Your Guide to a Cool Winter Wedding

The weather is quickly cooling down, but winter weddings are heating up! Don’t shy away from sharing your vows in a winter wonderland; instead embrace all the Midwest has to offer. Read on for tips to create a cool winter wedding.

Don’t be Afraid to Sparkle.

Flowers are usually the “go-to” when it comes to wedding décor, but in the winter most are usually out of season or are way expensive. Opt for the glitter. Embrace that snow sparkle and add some life to your winter wonderland decor.

Avoid Cold Feet.

Pun intended. Winter is cold, it is what it is. Just be prepared. There are some cute ideas for keeping you and your bridesmaids warm and still fashionable: tights, muffs, shawls, long-sleeved dresses, custom hand warmers, ect. Not a cute accessory: frost bite.

Let it Go.

My 3-year-old daughter would be disappointed if I didn’t throw in at least one Frozen reference. But seriously, if you’re going to plan a winter wedding, you are going to need to be flexible. Probably some people will RSVP “no” because they don’t leave their house after that first snowflake drops or they have holiday obligations. Your bridesmaids probably don’t want to wear strapless dresses and your wedding shoes might have rubber soles but that’s okay because “the cold never bothered me anyway” – (last reference, I swear).

Beauty Basics.

The winter cold comes with some unflattering side effects. Keep your face looking photo-ready with extra moisturizer and chap stick.

Go With the Flow.

If you’re going to have a winter wedding, have a winter wedding. All the white, all the gingerbread, all the spiked cider. If you only go half-way, you’re just having a party in the freezing cold and that sounds like no fun.

Plan B… and C… and D.

This should be the case for most weddings, but especially with a winter wedding. There are so many factors to take into consideration, wedding insurance is a must. You hope you don’t have to use it, but you don’t want to spend your life-savings on the perfect day just to have Mother Nature come in and say LOL JK. Make sure your schedule is padded. Allow for extra travel time in case you do find yourself under a few inches of the dreaded white stuff.

Here Comes the Brrrrr-ide.

While it’s important to make sure you’re attendants stay warm, don’t forget about the other couple hundred people that are venturing out for your special day. They will probably bring coats so have a coat check ready so they don’t worry about holding their coats at a probably already-crowded table. Obviously keep up with the heat control at the reception venue; large crowds tend to warm a room up real quick so high heat is probably not a necessity the entire night. Also, plan your day so your guests spend as little time outside as possible. They probably won’t want to stand outside waiting for you to finish your receiving line just to blow some bubbles in your face. Be considerate.

Winter weddings are GORGEOUS if you plan it right. Give everyone a good experience and they’ll be happy to venture out and help you celebrate, because “some people are worth melting for” (had to throw some Olaf love in there, he’s a snowman you guys).