Weddings aren’t just for summer. Winter weddings can often be extra cosy and if you’re fans of Christmas, you could even make it festive. We’ve put together a few top tips to consider if you’re booking a winter wedding.

Alternative arrival drinks
You don’t have to stick with typical arrival drinks such as prosecco and beers. You could use the wintery opportunity to provide your guests with hot drinks to keep them warm before the speeches and dinner. You could choose to serve Hot Chocolate or Mulled Wine if you’re going for a festive welcome.

Keeping your guests warm
Providing blankets for your guests is an ideal way to help them stay warm and cosy. Ensuring the seating for your ceremony or wedding breakfast are placed away from any doors will be another touch your guests will appreciate, especially for any older friends or family members.

To help keep you warm
If you are wanting to brave the cold for some outdoor photos, pairing a fluffy shawl or jacket with your dress will help keep you cosy in the colder weather. You could also choose tweed or velvet suits for the groomsmen which will give them extra warmth too.

Daylight Hours
Bear in mind that winter weddings will have shorter daylight hours for your photos or any entertainment you have planned during the day. Research what time the sun will set and work backwards from there. It might be worth considering an earlier ceremony time to make the most of the daylight. Make sure to add time into your timeline for sunset photos because sometimes winter sunsets are the best for photos!

Keep an eye on the weather during your timeline
If you’ve planned for photos outside, consider keeping an eye on the weather to see if rain or snow are due during your day. It might be worth rearranging your timeline slightly to see if you can get outside during a break in the weather. If you can’t though, remember you can still get amazing pictures in winter weather or inside as a backup.

Alternative footwear
Protect your feet and your footwear in winter weather by choosing an alternative to traditional wedding footwear options. You could try Ugg boots or perhaps wellies for a particularly wet wedding. If you really want to wear a pair of heels but don’t want to ruin them, opt for heel protector caps or bring another pair of shoes when going out for photos such as trainers or Converse.

Have a wet weather station/cupboard
Having a designated area for your guests to keep their coats and umbrellas will be a winner with your guests and it will also avoid any excess coats or baggage at the tables during the meal.

Be aware of bad driving conditions
Longer travel time to the venue may be necessary for both you and your guests especially if the roads are icy. Another way to avoid driving in the bad weather is choosing to have your ceremony and reception at the same venue. It will be an added bonus if your guests can stay over at the venue too as this will prevent any further driving.

Go for comforting food
There are many different catering options you can choose for your wedding. Opting for winter warmer food such as soup or roast dinner are traditional favourites. However, you could also choose a Fish and Chip van or Pimp your Pie station which are also comforting options in the cold.

Make it Christmassy
Save money and use your Christmas decorations as your wedding decorations. Check with your venue to see what decorations they might have put up for Christmas as you may be able to use theirs and save money that way too. You could give out “Christmas presents” as your favours or for your bridal party. Or you could include some Christmas songs in your evening party playlists as what better time to encourage a party than during Christmas season!
