"I love a Winter Wedding. You can get so creative with your flower choices and really create something spectacular. There are so many beautiful Winter blooms to choose from. To name but a few; Anenomes, Ranunculus, Paperwhite Narcissi, Hellebores (commonly known as the Winter Rose!), Late Garden Roses and Hydrangea. Don't be afraid to embrace different or alternative ingredients within floral arrangements - perhaps think about incorporating foraged twigs, branches and different foliages within your displays, as well as lots of Winter Greenery."

Millie Richardson.

"Long and continuous garlands of foliage can be a lovely way to dress long tables, perhaps interspersed with delicate glass bud vases filled with just a couple of stems of blooms. Perfect for that cosy feast! Seasonal Winter foliage types to look out for are: Berried Ivy, Pittosporum, Pistache, Long Ruscus, Thistle, Viburnum and Camelia. Adding potted Winter flower plants to your tablescape can add interest and often a delicious scent. I like to incorporate Jasmine, Hellebore and herb (Rosemary, Thyme and Sage) plants to my table runners.

Don't be afraid to add a little sparkle to your wedding flowers! Your florist will be able to source an abundance of beautiful dried blooms and foliages at this time and I think a mix of metallic and glittery textures alongside lush, deep greenery with pops of white and cream florals, can look so elegant."

Millie Richardson.

"Think about your lighting and how you incorporate this effectively within your flower designs. Given the time of year and that it will get dark a lot earlier, adding candlelight to tables will be more important to create an atmosphere. Consider tall, elegant dining candles in dainty glass holders, combined with lots of tea-lights scattered along tables in little votives. It will also make the setting incredibly romantic! Personally, I like to incorporate delicate lighting within my Church/Ceremony flower displays and use many metres of battery powered LED lighting on copper wire interspersed amongst my flowers."

Millie Richardson.

“I’m a sucker for a Winter Wedding! Not only can you transport your guests to a fairylit Wonderland, but they’ll be super cosy inside our heated Sperry and tepee tents. I often say to our clients that the benefit of a wedding at a colder time of year, is that your guests will spend more time together inside your tent and the atmosphere will be on fire! As long as you have weather-proof flooring, a heater and the ability to close the doors or sides of the tent – everything else stays the same. And by Winter, I can imagine we will all want to celebrate like never before!”

Amanda Monaghan

It's no secret that we love a good tablescape here at The Wedding Present Company. In our opinion, the key thing to consider when designing a tablescape is the kind of atmosphere you want to create. Winter Weddings lend themselves brilliantly to rich, full tablescapes full of flowers, foliage and candles. As big fans of more is more, we love to create different heights at the table using Nkuku candle sticks in brass or antique black. Team these with taper candles from Ester & Erik for an elegant finish and top off with tea lights in votives. Consider textured napkins to add warmth and a good quality tablecloth to tie it all together. Finishing touches can be textural, such as hand tied forest green or burgundy velvet bows around cutlery with a sprig of rosemary. When it comes to glassware, a beautiful smokey grey water tumbler is a great way to add some depth to the table, allowing a classic wine glass to add elegance to the table. We love John Jenkins and Zalto. When it comes to china, we love mixing a timeless white dinner plate with a patterned side plate to add an element of surprise to the table. Our go to combination for a winter tablescape is Alice Peto and Berardaud. 

A Winter Wedding often means Christmas is just around the corner. This doesn't mean you have to have Christmas everything, but the odd touch can be brilliantly festive and super elegant. A subtle way to add a touch of festive to your tables is to incorporate dried fruit or pinecones on the table. Not only do these look lovely but they will add a lovely scent to the table. 

You could also think about Christmas trees to adorn entrances to your marquee or venue. Why not consider decorating these with baubles for guests to take home at the end of the night? Or you could even have hand calligraphered baubles as placenames on your table. ERA Calligraphy is your girl for this.

"Winter Weddings are instantly magical with beautiful soft lighting and candles, the atmosphere cries out for food that will wrap around you like a stormy evening in a pub next to a roaring fire.  The food doesn’t have to be so heavy that it makes all your guests fall asleep, think about hearty food that leaves you ready to dance your feet off on the dancefloor. Start the day with a warming Mulled Cider (this makes the reception smell amazing) with lots of canapés, followed by a meal that is seasonal and fitting for the time of year."

Emily Jones, Two Many Cooks.

"Don’t be afraid of the outdoors! Winter light (when it’s a cloudy sky) is easily the most flattering - it’s the same with snow, 'even' light reflects beautifully and doesn’t disrupt any angles in which portraits can be shot in. It means that most locations are do-able, whereas the height of Summer the blazing sunshine can make locations limited whereby people could be squinting! So you usually have more options in backdrops.

If you’re lucky enough to get a clear sky in Winter then you are so blessed! Winter sun is like golden hour but with a cooler, crisper feel. Utterly beautiful and creates a very magical feel to photographs. As long as you are dressed properly (men don’t seem to have so many issues in this department!) but an accompanying shawl/gilet to your dress just for popping over your shoulders can add to the day and give some variety to your photos too. Adrenalin is also one to remember! I have often found brides lasting ages in cooler temperatures keeping warm on adrenalin and excitement of the day."

