As 2022 draws to a close, I thought I’d round up a selection of images of winter wedding inspiration for those planning their 2023/24 winter weddings.
It can be a challenge when planning a winter wedding to factor in a number of components that may have a direct effect on your day. These may include: Staying warm in your outfits; navigating the shorter days and loss of natural light; styling your wedding venue and creating a theme.
Outfits: For anyone braving the cold outdoors, layering up is a must! The same applies for your outfits… Styling your outfits with removable layers is a superb idea for keeping the chill off, it also enables us to provide a variety of images, with and without the layers throughout the day!
Take a look at some images for some winter wedding inspiration for your clothing 🙂 You will notice that a fur bolero or jacket is a popular choice for keeping that winter chill off! Have you considered a colour that fits your theme too? Despite a kilt appearing to only enhance cold knees, a full outfit, jacket and socks can actually provide more warmth than expected for those gents who want to go back to their gaelic roots.
Flowers: Another factor often looked over… when sourcing flowers, it’s worth considering that going for blooms that are in season can be a more affordable option than choosing a bouquet or floral decor with items that need to be sourced from overseas. Please bare in mind that when sourcing flowers that are out of season and not native to this country, extra attention needs to be given to their storage and preparation to ensure they are fresh for your big day.
I love seeing the creativity some couples have used… you can see here in this set of images that your floral winter wedding inspiration can be out of the box! We have broches, winter blooms and foliage, colours to complement the theme, Christmas decoration inspired centrepieces etc! The possibilities are endless!!
Styling: What about dressing your venue? Are you planning to incorporate Christmas, Narnia, or your own theme? The wonderful thing about the winter season is it is the perfect season to use the darker days to go crazy with decor and fairy lights!! You can go as subtle or as ostentatious as you like! Keeping the christmas tree in the background as a subtle reference or going in hard and make the most of it! What will be your winter wedding inspiration for your decor and venue dressing? Handmade or hired? Sometimes these aspects are down to your budget, creativity, time and energy. Some people love to spend the time hand making everything for their day, others would rather hire a company who have the tools, stock and know-how to make your vision happen in a flash. Either way, the opportunities are boundless.
Photography: What about your portraits and group shots? It’s worth considering that if you absolutely LOVE natural light photography, then a winter wedding might not be for you as the low sun and dramatically shorter days will have a direct impact on what is able to be achieved and captured using natural light. If a winter wedding is for you, then consider hiring a photographer who is comfortable and competent in both natural light and off-camera flash & additional lighting. This will make a big difference in your finished portraits.
It’s also worth considering that your plan of the day may need to be navigated to make the most of the natural light… this will happen during the planning conversations with your photographer. to give you an example, during the summer, your planned portrait sessions may be over two or three very short sessions at appropriate parts of your day to make the most of the longer days and changing light. However, during the winter that window is shorter, so you might find yourself allowing more time between the ceremony and wedding breakfast to ensure enough time is allocated for groups and newlywed shots. All these things are worth discussing with your photographer and planning in advance.
The location of your groups and portraits is also worth thinking about… you may find yourselves making moments en-route so guests aren’t subjected to more cold. Or, taking advantage of christmassy scenes in the local area. Some couples have chosen to get re-dressed on another day and shoot their portraits without the pressure of timings and light. Whatever works for you, I hope you can find some winter wedding inspiration for your planned portraits and group shots:
So, in summary (no pun intended) for your winter wedding inspiration, I hope my offerings have helped!! Whatever the season you choose to wed, you can make it your own! With a little foresight and planning you can also keep within your budget and have the perfect wedding that you’ve dreamed of!
I’ll add a list of suppliers who have also featured in the images above, incase you need some sign-posting for your day 🙂
xX Fiona Xx
Dresses:
www.whyteweddings.com
https://trulygorgeous.co.uk/#/
www.bijoubridal.co.uk
Suits:
www.astares.co.uk
https://www.greyssuithire.co.uk/
https://www.moss.co.uk/
Flowers:
www.flowers4worthing.co.uk
https://www.janewalkerforgeflowers.co.uk/
https://www.earthseedtobloom.co.uk/
Venues:
www.wealddown.co.uk/commercial/weddings
www.southendbarns.co.uk
https://www.arundeltownhall.com/
www.norfolkarmsarundel.com/weddings/
www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/venue/vicars-hall
Stylists:
www.littleeventscompany.co.uk/
https://www.tohaveandtohireweddings.com/
