Image by Jonas Peterson via Whimsical Lavender And Green Queensland Wedding

So you’ve decided to plan a winter wedding and you’ve decided to hold the ceremony or reception at an outdoor venue – one you’ve had your eye on for months. Great! However, you will need to consider your guests comfort during this time of the year – after all, how can they concentrate on how beautiful the ceremony is when all they can think about is how cold they are? So the question is: how do you have the winter wedding of your dreams while keeping your guests warm and cosy? Check out our ideas and tips below:

Provide shelter

Protect your guests from potential haphazard weather – if strong winds are on the cards, they’ll be made worse by the winter chill. By hiring a marquee for your proceedings you can provide shelter to you and your guests while being able to make the most out of the surroundings and the natural environment. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to consider a venue that gives you the option of bringing the party inside – such as a property with an old barn, or something similar.

Stay warm

Provide adequate heating/warming arrangements for your guests. This can come in the form of providing blankets or shawls for your guests to make use of, or hiring stand alone heaters that are strategically placed throughout the venue. If you go with the blankets or shawls, you can work them into the décor by laying them on the back of the chairs in colours that complement the floral arrangements you’ve already decided on.

Coat? Check.

If you’re having the proceedings in an indoor area that is much warmer than outside, it’s a good idea to think about having some kind of coat checking system so that your guests don’t have to hold their jackets and coats throughout the ceremony. It also helps to declutter the area.

Create a warm-up area to chill out in.

Chill out areas at weddings are becoming ever more popular as a place to take a break from the excitement and noise from the main party. A place where guests can regroup, chat and warm up peacefully. If this happens to be outdoors, make the centrepiece a crackling bonfire or fire pit, where guests can roast marshmallows and warm their hands and toes.

Photo by Lara Hotz from Stanya & Lenny’s Bohemian Forest Wedding

Embrace the weather with warming drinks…

Keep your drinks menu unique and exciting by making the most out of the season’s cooler temperatures and warming up the drinks in turn. Our favourites? Hot toddies, mulled wine, ciders and ales. For those not drinking alcohol, you could provide coffee, tea or hot chocolate carafes.

… And warming food.

We all know what winter foods we enjoy, and you can definitely incorporate them into your reception menu. Comfort food is key for keeping warm – soups, pies, pulled pork, roasted vegetables are some of our favourites at the moment. See what’s in season and ask your chef to cater to that.

Image by Harvard Wang via Lucinda and Andrew’s Rainy Lorne Wedding

Take care with transport.

Providing your guests with a heated method of transport to the venue will be appreciated, especially if the destination is in a difficult-to-reach location.

Pre-empt possible future problems

Research flooring options for outdoor ceremony and reception areas – you don’t want heels getting stuck in damp grass in the event of prior rain. You may also want to look at getting quotes for generators in the event of a power outage on the day.

Have you had a winter wedding, or are you planning yours right now? If we missed out on anything, share your wisdom with us!

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Ms Gingham says: Thanks to Nat for these great tips and ideas!

About Nat Green: Nat Green is a woman with weddings on her mind. Not hers mind you, yours. Day in and day out Nat runs around the Pillingers office as the company’s Wedding Coordinator planning Sydney’s most sensational weddings. When she’s not busy organising the big day of your dreams she’s blogging on her experiences, loves and delights in relation to all things aisles, flowers, celebrants and ceremonies.