Winter wedding tips

Winter weddings are now more popular than ever before. Some couples just want the Christmas feel for their wedding day and some couples want to take advantage of the reduced rates some venues offer for off peak dates. While a winter wedding can add can have its advantages there is also a few additional things to consider over and above planning a summer wedding, which you may not have thought off.

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Choosing your date

While yes, it is true that a lot of wedding venues will offer reduced rates for winter weddings, dates around Christmas and New Year can be expensive. If you can avoid those key dates, generally venue prices are lower during the winter months.

Choosing your venue.

Choosing a venue, you love is going to be one of the biggest decision’s you make at the start of your wedding planning journey. Normally when you request a meeting to have a look around a prospective venue the meeting will take place during the day. If you are planning a winter wedding ask the venue for a late evening meeting so that you can get an idea of what the venue will be like in terms of lighting and atmosphere during the winter.

It may be worthwhile considering venues that can offer you the option of having both your ceremony and your reception in the same place. With winter weather being so unpredictable this could save both you and your guests a huge amount of hassle and time as there won’t be the need to travel.

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Choosing a ceremony time.

This is one of the most important decisions you will make when planning a winter wedding. Earlier is definitely better! At every winter wedding the weather is going to be a concern especially in Northern Ireland. Having an early ceremony time allows you some breathing space if something doesn’t go according to plan due to bad weather on the day. From our point of view as wedding photographers, we will always want as much available natural light as possible. In the winter months it can start to get quite dark from about 3-4p.m.

First Look.

Having a first look on any wedding day can be one of the most emotional and memorable parts of the day for the couple. With a winter wedding in particular, incorporating a first look can also help keep your wedding timeline on track. You can find out a few more details on first look on this blog post.

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Have a plan for bad weather.

Even in the summer months the weather here can be unpredictable but having a plan in place is even more important during the winter months. When booking transport ensure to allow for extra time. If your venue is in a remote location, talk to them about what happens in terms of accessibility if it snows. Allow extra time for everything, for example maybe you will need to wait out some rain for photographs. You might want to also consider purchasing some matching umbrella’s and wellies for you and the bridal party.