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Planning a Winter Wedding

While spring remains the most popular season in which to tie the knot, winter can be a beautiful time as well. The clean, crisp air, sparkling snow and holiday mood all combine to make winter a wonderful season in which to wed. Here are some ideas to help you plan a spectacular winter wedding:

Theme

Choosing a theme makes planning your wedding easier. With a theme, it's simple to choose colors and coordinate everything from your attire to the decorations. Examples of winter wedding themes include Christmas, Snowflake, and Winter Wonderland. For a Christmas themed wedding, your color scheme would of course include red and green. A snowflake theme would of course feature lots of crystal snowflakes. For a Winter Wonderland theme, you could go for either frosty shades of white and silver or deep jewel tones like sapphire, ruby or emerald.

Location

There are many great places where you can hold your winter wedding. A church is always a traditional choice. However, a country inn, banquet hall, or even the home of a friend or family member can work nicely also. For a romantic and magical experience, arrive at your destination (or exit) in a horse drawn carriage.

Invitations

When choosing invitations, match them to your color scheme. You could choose snowy white invitations adorned with embossed holly. Or, go for navy blue invitations featuring engraved white snowflakes. Make sure to include not only the wedding announcement but the location, time and dress code. Always request an RSVP, as it's much easier to plan when you know how many guests to expect.

Attire

A winter wedding is a great excuse to wear a stunning white fur stole or cape (preferably faux fur.) Or, try a frosty white cashmere cape draped over your shoulders. To mimic the sparkling appearance of snow, wear silver or platinum jewelry and adorn your hair with a pretty tiara. Try a diamond (real or fake) pendant shaped like a snowflake for an appropriate and glittery accent to any wedding gown. As for your gown, you can easily wear most any style you prefer. Pure white is always a great color for your bridal gown, especially in the winter months.

Decorations

Your decorations should coordinate with your theme and color scheme. Go for bunches of red and green balloons or blue and silver ones. Try draping pretty gathered fabric along the pews if you're holding your wedding in a church. Fabrics can be velvet, tulle, or a combination of the two. Try two different types of fabric in contrasting or coordinating shades. For example, red and green or navy and silver are classic. Or, go for all white to create the illusion of snow. For great centerpieces, try cute snowglobes, miniature evergreen trees, or candles surrounded with floral wreaths or nestled in piles of fake snow.

Menu

When choosing your menu, go for filling favorites. Baked ham, beef stew, and lots of delectable sides like macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes with gravy are popular choices. Your guests will feel like they're sitting down to a holiday feast! Serve Christmas cookies or cookies shaped like snowflakes. Your wedding cake is limited only by your imagination! Go for an all-white cake, or accent your cake with edible fake poinsettia or holly berries made from frosting.

Favors

Wedding favors are a great way to express gratitude to your guests and give them a souvenir of your ceremony. Try wrapping candies in a bundle of colorful tulle, secured with a satin ribbon. Or, hand out disposable cameras so that your guests can take their own photos. Packets of cider, tea or cocoa are always appropriate for winter weddings. Scented candles, miniature soaps or even little bottles of bubbles for guests to blow as you exit the wedding also make great favors!