I’m about to shoot my last wedding of 2020 and it has me thinking how beautiful December weddings are! There’s just something so special about a wedding around the holiday season. Any December bride out there planning a wedding could learn a thing or two from our experience with December weddings (after all, December is probably one of the most challenging months for planning a wedding!) and since Christmas is coming up soon and we’re full of holiday spirit around here, today I thought I’d share a few tips for planning a December wedding.
Choose your venue wisely.
Consider venues that will accommodate both your ceremony and reception. Bonus points if you can also get ready there on the morning of your wedding day. This will make things easier on both you and your guests so that they don’t have to travel to various locations in potentially cold or bad weather. Just starting your search for a venue? Click here for our NJ Venues Guide.
On that same note, make sure the grounds at your venue have lots of evergreens so that you have plenty of greenery in your portraits.
Expect holiday decor
If you’re planning a December wedding, expect that your venue will be decorated. Keep this in mind as you choose your own wedding decor so that it will be a beautiful complement to wintry greens.
Get wedding insurance
The weather is always unpredictable, but winter weather especially could be a challenge. What if there’s a blizzard on your wedding day? Our friend Jeanne, a NJ Wedding Planner, wrote a great article on this topic – please give it a read. