Real Weddings
Great ideas for a wonderful winter wedding
We love a cosy winter wedding. Well, what’s not to like about twinkling lights, roaring fires, festive decor and plenty of hearty food to keep you feeling toasty? As it’s not peak season, it can also be a more cost effective time of year to book suppliers and venues, too. And, you don’t have to worry about the weather either, as it will probably be cold!
Lots of our real brides love a winter wedding too, so we asked a few of them to tell us what made their wintery big day really special…
Stunning frosty scenery
Ross and Lanette eloped to the Scottish Highlands. After their ceremony in Glasgow, they headed out for some breathtaking shots among the snowy mountains. “As we drove alongside Loch Lomond the grey skies parted and, amazingly, the sun came out,” says Lanette. “We went to several areas to take our photos, including a spot where the wild deer congregate. We also went to Glen Etive where the iconic James Bond Skyfall shot was taken, as Ross really likes James Bond.”
A seasonal colour scheme
Rachel and Peter held their January wedding in a characterful mill in Derby. “The weather was glorious sunshine but freezing cold, but we couldn't have asked for better in early January,” says Rachel. “We chose wine red and navy for the colour scheme, our favourite colours but also very apt for the season. Our florist Jessica used all in-season flowers to create the bouquets, button holes, and decorations, which were stunning.”
Grand venues and pretty pinecones
Sian and Tom chose two great venues to suit the season. "We wanted a winter wedding, as there’s just something so magical about Christmas. I wanted to be engrossed in the wedding and full of festive happiness. Liverpool Town Hall was our choice for the ceremony, as it’s the most grand and beautiful building. For the reception venue we chose One Fine Day, which was a short walk away. It’s an old cotton exchange building, so has a lot of history and, like the Town Hall, is grand and gorgeous. It was perfect for our Christmas do.”
The wedding theme was pine cones. “I wanted our wedding to be a winter wedding at Christmas, not a Christmas wedding at winter,” says Sian. “So there were just hints of Christmas throughout, including the huge Christmas trees in both venues.”
Full-on festive fun
A beautiful barn in Yorkshire was the setting for Zoe and Oli’s Christmas celebration. "I walked down the aisle with my dad to a song from Home Alone,” says Zoe. “It was a Christmas wedding, so I thought I’d get in as much ‘festive cheese’ as possible!"
"The weather was foggy and fresh, which made for lovely atmospheric photos. We also went all out with Christmas fun, with things like trees and Santa hats.”
Greens, reds and golds
Bianca and Scott got married on the 2nd December 2021. “It was the only day that week that was sunny, so we were very lucky,” she says. “The rest of the week it poured with rain! The theme was classic with green, deep red and gold colours. We wanted the colours to give a nod to Christmas without being OTT."
"There was a beautiful hoop at the end of the aisle filled with green foliage that smelled beautiful. We also had dried flower wreaths on the tables and lanterns, so it was very cosy. Favours were Ferrero Rocher chocolates and we served roast turkey dinners for the ladies and roast beef for the gents.”
The winter blues
Abigail and Luke married on 15th January 2022 at Briars Hall in Ormskirk. “It’s an 18th century manor house and it was our favourite venue,” she says. “The weather was perfect in the end. It was very cold, as it was only three weeks after Christmas, but it was such a lovely sunny day. It meant we were able to have photographs in the hotel grounds. The main colour theme was blue and the tables were decorated with birdcage centrepieces with tea lights and lots of beautiful flowers.”
A romantic castle wedding
What could be more romantic than New Year’s Eve in wintery castle? “We only viewed one venue, which was Ballygally Castle, just outside of Larne in Northern Ireland,” says Lauren. “It’s right on the coast road, along the beach, which was perfect for us and for the photographs. We love the north coast and it was great to have the ceremony and reception all in one place, as the winter weather in Northern Ireland can be unpredictable!”
The couple married on New Year's Eve 2021. "We both love Christmas, so getting married over the holidays was amazing,” says Lauren. “For the decor we were lucky that the hotel had their stunning Christmas decorations up, so we didn’t have to do much to make the place our own. We had chair covers, floral decorations and wreaths as centrepieces. All of the Christmas decorations and the open fire in the hotel just made it feel so festive. I love green, so my bridesmaids also wore beautiful dark green dresses and our invites had eucalyptus detailing on them."
And, to finish, a sparkler send off
Flowers and fairy lights created a stylish winter look for Jen and Rick. “We got married in February 2022 and our theme was white blossom and sage, so there was lots of winter greenery and white blossom trees everywhere. It was just like a fairytale. We had a huge roast dinner as our meal and the dark winter night also meant we took lots of sparkler photos outside, which looked amazing.”
If mulled wine and a snowy backdrop sound good to you, then check out our winter wedding blog for more tips and ideas or click here for lots more suggestions from our brilliant real life brides. Also, for more inspiration, check out our Instagram, Facebook or TikTok accounts.
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