Top tips to remember when planning a winter wedding or party.

Planning a winter event may not seem any different to an event at any other time of the year originally, but once you really start to plan and think about the details you realise there are a few more things to think about when planning your winter wedding or party. In this blog post I break down my top tips on what you will need to remember for winter events.

Book well in advance.

The Winter season can be very busy for venues and suppliers, especially with lots of festive and Christmas parties taking place. Not to mention you guests may start planning Christmas activities once summer is over, so the sooner you can find your key suppliers (venue, caterers, photo, video etc) the better and the more available suppliers you will have a choice of. As soon as you have your venue and date confirmed I would suggest sending out a save the date so that you can make sure your guests are aware and so you can get an idea of who will be able to attend. This dosent need to be a fancy invite it can simply be an email or e-invite to make your guests aware of your special day!

Spend some time working on your schedule

It is a good idea when starting to plan you schedule and that you keep a few things in mind that would affect a Winter celebration. In winter sunset is a lot earlier and can be around 3/4pm depending on where you are, therefore if you are planning on having any photos outside or any features outside they would need to be done before it gets dark. Also the light in winter can have an effect on your photos to its best to speak to your photographer about timings for photos, its also a good idea to have a site visit with your photographer at the venue a couple of weeks before the event to find the best lit spots for photos. Another thing to keep in mind is travel time, this is especially important if you are planning a wedding and your ceremony is in a different location to the reception, I would advise that you allow a little extra time for guests to get to the reception and perhaps make sure your arrival drinks at the reception venue are long enough to allow for late comers.

Winter Weather.

Winter weather has a reputation for being cold and wet, so its best to prepare for this. Having some umbrellas on stand by for your guests if they need to go outside, or for when they arrive/leave your event. There are companies available that you can hire umbrellas from for your event so you dont need to worry about spending out on hundreds of umbrellas for them potentially not to be used. You could also get some blankets, gloves or even slippers to have available for your guests to keep warm! Another great idea is to have an area for a coat check or a clothes rail so guests can hang up their coats and dont need to carry them around the event, it will make them feel so welcome.

Winter Décor

Winter décor is my favourite! Warm colours, candles and festive touches can look so beautiful and give you such a warm and cosy feeling, you could even add fairy lights! Subtle highlights to winter in the decor such as pine cones, winter florals and the addition of dark reds and golds can look beautiful!

When thinking about florals start off with speaking to your florist and see what their recommendations are for flowers that will be in season, you dont want to have your heart set on flowers that are only in season in Spring and then have to pay lots more to have them shipped over. Winter floral are beautiful and and you can easily add winter foliage such as thistles or holly instead. There a lot of options and your florist will be happy to help you source perfect winter flowers and foliage to help your event look stunning.

Food and beverage

You want to make sure that when thinking about catering especially in winter you want to provide food that warm and comforting and will give your guests a great feeling. Depending on the dining style of your event you could have finger food such has mini sausage and mash, bowl food stews and casseroles, or beef wellingtons. If you are having a sit down meal you could have a comforting meal such as roast beef/chicken etc dinner or a warming beef bourginoin. There are so many options you can choose for your food, its worth speaking to your caterers about what they suggest for your event. In terms of drinks you could provide some amazing winter drinks such as Mulled Wine or Baileys or even Espresso Martinis! You could even have a coffee or hot chocolate station where you can add different toppings. There is lots of different ideas you can play around with for the catering for winter weddings so have fun with it!

Winter accessories

You'll want to make sure you get yourself some accessories to keep yourself warm but still look amazing. There are lots of options out there now for ways to change up your wedding dress especially and add a top, lace sleeves or a shawl if you think you would need it. Also don’t forget about your bridesmaids, it is likely they will only need some warmth at the start of the day when is colder (everyone will warm up once they have eaten and on the dancefloor) So maybe get some faux fur shawls or scarf for them to wrap around their shoulders if they would feel more comfortable. If you are hosting a party why not go for a jumpsuit to keep your legs warm or there are some great tights options you can get know including fleecy tights which are great and look beautiful with a party dress.

Don't forget about your hair and makeup , you may be more than happy to keep your dewy natural makeup for your wedding day but speak to your makeup artist and see if they will be able to use a slightly more moisturising products for the colder weather. However, if you are wanting to change up your look why not go for a darker or bolder lip with a slightly darker eye. Make sure to book in a trial and play around with winter looks!

If you need any help or advice on planning your winter wedding or party, get in touch and we can chat over a glass of mulled wine!

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