Dreaming of planning a winter wedding? Winter weddings are often cosy, romantic affairs that take advantage of the most wonderful time of year. Imagine celebrating your nuptials with your loved ones around a roaring fire, or taking a sleigh ride through the snow after saying ‘I do’. What could be more magical? Whether you want […]
Dreaming of planning a winter wedding? Winter weddings are often cosy, romantic affairs that take advantage of the most wonderful time of year. Imagine celebrating your nuptials with your loved ones around a roaring fire, or taking a sleigh ride through the snow after saying ‘I do’. What could be more magical? Whether you want to create an enchanting winter wonderland wedding or go for a more sleek, modern affair, here’s our list of our favourite winter wedding ideas to inspire you.
Winter wedding ideas
Winter wonderland wedding
When you think of winter weddings, a winter wonderland wedding is probably the first theme that comes to mind. Opt for wedding locations in the Arctic Circle to have your choice of ice hotels, romantic winter cabins and tucked away, traditional churches adorned with freshly fallen snow. Or if you’re looking for somewhere closer to home, wedding venues in Scotland and Northumberland have a higher chance of being covered in a glistening blanket of white for your big day.
When it comes to incorporating your wedding theme into the venue, make sure to choose elements that will draw on the magic of a winter wonderland. Incorporate fabrics such as velvet, tweed and tartan in your wedding venue decorations, bridesmaids and groomsmen’s outfits to bring out the cosiness of wintery nights. If you want to add subtle hints of festive season glam, you could also opt for sequin bridesmaid dresses and vintage faux fur cover-ups which look ultra glamorous against the crisp snow when paired with one of our minimalist wedding dresses. Dresses in icy blues and pale greys can also look particularly striking, as these shades will draw on the darker, icy hues of the colder weather. This colour palette can also be incorporated into your bridal bouquet by mixing white flowers like roses with darker blooms such as anemones.
Rustic chic winter wedding
Barn weddings may be popular for spring and summer weddings, but don’t let the cooler weather put you off choosing a rustic winter wedding theme. A winter barn wedding is a wonderful way to embrace the cosiness of the winter season by choosing an intimate, rural location for tying the knot. Decorate your barn, farmhouse or country house location with a natural colour scheme of warm off-whites, creams, greens and browns. These warming shades will blend with the frosty weather outside while also adding an intimate, romantic feel to the interior.
Soft, off-white draping hanging from wooden posts can help to create depth to your winter barn wedding venue as well as bringing in the rustic feel of wooden elements indoors. Table decorations which incorporate rustic candle holders and placemats, hessian runners, mason jars with tea lights and festive foliage garlands will also look wonderful. While silver highlighting and soft lighting from candles and low-hanging lights will bring the glistening snow inside, adding to the intimate atmosphere.
Enchanted winter forest wedding
Looking for an outdoor winter wedding idea? Embrace the crisp air and beautiful wintery landscape with an enchanting winter forest wedding. Set up your ceremony in a forest clearing surrounded by towering pine or evergreen trees and (hopefully) freshly fallen snow. With this winter wedding theme, there is no such thing as too much greenery. Wintry foliage like evergreen garlands, ivy, yew, holly and hypericum berries are gorgeous natural decorations to adorn your wedding altar and reception venue as table centrepieces or on the backs of chairs.
Bring the magic of snowflakes to your day by choosing bridesmaid dresses and bridal hair accessories that incorporate subtle sparkles for a touch of the celestial. Outdoor heaters, baskets of blankets and hot mulled wine (or hot chocolate) on arrival will help to keep your guests warm while outside. Don’t forget snow-like confetti for your guests! Needless to say, winter will be chilly so look into wedding dress accessories like bridal capes, jackets and cover-ups to wear over your dress.
