How to Create a Romantic Winter Wedding
The wedding of your dreams doesn't have to take place during the popular wedding months. A winter wedding can be spectacular, and you'll enjoy significant financial advantages.
While the summer months remain the most popular time of the year to say "I do," many couples are choosing a winter date for the big event. According to the Society of American Florists, 13 percent of weddings take place in the winter, with 11 percent of those being Christmas weddings. Summer weddings account for 35 percent, spring weddings 29 percent, and autumn weddings 23 percent.
Décor that appeals to the senses is important when trying to pull off a romantic winter wedding. The glow of candlelight will add warmth and ambiance to your ceremony and reception site.
"Choose colors of rich jewel tones such as purple, forest green, and navy. Or you could use sapphire blue, ice blue or powder blue, and silver and white if you want to steer clear of the traditional Christmas colors," suggests Lynette Gamble, senior coordinator of Affairs of Grandeur.
Iridescent or frosted glass balls and pine cones can adorn your guests' tables. Snowflake ornaments and glittery ribbons may be placed on the food tables or hung from the ceiling. For a simple touch, only decorate with red and white Poinsettias. Since many locations will already be lavishly decorated, your décor budget will be minimal.
To keep floral costs to a minimum, use flowers that are already available during the winter months. Popular choices include poinsettias, roses, amaryllis, and lilies. Evergreens are tried and true for "sprucing" up large areas, while holly branches and other berried plants make merry floral accents.
A cozy cottage or bed-and-breakfast makes a perfect location for your wintry theme. Picture your guests warming themselves in front of the fireplace during cocktail hour, sipping hot chocolate or wassail. Imagine them overlooking a frozen pond, or catching a glimpse of a deer drinking from the pond just outside the window ... or a family of rabbits scurrying over fresh snow.
To add a little creativity to your dinner menu, ask your bridal party to send your caterer some traditional family recipes for the reception. Or if you don't want to serve the traditional Christmas fare, ask your caterer for alternatives and create a unique meal for your guests.
As for favors, Gamble recommends candles of course. "Cinnamon Apple, Pumpkin Pie, and Vanilla are all pleasant scents that remind you of being a kid in your grandmothers' kitchen — and they're nice this time of year," says Gamble.
"Spiced teas, coffee mugs, snow globes and Christmas ornaments imprinted with the couple's new name and wedding date also make great favors."
Want a memorable getaway? Hand out mini bells, and ask your guests to ring you on your way as the two of you ride off in a horse-drawn sleigh decked out with silver bells and Christmas foliage.
Hi there!! Thanks for the help u did the last time.. now I’m kinda confused with bridesmaid & maid of honor dress.
Attached is the dress im thinking for the ladies.. my motiff is royal blue & silver coz its a winter wedding.. my problem is my bridesmaids wil have royal blue , what wil be the color of my maid of honor?? Im in canada & the wedding in the Philippines so, i really dont want to change anything to the design coz Im far, & im thinking They might not get my instructions correctly if ill change some details of the dress. Do i need to have another color?? what would it be?? Help! Thanks again!
Lanie,
A maid of honor does not have to be in a different dress, actually they usually are in the same one. 
You culd easily have her in a shade of silver( as long as it works with her skintone). Or you coudl just have her in royal blue with the rest of the girls and make her bouquet different. Changing the flowers may be easier than changing the dress.
hi i’m getting married on december 2010.i’d like to ask some help on choosing the right colors and favors for the wedding.it falls during the christmas season but I don’t want it to be so christmas-themed wedding.
Originally I wanted the color aquamarine and brown but a friend of mine just got married this month and they used the same color.can you recommend a color motif for the BM’s and the reception as well?I don’t want red pls, probably something that would still go along well with the christmas colors. 
We are getting married in an old church and we dont want to remove the christmas decors,for sure there will be a lot of reds and greens.pls help me choose a color motif that will go along with these colors,both for the BM’s, the church and the reception.We chose a historical spanish era open garden for the wedding reception.By the way,im from the Philippines and the weather here is the best during those times,humid and slightly windy.I really hope you could help me out on this..thank you very much!!!
Michelle,
What about using champagne or white? Think lots of winter greenery with all white or champagne. You could even use green and white or champagne. Since you dont want to use red another color you could think about is simple black and white. This would go sooooo well in a spanish era venue and Christmas decor. it would be very classy and simple. Since it will be decorated I would choose a color that is neutral. There really isn’t to many colors that you could choose with the red and green. Black and white or all white would be my choice. it is failproof. Then have the girls and guys in classic black with white rose bouquets and winter greens or add feathers.
