As we move into autumn, we’re already growing obsessed with the thought of winter weddings. Winter is such a visual counterpoint to the long, hot summer. A certain soft calmness pervades it, created by snowy landscapes, sparkling icicles, undulating snowdrifts and icy ponds. Just think of the possibilities that winter’s aesthetic brings to wedding decor. There’s the color white, as seen on the snowy floors and ice-coated furniture of the “ice palace” in one of history’s most romantic classic movies, Dr. Zhivago. Put some pictures of that unforgettable set on your inspiration board, and you’ll soon stumble upon ideas galore for a white wedding. Beyond snow, winter provides other phenomena that give rise to gorgeous wedding decor. There’s Christmas, with its cheery motifs, vivid colors and nostalgic music. There’s the elegance conjured up by holiday parties, which leaves us daydreaming about crystals, sequins, glitter and all things shiny. Read on to discover the specifics of how winter can inspire your wedding themes. We tell you how to pull off each theme and introduce you to products from your favorite retailers — Etsy, Amazon and Michael’s included — that will help you accomplish your goal.
Creating the Best Winter Wedding Themes
Tips:
Winter provides the romance of snuggling before a fire, cuddling up in a tartan plaid blanket and watching the snowflakes (nature’s glitter) drift down from the heavens. As snowflakes dust the earth, we yearn to hibernate with a steady supply of hot chocolate, warm cookies and mulled wine. It’s the perfect setting for a wedding – and it provides a visual and sensory bounty that will easily inspire your wedding plans. Winter’s many enchantments might motivate you to create a crystalline dream with a white wedding inspired by snow. You might dress like a fairy queen, complete with sparkly crown, in a wedding inspired by icicles (nature’s bling). Or you can produce a holiday-themed fête, complete with elves on the shelves and reindeer on the roof. So many decisions – and with each decision you make, you’ll tingle with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.
How to Attain the Best Winter Wedding Themes
Cost:
A winter-themed wedding needn’t be more expensive than any other one. Refer subtly to the holidays by creating a themed dessert bar: Include red, white and green macarons, rum balls, divinity and peppermint bark. Why not add a gingerbread house as a centerpiece and include traditional Christmas cookies as favors for your guests? For a dose of holiday-inspired nostalgia, include ornaments that fit the theme of your wedding, which you can buy in bulk to save money: Use vintage Christmas ornaments for a 1950s-themed wedding, silver ones for an icicle-inspired wedding and pearly-white ones for a snow-inspired wedding. Use nature as an inexpensive way to cut costs on your floral arrangements: You can stretch your flowers if you add filler in the form of white birch branches, pine cones, sprigs of cedar and holly berries.
Color:
Winter allows you to go deep into color and we have outlined an array of color schemes you can use to set the tone of your wedding. We love a retro palette of red, green, pink, aqua and celery green or yellow, because it injects some feminine flair to the traditional red-and-green holiday palette. There are many more ideas to choose from, ranging from tonal (all white) to dual (silver and gold or purple and silver). The colors of winter will surprise you in their variety.
Style:
Make sure the theme is universal: It’s best when it weaves its way through every aspect of the wedding, from food to decor to favors. Most importantly, choose your mood. A nature-inspired wedding will create a rustic feel, a vintage-inspired wedding will generate a lighthearted vibe, and an icicle-inspired wedding will bring forth the fanciness.
Material & Other Features:
Unlike spring and summer, winter offers an incredible array of materials and fabrics from which to pepper your wedding landscape. Velvet, wool, cashmere, pashmina, satin, sequins, crystals, metallic lamé — the list goes on and on. And we adore the textures from nature, from the tiniest acorn to the largest Christmas tree: There’s a richness there that is beyond compare.
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