Making Your Winter Wedding a Wonderland
If you’re planning a winter wedding, congratulations! The serenity and spare elegance of a New England winter will only serve to highlight that of your marriage ceremony and reception. In a season when everything is stripped down to the essentials, small details stand out and have a dramatic impact. Here are five ways to use winter’s beauty to your wedding’s advantage:
Sparkle. Envision a beautiful winter landscape. Without a doubt, one of the most striking features is sunlight glinting like diamonds on a blanket of snow. Echo that sparkle throughout your wedding with all kinds of crystals, from the ones embellishing your gown to sparkling sugar crystals on your cake to crystals scattered across mirrored tiles on your reception tables.
Shine. Silver is a perfect accent to your winter white wedding; it elevates white without competing with it. Consider white-on-white invitations with silver accents and silver-lined envelopes, silver ribbons on bouquets, silver ink for place cards, and wedding cake or petits fours dusted with edible silver powder.
A Hit of Color. Summer is saturated with color, but in winter, a little bit goes a long way: imagine how vivid a red cardinal looks against a blanket of snow. Choose one color you love and highlight the white and shimmer of your wedding with it. Jewel tones, like ruby, emerald, or sapphire, provide the most impact. If bridesmaids are wearing a deep red, consider having them carry white flowers, and reverse the color scheme for the bride.
Light. When dark falls early, use light to enhance the sparkle and shine of your crystal and silver accents. Whether or not your wedding takes place around the holidays, tiny white Christmas lights are an easy and inexpensive way to make your wedding magical. Candles, whether tapers in crystal holders, groupings of silver column candles, or tealights floating in bowls, are another. Decorative mirrored tiles as a backdrop play up the warmth of candlelight.
Warmth. Take advantage of the cold outside to welcome your guests to the reception with a hot drink. Hot cider, mulled wine, and hot toddies are all terrific seasonal additions to a typical cocktail menu. Or consider a coffee and hot chocolate bar, where bartenders can customize your guests’ drinks with their liqueur of choice.
