The Inexpensive Elegance of Winter Weddings

When thinking about the winter season, sparkling snow, snuggling by the fire, and tasty comfort foods might come to mind.  Now, apply this vision to a wedding and you’ll have an elegant event that your guests are sure to look forward to.  The best part about having a winter wedding is that their is no “norm”.  Your creativity and imagination can go farther, and because of the time of year, you won’t break your budget by doing so.

Planning a winter wedding has numerous advantages to both the couple and guests.  Most notably, the winter months are considered part of the “off-season” for weddings – this means that several of your costs will be lower.  Ceremony and reception venues, bakers and caterers, even officiants all typically charge lower fees for dates set in the winter season.  Also, more of your family and friends may be able to attend as the spring/summer months are usually busy for everyone.

Flowers are another wedding item that you may be able to get a discount on in the winter.  This means that you would be able to get more flowers for the same price that you would be spending in the spring or summer months. Casablanca lilies, pale blue hydrangeas, white tulips or orchids are gorgeous flowers for the chillier season.

For wedding attire, the bridal party can wear a soft blue, pink or purple – silver is also a classy look.  Because of the cooler weather, it would be appropriate for bridesmaids to wear satin gloves and long, flowing gowns.  A faux fur wrap would be perfect to add some warmth for the bride.

There are so many options for winter wedding decorations.  Candles as centerpieces create a warm, by-the-fireplace effect, and you can create a nostalgic holiday feeling by decorating your reception hall with twinkling white lights. You can use a craft punch in a snowflake shape to make white and silver snowflake confetti for your tables or adorn the tables with ornament trees.  Personalize the ornaments on the centerpiece trees for your guests to take home as favors.

For the food, comfort foods will be most appreciated during this season.  Fluffy mashed potatoes and hearty gravy and sharp white cheddar macaroni and cheese are popular winter wedding dishes.  Consider asking family and friends to help you make the dishes for your special day to save on the cost of a caterer.  As a dessert course, offer your guests hot chocolate with whipped cream and a sprinkle of marshmallows.

It won’t take long for you to develop your winter wedding into the elegant, classy wedding of your dreams while staying true to your budget.  Time spent with family and friends during this season will be the most treasured part of your wonderland wedding.