Fresh New Ideas for a Winter Wonderland Wedding Theme

lindsey, wrap white christmas lights around branches and place in strategic places in room. go look at the new winter 2009 inside weddings(derek clark wedding it is not posted on the website yet, i dont have a scanner so i cant post it either ) when you see this you will be amazed!! it offers the twinkle and also adding the candles. dont worry about the 3 inch candles just place these candles in different size glass cylinders on the smaller scale of course. another idea is rent white lanterns and enclose the candles. just make sure they are in votive glass holders so wax wont run out. the disco ball( if approved by venue) will have to be professionally installed, try your local event planning venue or wedding supply. the draping ( again is venue approves) can easily be put up by the same event planning( they will know who to contact) i dont know how expensive it is though?!? this fabric can be rented i believe the same as chair covers and linens. i love your ideas and your dress!! think about buying crystal stems and garlands and place in florals so all your lighting will glisten and sparkle in the room. think prisms hanging from candleabras, what about rhinestones sprinkled generously on the tables( elegantly)? her at favor ideas just type in diamond theme wedding for the pic. hope this helps!! but remember head to your local bookstore and check out inside weddings ( i think you will love the idea from the real wedding!!) another idea, place rhinestones in bottom of glass centerpiece containers for a dazzling effect or for your 3 inch candles have floating candles too except for floating candles before you fill with water add clear rhinestones at bottom, in a 1/4 to 1/2 in. thick layer( just enough to cover bottom)

nicole,
i saw some felt glitter snowflakes that come several to a package at hobby lobby this past christmas.
orientaltrading ( may have something that appeals i just looked there, this place is inexpensive!)
google search large snowflakes and wedding decor. also google image and search snowflake cutouts. okay here is a great site for what youneed at a great price. again i would hurry, they even have a discount price listed, according to pkg #. At this price you could really rack up!! they are 15″ long/wide. sothis is it!! add sparkle with glitter. when i was in art we cut out snowflakes for a winter art show, it can be very difficult and i do not recommend it!! i would buy the shapes, leave plain or embellish. i order this like tomorrow, so i could be sure to get them, winter will soon be over, some of the stores may not carry them til next winter. i wish you the best and waht a fun wedding decor by the way!! i saw a wedding once where balloons were used, there were masses of them in the ceiling, the long silver streamers looked like icicles. it was just gorgeous. i know balloons dont sound so elegant but this was breathtaking!!

*Snowflake Cutouts
*Miss seeing snowflakes? Make your own
*Make a Large Snowflake Decoration out of Doilies
*Sparkle Snowflake, 11 in
( i would hurry here, i dont know how many they have left, scroll down on same page for other sizes)

I used soemthing that at first appearance in the box I thought were pretty cheesy but they were perfect in our venue. I got from ORiental trading company honeycomb snowflakes….I got them after Christmas for a good price….Here is the link

* Tissue snowflakes Oriental Trading

You may check at the dollar stores in October and November…last year they had acrylic ones that were about 8 to 10 inches across!

If you (or someone you know) are good at cutting paper snowflakes, they can be cut out in any size depending on the paper you use. Snowflakes should always have six sides - not eight and can be very intricately done. After you have the large paper snowflakes, you could get them laminated at an office type store. If available, get the heavier laminate which is stiffer. They can be hung with clear fishing line in varying lengths from the ceiling, along with some stuck on walls and/or windows so you’re surrounded in snowfall. I’ll attach a couple snowflakes I’ve cut out. You could find patterns on the internet if you don’t want to create your own.

rachel, i may have overlooked!! but which pic so i can help you!!

Elegance with a Twist

Winter Scented Pine Cones ( i love this in subtle scents scattered about the room in silver containers)

Social Design | Poll Results ( i love the branches in vases and tall enough so guests can talk and mingle, tip: keep lower centerpieces if venue ceiling isnt so tall, can still do branches though and they are FREE!!!)

Snow, Snow, Go Away…Please Come Back Another Day… ( if it snows where you live i love this snowflake motif, use it on everything, could be your theme!)

