Everyone has their favorite season, and while many brides dream of getting married in the bright colors of spring or when the leaves change in autumn, others love the snow. Winter has a tranquil and unique beauty. The snow dazzles like your diamond engagement ring, and all those romantic colors—such as burgundy and blush pink—are in style. Check out our winter wedding reception must-haves as you plan your dreamy day.
Winter Wonderland Photos
Although we can’t control the weather—as much as many brides would love to—we can take advantage of the situation when it’s in our favor. Snow makes a winter wedding unique and gives it that extra bit of beauty the other seasons can’t match. If there’s a blanket of fresh snow, taking a few pictures outside is a must! Sparkling, newly fallen snow resting on pine trees is an incredible sight you can’t recreate any other time of year.
Bridal Tip
You should always have a backup plan for photos if you can’t take them outside. Before the wedding, work with your photographer to establish a space inside for fabulous pictures. Decorate the venue with artificial pine trees and fairy lights to get a similar effect to an outdoor winter wonderland.
The Right Flowers
Many brides use flowers to make the venue beautiful during the reception. Different options are popular depending on the time of year. The flowers you decorate with largely depend on what’s in season. Some beautiful flowers and foliage to decorate your reception space include:
- Sweet peas
- Camellias
- Carnations
- Roses
- Poinsettias
- Orchids
- Evergreen garlands
You can use these flowers as centerpieces on the tables or place them around the venue to add extra color. And as you decorate, don’t forget about the most important winter foliage—mistletoe! Instead of clinking their glasses to get you and your partner to kiss, guests can carefully nudge you under the mistletoe to exchange a kiss.
Decide on Chic Center Pieces
Take time to think about your perfect centerpiece, which could be a simple floral arrangement. You could also use a lantern or candles surrounded by pine boughs. Likewise, you could fill a vase with fake jewels, red berries, and pinecones, then wrap lights around it so it shimmers on the table.
As you think about your centerpieces, consider the popular themes like rustic, Christmas, New Year’s, or a winter wonderland! While a rustic theme calls for more natural elements, a winter wonderland may be an all-white wedding.
Carefully Consider Colors
Your color pallet options can vary depending on when you plan to get married in winter. For instance, consider shades of red, green, and gold if you get married close to the holidays. However, if you’d rather get married in January during the dead of winter, you may want to choose muted colors or darker shades—such as burgundy, emerald-green, gray, and navy blue.
The theme colors you choose are entirely up to you, but neon and other bright colors may clash with the season. Instead, think of soft or muted colors that align more with that serene time of year.
The Perfect Dessert
Nearly everyone loves dessert, and when you get married in winter, you don’t have to stick to the traditional wedding cake. You can serve an alternative or have various options for guests to choose from to satisfy their sweet tooth. Aside from wedding cake, consider offering:
- Milk and cookies: perfect for a winter wedding
- Hot cocoa: keeps guests toasty and tastes great
- Pie: nostalgic pumpkin and warm apple pies are popular
You can mix and match your options, too! For example, if you’re dead-set on serving hot cocoa, but your groom-to-be wants a cake, offer both! One fascinating fact about groom cakes is that they were originally a gift from the bride, so consider surprising him with a special, winter-themed cake.
In addition, you can have a hot cocoa bar for guests to create their cocoa. Complete your hot cocoa bar with various flavors and toppings such as peppermint sticks, wafer cookies, toffee bits, and more!
Wonderful Wedding Favors
Wedding favors allow you to show all your guests how much you’ve enjoyed the time they spent with you, celebrating your love. Get creative with the thank you gift you present to your guests by gifting them a blanket or shawl so they can cozy up at home while enjoying the winter. Or, you can gift them a thermos so they can fill it with hot cocoa, or another warm beverage, from the reception to enjoy at home.
Have a Blast
The must-haves for your winter wedding reception don’t only entail decorating and planning the fine details. This is your wedding, and it’s time to let loose and celebrate—the months of planning have finally paid off! Go dance the night away with friends, family, and your new life partner.
