Winter Wedding Tips From a Real Winter Wonderland Wedding
It’s beginning to look a lot like winter weddings around here! *cue hot cocoa and evergreens* Winter gives weddings a special touch of coziness that you just can’t get in the heat of the summer months. While not all Missouri winter weddings guarantee the perfect snow-covered trees and soft falling snowflakes, it is possible! We are here to give you the top winter wedding venue tips you may not have thought about as you dream up your own winter wonderland wedding.
Top 9 Winter Wedding Venue Tips
Everyone wants their winter wedding to be romantic and magical, while still being safe from the freezing elements like snow and ice that can accompany the season. Missouri has a wide range of temperatures, even throughout the colder months of December, January, and February.
Jordan and Whitney Coffman decided to brave the elements and chose to have a January wedding with only a few months of planning time. Amazing, right?! We’re going to walk you through our top 9 tips as we look at their winter wonderland wedding together.
Select the Right Venue
Maybe this sounds like a no-brainer, but selecting the right venue for the winter season is crucial. Your wedding venue needs to be ready for any weather. Will the parking lot be cleared and walkways be free of snow and ice? Will the venue staff clear the main driveways so guests can leave the reception if you get an unexpected snowfall?
At Emerson Fields, we have had to do just that and more! Picking a wedding venue that is prepared for winter weather outdoors while still being able to accommodate your guests indoors matters. Emerson Fields operates flawlessly with weddings of 150 guests or less if the couple desires a traditional aisle set up for the ceremony. Guests can move upstairs, or towards the bar, for cocktail hour while the center section of the main level is flipped quickly for the reception. With guests of 300 or less, an Oscar-style wedding provides guests a seat at their table while getting to view the ceremony and then transitioning seamlessly to the reception.
We asked Whitney Coffman if she felt like Emerson Fields provided enough space and versatility for her winter wedding and she said…
“Yes absolutely! Even though my ceremony and reception were in the same area, the spaces looked completely different once they were flipped. With the back patio being so close to the building we were able to sneak out for cool outdoor shots throughout the day/evening without being in the cold for too long. It provided a lot of versatility in our pictures which I love! ”
2. Keep Warm
Selecting a venue with access to the outdoors for photos will give you variety in your wedding gallery of photographs. At Emerson Fields, our back patio, private lake, dock, and front portico are easily accessible to quickly pop outside for some beautiful wintery portraits, then retreat back indoors to reheat. This will give your photographs a different feel and you’ll have some diverse backdrops. Nothing is more boring than looking through a wedding gallery with the same background in every photo. That’s why Emerson Fields is designed with multiple locations for photographs! Even if it is pouring rain or a blizzard, you can be sure you will have great photographs with variety.
From a fashion perspective, keep your wedding party warm too! Winter is the perfect chance to incorporate a long-sleeved wedding dress, extra layers of tulle, a velvet cape, or bridal wrap. We love that Whitney and her bridesmaids chose to add a fur stole to their ensemble! It’s a cozy and practical way to keep everyone in a good mood during the photo session. You will have ample opportunity to capture portraits of you in your gown with no covering while you’re warm and comfortable inside, but for outdoor shots, don’t hesitate to cozy up with fur, a plush throw, knit sweater, or luxe cardigan.
3. Make Guests Feel Welcome
When your wedding guests are indoors for the majority of your wedding, you want the space to feel inviting! Plan out your tables so that your guests have space to walk around and not feel too restricted. If you happen to be blessed with a warm afternoon early in the winter season and you’re able to have an outdoor wedding, providing guests with blankets or warm throws for their laps is a welcome gesture. Be sure to clearly communicate your ceremony location so that your guests dress accordingly.
Decorating your tables with beautiful accent pieces and glowing candles sets the atmosphere for a romantic evening. Adding in some personal touches like family heirlooms and photographs show wedding guests your sentimental side. Put yourself in your guests’ shoes and make it fun for them as well! In Missouri, the winter months are considered the “off season” so your guest’s calendar won’t be booked up with other weddings or events like they are in the summer months. In other words, your guests will welcome an invitation to break up the cabin-fever they may be experiencing in the colder months!
Another way to make your guest feel special and welcomed in the winter season is to offer a coat check. This can be as simple as having someone, usually a family member or friend, greet guests as they arrive for the wedding and ask to hang their coat for them.
Pro Tip: Taking guest’s coats as they enter the venue also helps to eliminate unsightly outerwear hanging on the back of chairs in your photographs. It never fails that the guest with a hot pink polka dot parka will be seated on the inside of the aisle and her coat will be in every photo!
4. Get Outdoors
Many winter weddings do not have the opportunity to use outdoor space because of the frigid weather or the venue doesn’t have close access to natural scenery. To make sure that you get a few outdoor photos in your wedding gallery, you will likely need to have an early afternoon wedding. That way you can use the few hours of daylight before and after the ceremony to snap some great photographs. With the sun setting around 5:00 PM most winter evenings, you only have a short window to capture these shots.
At Emerson Fields, our property is packed with picture-perfect backdrops for your portraits. We even have multiple covered options in case of snow flurries - the back patio, pavilion, and front portico all offer an outdoor photo opportunity. If you want less “staged” photos and more natural, effortless shots getting outside can help!
Pro Tip: Add hand warmers inside your shoes, suit coat pockets or bridal wrap to give you a little boost of warmth for outdoor pictures! If possible, pack a pair of boots and thick socks (or light-colored leggings or tights) to wear outside, but make sure they don’t show under your dress.
