A winter wedding can be beautiful, magical and romantic… with the proper planning and preparation, of course! There are seasonal things to keep in mind, like celebrating your union during the darker months when the sun goes down sooner and you simply don’t have as much sun in general, but if you got engaged over the holidays and want to have a year-long engagement, you’re probably looking for a stunning winter wedding. The good news is, most of the small challenges with winter are avoidable, and this blog post shares 20 simple tips and tricks to ensure your winter wedding goes smoothly. 

Winter Wedding Style

1. Invest in Accessories

Remember, it will be cold on your big day, so it will be important to accessorize to keep warm. A faux fur stole, a veil or a cape are all good options. Alternatively, you can opt for a long sleeve wedding dress.

2. Velvet for the Gentleman 

For grooms and groomsmen, a velvet blazer is ideal. It’s a nice thick fabric, which will keep the guys warm, plus it’s perfectly on-trend.

3. Don’t Forget Beauty Prep

Chapped lips and dry skin are inevitable come winter. Keep your lips moisturized in the run up to the wedding, use a good face moisturizer and have a chap stick in your makeup bag on the big day.

4. Add Some More Layers

If it’s really cold, you can wear thick tights under your wedding dress. If your skirt is long, nobody will even know! (This goes for your bridesmaids, too.)

5. Consider Stylish Winter Footwear

Boots can be a stylish (and practical) bridal shoe option for winter weddings, especially if it snows. (You can always change your shoes for the indoor portion of the reception.)

6. Indulge in Some Glitter

You can’t get more festive and wintery than bridesmaids in glitter. Sequin or glittery dresses are always easy to find come winter, and they look amazing in photos!

7. Keep Your Bridesmaids Warm

Don’t forget your bridesmaids will be cold, too! Make sure to have bridesmaid coverups, warm accessories and chap stick ready on the big day.

Winter Wedding Venues

8. Allow Extra Travel Time

Winter weather means bad traffic, so make sure everyone plans extra time for travel to your ceremony (no matter how near or far the trip).

9. Choose Just One Venue

If possible, plan to have your ceremony and reception at the same venue, or venues very near to each other. This not only makes transport easier and safer, but in case of bad weather, everyone can bunker down for the night together.

10. Add Romance With Candles

Remember, with a winter wedding, it will be dark quite early. Embrace it! Go for lots of romantic candle light in both your ceremony and reception space.

11. Choose A Winter Wedding Color Scheme 

Decorate in rich, warm tones of berry red, burgundy, black and gold. Add extra wintry romance with lots of natural greenery, or even a hint of tartan. Think cozy, warm colors and patterns!

12. Include A Coat Check

I know it seems simple, but it’s so often overlooked! Make sure you put someone in charge of taking coats at your reception, and have a system for making sure they’re kept safe.

13. Keep Your Guests Warm

Consider making an effort to ensure your guests are kept warm and cheery once they arrive. Include a “take one” blanket basket or offer tasty hot drinks on arrival.

14. Consider Seasonal Favors 

Give your guests blankets or pashminas, sparklers, holiday cookies, mulled wine spices, candy canes or little bottles of Baileys. All are cute and totally doable for a winter wedding favors!

15. Find A Winter Cake Topper

For a subtle winter wedding touch, get yourself a cute winter cake topper. Want to see what I mean? Have a look at our Simple and Inexpensive Winter Wedding Decor Ideas post.

16. Check Your Venues Décor Stash

Check to see if your venue has Christmas decorations or a holiday set up for the room where your wedding will be. They may already have the perfect winter look… You never know until you ask! (It’s also okay to ask they be taken down if they are not to your taste.)

Winter Wedding Photography

17. Timing is Everything 

It gets dark much earlier in the winter, so adjust your photo schedule to take advantage of any natural light (like taking portraits before your ceremony). If you’re not sure how to go about this, just chat with your photographer! They should have a good idea of what will work. Photos can be done indoors, but you may want to include some of the magical the winter scenery outdoors. 

18. Rain or Snow, Be Prepared

Have nice umbrellas on stand by for any outdoor wedding photographs. They don’t have to be fancy – simple and black can often do the job, or check out Butterslip for some chic wedding options.

19. Don’t Ruin Your Heels

If you’re wearing heels, have another shoe option for your outdoor pics. You don’t want to be sinking into mud or snow in your expensive wedding shoes! 

20. Keep Your Hands Warm 

Ice cold, blue hands are not a good look in winter wedding pictures. This is where hand warmers come in… handy! You can normally find them at Walmart, Target, REI, and so many other stores. Alternatively, you can get crafty with some DIY hand warmers, or add gloves to your accessories list.

