Spring has been such a tease this year. After a mild winter in the DMV, I was hopeful for quickly warming temperatures in spring. But, here I am… writing this blog post while wrapped in a thick blanket. The positive is that it has me reminiscing on the beautiful winter weddings I’ve photographed as a DMV wedding photographer! While cold temps can be a mood killer, it can also be a great opportunity to show your guests extra love. Keeping guests warm doesn’t have to be hard, or expensive! Follow these winter wedding tips to make your cold or snowy wedding full of romantic warmth.

Winter Wedding Tips: Keeping Guests Warm

If I were invited to a winter wedding, I’d be stressing about what to wear that will match the formality of your event without freezing my buns off! You can show your guests extra love with a few simple details that are there to keep them warm. These solutions don’t have to be expensive, and some are really clever and memorable.

Cozy Wedding Favors

Love on your guests by including some cozy wedding favors! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Pocket-sized hand warmers
• Blankets
• Scarves or mittens (Avoid doing hats so the ladies don’t feel conflicted about ruining their hair)

Food Stations

Sometimes the best warmth comes from the inside out! Consider adding stations to your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception that are designed to keep shivers at bay.

• Coffee or hot chocolate station
• Mulled wine or warm bourbon cider station
• Spicy hors d’oeuvres
• Soup! (Imagine clutching a warm cup of sippable soup during the ceremony…devine!)

Environmental Additions to Radiate Warmth Indoors and Out

Despite best attempts, an outdoor winter wedding just still might be frigid. You can help ease this by adding a few warming elements to your venue. Just be sure the venue allows these things, or maybe they even provide it! Many of these items can be rented, so do some research to keep it within your budget.

• Standing heaters
• A bonfire! (Bonus if you make a smores station nearby)
• A tent (Keep warmth enclosed where possible, just remember body heat will fill it to some degree even without heaters)
• When in doubt, move EVERYTHING indoors. Making sure your venue has an indoor backup option will save you tons of stress if a blizzard decides to hit.

Winter Wedding Tips: Keeping YOU Warm

The above tips are sure to make your guests feel loved and welcomed. But what about the bride? Wedding dresses don’t often come with matching parkas (nor would that look very pretty if they did). So here are a few winter wedding tips to make sure you stay warm and comfortable your entire wedding day!

• A faux fur shawl (Try these: BHLDN | Bloomingdales | Etsy)
• Warm fleece-lined tights (I recommend close-toed wedding shoes to avoid the seam being visible… you can even try these that look like sheer tights!)
• Opt for a sleeved wedding gown
• Find a wedding dress with pockets!! Then put HotHands or hand warmers inside
• Hold HotHands around your bouquet stems to keep your hands warm (Consult with your florist if they feel this would harm the flowers or speed up their wilting… if so maybe reconsider)
• Opt for wearing your hair down (You’d be surprised how much warmer your neck will feel)
• Make sure your dress has layers in the skirt
• Grooms, opt for a velvet or wool suit
• Grooms, layer up! Go for the 3-piece suit, or opt for an ascot style tie to add more warmth near your neck

Still Worried? Hire a Wedding Planner!

Hopefully all these tips have sparked many more ideas for your winter wedding as you plan! If you’re looking for more tips like these, I recommend hiring a wedding planner! They can extend their knowledge and ideas about making your winter wedding that much more accommodating for you and your guests.

If you found this blog post helpful, check out the next few posts below!

• 5 Reasons Why You Should DEFINITELY Hire A Wedding Planner
• The ‘Daddy-Daughter First Look’ Explained
• Don’t Forget To Do These 5 Things At Your Wedding Dress Fittings

And if you want more of my wedding planning wisdom shared for your specific wedding day, maybe it’s time to set up a call about having me as your wedding photographer 😉 Contact me today!! Next year is already booking up fast!