Winter Weddings & Engagements… becoming a new trend?

Winter Weddings & Engagements… becoming a new trend?

 There is something so magical about having a winter wedding, the snow is so peaceful and beautiful, and you feel like you have the whole world to yourselves. I personally love shooting in the snow, and I love when brides and grooms plan creative winter weddings.

 There are a few reasons why it’s becoming more and more popular to have a wedding at this time of year.

 1. Many venues, caterers, photographers, florists etc.. will often give a small discount for booking in the off season.

 2. It’s so much easier to find everything you need, when you want it. Often in the summer and fall, venues, photographers and caterers book solid, up to a year or more in advance. With winter weddings, you can plan them on much shorter notice, and get exactly the venue, photographer and caterers that you want.

 3. You get your choice for photo locations! Most parks, photo locations, even streets most of the time are much emptier in the winter, so you have such a huge variety of locations to choose from, and they will a look totally different then they would have in the summer. You end up with beautiful, serene and unique wedding and/or engagement photos.

 So in saying all of that, there are a few things I’ve learned that I always recommend to people to help out, and make their winter weddings run as smoothly and warmly as possible.

 1. Really think about the timeline of your day, it gets dark very early in the winter months, so if you want photos outdoors you have to take this into consideration. So I find lots of brides and grooms, will do all of the photos beforehand in the afternoon, then plan a 4-5 ceremony leading right into the dinner. This way you are outside for the best light, and once the ceremony is over you can just relax and enjoy time with your guests.

 2. Dress warm! I always remind brides to wear long johns under their dresses, and find winter boots as well. You can always switch into heels once the photoshoot is over. Shawls, or fur coats etc… are also a really good idea. Being as warm as you can will make for a much more enjoyable experience.

 3. Think about your bridesmaids and groomsmen, and make sure they have outfits that be dressed up warm as well so they can enjoy the photos along with you.

 Winter engagement sessions are also becoming way more popular, for similar reasons that weddings are. I love when clients contact me for winter engagements; generally my schedule as photographer is more open in the winter, so booking a session is much easier. Also it’s the perfect time to bundle up and cuddle up outside with your love. You can dress up in nice hats, scarves and mittens, and bring blankets to wrap around you. There are so many amazing landscapes, forest and cityscapes that look so so pretty with a covering of snow, and with most people staying indoors you can take a full advantage of this. And if you want to mix it up a bit to stay warm, start outside, then head to your favourite café or book store for some cute indoor shots. Also, if you’re having a summer wedding, it’s nice to do this in the winter and have shots of the two of you together in different seasons.

 So if you’ve started planning a wedding, and finding booking things impossible, consider a winter wedding as a great alternative to a summer/fall wedding!

All Photography done by Ash Nayler Photography | Wedding and Portrait Photography in Peterborough Ontario