Bella's Brides Wedding Dress Blog

 Summary

Winter weddings offer you an opportunity to turn a potentially cold, damp and dreary occasion into a magical one. You may still prefer a traditional summer wedding, but if, for whatever reason, you have to marry in winter, do not despair; think outside the box and your wedding will be just as memorable, maybe more so, than a summer one.

Why a winter wedding?

While most of us revel in the possibility of snow turning the festive season into a magical winter wonderland, the idea of getting married during the winter months would appear to be a strange idea to a lot of people. Why should you want to have your wedding when it’s cold, the days are short, the weather is bad?

Well, maybe you just can’t wait for the spring or summer because you are so in love. Perhaps there are pressing family reasons. The happy couple might be skiers who want a honeymoon on the pistes!

Themes for winter weddings

For an adventurous minority, the idea of dressing up in furs and mufflers, arriving at your wedding by sleigh and somehow combining the excitement associated with the festive season with the wedding itself can all be very appealing.

Your theme could be winter itself with lots of snowflakes, fairy lights, open fires, a log-cabin reception.

Clothing

Colours should be white or creams and light blues suggesting snow and ice.

In winter you have the opportunity (and, unfortunately the expense) for wearing additional clothing that would be unthinkable at other times of the year.

The bride and groom will need coats. Here’s your chance for some tasteful furs (real or artificial according to your conscience and pocketbook). Even his and hers matching outerwear would look great as you set off for the reception or the honeymoon. Think white fur trim, three-quarter length or full length. It could easily be raining or snowing, so it’s sensible to plan some headgear.

Keep the winter theme: diamonds, opals and topaz for accessories such as necklaces, brooches, bracelets and tiaras. For the groom, a beautiful tie-pin set off by an appropriate stone. And don’t forget the cufflinks.

Location

Location is important for any wedding, but in winter you have to consider a number of other factors:

The comfort of your guests is paramount. If you are inside ensure that there is adequate heating.

In summer you want it bright and airy. In winter most of the scenery looks bleak and if you are at higher latitudes then the chances are you are going to have an evening or night time ceremony and reception. So the attention turns to the inside location itself and this should be decorated in a way to bring warmth and cosiness.

Food

Food is very much determined by the sort of reception you are having and your budget. Try to be creative. You want hot drinks as well as hot food. Think soups and hot chocolate. Avoid making a Christmas-style (or Thanksgiving) dinner but maybe try to work on some unique variations on seasonal fare. Ditch the ice-cream for some hot, steamy puddings, coffee with white chocolate truffles.

Reception decor

Think snow, ice, low lighting and candles (safely contained by lamps) on each table. Tableware should also be white or light blue. This is where you may want to add holly and ivy, winter-flowering plants to table arrangements.

Author Resource:-

You will look gorgeous on your wedding day with our winter wedding dresses collection. (http://www.bellasbrides.ca)

Whatever you do, don’t leave the choice of bridesmaids’ dresses as an afterthought to your wedding dress.

Choosing bridesmaids’ dresses is just as important as choosing the bride’s dress. Why?

Well, some people think that the because the bride is the most important female the bridesmaids should sink into the background and do as they are told and wear what they are told to wear. Wrong!

Firstly, your bridesmaids are your friends and relatives. They deserve some consideration. But, actually, they deserve a lot more than that. Bridesmaids and bridesmaids’ dresses should complement and enhance the bride and the whole occasion. Just because the bridesmaids look beautiful doesn’t detract from the bride. In fact, if your bridesmaids’ dresses are not up to scratch, it will spoil the whole effect.

So how do you go about making the right choice for a group of your friends and relatives who, traditionally, have to pay for their own dresses?

Price and who pays is the first thing you have to decide and only you will know the answer to that. It may be that you have decided that you will pay for the bridesmaids’ dresses. In that case don’t be a dictator. Sit down with your girls (or their mothers if you have very young bridesmaids) and look at some websites (hey! Why not look at Bella’s Brides or catalogues. Go out with your bridesmaids and look and feel, try on some styles. Try to make a joint decision so no-one feels left out.

The question of payment need not be a vexed one. But if your bridesmaids are paying for their own dresses you have to have the diplomatic skills of Condy Rice. If they are paying, they will naturally want to have a bigger say in the choice. This makes it even more important that you get together and discuss.

Whatever the situation is regards who pays, you will all have to agree on the following  factors:

Price; Color; Style.

Price

You must agree a price range first because whoever pays must be comfortable with the decision. Be sensitive to those who may feel they have to go along with the other bridesmaids but may be stretching their resources.

Price will determine what your range of options are and where you go to buy your dresses. You may be able to do a deal with the maker of your bride’s dress if you are also shopping for bridesmaids’ dresses.  Shop around; maybe have the bridesmaids appoint a representative to go with you. Come back with some ideas of costs.

Color

You have a range of options: same color as bride; different but complimentary; contrasting. This is a matter of personal choice but unless you are having some New Age affair in the woods, it is recommended that all the bridesmaids are dressed in the same color. It is a good idea to take with a sample of the dressing dress and then try it with different colors. The bride should insist on the final color scheme but it is important to reach agreement. Depending on your bridesmaids and your relationship with them, it may be a good idea to have a firm idea in advance what you want. It is your wedding after all!

Before you decide on a different color to the bride you have to consider the overall look, and think of flowers, corsages or other accessories. Will I work? Get some advice. The best people are the ones with experience; dress shop owners, family and friends who have made their own weddings. Take advice and make a decision.

One last word of warning: don’t forget the poor groom and best man. You need to know what colors (all the poor dears will have a limited choice compared to you) they are wearing so you don’t clash with them.

Style

This is very much a matter of taste and fashion. It is also determined by the bride’s dress. Your bridesmaids’ dresses really must compliment the bride’s dress. Contrasting styles can look disastrous. Depending on the formality of the occasion you do not have to insist on all bridesmaids’ dresses being exactly the same style but they should ‘match’.  Again, it’s very much a matter of how you want your wedding.

You can see some of the current fashions in bridesmaids dresses at with the Mori Lee and Atelier Alyce ranges. You will be surprised at what bridesmaids are wearing these days if you are used to a ‘traditional’ look. These days bridesmaids’ dresses come in a variety of styles which will make your bridesmaids drop-dead gorgeous and turn the aisle into a catwalk!

Strapless dresses are very popular now as are spaghetti straps. Lengths vary but be sure to go for one length for all to look co-ordinated.

You might also want to consider that today’s bridesmaids wear dresses that can be re-used as evening wear, cocktail dresses, suits and so on. So when choosing, bear in mind that whatever the expense and whoever pays it is a nice thought that your girls will be able to wear their outfit many times in the future.

And finally…

As they say, this is the most important day of your life. If your bridesmaids are happy with their dresses and look stunning they will give you and everyone else a lot of pride and pleasure and a wedding day to remember.