VOL.06
Winter Wedding Planning 101
Blog By: Megan Hefler + Monique Ashcraft
‘Tis the season for wedding bells and cozy color palettes! It’s the most wonderful time of year to add a few dreamy and romantic touches to your special day. From fashion to decor, we’ve got you covered with tips and inspiration to get started.
When planning a winter wedding, one of the most important things to consider is the time of day the ceremony will be taking place. With the sun setting and the light starting to disappear earlier, consider a first look before the ceremony to ensure you have enough daylight to get the portrait and family photos you really want. With a first look, you get the benefits of getting the bridal party photos out of the way to enjoy your cocktail hour plus, see the groom’s reaction in a more private and intimate setting. Get the nerves out of the way before the walk down the aisle, and in a sense, you get to experience that epic feeling twice. 🙂
Next, let’s talk about the color palette. Your color palette is typically one of the first wedding planning details to finalize and it sets the stage for every detail to come. Selecting colors like white, red, emerald green, and gold are sure to add a festive vibe to your day. Colors may seem like a small detail but remember that it ties everything else together. Other details such as florals, sheers and drapery, table runners, invitation suite, and hair accents are a great way to incorporate your wedding colors. Choosing about three main colors and including different shades of those colors will give you a beautiful palette to work with.
As you are setting the wheels in motion for the big day, an invitation suite is one of many nuts and bolts of your wedding. If you and your partner are hosting a wintertime wedding with a chic, seasonal theme, why not give guests a preview of the event to come with a winter wedding invitation suite? Give the nod to the holiday season by including cozy materials like velvet and satin bows. This is a small detail to bring in some holiday cheer while also making a big impression.
Here are a few more unique and festive wedding details that will have your wedding radiating with holiday spirit.
Shawls
Adding a shawl to your dress for photos or just as a statement exit piece gives the illusion of a chilly day even if the weather is warmer. Colored shawls can tie into your color palette, or you can go with a classic white. Faux fur or even a gorgeous knit the options are endless!
Sparkler Exit
When we think of New Years, we think of sparklers. What better way to end your night than with cold fusion sparklers! The boxes give off large sparks that get a big crowd reaction. The best part? With them being a chemical reaction, they are a lot less likely to harm you or your guests after a night of drinking and dancing.
Coffee or Hot Cocoa Bar
Your guests will love a warm pick-me-up after dinner. Set up a coffee bar with all the fixin’s that’ll keep your guests cozy all night long. Including things like peppermint flavored coffee, candy canes, or a mocha flavored creamer gives the extra pizzazz of holiday cheer. Personalize a sign for the table to make it stand out. Or add decor that ties into your wedding theme and colors.
Greenery Elegance
We love large florals with lots of greenery and added winter touches. Go the full winter wonderland direction with ferns and frosted pinecones in your bouquet. Or keep things more subtle by using evergreen and berries in your florals. Even adding some poinsettias to your reception space will have you and your guests gleaming with winter joy.
Details with a Bow
Switching out the veil for a timeless bow can add a little more holiday-glam for your winter wedding. This bride chose to do a shear bow with pearl details, and we absolutely fell in love with this look. To add a holiday spice to it, you could always do a velvet white ribbon bow! Even having a long ribbon or bow tied to your florals gives a lovely winter vibe.
Decking the Halls
When it comes to “decking the halls”, you can go as far as adding Christmas trees all around your reception space with all the wreaths and bows. Or keeping it a little more subtle while incorporating those deep winter reds and greens. The added lanterns bring in the winter vibe as a warmer touch to the foot of your table.
Holiday Cocktails
Your signature drinks are the drinks that you feature at your wedding or event and oftentimes, go along with your theme or vibe. A couple signature drinks we love are the Mistletoe Margarita and the Pomegranate Moscow Mule. Below are the ingredients in case you want to try them out yourself. Cheers!
Mistletoe Margarita: Tequila, cranberry juice, lime juice, some cranberries and lime wedge for garnish.
Pomegranate Moscow Mule: Pomegranate vodka, pomegranate juice, lime juice, ginger beer, and pomegranate arils for garnish.