27 reasons to have a winter wedding

Christmas is a fabulous time to get married. Lots of the things you want at your wedding are already in abundance for free. Cheer. Lights. A willingness to get drunk early in the day.

We got married on the 28^th December and while many couples dream of lush green meadows and warm sunshine for their wedding day, we were all about the rich mulled wine and central heating.

To mark our anniversary (still married, woohoo!) here are 27 reasons why winter weddings rock. I went with 27 because the 28th reason is of course – because you are in love and it will be the happiest day of your life, winter or summer bla bla bla.

1. You get to wear fur. Not real fur obviously (because if you wear real fur, we can’t be friends). I found it quite difficult to get a shrug I liked – a lot were a bit North Pole-like, but I finally found a shrug that was actually made from downy feathers. I bought this in a bridal shop in Dublin called the Town Bride.
2. You don’t worry about the weather. When you book your wedding for a summer date (in Ireland and the UK anyway) you generally hope for a fine or sunny day. There’ll be prayers, Children of Prague and extreme study of long range weather forecasts. With a winter wedding, none of this matters, because it’s the middle of winter and no one expects good weather anyway. As it happens, we had a beautiful sunny day in December. (Let’s not talk about snow and ice – they put a different touch on the white wedding).
3. You can serve mulled wine. Yum.

   

4. Free decor. Every venue I know decorates for Christmas. Some may have forest tall Christmas trees and garlands and giant baubles everywhere. It adds soft lighting and warmth and may mean you don’t have to add any decoration of your own at all
5. No crazy photoshoots. Because the light fades so quickly, there’ll be no traipsing through the gardens taking two million photographs. You may organise to take some outside shots that are special to you (at a church, or beach for example) but you’ll get these done quickly and can go back to the party. No light, no problem – most venues offer indoor areas for pics anyway, because; it rains all summer.

   

6. It’ll be dark for your first dance. Sometimes in early summer when you’re having a first dance with the rages of a summer evening streaming in the window, it can take a while for the party to get going. Dark = time to party.
7. People are around. If you get married around Christmas time, lots of friends and family who live abroad are more likely to be home.
8. People are on holidays anyway. Many of your guests may be off work at this time of year and don’t have to use their own holidays to attend your wedding. (They may reflect this in your wedding gift!)

   

9. There may be roaring fires. Toasty.
10. No scattering of the smoking types. It’ll be too cold for people to hang out outside, so your room (and dance floor) will remain full of your guests.
11. As fake tan fashions change, know that there is no need for the bride or any of the guests to wear false tan to a winter wedding. A summer wedding may not be so cut and dried. All those pastel colours may cry out for a bit of brown.

    

12. Winter flowers. I loved choosing my wedding flowers and found loads of great shades and textures available at this time of year. You could add sparkle, feathers, little Santas if you want (you shouldn’t want). I may do a whole other post on wedding flowers, because they’re so pretty!
13. Good mood. Everyone’s in a good mood at Christmas. Mostly. Leave the scrooges at home.
14. Price drop. Some venues discount weddings held in off season or winter. The week around Christmas is considered peak, so you’re unlikely to get discounts then, but outside of this you may be able to save a bit. Always ask!
15. You can include Christmas hymns in your ceremony. Beautiful.
    
16. Spray glitter is perfectly acceptable. On menus. On your flowers. On your face.
17. Red lipstick. Fabulous against the frost.
18. With the summer schedule often packed with back to back weddings (depending on your age and friend group situation – we all go through it, the year of the weddings) a winter wedding may be very welcome.
19. Candles. Candles. More candles.
20. Possibility of snow and waking up to that scene in Father of the Bride. More swans.
    
21. Blue lighting backdrop looks FABULOUS against a white, sparkly theme.
22. January sales. If you’re planning a winter wedding you can buy up winter themed decorations in the January sales the year before your wedding for next to nothing.
23. Spend New Year’s Eve somewhere amazing. We got to get up close and personal with Mr Bruno Mars in an amazing gig in Las Vegas. Beats the local pub with a watery pint now, doesn’t it?
24. You don’t have to serve turkey and ham. In fact, you really shouldn’t. Consider duck, fish, quails egg if you’re posh enough.
    
25. Enjoy a honeymoon in the tropics. Summer weddings often clash with hurricane seasons abroad (particularly around September). By getting married in winter you’re forced go further for some sun, (yes, forced) and from what the travel agents tell me, winter can be a very calm travelling season. Particularly in the Caribbean. Which is why we had no choice but to go there.
26. Get festive with the favours. There’s lot of winter themed favours you can think about and see above re: the January sales. You could consider giving away a Christmas tree decoration for your guests to hang up every year and think about YOU!
27. Did I mention mulled wine?
    Did you have a winter wedding or are you considering one? I’d love to hear from you.

December Girl is now available on Audio. Visit Amazon or Audible or click on the cover below to download.