Creating the perfect Winter Wedding

My goodness it’s time to break out the coats, gloves and socks! Brrrr! In these frosty mornings and very fresh (read: freaking freezing!) nights it’s easy to relax with a hot cocoa under a doona and let the world just slip by. But what about the nervous brides getting ready for their big day?

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t have your most perfect of perfect days. In our last post, we let you in on styling details for winter weddings, and this time around we want to give you the low down on what you need (and what you don’t!) for a stunning chilly gig.

1. HEATING

It’s an obvious one. But how much do you actually need? Most heaters cost between $80 and $120 per night to hire so you really don’t want to be getting more than you actually use. 

So, if you’ve got guests braving the cold outside you will need one patio (outdoor) heater per 15 -25 people. Having a marquee do? You’ll need one ground blow heater for anything up to 25m long. Past that you’ll need two. Opting for the rustic feel of a shed? Check the height of your ceilings and, if possible, go for patio heaters. Otherwise, get your ground blow heaters (jet fires are brilliant). 

If you’ve got a venue booked, go along for dinner or visit the venue a week before the event to see how hot / cold it is. If it’s too cold, ask for additional heaters to be turned on during the night. Easy!  

2. DRESS CODE

Winter warmers don’t really scream wedding elegance do they? So how do you let your guests know what to wear and how they can accommodate the warmth of the venue with the crisp outdoors? 

The best dress code we’ve seen (and laughed at) went something like this:

“It’s May so it’s cold. But obviously we’re not going to force you into the wilderness and let you fend for yourselves while we serve you canapes! So, dress up and bring a fabulous coat.”

 If you’re not into that humour, just let your guests know that it will be warm inside your venue so they needn’t wear winter clothing that cannot be removed. 

3. FOOD AND DRINK

We quickly mentioned this awesome winter warmer cocktail in our last post but it’s not exactly a full menu! For Winter weddings, you need the food to be wholesome, warm and filling. Small canapes do perfectly in the Summer but don’t suit the cooler weather. Your guests will need full bellies to last the whole chilly night.

Why not try for a rustic home-style roast? Or, if you like your food more gourmet, speak to your caterer about using locally sourced, in-season produce to really give a sense of Winter (and your location!) to your night. We love the stuffed baked mushrooms on BH&G’s as a hot canape idea… Or (from the God-like advice of Martha Stewart) serving spiked coffee with donuts for dessert! 

Martha Stewart Spiked Coffee and Donuts – (marthastewartweddings.com)

4. DON’T FIGHT THE SEASON

Winter is truly one of the most magical times of the year. While Summer may be the official ‘romance’ season, it’s not quite the same feeling snuggling up to your beloved in 30 degree heat. In winter chilly weather however, these snuggles are more cosy than you imagine and really do bring a sense of romance from June to August. So don’t fight it, use it! Use your natural surroundings to help inspire your theming or styling; use the weather to dictate your run times (start your ceremony a bit earlier to take advantage of warmer weather); use the cooler weather to show your guests things they never would have experienced at a wedding before (hot mulled wine anyone?) etc. There are so many things you can do to embrace the romance of the season so go with it!

5. BE INSPIRED!

Not really sure how to embrace Winter romance? Do some research! There are incredible things on Pinterest (check out our board!) and websites like Martha Stewart Weddings and Style Me Pretty are bursting at the seams with the most incredibly stunning winter ideas! If that doesn’t grab you, put together a mood board of your most perfect of perfect days and take it to a stylist. They’ll be able to turn your dreams into a winter wedded wonderland.

That’s it! This most spectacular of seasons can be your perfect time to take advantage of cheaper supplier deals (ask if your supplier does out of season discounts) while treating your guests to something truly unique and absolutely stunning. Maybe it’s time for our lovely brides-to-be to chill out? 😉 xx