Festive Christmas wedding
Dreaming of a white Christmas wedding for you and your partner? For a Christmas themed wedding, embrace a festive colour scheme of reds, golds and dark greens to decorate your wedding venue. Garlands decorated with gold and red strings of beads or tinsel, holly and Christmas decorations are sure to bring in the festive cheer as well as an impressive Christmas tree complete with twinkling lights and decorations. When your guests arrive, welcome them inside to your ceremony with traditional carol singers, ready to watch you say ‘I do’ in front of a magical Christmas tree.
For your wedding flowers, boutonnieres, bridesmaids and bridal bouquets choose festive flower arrangements of red roses, gold-tinged twigs, red berries, holly and evergreen branches. Choosing bridesmaid dresses in festive colours such as rich dark greens or festive reds will not only suit your Christmas themed colour palette but offset your white wedding dress beautifully.
After your ceremony, invite your guests to your heartwarming wedding reception complete with a glowing fire decorated with stockings. Concentrate on table decorations and centrepieces that combine Christmas decorations with festive greenery and soft lighting. For the main food event, go for hot and hearty meals. You could go to town with a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, or opt for courses of comforting soup, beef bourguignon and dauphinoise potatoes. To finish off, opt for hot puddings like sticky toffee pudding, a classic cheese board or coffee with petit fours. You could even bring the Christmas spirit to your wedding cake by choosing a gingerbread house, snowflake or wrapped present design for you and your partner to ‘unwrap’. Jazz music and Christmas classics can make up your wedding playlist as you and your guests rock around the Christmas tree. Don’t forget the mistletoe!
Winter mountain wedding
Take advantage of the crisp, clean beauty of snow-capped mountains with a minimalistic winter mountain wedding. If you and your partner are frequent skiers, this could be the perfect winter wedding idea as you can hit the slopes for your special day. A mountain top wedding venue provides the perfect wintery backdrop for saying your vows as well as creating some pretty breathtaking wedding photos.
When it comes to decorating your winter mountain wedding venue, metallic accents can be paired with darker elements, such as mahogany, rosewood and ebony tables adorned with ivory and champagne metallic decorations. This contrast of dark and glistening off-white and metallic decorations will complement the snowy, wintery landscape outside. If your wedding is closer to Christmas, your venue might have their own festive decorations which means you can save some money on your wedding decorations, so it’s worth checking if this will be the case.
For your wedding outfit, opt for practical footwear such as snow-appropriate white or silver boots as these will allow you to move through the snow easily as well as beautifully reflecting the freshly fallen snow. For ultimate comfort, consider choosing a bridal jumpsuit for your winter wedding.
Black and white winter wedding
A modern take on the cosy winter wedding, a black and white winter wedding embraces the festive season minus the tinsel. Often, monotone weddings make the most out of textures to add depth to the wedding venue while still keeping to the black and white colour theme. With this in mind, consider incorporating textures such as marble, wood and metal to add interesting details to the overall look. For your wedding cake, a simple white cake decorated with blackberries and holly or evergreen branches will add to your winter theme while still being simplistic in design. If you do want to add a bit of shine, subtle gold details in your bridal jewellery, glasses and tableware will do the trick without overpowering the black and white accents.
For your wedding dress look, choose a white, minimalist wedding dress that can be paired with an elegant pair of black shoes. Accessories with a wedding bouquet featuring white, deep red and purple flowers and dark green, winter foliage.
What to wear over a wedding dress in winter?
When it comes to choosing winter wedding dresses, look for bridal gowns that incorporate long sleeves and high necks for ultimate coverage in the colder temperatures. Alternatively, you can accessorise dresses for a winter wedding with cover-ups. Bridal dress accessories such as bridal capes, jackets and shawls are perfect for a winter wedding as they add additional warmth while complimenting your overall outfit.
Looking for your perfect wedding dress for the winter season? At Andrea Hawkes, we specialise in tailoring each bride’s wedding dress to them. From exploring different accessory options to our bespoke bridal designs, our expertise helps us personalise each dress and wedding dress shopping experience to you.
To explore our unique bridal designs, book an appointment at our studio or follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.