While summer and fall will always remain popular times of the year to get married, a fair portion of engaged couples are drawn to the colder months and choose winter as their season for getting married. Talk to a couple who was wed between the months of December and March and you will be surprised to hear what they were able to get for their wedding day that couples in August could only dream of. So what are some of the perks of a winter wedding that the rest of couples are missing out on?
Open Dates and Reduced Pricing
It’s no secret that June and September are the busiest wedding months in Upstate New York. If you want the most popular wedding venue or the hottest wedding vendor you have to book out years in advance to get them for a summer or fall wedding. But check for availability in January or February and you will find many of the top locations and professionals have wide open calendars they are itching to fill. And some companies even offer off-season prices or free upgrades to entice couples to book with them in the slower months. Hello dream vendor team!
Blank Design Slate / Snow White Backdrop
When it comes to event design who wants to compete against bright summer blooms or all of those colorful autumn leaves? In the winter you get a snow white backdrop which is a complete blank canvas on which you can build your own unique wedding design. Want to go bold, minimal, classic, or over the top? You can design whatever you want in the winter because Mother Nature won’t give you anything to compete with. Painters start with a white canvas to create art, right? Well the winter snow allows you to build your own event design in the same creative way.
Cozy Details
What’s the best part about winter weather? Cozying up with sweaters, scarves, and the one you love. Winter weddings open up so many possibilities for adding cozy details from crackling fire places to fun furry accessories and everything in between. And trust us, cozy warm details just won’t fly for a wedding in July.
Shimmer and Shine
What is one thing we all could use more of in those long winter months? Light! And for winter weddings there are so many ways to bring shimmer and shine to the big day. Sequins and beading on dresses, metallics and mirrors in the decor accents, and of course tons and tons of candlelight during dinner. We are lovers of light so the more shimmer and shine the better (in our humble opinion).
Chance Of Snow(storm)
What is more romantic than falling snow? And if you get married in Upstate New York in the winter months there is at least a chance that it could snow on your wedding day. What winter wedding couple doesn’t dreams of having some snow come down on their wedding day?
Sweat Proof
Where are my hot blooded people at? No matter what they do some people just run hot and the summer heat is not their friend. To these folks getting dressed in a full dress or suit, sitting through a ceremony in the sun, and trying to dance in an open air tent on a humid night in August are sweaty uncomfortable situations. And until you are the one wearing the wedding dress or you’re the groom in a formal black tux you have no idea how much temperature will affect your happiness that day. The beauty of a winter wedding is eliminating all possibilities of heat and humidity, and being able to step outside and cool off if your dance moves ever get a little too hot to handle.
Free Holiday Decor
Try mixing in some holiday cheer into a wedding in May and it just won’t fly. But in the month of December showing off some wreaths and twinkle lights is practically expected! If the holiday season is your favorite time of year then why not celebrate your most special day in the time of year you love the most. And as a bonus most venues are already decorated for the holidays so you get all the great holiday season decor as the backdrop of your ceremony and reception completely for free.
People Are Ready To Party
By the time you hit mid-winter the days are short, the nights are long, and your guests are itching for a reason to get dressed up and go out. In the summer months your friends might be invited to multiple weddings and none of those weddings have a chance to stand apart. But come winter when weddings are a less frequent part of one’s social calendar it makes the occasion that much more exciting. The dress code is a smidge more sophisticated, the conversations are a tad more engaging, and – trust me – the dance floor will be full all night long.
Curious if a winter Upstate wedding could be perfect for you? Give us a shout. Our first consult is always free!
xoxo,
Shannon
It’s never a bad idea to have some help if you go outside for photos in the winter months. Someone to hold on to a warm cover up in between photos, keep your stray hairs and veil in place for those wintry wind gusts, and of course to keep those heels from slipping on the snow and ice. This is a throw *way* back shot of me in February 2010 helping my bride Brittany as she got ready for her first look.
Photos above by Matt Ramos Photography, Tracey Buyce Photography, Tricia McCormick Photography, Clark + Walker Studio, Tiffany Wayne Photography, Linda Conley, Pat Fury Photography, Bailly Photography, and Niki Rossi Photography
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