When you think of winter, what springs to mind? Maybe its snow-covered fields, steaming cups of hot cocoa or even a roaring fire. There are so many great aspects to the season that makes it the perfect time to host a wedding. Though the nights may be chillier, the atmosphere is merry and the dates will be more cost effective. What is there not to like? So, if you are thinking about having your wedding in winter, here is our guide on how to make it a great day.
The Advantages of a Winter Wedding
The biggest advantage of having your wedding in winter is that it can be more cost-effective as it is outside of the wedding season. Venues may cost less to hire, and may have more weekend availability. It is also likely to cost less for your guests, in terms of travel. Logistically, there is less for you to worry about when it comes to your big day. In terms of the weather, there is practically no humidity, meaning it will be a much more comfortable day for both you and your guests. Although winter weddings will usually take place mostly inside, there are still opportunities for stunning photography if your venue has an outside space. Here at Salomons Estate, our grounds have a beautiful feel in the winter and can provide a stunning backdrop for winter wedding photos.
Theme
When it comes you picking a theme, there are just as many options to choose from as if you were getting married in the summer. If you want to keep it simple, just pick a colour palette. You could use colours that are inspired by the frost and snow, such as white, silver or shades of blue or silver. You could use bolder, darker colours that are evocative of nature such as red, a dark navy or forest green. If you’re feeling festive, you could even choose a colour palette that is inspired by Christmas, like gold and red or green and rose gold.
You could also take traditional themes and put a winter spin on them. If you are wanting to have a more rustic looking wedding, use materials such as birch, evergreens and pine cones. You could create garlands for the centrepieces, use wood slices as placemats and decorate the venue with candles inside of jars. Just don’t think that because you are getting married in the winter, your options are limited.
Decorations
When it comes to a winter wedding, especially if you are getting married close to Christmas, you will not be decorating from scratch. If you are getting married in a hotel or a venue that hosts weddings daily, they will already have some festive decorations up in place, giving you a foundation to build upon. Here are some great ideas on how to decorate your venue and turn it into a winter wonderland.
- Lighting – Lighting is key in creating an ambience. If you’re allowed, open flame candles will instantly create a warm and romantic atmosphere. If your venue has one, you could have a lit fire going – what better feeling is there in winter than cosying up in front of the fire with your loved ones? If you’re not allowed open flames, use some fairy lights. Whilst trees may not have their leaves, simply wrapping the limbs of a tree in fairy lights (or string market lights) will create a twinkling, romantic ambience outside.
- Wreaths – Instead of having flowers, why not have wreaths? They will instantly evoke winter and Christmas and if you make your own, they are an easy way to add a personal touch to your big day.
- Wedding Favours – Channel your inner Santa Claus and leave wedding favours that are designed to bring out your guests’ inner-child. You could leave peppermint candy canes, hot chocolate bombs or even a small bottle of Jagermeister, which will certainly warm them from their head all the way to their toes!
- A Hot Chocolate Bar – Whilst ‘prosecco bars’ are all the range at summer weddings, giving you the chance to add a bit of glitter or fruit to your fizz, why not try something a little bit more festive? This could run instead of or alongside an ice-cream bar, giving you and your guests the chance to have a small pick-me-up and an after-dinner treat. You could offer squirty cream, marshmallows or even a shot of Baileys. This is great, as it can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike (with adults supervision, of course!)
Catering
When it comes to a winter wedding, it is all about warming, rich and hearty comfort food. Instead of a champagne reception, you could offer your guests a steaming glass of mulled wine or cider. Make your canapes irresistibly warm; you could serve shots of soup, mac and cheese bites, baked camembert or even miniature Yorkshire puddings! When it comes to the main course, a turkey roast dinner will always go down a treat. If you’re offering a buffet, you could serve beef bourguignon or a warming winter stew. If you have are vegetarian or have a number of plant-based guests coming, you could choose to serve a lentil or a vegetable curry.
As for pudding? Nobody is going to turn down a classic sticky toffee pudding or apple crumble. Finally, before your guests leave into the cold, wintery night, you could serve them a warming snack just before they go. This could be something as simple as slices of pizza, sausage rolls or even bacon rolls.
Here at Salomons, we have an expert team of chefs, catering and banqueting staff who can cater to your every whim. With all food and drink sourced locally, we also provide complimentary food and wine tasting sessions ahead of your big day. If this sounds like something you will be interested in, please get in touch with one of our team to learn more.
Winter Fashion
When it comes to choosing a dress for a Winter wedding, there are so many different ways to make a statement. As your wedding will be taking place in the colder months, it is worth considering dresses with long sleeves. You could go for classic lace or for something more out there, like sparkling or sequinned detailing. For something with a more modern feel, you could also wear a tailored bridal jacket. Not only will it keep you warm but it will create a really contemporary silhouette. You could wear a cardigan or a bolero as a cover-up. If your wedding is taking place around Christmas you could even wear a bridal cape or a cloak, which will evoke the romantic, floor-length silhouette of a veil and look great in photos. These could be lined with fur, embellished with lace or match the colours of your chosen colour scheme. If you want to go retro, you could even wear a cool, leather jacket, with your new surname embroidered on the back.
When it comes to the grooms and groomsmen, think of materials that are thicker, such as wool, tartan and tweed. These will not only look great but will also keep you from shivering. In the cooler months, when the landscape is covered in a blanket of snow and frost, darker-hued colours like red and navy will really stand out.
If you are searching for the perfect venue to host a winter wedding in Kent, get in contact with a member of the Salomons team. We would love to show you around the venue and answer any questions that you might have.