Fetcham Park is the winter wedding of choice according to Quintessentially Weddings
Our Winter Wedding Inspiration! If you’re the kind of bride who wants frosty, crisp ground underfoot and a long, dark night to enjoy the recesses of your cosy wedding venue, then let’s have a chat about some styling tips as you begin creating a winter wedding. We’re wholeheartedly ignoring festive themes and embracing everything that’s wonderful about the winter months.
Charlie Brear ostrich feather cape | Justin Alexander | Charlie Brear Neru lace
Obviously our first thought is for the frock. You’re going to want to opt for maximum warmth, either with the addition of sleeves or a cover-up. We think intricate lace wedding dresses are perfectly suited to winter weddings – their exquisite patterning is not dissimilar to the mind-boggling geometry that makes up a snowflake. There’s also something particularly pretty about voluminous clouds of tulle against a frosty backdrop (whilst also keeping your pins warm!).
Credits: Portrait Gallery | Eliza Claire | Style Me Pretty
You don’t have to opt for a traditional but slightly impractical bridal bolero to keep warm, particularly if you’ve got your heart set on heading outside to have your bridal portraits taken. We of course love a faux fur stole or jacket, but we absolutely love printed fur to make a real statement. Chunky knitwear looks really cute, as do massive coats; you should embrace your seasonal wedding and not shy away from it by shunning a coat and ending up turning blue!
Wedding stationery from Tickled Pink
With your guests likely to be spending most of their time indoors, you can really go to town on creating a sumptuous setting for your wedding reception.
“Warm drinks as you come out of church or arrive at your venue are the perfect way of adding an instant injection of heat for your guests,” advises Laura Caudery, of Fetcham Park, who hosted her own wedding in the depths of December. “Candles are key to setting the scene, as is a nice fragrance – I love a Diptyque scented candle for winter weddings or something pine-infused!”
Make It Luxe | Wedding Obsession
Whilst scouring Pinterest for inspiration, we stumbled upon the idea of a hot chocolate station which would make a great alternative either for your drinks reception or in lieu of tea and coffee after your wedding breakfast. We’re not going to get too involved with making culinary suggestions as, quite simply, this will end up being a foodie blog post instead of a style piece but suffice to say you have a whole array of hearty menus to choose from. (And P.S. CRUMBLE!)
We do love using metallic for a décor scheme and it’s never more appropriate than when the bare tree branches are glistening with their own natural gilding. Whether you choose to incorporate this element into your crockery and glassware, spray paint seasonal fruit in silver and gold or even choose to bring the outdoors inside with silvery tree branches, it will make a very glamorous and seasonal picture.
Rennard Photography | Babb Photo | Nicole Cassano Photography
“Planted bulbs such as amaryllis, hyacinths and narcissus are a great way of decorating on a budget and have the added bonus of a heady fragrance,” says Gayle Evans of Bloomin’gayles. “The price of white and red blooms rocket in the winter, so don’t be sucked into the cliché and think about using colour instead. Deeper tones are good to suggest the time of year rather than pastels, which are more appropriate for spring/summer.”
Ali Lovegrove Photography | Beyond The Lens Photography
Of course, the early sunset will mean that you have more hours for dancing the night away and, if you’re of that disposition, to make the most of a spectacular fireworks display. If that’s a little bit OTT, don’t underestimate the value of sparklers, both in terms of entertainment value for your guests and photographic opportunities that emerge in the dark.
And one last piece of advice from blogger Anna of Far From The Wedding Crowd who married in the wilds of North England during the worst snow storm in years: “Buy wellies!”
