How to Survive a Winter Wedding
We absolutely love the magic that a winter wedding brings. There’s something exceptionally inviting about the warm twinkle of lights inside a fabulous venue as the nights draw in, knowing that a happy pair of newlyweds are inside surrounded by their loved ones. Sunny summer days are great but cosy winter weddings are, dare we say it, a touch more romantic.
From October to March we don’t have to spend our time worrying about whether the sun will shine or not because in this country you can pretty much guarantee the weather will be grey and manage your expectations from there! With this in mind, you’re going to need to prepare for whatever nature throws at you, which may be a blindingly beautiful frosty day or could be a full on blizzard.
The first thing you need to invest in is umbrellas, lots of umbrellas – your guests cannot be relied upon to bring their own! We like it when brollies are somehow incorporated into the styling of a wedding, perhaps demarcating a pathway through the grounds of your venue or lining the path of the churchyard.
You also need to appoint umbrella monitors. In our experience, telling ushers and groomsmen firstly where they can find umbrellas should they need them and secondly that they are responsible for chaperoning every single guest until they reach a dry haven will put the guys in your wedding party to good use whilst ensuring your friends and family don’t get drenched.
The next thing you’ll need are wellies, just in case. We pretty much advise bringing them to any rural nuptials anyway, but in the winter you just never know when you’re going to have to traverse precariously icy or frosty terrain. Should snow hit, you’ll be gloating about having your Hunters as a back up when the Louboutins cower pitifully in their box.
Be aware that the days are shorter and that with less natural daylight you’re going to have to make the most of any outdoor photos pretty swiftly. This is one of the reasons why wedding photographers favour an earlier ceremony during the winter months as it ensure that they can capture the crux of your day when there is the most natural light.
Winter brides need to be prepared to style some winter wear into their outfits. You may think you want only your pretty dress in your wedding photos, but when said photos come back displaying obviously blue lips and chattering teeth, you’re going to wish you’d thought to pop a jacket on. Whether you opt for a traditional bolero or go for a quirky cardigan or faux fur coat, you’ll look absolutely fabulous. There’s something pretty endearing about bridal portraits surrounded by snow with the bride wrapped up in cable-knit jumpers and scarves to keep cosy.
Another nifty trick we’ve discovered that’s hugely popular with newlyweds, their guests and indeed their suppliers such as photographers and videographers, is hand warmers. Just snap the gel and pop them in pockets for an instant shot of warmth if you’re outdoors for any portion of the day, safe in the knowledge that they last for hours so can heat up those frosty fingers in no time.
Make sure your guests are lubricated warmly during your winter wedding. Whether this is a hot drinks station that they can visit all day long, warm mulled wine or cider, hot Pimms or even a cheeky hot tottie, your guests will be grateful for the warming properties of the drinks you provide.
You might also want to have a stock of blankets that your elderly guests can ensconce themselves in whilst they acclimatise and we’ve seen the look of pure gratitude amongst female wedding guests when the newlyweds provide a basket of pashminas or cashmere scarves for the ladies in skimpy dresses later in the evening.
For snow considerations, you might want to charge your core wedding party members with a ‘bring your own shovel’ missive, but as we all know, this country tends to grind to a halt at the slightest flurry. As such, you should make sure your guests all have back up plans for transport. In the worst snow storm in recent years, the Snapdragon team ended up personally taking guests home in their 4x4s as even the London black cabs had given up and gone home!
Photo credits: Pinterest