Getting married in winter Tips For Planning A Winter Wedding

Traditionally weddings were meant to be held in spring, and if you had lived in the 16th Century, everyone in your village would most probably have gotten married on the 1st of May in the local church. In the modern world though, your wedding could be anywhere, and anytime.

Winter weddings offer some advantages, venues are cheaper as it is “out of season”, and it is easier to find suppliers, caterers, photographers and all the other services you would need. On the other hand, winter weddings present their own sets of problems, such as the cold and wet weather and the early onset of darkness.

So here are some useful tips to consider when planning a winter wedding.

Find out what time it gets dark, and make sure you will have ample time to take the wedding pictures. In the middle of December, the sun can set as early as 4pm, and the last thing you would want is all your wedding pictures to be taken using a flash.

Make sure your venue has a plan for rainy weather. If you have any outdoor areas for food or drinks, make sure those can be moved indoors at a moments notice. Also, make sure that pathways leading to the venues or between different parts of your ceremony don’t end up being muddy troughs if it rains. Invest in a stylish pair of Wellingtons for him and her, just in case you need to save your wedding shoes. Make sure you have contingency plans for extreme weather, such as heavy snow.

Ensure that the venue has adequate heating. If you are using a marquee, check with the suppliers that it comes with a heating solution. Venues that are not regular venues, such as castles or barns, may require some extra planning to ensure the comfort of your guests. Make sure that any heating solutions, like open fires, are safe for children, and try to seat older or vulnerable guests away from doors or other places with drafts.

Another thing worth checking, which applies in summer as well, is looking at your venues lighting at night. Avenue may look wonderful during the day, but with the early evenings, you don’t want your guests stumbling around blindly in the dark. Also, remember that Friday and Saturday evenings leading up to Christmas is a time for office parties, so don’t force your guests to choose between your wedding and their yearly office bash.

Lastly, Christmas is a time when many people go on holiday, return to their hometowns or travel to see their families, so try not to book your wedding too close to Christmas or your guest list may be a lot shorter than you hoped.