Sophie Duckworth, Sophie Duckworth Photography.

"Be prepared to get married a little earlier in the day. It’s no secret that the sun sets early in Winter, and as long as you are prepared to say have a 12 noon or 1pm ceremony, there should be no issues with getting the most out of the light during your reception for photos. Be warned though the last hour of light in Winter is a lot darker than the last hour of light in Summer. You may find pushing your reception to the very end of the daylight hours will result in darker photos overall. Cameras are amazing at capturing in low light but of course, the more light, the better quality the images. (Something to consider if you are sticking with a 2pm church ceremony for example)."

Sophie Duckworth, Sophie Duckworth Photography.

"Group photos can be done in or out. As long as there is a room in your venue/location whereby you can clear a space for people to stand, group photos should have no issue being captured indoors. Also, couple portraits essentially can be shot anywhere, with some window light! You don’t need much, honestly! 

You also have the luxury of guaranteed darker evenings, this can pave the way for sparklers and also some fun off camera flash portraits. Most Summer weddings don’t get dark enough during the ‘usual set hours’ for photographers to capture these same elements so you do have options to make sure your day is as special as any other season."

Sophie Duckworth, Sophie Duckworth Photography.

"Winter does not have to equal Christmas! I love the colours of a winter wedding and the option for using lots of candlelight. However, on this topic there are a few things to consider here. Firstly, check with your venue regarding their own winter/Christmas decor. Many will have this in place and, if yours does not fit with this, you will want to agree plans to have it removed or ways to incorporate it. Light is a must for me when it comes to winter and nothing is as atmospheric as a naked flame. Not all venues allow them - so check that as well."

Jenna Hewitt, Wedding Planner.

"Think about warmth! Guests don’t like to stand around in the cold for long periods of time having portraits taken outside. However, often the light and backdrop can work better to do this outside rather than in.  I would advise working with your photographer to minimise the number of “staged” shots. Focus more on capturing the key people in natural moments. You will still want some of those classic portrait shots - a shot list shared with the photographer is a must. Equally important is nominating 1-2 guests (Ideally who know your close family and friends) to be on hand to help get the right people at the right time."

Jenna Hewitt, Wedding Planner.

"Winter wedding dresses are fabulous as you have the ability to layer like no other season. Its lovely to combine different textures to create a luxurious feel: duchess or crepe satin with satinised chiffon and embroidered overlays, textural cloque and plain crepes or flocked velvet dotted tulles fabrics work so well at this time of the year. We also love a bridal coat with a stunning tailored silhouette with faux fur trimming and button detailing so you can reveal a whole other outfit for the reception. A sparkly belt or beaded bodice is also a great way to add to a magical winter wedding!"

Emma Payne, Emma Victoria Payne.

"We love winter weddings, there’s something about the twinkling candlelight and crisp, festive weather that makes them extra chic and romantic - so when it comes to bridesmaid outfits, we think you can afford to go for a little extra glamour. Longer-length dresses like our signature full length bias slip work beautifully as well as elegant higher neck styles like our popular sash-tie dress  When it comes to colour palettes, one of the (many) great things about winter weddings is that rich, jewel colours work just as beautifully as more icy, skandi schemes, and the same applies to bridesmaid dresses. What does become more important though, is the fabric. Lightweight, floaty fabrics can sometimes feel a little insubstantial in colder weather so it’s worth considering more mid to heavier weight fabric. Good-quality satin fabrics like our signature crepe-back-satin move like liquid and comes alive in twinkling candle-light, they also look amazing in pictures. 

Keeping your bridal party warm is always a key consideration when it comes to winter weddings, especially if you are spending more than a few minutes outside. However, don’t let this become the overriding factor when deciding on your bridesmaid outfits. Always prioritise the style(s) you and your bridesmaids love and add in some chic outerwear if you need it. We love layering fur coats and soft jumpers over our bridesmaid styles, you can find some amazing vintage pieces on eBay (see more suggestions on our wedding outerwear blog)."

Rosie Williams, Co-Founder - The OWN Studio

"No matter the season, the most important thing is that your bridesmaids feel comfortable in what they’re wearing, after all, as your best friends they should feel like the best dressed guests! If your bridesmaids have different body shapes and styles, pick a colour/palette and let them choose an outfit that they’ll feel great in, and they’ll want to wear again. Our collection is made up of a pieces designed to become luxe wardrobe staples after the wedding day, every style is available in the same colour and fabric so you know everything will feel in keeping. Why not give your bridesmaids a brief on colour palette and style and see what they come up with? This way you know they’re going to suggest pieces that they personally love, and it’s one less job on your endless list!"

Rosie Williams, Co-Founder - The OWN Studio

So there you have it. Some top tips from some of the best in the business. If you want even more inspiration for a super-chic and unique Winter Wedding, head to our dedicated Pinterest board.