When it comes to elopement planning, there are far fewer details to worry about than a traditional wedding day. But there are still a few things you’ll need to figure out, from location and accommodations to attire and actually making your marriage legal. So what do you need for a little big day? Each piece is equally important, and I’ve put together this checklist to help you through it all. 

Let’s Start with the Location

• Choose a place that is meaningful. It could be where your partner proposed, your first vacation destination, or a location that’s been on your bucket list for years.
  
• Use your favorite season as a guide. Because you’ll likely be out in nature (and not booked at a venue a year or so in advance), choose a date when you’ll feel comfortable outside. If you want to get married in the mountains but hate cold weather, opt for a summer wedding. If you love the idea of a desert adventure but don’t want to break a sweat, choose a fall or winter date when temperatures are cooler. When doing your research on seasons in specific regions, be sure to look at average temperatures, rainfall averages, and so on. While you can’t guarantee the weather on your elopement day, you’ll have a better chance of getting ideal weather if you plan ahead.
  
• Research the best time to visit. Beyond making sure you’ll have nice weather, you’ll want to check things like peak seasons and local holidays. If you’re going to a remote location, crowds might not be much of a concern, but local holidays–especially in smaller towns or villages—could make it harder to find accommodations, food, and so on. If you’re going to a place that’s guaranteed to have lots of adventure-loving tourists, we recommend looking into a date in the shoulder season so you’ll have a better chance of securing the location—and the tourist-free photos—you want.
  
• Have a vow exchange spot in mind. I recommend having at least one spot for your vow exchange scoped out so you and your photographer know what to expect. 

The Guest List

• Decide the guest list right away. Chances are, if you’re eloping–especially in an adventure elopement–you won’t be inviting many guests. But, if you’re looking for a way to have your nearest and dearest with you without taking away from the intimate elopement feel, simply give each guest a role. 
  
  Ask your best friend to be your officiant, your close friend to be your hair and makeup stylist, or your mom to be your coordinator for the day. This way, you can have the people you love around you without needing to also make space for vendors. Or, if you have some vendors in mind you love, ask them in advance. They’ll feel honored to help with such an intimate and meaningful day. 

Travel & Accommodations

• Buy or coordinate transportation. Think about whether or not your destination is close enough to drive to or if you need to book flights.
   
• Book lodging. Book a hotel or Airbnb for your pre- and post-elopement stay if you feel like turning your special day into a romantic getaway with you and your new partner for life.

Vendors

• Hire a wedding photographer who specializes in elopements. When researching photographers and videographers, make sure to read their website. Look at galleries, watch their films, scroll through their Instagram and Pinterest accounts, and read client reviews. This will help you select a team that not only matches your vision but has experience shooting elopements.
  
  In fact, if you are looking to have an all-in-one wedding planner and photographer/videographer, see how knowledgeable your vendors are and if they could give you all the information that a planner would provide. If not, then a wedding planner or day-of coordinator could be an advantageous decision to make the day smooth! 
  
• Look into any other vendors you might want. Just because you’re eloping doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the beautiful details of a larger wedding. Whether you want a florist to create your bouquet, a cake baker, or musicians to play at the ceremony, the choice is up to you and your partner! 

Make It Official

• Get your marriage license. It’s crucial that you get your marriage license within the specified window of time for your wedding location.
  
• Determine whether or not you need a witness. Marriage laws vary by state and by country, so do your research to determine whether you need a witness or two before you jet off to tie the knot.
  
• Ensure your officiant is legally authorized to perform the ceremony. By law, officiants must be authorized to perform wedding ceremonies. Be sure that yours is!
  
• Collect all other legal documents you might need. Depending on your destination, you may need legal documents such as birth certificates, affidavits, blood tests, visas, etc. In the state of Colorado, you can self-solemnize, which means you don’t even need an officiant – just you and your partner and a pen.

Post-Elopement

• Plan a sweetheart celebration or a post-elopement party. Even if you’re planning on having a reception later on with friends and family, take the time to plan a quiet celebration as newlyweds.
  
• Call your parents, closest family, and friends. If you’re not hosting a party, call your closest family and friends and tell them right away. Although they may be upset at first, they’re ultimately going to be so happy for you.
  
• Send announcements to share the good news with everyone else. Don’t forget to announce to your friends, loved ones, and colleagues that you’ve eloped! It might sound silly, but it’s actually an easy thing to forget.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed? We just covered a lot of to-dos. Don’t worry, you’ve got this! Save this checklist to work as you’re planning. Then look through these elopement photos from Twin Lakes, Colorado. They prove less is more, and that temporary stress will be worth it!