Winter Wedding Ideas

Winter Wedding Ideas

Looking for winter wedding ideas that will set your celebration apart? With cakes, colors, flowers and fashion, along with fun ways to spend your time, here's our guide to helping you craft a memorable winter wedding.

The Colors of the Season

Red, white, gold and evergreen are classic favorites for winter weddings and look especially on point when they come in deep jewel tones. Icy blues, silvers, and whites are reminiscent of sparkling snow and shiny lights and can add a modern touch to your color palette. To create the right look, consider your venue and ceremony site and how they may be decorated for the season. If you’re recreating the ambiance, then the sky’s the limit. But, if you need to fit in with a theme that is already in place, be sure you know the colors you’ll be working with.

Winter Wedding Fashion

Now’s the time for luxurious fabrics and elegant designs. Velvet, satin and brocades in rich colors celebrate the season and make your wedding party fashionable. If you’re a bride, get yourself a faux fur wrap or pashmina to keep things cozy, and consider them as gifts for your bridesmaids. And if you’re a groom, get in the game with the same luscious fabrics and hues.

Winter wedding retro and painterly style portraits in red Seuss Moments
Photographed by Suess Moments - New Jersey wedding photographer
Bride and bridesmaids in red velvet Carrie Kizuka Photography
Photographed by Carrie Kizuka Photography - Pennsylvania wedding photographer
Winter group shot in evening Amber Henry Photography
Photographed by Amber Henry Photography - Michigan wedding photographer
Glamorous couple portrait Atelier Aberg
Photographed by Atelier Aberg - Sweden wedding photographer

Seasonal Wedding Cakes

Bring on the dark chocolate, classic vanilla, and flavors like gingerbread, cranberry and peppermint. Spice up your cake with cinnamon and nutmeg and surround it with sparkling candles. From simple tastes to the complex and extravagant, think about what tastes great with milk, coffee, hot cocoa, eggnog and bourbon.

Want more delicious ideas? Check our complete Wedding Cake Guide..

Groom carrying wedding cake top Foto Gard
Photographed by Foto Gard  - Norway wedding photographer
Tiered cake in dark chocolate with gold and red flowers Mike Zawadzki Photography
Photographed by Mike Zawadzki Photography - New Jersey wedding photographer
Wedding cake decorated with red roses David and Sherry Photography
Photographed by David and Sherry Photography - Ontario, Canada, wedding photographers

Winter Wedding Flowers

When choosing the flowers for your winter wedding, we suggest you look for blooms that are in season or readily available. Greenery like eucalyptus, pine, and cedar boughs can enhance your decor, while flowers like Amaryllis, roses, Star of Bethlehem, and Poinsettia look right at home in a winter bouquet. For a  modern look, try dried flowers, berries, piles of baby’s breath or winter wheat to create unique bouquets and floral arrangements.

Vibrant red bouquets of bridesmaids Matthew Sowa Photography
Photographed by Matthew Sowa Photography - New York wedding photographer
White bouquet in arms of elegant bride Berit Bizjak Photography
Photographed by Berit Bizjak Photography - New York wedding photographer
Striking bride pose in champagne color off shoulder gown Stanlo Photography
Photographed by Stanlo Photography - Bahamas wedding photographer

Winter Wedding Decor

Candles and twinkling lights bring a magical glow to your winter wedding atmosphere. Surround your cake with candles, drape fairy lights across ceilings or wrap them around pillars. Use garlands and evergreen wreaths for entryways and add pinecones, branches, and berries to play up your winter theme. Smoke machines for the dance floor and snowflakes projected on walls are additional elements that can help to finish your look. If you celebrate Christmas, this is the time to go all out with trees festooned with lights and decorations. For a complete guide to lighting your venue at any time of season, check out our comprehensive post, Wedding Reception Lighting Ideas.

Aerial view of guests at long reception tables Andy Gaines Photography
Photographed by Andy Gaines Photography - York, UK, wedding photographer
Reception hall in purple light Alante Photography
Photographed by Alante Photography - Seattle, Washington, wedding photographer
Kiss at luxury winter holiday wedding ceremony Stefy Hilmer Photography
Photographed by Stefy Hilmer Photography - Newport, Rhode Island, wedding photographer

Comforting Food & Drinks

Hot drinks, crusty warm breads, and delicious desserts are delightful for a winter wedding. Kids and adults love a beverage bar with hot cocoa, whip cream, marshmallows and flavored syrups, while mulled wine, spiced ciders and hot toddy’s are big hits with adults. When it comes to your menu think mashed potatoes, stuffing with gravy, seasonal squash and vegetables and add decadent decorated sugar cookies to your dessert table for a festive touch.

 

Top down view of reception tables Bee Two Sweet
Photographed by Bee Two Sweet - Washington, D.C., wedding photographer
His and hers cocktails Amy and Stuart Photography
Photographed by Amy and Stuart Photography - Los Angeles, California, wedding photographers
Bride at epic dessert table Into Dust Photography
Photographed by Into Dust Photography - Seattle, Washington, wedding photographer

Winter Wedding Activities

Winter provides a whole new way of looking at recreation. If there's snow on the ground, skiing, snowboarding, and sleigh rides are always fun ways to spend time together and with guests. For indoor fun, think board games around the fire, charades with a winter theme, scavenger hunts and trivia games all about you as a couple.

Just married couple on ski lift Andrea Enger Photography
Photographed by Andrea Enger Photography - Colorado elopement photographer
Military couple on road with carriage in snow Rodeo and Co. Photography
Photographed by Rodeo & Co. Photography - New England, U.S., wedding photographers
Couple on snow at snow covered peaks with just married signs David and Sherry Photography
Photographed by David and Sherry Photography - Ontario, Canada, wedding photographera

Ready to find the right wedding photographer to capture all your winter fun? Go straight to our directory to find talented artists with enough experience to exceed your expectations.

 

 

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