowflake cake make a lovely wintery statement too!
found at Pink Cake Box
Winter Wedding Favours
There is no easier way to showcase a winter theme wedding than with the favours.
For example, snow globes are attractive and available in all sorts of winter scenes. You can even get globes that double as music boxes. Consider getting a large globe for the center of your table and surround it with a series of smaller ones. The small ones are the favours and one lucky guest per table can also take home the large globe.
found at In Casa Gifts
Cookie cutters are a great gift item that is not only inexpensive but also useful. Everyone bakes cookies, especially over the holidays! For an added touch, you can tie a cookie recipe on each one.
found at TheWeddingShoppe.ca
Hot cocoa mixes are another inexpensive yet useful way to thank your guests. You can have the mixes personalized with your names and wedding date on them too.
found at WeddingStand.com
Winter Wedding Décor Ideas
The decorations are a huge part of any reception. They tie the room together; they create a mood and they establish the theme. When planning a wedding during the holiday season, you will find that most reception venues are already decorated for the holidays. You can take advantage of the existing décor by adding accents where necessary or you can use them as a starting point to create a lavish affair.
A simple yet extremely effective décor trick is to purchase or rent multiple potted miniature evergreen trees. Decorate them with sparkling white lights and sprinkle them with a little fake snow. Voila...instant winter! Plus, if your reception venue is already decorated, the trees and white lights will only enhance the look, not clash with it.
Another excellent décor choice here would be crisp bright white chair covers (no sashes or trims). Picture a sea of white covers, white linens, white poinsettias, snow covered evergreens, against a fireplace backdrop... A winter wedding at its best!
photos © IBS Design
Winter Honeymoon Destinations
Well, this is easy! Unless you want to have a ski-resort honeymoon at home, then you have to go south! Find some sun. But it is not as easy as that. Many tropical places may have a rainy season during our winter, or a typhoon season or not be quite-as-warm as you expected etc. Do your research, find those spots that lend themselves to a January or February vacation.
Story by Petroula Kletas, Vancouver Wedding Blog
