When is the best time to play a wedding? Winter has many advantages in this regard. Firstly, many establishments and contractors are ready to meet the customer requirements and make discounts in this unpopular season. Besides, you do not need to worry that all good options will be already booked. Secondly, nature itself gives you a lot of ideas on how to organize a real fairy tale: you can use snow, ice, Christmas tree branches and complement them with bright New Year’s decor. In today’s article, we will talk about everything that concerns winter wedding. From winter wedding reception, cheap winter wedding ideas, wedding winter themes, to great winter wedding ideas. Before we talk about some unique winter wedding ideas, let’s talk about the benefits of it.

Winter Wedding Benefits

1. Freedom of choice. Since the vast majority of young couples decides to get married in the warm season, this automatically opens up many options for those who decide to have a wedding in the winter: there will be many free dates in the registry office.

2. Saving money and time. In winter, many wedding services are completely free – these are wedding salons, photographers, videographers, and many others. This means low prices and short lines. 

If you don’t have a partner yet, and you are just thinking about your future wedding, then don’t waste your time, find out a few things about dating a single mom.

3. Originality. Thanks to a professional photographer, you can achieve amazing beauty of pictures that will convey the whole contrast of fun, joy, and the beginning of a new life against the backdrop of the frozen world. 

How to Plan a Winter Wedding

Here are some steps and tips on how to plan a winter wedding.

Step 1 – Plan your budget and stick to it

Set the final amount of money that you are willing to spend. Stay on top of this total (or try to keep your spending less than that). You will inevitably discover more costs and expenses that you haven’t foreseen, so be sure to consider what you need to spend money on. Try to get about half the amount to pay for the venue, food, and drinks.

Step 2 – Have a ceremony and celebration in one place

If you rent one place instead of two, then naturally you will save money. Many venues for events, especially if they often hold weddings, are fully equipped for both the ceremony and the reception, and can easily switch from one to the other.

Step 3 – Make a guest list

Let the wedding party be small. You may feel obligated to invite a few bridesmaids, friends of the groom, a girl with flowers, etc. As a rule, these people receive gifts for participating in the wedding, therefore, the more people you invite, the more money you spend. By limiting the choice to only one bridesmaid and friend of the groom, you will reduce your spending.

Step 4 – Rent your wedding clothes

Do you want some winter wedding ideas on a budget? Rent your clothes. Check with your local wear rental store. They may have wedding dresses and men’s suits. Renting wedding suits in the United States can cost from $200 to $2.000, plus a deposit in case of damage, the clothing will be available a few days before the wedding. However, it should be remembered that most likely, you will not have the opportunity to customize this dress for yourself.

Also, some stores sell pre-owned wedding dresses that were already worn and can cost up to $100. When you consider that, on average, a wedding dress is worn for only a few hours, then you might think that it makes sense to purchase an already used one.

Step 5 – Food and drinks

Ask family or friends to serve as the cooks for the wedding. Your family does not have to have an exquisite chef to prepare a few dishes that would suit a wedding. Enlist the support of 2-3 people to handle the cooking. Prepare a menu that will be available to the family members.

Do not forget about plates, cutlery, cups, and napkins. You will also need serving dishes and warming trays. Check the wedding venue to make sure you can bring your treats. Some places require you to order refreshments from their suppliers. 

Tips on How to Plan Winter Wedding

Here are some tips and small winter wedding ideas.

Always have a bad weather plan

You must always remember about force majeure situations that can end up spoiling the wedding or at least a part of it, thus, you must have a backup plan in case something goes wrong.

Wear warm clothes

This goes without saying, if you plan on having a wedding outside or in an open place – wear warm clothes so as not to catch a cold and get sick right after your wedding.

Create an outdoor bar

It is beautiful outside, and the more beauty of winter you incorporate into your wedding – the better. An outdoor bar can be beautifully decorated, and it can serve both cold and warm drinks.

Get wedding insurance

Is there such a thing as wedding insurance? It covers force majeure situations, unforeseen events, external events, extreme weather, venue and vendor issues.

Do not forget about the photos

A winter wedding is a beautiful event that should be remembered for a long time, and when the times get rough – you can relive it by looking at all the photos you took during the wedding.

Best Wedding Ideas for Winter

And finally, here are some December wedding ideas.

Idea 1 – Winter gifts for guests

What gifts to give guests at a winter wedding? Those that warm the heart! It can be any things related to the frosty season: rugs, gloves, sets for making cocoa, scented candles, etc.

If your celebration is planned for December, presentations related to the upcoming New Year celebration will be relevant. For example, you can give guests a beautiful Christmas tree toy in a box on which your names and the wedding date are written. There are a lot of DIY winter wedding ideas to find on the Internet if you want to put something of your own into this wedding.

Idea 2 – Wedding photoshoot

A winter wedding photoshoot can bring a lot of great memories back, it can be quite beautiful. Firstly, the use of traditional snow-covered snowdrifts and colorful Christmas tinsel as a decor. Secondly, you can use themed props – put on skates, take a sled or even rent a horse-drawn cart. There are tons of ideas for a wedding photoshoot in winter!

Thus, you will get two series of shots. The first is against the backdrop of snowy nature. The second is in the glow of lights in the banquet hall.

Idea 3 – Winter cocktails

Are you looking for January wedding ideas? What about winter cocktails? What is a winter wedding without warming drinks? Organize a small bar for your guests, where along with traditional tea/coffee, guests will be served cocoa and mulled wine. You can set a small table on which there will be a machine for making a drink (or thermoses), as well as various additives for the guests. For cocoa, for example, it’s marshmallows, cinnamon, and chocolate.

Idea 4 – Winter floristics and decor

Here’s the last point on the list of ideas for a winter wedding. To decorate the venue for the ceremony and the banquet hall at a winter wedding, you can use Christmas tree branches, cones, rowan berries, snow-white cotton, Christmas decorations, candles, and even whole ice sculptures. Original ideas for a winter wedding will be crystal products – in their transparency, they resemble real ice, but they are much more practical to use. A winter wedding can be a real come true fairy tale! The main thing is to be prepared and not leave anything for the last moment.