Tis the season to deck the halls, but for some, tis also the season to tie the knot. While the summer may be the more popular time to get married, many brides and grooms choose the winter season to say their vows because of the beautiful snow and holiday season. Getting married in the winter can be a beautiful event; however, it can also be rather tricky to pull off without a hitch. Here are a few tips to help you have a smooth and beautiful winter wedding.
Guest Comfort
The venue is one of the most important and first made decisions that a bride and groom will make. During the winter, chances are you’ll want to have an indoor wedding, so a venue such as the Ramada Tropics Resort and Conference Center might be your best bet. If you do decide to have an outdoor wedding, things such as space heaters are a must. You may also choose to hand out blankets or shawls to help keep guests warm during the ceremony. Pashminas can be as cheap as $2 online and will go a long way in helping your guests stay comfortable. Blankets will give them an opportunity to cuddle up close together, adding to the romantic atmosphere of the event. Also consider offering them a warm beverage when they arrive, such as hot chocolate or hot apple cider, to warm up. This would be nice in both an outdoor or indoor venue.
Dress/Shoes
The winter season offers many great opportunities for beautiful clothing accessories that you can use for your wedding. Work with using a shawl in your pictures. Go for a winter theme and let your bridesmaids wear fun boots instead of heels for not only the pictures, but the wedding as well. This will help keep not only your feet cold, but those in your wedding as well. This will also help them when walking on snow and ice from falling. Scarves and gloves will look great in pictures, so use winter accessories to your advantage to make it a winter wonderland type of wedding.
Photographs
There are many picturesque areas around Des Moines to take pictures during the winter. Make sure you plan ahead with your photographer exactly which places you’re going to go to and what poses you’ll do there. You’ll want to make sure you get photos done quickly as it can be very cold for your wedding party. Use props such as pashminas, blankets, and boots to not only add a cute winter feel to the photos but also keep family and friends warm while they wait their turn.
Plan for the worst case scenario
Winters can be unpredictable. You could be getting a spring wedding in December or a blizzard. Plan ahead for the potential of having a blizzard during your wedding. Discuss with your vendors the possibility of a refund in case of a blizzard of if they are willing to work with you to reschedule in case of bad weather. It may be a good idea to also get wedding insurance to ensure that you don’t lose your deposit with vendors. Prepare yourself, as well, for a higher than normal decline rate as many out of town guests may not want to travel in bad winter weather.
Winter weddings can be beautiful. Ensure that you have a gorgeous wedding and speak with our wedding experts at Ramada Tropics Resort and Conference Center to see how we can help make it a winter wonderland of a wedding. Give us a call at 515-278-0271 and pick our brains on everything we can help you with.