How to have an Outdoor Winter Wedding?
Under a white blanket of snow, with stunning snowy landscape and gentle snowflakes falling as you looked into the one you love in the eye and proclaim "I Do." Isn't that heartwarming? However, it is not as romantic as you envision it to be when you and your guests are shivering and sneezing from the cold. Don't let the cold take your breath away, read on to find out how to have a successful outdoors ceremony during winter among the breathtaking surroundings.
Pick appropriate date and location
Nowadays, there are online weather forecasts that provide near accurate data using analyzed trending from the previous year. Pick a day from a week of full blast sunshine during winter. Research on the location that you are going to hold your wedding outdoors, you do want to make sure that it is not prone to snowstorms. The best way? Ask the locals who are living around that area.
Warn Your Guests
Tell your guests in advance that it is going to be an outdoor wedding during winter. Let them know the duration they will have to spend outdoors and advice them of their attire options. This allows enough preparations (mental or otherwise!) at their end. One good tip is to slip a "What to Expect" list into your wedding invitations.
Emergency Outs
One crucial tip that I have always shared with brides who want to have outdoor weddings is to always prep for emergency indoor venue nearby. Preferably somewhere within walking distance to the original venue.
Best of Both Worlds
Why not have your ceremony outdoors and your celebrations indoors? That way, your guests and yourself will only be out in the cold for maximum 30 minutes. It is more than enough for beautiful photographs. Many wedding venue vendors provide both indoor and outdoor options for such requests. You just have to find the right one.
Serve Up the Hot Chocolate
One great idea I have come across is to have a hot chocolate and whiskey bar. Nothing beats warming your hands wrapped around the cup of steaming delicious drink!
Provide Throws and Blankets
If your outdoor wedding is going to be more than 15 minutes, please do provide warm throws and blankets for the guests to cuddle up as they go teary-eyed at your nuptials. You can find those in the colors that match your theme and they make a perfect useful wedding gift for your guests too!
Color Theme
Against the white, it is the most delightful versatile color to match with. You can go icy blue (think Frozen!), turquoise green (think Tiffany!) and bright cheery red (think candy cane!). You can even opt for black against the white background to make it a black and white gothic theme if it is what you fancy.
Heaters
Do enquire with your venue vendors, some of them might tie in with outdoor heaters rental companies and you may have enough to melt the snow but not your love!
Party Favors
Besides throw and blankets, what makes a fantastic party gift is one that guests could bring home and use it in their daily lives. Mittens, scarves, ski hats are some of the favors your guests will appreciate and use it onsite and offsite.
Heat Pack
Buy stick on heat packs for yourself, your husband and your bridal entourage, They can paste them in their inner wear and run around without heavy coats hindering their movements. And you can still be the sexy bride with plenty of heat packs beneath the wedding gown. Shhh.. no one has to know!
So don’t let the mere coldness scare you off having a winter wonderland wedding. Just like the song says, “The cold doesn’t bother me anyway!”