Hot Of The Press… Winter Wedding Ideas

My heart goes out to couples everywhere who were just about to get married and then had to postpone and push their dates back and into a completely different season and time of year. Right now, we hear you and send you lots of virtual hugs. But then, I wondered if you might just appreciate some useful advice and guidance in the form of Winter Wedding Ideas so that you can get things back-on-track in the months ahead?

So, I’ve invited the lovely Valentina – Founder & Story Teller at ‘The Stars Inside | Wedding Planning, Stylist & Dream Maker. AND, a wedding industry royal who has just been crowned by June Bug Weddings, The ‘Worlds Best Wedding Planner The Year Award 2020’

Valentina, has crafted a top tips for cool couples guide; That I know, will inspire your wedding day planning and ideas to a whole new level. This guide is so cool that the ink is still wet!

We can’t wait to hear your comments! And of course, you must check her out and show some love over on Instagram ♥

winter wedding ideas couple holding each other

Photography | Emma-Jane Lewis

POSTPONING THE DATE

Valentina says…

One of the effects of the COVID-19 wedding postponements is that many couples who daydreamed of having Spring or Summer weddings are now having to adapt their vision to Autumn and Winter. After months and possibly even years of planning, it’s entirely normal to feel heartbroken and sad about this difficult decision – so do take the time to process this and grieve if you feel you need it.

I’m here to help inspire you and embrace this change in a proactive and positive way, and very much hope this will help throughout your wedding planning journey. Every season brings new and exciting possibilities to your wedding styling, and I’d love to talk a little bit more about ways of looking forward to having a winter wedding celebration in the colder months of the year instead.

Photography | Sophia Veres (Top) Maja Tsolo (Bottom)

Once the logistics and practicalities of moving your wedding have been taken care of, you’ll have the option of considering whether the colour, style and overall feel can be refreshed in order to better reflect the change.

My first piece of advice is to hold on to your original vision and enrich it, rather than starting over completely (unless you want to, of course!).

Instead of risking the overwhelm of a total overhaul, I would recommend enjoying paying homage to the colour palette and style you had so lovingly curated until now and finding creative ways of introducing some new seasonal elements. Every colour scheme can be done beautifully in every season, particularly if you’re open to adding some intentional, meaningful ways of letting the environment play its part.

winter wedding ideas

Photography | Siobhan H

FROM AN OUTDOOR CEREMONY TO AN INDOOR WEDDING

Many UK locations have just as breathtaking indoor spaces as they do outdoor, and actually that is often their forte! Countryside manor tend to have walled and sheltered gardens too, which means you can likely still step out to catch some of that soft, low afternoon sun. Not relying on sunny weather (as one usually does in summer!) [can be less stressful] if you accept and expect a colder day, then any warmth or sunshine will be a welcome bonus.

From a practical perspective, if you were planning on having an outdoor ceremony or drinks reception, my advice is to make indoors your Plan A, so you have the peace of mind of knowing your guests will be comfortable and warm; then, if it does happen to be a glorious day, you can always shift everything back outdoors at short notice with the help of your wedding planner and/or wedding coordinator.

I would also recommend revisiting your timeline to make sure those family photographs and couple portraits happen while there is still light outside – which may mean shifting them a little bit earlier. Ask your venue manager for suggestions for indoor locations that might serve as interesting backdrop and have a chat with your photographer and videographer about that.

winter Wedding Ideas

Photography | Lydia Harper

STYLING THE DETAILS

Photography | Carla Blain ( Top Left) | Emily Rose Photography ( Top Right)

Photography | Sophia Veres ( Bottom Left) | Maja Tsolo (Bottom Right)

When it comes to styling details, I would say that the Autumn/Winter wedding months are all about creating atmosphere: low and twinkly lighting, warm candles, thicker textures like rugs and cushions, and roaring log fires for those venues that have them. Think about all the senses: could you have welcoming, wintery scented candles? Could your fruity Pimms be replaced with delicious mugs of hot chocolate, espresso martinis, or mulled wine and cocktails?

Could your bare wooden tables be decorated with some layers of berries, fir, and velvet? Could your lawn games be played alongside firepits and marshmallows?