Planning a Winter Wedding

A Preppy Pink and Gold Winter Wedding (change pink to peach). i absolutley agree with the brown bridal party. can put guys in black with brown ties it does look great!!. or put them in brown and cream ( google image brown tux to see ideas!)

what i would do is do branch centerpieces it looks soooooo chic. and have a few well placed peach flower centerpices around the room. have girls carry peach flowers( think peach roses ( google image peach wedding bouquet or peach roses)

Featured Bouquet: Hydrangea, Stock and Peach Rose Centerpieces

you carry white roses or vice versa. this wont matter just depends if you want to carry the colored bouquet. flower girl in peach with brown sash. if you want more traditional put evergreens everywhere, if not axe all but little of the greenery for a fresh approach. candlelight, great food, hot cocoa with marshmallows(guest will love this!!) and a shimmery white cake. or cupcakes. voila. i love this scheme so beautiful!!

Simple table setting in brown and pink (this is pretty amazing)

Knottie Pootiekins (or this) decorate with peach accordingly.

Luke & Jessica Planning Bio (wow) love the draping bouquet!

Board #278: Budget Friendly #10, Winter Wonderland

Board #37: Warm White

i google imaged winter wedding from snippet and ink and couldnt pull up the pic that i saw.under lex said yes!. hope all this helps!

Check out Board #189: Urban Rustic ( this is great!)

Jaime, hi! The first thing I thought of was a little like Stacey’s urban rustic board above. With those colors and esp. a champagne gown, this would be AMAZING as an art deco wedding with a soft, monochromatic palette. Champagne, tan, chocolate brown and gray with touches of gold.

Art deco is so perfect for winter. And so elegant, and unlike anyone else’s wedding. Think all that beautiful 30s something photography you’ve seen in Vogue over the past year. Vintage jewelry, sparkling brooches, a stunning ornament on the bodice of your gown or bridesmaids gowns, chunky vintage heels. Multi-threaded seed pearl wrist cuffs with a rhinestone gem. Gobs of candlelight, chandelier earrings, and chandelier crystals hanging from candelabras. Mirrors underneath to reflect all the light. Some artful feathers used here and there (maybe a bouquet collar).

I might try to pull together a board if I can. It’s not for everyone, but would be unforgettable for a winter wedding with these colors.

I am having a February wedding. the color i went for is hunter green. I think that color will also look great with the champain dress….but if you are going for bron try something like a vintage theme… I have always loved brown as a vintage color… and I thik the dress color you chose would be perfect!

I Love my Danil

Anna

Where abouts do you live Jamie. I am a wedding planner based in Birmingham. i could help if you wanted?

regards

sharon

Hi Jaime,

I’m not sure sure if you’ve been able to get any help as yet, but I’ll share my ideas with you either way.

The colors of white or off white with Champagne and brown are elegantly complimented by each other. I’ll paint a picture for you…….think of…….pinecones with touch of snow and gold dust, branches and natural reefs with golden apples and sprinklets of snow, cobble paths with and snow-capped artificial copper-toned trees with sparkling icicles. A chocolate brown blends perfectly with a winter wonderland theme! If you would like more ideas feel free to contact me. I am an Event Planner and I specialize in weddings. Good Luck and Congratulations!

Hi Marisa! Hmm, I love the woodsy look, especially with the white and ice blue. I know green is trendy even for winter weddings, but I still love the pale blues best.

This is a tricky wedding to pull off with a low budget because it’s a “fantasy” wedding. They tend to be big productions. You can have a really simple version of it and not kill yourself over the details (white pillar candles in hurricane lamps on white linens, a little silver snowflake confetti, scatter with some frosted pinecones). Or, you can roll up your sleeves and go crazy with DIY.

If you choose route #2 there are lots of things you can DIY below that would fit. Here are some of them again. Imagine all the green is blue.

You can make very chic vases by covering anything — heck, soup cans — in white birch bark. You can also cover jar candles with birch bark. Try ebay for the loose bark or just look for birch bark containers there.

I really like the small green apples in the pic above but … they’re green. But if you got small apples and spray-painted them silver and scattered them around, they could look really cool.

Try some DIY table flowers, especially if someone can help you make them the day before. I have no doubt with help, you could put together some knockout arrangements of all-white flowers (use different kinds of white flowers), dusty miller the day before. Add dried fiddleheads, pussy willow branches (remember you can bend these into arcs). Save pics of ideas you like, be creative and you’ll succeed. Be sure to do trials ahead of time.

