1. Choose your location carefully. Consider the ease of transportation for your guests. Consider hosting the ceremony and reception in the same spot, or if the weather is a factor, host everything at a hotel. This brings together the ease of being in one spot, and not having to get out in the cold at the end of the night. Many places will have incredible winter decoration you can use to create a more magical winter atmosphere, and save you some money at the same time.
2. "Save the Date". Set your date well in advance, and let your guests know. If you are having a small wedding near your home, you may be able to have the wedding near Christmas without many conflicts. A larger wedding may benefit from being scheduled around a long weekend, such as President's Day or Martin Luther King Day.
3. Book a venue. Dates near holidays or long weekends may need to be booked up to a year in advance, while other winter dates are usually easier to book because of decreased demand.
4. Create winter-themed wedding invitations. Once again, you can play up the uniqueness of your chosen wedding date by including snowy scenes, holiday themes, snowflakes or cozy fireside tableaux. If you can't find any templates that cater to this season, ask a local print shop to design a custom invitation.
5. Pick winter-inspired wedding colors. Common winter wedding colors include snowy white, icy blue, crimson, jewel tones, forest green and chocolate brown. Consider choosing a light color and a bright color to play up the contrast and winter tones in your decor.
6. Plan your wardrobe for the cold. Consider that you, your bridesmaids and your groomsmen will probably need to arrive at the venue in the cold or take a few pictures outside. If you want to have strapless dresses or thin satin, consider augmenting the wardrobe with a fur cape or wrap, a vintage sweater, muffs, cute ear warmers, fancy gloves, scarves, snow boots or other playful wardrobe choices.
7. Make special arrangements for the wedding reception. You will need to ensure that your venue has a place to store dripping coats and boots for all your guests. Temperature control is important, because you want it to be cozy, but it can quickly become too warm with many people in one room. Be sure to ask the venue in advance about their temperature controls and ventilation. You should be able to adjust your heat a number of times during the reception.
8. Bring the outdoors inside with your decor. Most locations make an outdoor wedding impossible in the winter; however, you can still create the look of winter wonderland by incorporating trees, pine cones, snowflakes, frosted glass, mittens and much more. If your date is around a holiday, choose a couple of your favorite decorations for a more festive atmosphere.
9. Play with lighting at the ceremony and reception. Winter is known for its firelight, so try to incorporate a fireplace, candles or a clear starry sky with twinkle lights. Soft lighting will add some ambiance.
10. Use seasonal elements in your bouquets and centerpieces. Flowers will be more expensive to bring to a cold locale. Use poinsettias, ivy, willow, thistle, leaves and branches to enhance the flowers you plan to use.
11. Hire a professional photographer who can play up winter elements. Interview photographers to see how they can use the snow or fireplace to play up the romance of the day. If you want to be outside for a few photographs, you want someone who can shoot photos well and quickly.
12. Serve guests warm cocktails. Many weddings feature a cocktail hour. Warm your guests up by having hot cider, hot chocolate, mulled wine, Irish coffee or hot toddies. Another seasonal drink that is served cold is egg nog. Consider adding this to your bar if you are getting married during the Christmas season. A do-it-yourself hot chocolate bars would be great with toppings, favored additives or whipped cream!
13. Choose hearty food. Instead of serving salmon or chicken, you may want to do a roast, thick risotto, mashed potatoes, hearty greens and rich soups. For dessert, consider shortbread cookies, gingerbread, roasted chestnuts or fruit cake as a supplement to your wedding cake.
Winter weddings definitely aren't for everyone, but there is a beauty and calmness to the snow covered roof tops that is awaiting to be captured by just the right Bride and Groom. Enjoy your wedding day.
©Colin Cowie Weddings