5. Incorporate Cozy
Winter weddings provide the perfect setting to include all the cozy elements of the season. A warm venue with pockets of space for guests to circle up with their beverage of choice and spend quality time together makes everyone feel welcome. We loved that Whitney and Jordan chose to include a lounge with a fireplace mantle to bring that cozy, familial feel to their reception space. It gave guests a chance to sit down and connect away from the tables while also serving as décor - win win!
“This was the first wedding we used our fireplace mantle rental to create a lounge space with candlelight against the brick wall. I thought it would not be used at all and I was so wrong! Guests loved it! It made the reception feel homey and cozy. I love the candlelight in the winter also to add that needed warmth and light!”
6. Bring in Color
Winter is traditionally known for bleak grey skies, but we know that a winter wedding can be picturesque! Adding in splashes of color to the wedding venue through florals, table runners, centerpieces, bridesmaid dresses, and fresh greenery give a winter wedding a real wow factor. At Emerson Fields, we have seen winter brides lean strongly toward a traditional Christmas theme with jewel-tone reds and fresh evergreens. Other brides have opted for elements like velvet fabrics, deep hued table linens, vibrant greenery, and bright accents. With an all-white wedding venue, Emerson Fields is a blank canvas to create whatever winter wonderland wedding you envision. You can be sure that whatever color you choose will stand out and make a statement!
We asked Whitney what she would suggest to someone planning a winter wedding at Emerson Fields and she said…
“I would advise someone planning a winter wedding at Emerson Fields to hire a team of professionals that will help you accomplish your vision. A lot of the inspiration pictures I found online were more of a Christmas theme, and I was going for more of an elegant theme with winter greenery. Since that was hard to find, most of my inspiration pictures were not for the correct season, so it was great that my florist and planner understood my vision and helped make it happen! ”
7. Add Sparkle
There’s a naturally romantic feeling within a winter wedding. Incorporating twinkle lights or string lights really help a wedding in the winter season sparkle and Emerson Fields already has a good start for you with 200 feet of string lights hanging in the venue. Adding touches of sparkling lights or candles gives that beautiful glow to the wedding space and makes it feel like such a special celebration!
Whitney and Jordan added the perfect amount of sparkle to their wedding day. Warm floating candles, hanging votives, glittering table runners, and a bold statement like the golden head table made the venue really shine. We still can’t believe this couple planned everything in only a few months!
Need some more ideas for wedding décor? Follow us on Pinterest for tons of inspiration and real wedding advice!
Keep reading for two of our most important winter wedding tips! The last tip will make or break your wedding day management.
8. Indulge in the Season
Nothing truly says winter like hot cocoa, coffee or cider, a popcorn bar, twinkling lights, and the look and smell of freshly-cut evergreen. Consider incorporating unique elements of the winter season into your wedding day! If you plan for your guests to be outside at all, maybe during cocktail hour, offer blankets or look into renting heat lamps. If your wedding is after the Christmas rush, score some discounted greenery or repurpose Christmas trees as décor. At Emerson Fields, we have had couples choose warm pretzel appetizer bars, coffee and hot cocoa bars, hot signature toddies, s’mores bars for late-night snacks/desserts, and even a crepe food truck!
Pro Tip: Offering food stations, such as a coffee bar with flavored creamers, gets your guests up and moving around which adds to the ambience of the event and is something that they’ll be talking about long after your wedding day.
Our most important winter wedding tip…
9. Plan Your Timeline With Your Photographer Before Sending Out Invitations
In the winter months it’s crucial to have a detailed timeline that incorporates the time of the sunset. Your photographer will be your “go-to” for this advice so consult this pro before settling on a ceremony time. If you love natural light even half as much as we do, you’ll want to set an earlier ceremony time and/or plan for a first look to capture plenty of portraits of the two of you. Consider that your guests will not want to stay too late for the reception during the winter months so plan an earlier send-off!
A winter wedding timeline might look something like this:
1:30 PM First Look
2:00 PM Family Formals
3:00 PM Ceremony
3:30 PM Cocktail Hour/ Wedding Party Pictures/ Couple’s Portraits
4:45 PM Grand Entrance
5:00 PM Dinner
6:00 PM Cake Cutting & Toasts
6:30 PM First Dance, Special dances like Father-Daughter or Mother-Son
7:00 PM Dance floor opens up
9:30-10:00 PM Dance floor closes and send-off of newlyweds
At Emerson Fields, we are happy to host weddings in every season! With no peak season pricing and a full weekend rental, your friends and family will enjoy spending plenty of time together in a cozy winter wedding venue in Missouri. Whether you are planning your winter wonderland wedding or summer vacation wedding, download our FREE Wedding Planning Checklist for all you need to know to plan the best wedding ever.
Interested in viewing Emerson Fields in person for your wedding day? Click the Inquire button below to set up a tour!
A huge thank you to Whitney and Jordan Coffman and Sheara Jennings Photography for capturing such a beautiful winter wedding at Emerson Fields! The Coffmans chose a team of pros to bring their vision to life and we love all of these amazing vendors!
Photography || @shearajenningsphotography
Bridal Gown & Bridesmaid Dresses || @breezebridal
Florals, Rentals & Wedding Day Management || @dzinesweddings
DJ || @topsoundsmobiledj
Caterer || @nolandscateringofmacon
Cake || @kochsgeneralstore
Linens || @a.b.heltonfinelinenrentals
12/08/2021 - Gabrielle Isom