As you know a really modern look is to fill clear glass cylinders with something seasonal. Try filling yours with pinecones. Maybe dark brown, white-tipped pinecones or maybe painted cream ones or a mix. You can easily top off the vases with impressive clouds of hydrangeas in white or pale blue.

Check out the all-white birdhouses below. You find versions at any craft store. These are elegant painted white, and you can give them height on your table with a homemade cake plate. See if a few faux birds’ nests filled with pale blue “eggs” (jordan almonds for example) will enhance your decor (any craft store).

Most bare-branch centerpieces are very inexpensive. You can use frosted branches or plain ones. For something different checkout PortOvert’s cool birch branch centerpiece.

My feeling is you really need some opulent fabric to get that fantasy feel. Fabric, and low lighting like candle light or twinkle lights. So even if the budget is tight, try to make, beg or borrow some organza-type overlays in ice blue for key tables, like the cake table or head table. This fabric should have a bit of shimmer. You can pin up the swags and tuck something like a silk rose (white or pale pink) in the gathers. If you can hang things from the ceiling, see about a cake tent. You can even make one from a hula hoop and sheer fabric or just order a hoop bed canopy in white from ebay for $20, done.

Plant rental can be expensive but maybe you know one or two friends who have white christmas trees languishing in a corner of the basement. Take a look at the fabric-draped white trees below, this would add a lot of drama to your room.

I hope that gets you started! Let me know if you need more ideas, or just want to share what you’ve come up with!

Hi shelley, hang tight, I’m pretty sure I have tons of ideas for you. With any luck, ones you haven’t seen before!

Stay tuned, I’ll post a few here and there as time permits …

Okay Shelley, just some thoughts to start.

I think it’s become really easy to visualize a mythical winter wonderland wedding. First, the Narnia movies started a real trend toward pale weddings with an otherworldly feel.

Then, there was the craze for woodland/woodsy design which spilled over into weddings, hurrah!

Here are some pics that really started everything off, you have probably seen these, but they definitely set the mood …

Top row is 1-2-3 from Susan Avery, theKnot, and of course, Anne Wood. I find it hard to visualize this kind of wedding without thinking of her bird toppers. It’s true that she’s often full up on orders, and that her birds cost a mint, and that other sellers create some very nice birds on Etsy for less … but if you look at them you realize that there’s only one Anne Wood.

Row two (pics one & two) are the iconic Martha Stewart shots by Rebecca Thuss, and #3 is Preston Bailey’s "winter wonderland that started all other winter wonderland weddings" for Melissa Rivers.

Now here are some more general thoughts about your type of wedding … at least how I see it. I think it divides up into three mini-themes.

MYSTICAL/FANTASY: you can express this with lots of sheer fabric draping. Draped ceilings, cake tents, trees, curtained walls. Bare branch arrangements, especially sprayed white, with lighting. Crystal beads and accents; silver vases. Dramatic "wall washer" event lighting; snowflake gobo patterns on the dance floor.

NATURALISTIC: Twigs, branches, and especially pussy willows. Bird & twig motif. Fur (cloaks, muffs, even fur trim for focal tables or the B&G’s chair backs). Lots of feathers. Birch bark vases and votives. Other possibilities: white birdhouses, craft store birds’ nests filled with pale flowers, even real antlers sprayed a pearly white.

VICTORIAN/NOSTALGIC: Tons of candles, feminine textures (lace gowns), ivories and creams, English crackers on plates, horse and sleigh, candy buffet in apothecary jars filled with white, ice blue and silver candy.

I have *many* other pics and ideas … which I’ll be posting bit by bit. Let me know if you have any sort of specific questions in the meantime?

You see naturalistic winter weddings a lot with pale blue/brown/white, but here’s a winter wonderland with a soft palette of whites, creams, ice blues and metallics. Personally, I think warming up your WW colors is good, they can easily look a little flat and cold, and this seems to do the trick. There are also some fantasy elements in here.

1) Paper flowers are amazing! These woodland paper fancies were featured on Oh Joy! 2) A pinch of celestial theme can be great for ‘mystical.’ These star-studded paper cones on WeddingBee are by Wendy Addison. 3) Almost-ghostly porcelain pinecones by Co and Waito set the mood.