Michelle,
* like all white in this pic
another color scheme is cream and gold.
Michelle,
* real wedding, see how stunning all white is
Michelle,
*gold and cream
Hey Im getting married in December and I am doing a winter wonder land theme as well and I have done the following..
For center peices I had the florest get cylinders I filled them up with christmas balls (red & silver) and having my flowers on top with berch branches and crystals coming down….
then I ordered crystal (plastic) snowflake orniments and having them as napkin rings…
then I have the orniment place card holders….
and alot more…
hiya im gettting married on 27th dec 2008 and love the santa and sleigh for the wedding cake,could anyone help me , were to get it and how much it is x
I had a Santa and Sleigh made for my daughters wedding last year. Go to a iron metal shop.
are you willing to sell that? if so, how much
Hi I’m getting married dec 31, 2008 New Years I have noticed some wonderful winter theme ideas but none for New Years Eve theme’s.Any suggestions it will be a small wedding 60 people if there are not any ideas the winter theme will have to do….thanksK
hi
i am helping my friend plan her dream of a winter wonderland wedding but she is having it in the summer please do u have any ideas that i may help my blushing friend!!!!!!
I am getting married on february 2nd 2008! and i am just now thinking about center pieces! I love these ideas! I was having a really hard time finding something i liked! thank you guys so much! how creative you both are!
Hi,
Great article! A few large ice sculptures or ice table centerpieces can add a definition to your winter wedding theme. The cost of a sculpture might be cheaper than you think. Look around your local area.
Suggested sculptures are:
Snowflakes
Penguin
Snowman
Polar Bear
Not traditional wedding pieces but event the traditional hearts, dove or swans can work.
Another way to define your wedding as a winter wedding is to add an ice table centerpiece. The general size is 15in tall by 10in wide. 18in tall with illuminated ice tray.
The suggested table centerpieces are:
A snowflake
One letter monogram
You can expect the price of a ice centerpiece to be ice 70-100 dollars each, thats the price Ice Miracles charges in New York. However, check your local area, not all ice sculpture companies are able to do the centerpieces.
HI!
by the way congrats.
center piece ideas.
you could go out side now and find sm branches(10-12in) and spray paint them or leave natural. go to a craft store find sparkling glitter in clear or silver. rub branches with glue and roll in the glitter.then put into clay pots or glass bowls.with styrofaom balls.you can cheat and cut balls in half.stand the branches up in the middle. now you can hang little snowflake ornamenst from them.tie tiny ribbons in your colors onto the branches too.if you use glass bowls stlye. you can put cotton batten or cotton balls in the bowls to hide the foam balls.even sprinkle glitter in too. fpr clay pots you could decorate them with snowflake stencils patterns or use stickers on painted pots too. if you want to make your own laterns for center pieces.you could spray paint coffee can and have punch sowflake pattern into them and then put candles in side to glow through. one more idea for a winter candle thats sparkles is to freeze water in small pals spay inside with pam before filling with water.insert a plastic cup about 16oz while pail freezes in the center. to keep cup down while freezeing put ice cubes or some water inside it,then when done tip the ice out remove the cup nd place small votive candles in side. set your ice bucket in glass bowls and lite.this is so prety when they are lit. i also used small glass marble beads in my bowls as a filler.you an also dye the ice if you want while its freezing.hope some of these help.
I am trying to plan a wedding with a snowflake winter kind of theme, Im getting married in 5 months yikes if anyone has any ideas please help.
HELLO I AM RENEWEN MY WEDDING ON OUR 30TH ANNIVASARY ON 1/15/2011 CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO PLAIN A NICE WEDDING ON A BUDGET I REALY WANT TO GO ALL OUT BUT I CANT A FORD IT ON MY BUDJET SO CAN YOU HELP ME PLAIN SOMETHING TO LOOK LIKE I SPEND A LOT BUT I DIDENT PLEASE HELP
penny,
Hi, can you tell me a little bit about your wedding vision and venue ? colors you like? styles your drawn too? also what size wedding?
HI STACEY THINK U FOR RESPONDEN.IT IS CREAM&SILVER OR CREAM&RED I HAVE NOT REALY MADE MY MINE UP YET.I WOULD LONE IT TO BE A QUEEN IN PARISDICE.11 PEOPLES IN THE WEDDING.
Penny,
How about your venue? Do you have a link or pic I could see?
Penny,
* Check this out
* Here is one idea, have your head table with flowers then have mismatch stemware like you see here with candles and even some floating rose heads.