Today, more so than ever before, engaged couples are planning winter nuptials realizing that this time of year can be just as beautiful to get married as the warmer, and more popular seasons.
But, if the only thing that comes to mind when thinking of a wedding during the winter months are newly fallen snow and the plain color white, you may be pleasantly surprised when you discover the incredible number of creative ways to prepare for a beautiful winter wedding celebration.
The Attire
The attire of the whole bridal party should be reflective of the season of the year for more than fashion purposes, but also in terms of practicality as you won't want everyone to be shivering while taking pictures or traveling to and from the reception site.
Consider a formal, black tie look for the men for a rather elegant look, while the women can be dressed in rich fabrics such as velvets, brocade, heavy silks, and satin.
The Colors
You definitely aren't limited to one or two certain colors, like red and green, for your winter wedding as there are plenty of color families that would be perfect to use during this particular time of year, which is especially true if your wedding theme has nothing to do with the holidays of either Christmas or Valentine's Day.
Consider palettes of metallic colors such as gold or silver and those that would be complementary to them, like shimmering blues. However, the most popular colors of all for winter weddings are rich, deep colors like burgundy, or hunter green, cranberry, navy and plum.
The Favors
There's certainly no shortage of ideas when it comes to fun and useful favors to give to guests attending a winter wedding.
Buy or make decorative tins or tiny containers filled with hot cocoa mix, or have small packets of beautifully wrapped cookies in the shapes of snowflakes or wedding bells, or give out packs of seeds for growing wintery flowers. Also, miniature snow globes are always a good choice for a winter wedding favor.
The Flowers
Choose blooms that are in season, such as poinsettia if you're looking for a bright dash of color, or roses, camellias, amaryllis, holly, and stephanotis. Add embellishments including tiny crystals, or instead of flowers, opt for "bouquets" made from tea lights or votive candles. Fake, glittery snow can be scattered by the flower girl along with white rose petals, real or faux.
The Menu
Serve a hearty fare of colorful, warm dishes such as stews, casseroles, and soups with beverages including egg nog, spicy cider, wine, and of course, an array of flavorful coffees. For the wedding cake, eschew the traditional white cake and opt for a rich, decadent chocolate filled with raspberry, strawberry, or cherry sauce and intricately decorated with snowflakes crafted from marzipan.
Also, an important thing to remember if you're having your wedding outdoors, such as inside of a gazebo or park with snow covered trees and winter blooms as your backdrop, is to plan ahead for inclement weather. While a lightly falling snow with reasonable temperatures during a relatively short ceremony is acceptable, a blizzard with wind chill temperatures below zero is certainly not.
In case of snow or weather that's simply too cold, have an alternate location lined up, and listed in detail on the invitation, so both you and your guests will have a comfortable and wonderful time.
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