4) A famous bird & twig fantasy cake (in Brides) by Maisie Fantaisie. 5) Laser-cut cupcake holders (MyWeddingFavors) are great for a fantasy setting. 6) White Russians on an ice bar with embedded roses … too indulgent! Your second drink could be a pale blue martini with a blue sugar rim.

Here are some other boards with a similar soft, warm palette:

A winter board by Ready2Spark on flickr. She writes it’s not quite finished, but I like it anyway … the antlers, the distressed finishes, the grapevines, twigs.

"Northern Minnesota Rustic" by Snippet & Ink. Again, a pale but warm naturalistic palette with birch, faux bois and a touch of purple. For contrast, see "Icy Cool" — dove gray, pewter and white with the warm tones dropped out.

Here’s a different look with some faux bois elements, naturalism, and green which seems to be one of The Colors for all seasons now. This is a warm palette. And has some mysticism, with the woodsy elements and especially the use of feathers.

1) Faux bois packages with beautiful ribbon accents. These are so adorable, you could put together beautiful favor boxes like this. 2) Housemartin’s efforts just to spruce up her own house(!) for the holiday season are great reading for a winter bride. Great, easy ideas. 3) Old Town Florist shows how the maximize the beauty and mystery of a pale silver eucalyptus/white peony arrangement in birch bark vases.

4) Housemartin (again to the rescue) reproduces one of the shots from possibly one of the most breathtaking Martha Stewart wedding tables ever, a Woodland Wedding. 5) A dreamy, woodsy winter cake. 6) A romantic bouquet of feathers, callas, roses and pussywillows by Michelle Rago.

I really wanted to focus on creating excitement with one or two unexpected elements in this group.

1) A group of vintage clocks under a silver leaf-and-berry garland adds an intriguing sense of mystery. From Martha. 2) Draped fabric is so important for pulling off the "wonderland" look. A spacious tent and pin lighting transforms this simple black & white cake. 3) White artifical christmas trees suddenly become the perfect choice if you drape them in organza fabric and trim them with metallic, monochromatic ornaments and ribbons. Fabulous!

4), 5) and 6) Obviously my l-o-v-e for this wedding is OTT because I felt compelled to include three separate shots of it, but I think everyone should see Megan & John’s Winter Wonderland Wedding. It’s an amazing mix of traditional and mod.

And last but not least, some more whimsical or even adventurous ideas …

1) This mount panel is more of a jumping-off point than anything. When I first saw it, I thought how wonderful it would be to take a large, ornate mirror with a stand — you can find these in larger secondhand stores, they come off dressers and are cheap — and line the edges with curly willow or birch branches. Wire on some silver-painted acorns, berries or silver eucalpytus and maybe a few white roses in water picks. Then sponge-paint lightly over the actual mirror to give it a unique, mysterious look. Finally I’d display the cake in front of it, surrounded by a ring of votives and perhaps some taper candles behind to bounce even more off the mirror. This concept has me really intrigued.

2) This twig sconce really caught my attention because it shows how dramatic almost anything can be if you add organic twig or antler shapes. I like the pearly finish on these.

3) White birdhouses are a wintry spin on the woodland concept. 4) The striped pewter ribbon really knocks this winter bouquet over the top. I think this is MS. 5) Homemade marshmallows in chocolate cups is just another of those truly unique ideas pounced on by Snippet & Ink. 6) If your budget can stretch, nothing could beat the Scandinavian style of white paper birches with twinkle lights and white floral wreaths at the base. Cream rose petals sprinkled on the white runner in between and you’ve got Amazing.

Terry do you happen to have a pic of what you have in mind in your files somewhere?

Hi Brandy, how did I miss you? Sorry about that! :-?

You can find glittery candle wreaths exactly in your colors, sparkly ones, I have seen them. Like this photo I borrowed from the winter centerpiece page! I definitely wouldn’t go with green and white because you won’t need to! On the off chance you can’t find candle wreaths in these blues and silvers, though, what about a feather wreath? They look really, really fantastic with pillar candles IMHO. You could do a pale blue pillar and a fluffy white feather wreath at the base, maybe wrap some thin silver wire and crystal beads around the pillar candle … simple and pretty.

PS, are you still thinking about lavender? I think you could work some lavender into your winter wonderland blues and have it look lovely.

Brandy, for the candle wreaths…. purchase wreaths and spray paint them white or the icy blue.