Stories from Your Wedding Friend - The Wedding Planner's Blog
One of the biggest considerations for a Winter Wedding is the timeline for the day. Obviously at this time of year you have much shorter days and longer, colder nights, but how does that effect your wedding plans? Simply put you have less time for any outdoor/natural light stuff but opportunities to do lots of awesome clever stuff with a night-time setting. Take a look at some top Winter Wedding Planning tips that will take yours to the next level.
If you're expecting to do the usual outdoor photography shots and want to make the most of the grounds at your venue before the sun goes down, you really need to know what time sunset is expected to be on your wedding day. Your whole schedule for the day could need to be aranged around this time, so do your research. The closer to Winter Solstice your wedding is, the earlier in the day you'll need to do your daytime photos. NB Winter Solstice is around 21st or 22nd December, depending on the year. You could be looking as early as 3.15/3.30pm on particularly grey days and a bit earlier in Scotland. It's worth looking at somewhere like here for sunset times, as you can search by location now for your specific wedding date.
Ok so you've worked out the time for sunset, now you have to consider how much time you will want to be outside for your photographs, or maybe you're even thinking about an outdoor ceremony (not my recommendation but it's your wedding after all!). Most people will need at least an hour for photographs so that means you need your ceremony to finish by 2.30pm at the latest (based on a Winter Solstice date!), therefore your ceremony needs to start BY 2pm for a civil ceremony. Your guests will need to be there for 1/1.30pm and you'll need to do your registrars chats, so you'll need to be there by 1.45pm at the latest. You can see how tight this timeline is; if you don't run to time you could miss that sunset shot!
Your whole timeline should work away from the most important point for you. If you're not bothered about outdoor pics then don't worry, do the group shots somewhere inside (just make sure your venue has an ideal spot for this). However, if you really want a sunset shot you need to make sure you don't schedule in your wedding breakfast for exactly that time!
It'll be dark for a big portion of your Winter Wedding day so why wouldn't you want to make the most of it. A sparkler send-off or moody/daring dark pics of the two of you, are all very achievable this time of year. If you embrace the snow or rain, the dark or dusk, your photographer will be able to capture some stunning shots, IF they have the right equipment.
This is the time of year for moody lighting. Strings of fairy lights around the outside of your venue or lanterns, will add a truly romantic feel and warm glow to your big day. But remember to ask your venue what lighting they've got - many will already have up-lights for the outside of their buildings or pathway lights, so don't order extra if you don't need them. Ask if they'll give you the opportunity to see the venue at night, especially if you're using an unusual venue that isn't generally open that time of day in the Winter.
It's the time of year for fireworks and if your budget will stretch to it, they'll make a very dramatic end to the day. Just bear your location in mind. Rural or in built-up areas, restrictions might apply at your chosen venue. Never DIY fireworks at a venue, it could get you into a lot of trouble. Reputable companies like Fantastic Fireworks will work with your venue to ensure a safe and suitably spectacular finale.
All weddings come with their own challenges, the main thing is to prepare. By being aware of the potential problems, you can come up with solutions. If you need any help identifying the potential problems with your Winter Wedding, get in touch today. X