Your colour palette can remain the same, or you could consider adding accents in darker, deeper tones to bring that moody, atmospheric winter vibe right to your guests’ fingertips. Start from the colours you had and explore the darker neighbours on the colour wheel.

If you had pastels and bright colours, you can pair them with some deliciously rich hues like deep blues, lush forest greens, burnt oranges, chic burgundies, and crisp black accents. You can go a little bolder with patterns too!

BE OPEN TO NEW IDEAS AND EXPLORE

Photography | Chloe Lee

Your palette will be brought to life by your flowers, so do take some time to discuss with your florist what blooms can be sourced on your new date, and let them guide you on which will best maintain the “feel” of your original colours.

Try to stay flexible – some specific flowers are very difficult / expensive to get a hold of when not in season, and your florist will be much more able to think outside the box if you focus on colours rather than flower names.

Certain flowers are available all year round (like varieties of Roses and Stock), and Autumn/Winter has it’s own star-studded cast: Dahlias, Anemones, Ranunculi, Cosmos, Hyacinths, and so many more.

Foliage and leaves take on a deep, captivating range of hues from burnt orange to semi-black burgundy, and you’ll have the option of adding branches and twigs and to your arrangements really naturally.

The last few months of the year are also a perfect time for dried flowers and grasses, which are also a fantastic way of adding texture and volume in an eco-friendly way.

Do keep in mind that your florist may not be able to give you exact bloom names and costs at this stage, as the global uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and Brexit will affect flower distribution in a way that is very difficult to predict right now.

RETHINKING YOUR WEDDING DAY OUTFIT

Photography | Natalie J

Your outfits are also another really fun opportunity to get excited about your new plans! If you had bought a dress particularly suited for warmer temperatures, you can speak to your boutique or seamstress about creative alterations and the possibility of detachable sleeves.

You can also shop for cool cover-ups to add a warmer layer that you can wear as you wish: like faux fur stoles, chic shrugs, white tuxedo-style jackets, leather coats, knitwear, sequined jackets, and – let’s not forget my favourite – bridal capes!

You can also be much bolder with your accessories during this time of year, like statement jewellery, coloured or metallic shoes, and glamorous clutches.

Make it personal to you: think about what your wardrobe looks like in winter, and all those favourite items of clothing you love finally being able to wear again. For example, if you have some boots you love and look forward to wearing every year, then incorporating some fabulous bridal boots into your look is definitely a good idea!

Your beauty palette can also be more daring if that’s something you’d be excited about trying, like deeper lip colours, dark manicures, and smokier eyes.

But honestly, the most important thing is that it complements YOUR natural style and your skin, and it can be as bold or as subtle as is most comfortable for you.

OFF SEASON WINTER WEDDING BENEFITS

Winter Wedding Ideas

Photography | Lydia Harper

As you plan, you will also discover some other great advantages of off-season wedding packages, such as significantly better supplier availability and sometimes even packages designed specifically for winter weddings.

Guests will naturally be in a festive mood, and the days have fewer hours of daylight which means it’s easier to extend the party and dancing section of your day.

Food and drinks are naturally heartier in this time of year, which tends to be a crowd-pleaser too! You might find that seeing your original ideas evolve into new ones is actually really fun, adding an extra sense of surprise and delight to the day for both you and your guests.

STAYING FOCUSED

Photography | Holes in The World

The most important thing is that the experience of marrying the love of your life, surrounded by your nearest and dearest, will be just as momentous and unforgettable – no matter what day it is, and what the weather is doing outside.

That day, with its completely unique, and perfectly imperfect memories, is all yours to enjoy and treasure♥

The time of year can play its part in shaping those memories, but ultimately everything that matters is there regardless: your love, your family, and your support for one another. Nothing can change that, and the best thing you can do for your own mental well-being is to accept the postponement for the unpredictable, out-of-your-control change of plans that it is, and take the rest of journey day by day, together, with joy and grace.

If you’d like any support planning your wedding or elopement, whether original or postponed, I would absolutely love to hear from you! You can get in touch with me through my WEBSITE or INSTAGRAM, or email me directly at VALENTINA@THESTARSINSIDE.COM

I promise that the best is very much yet to come ♡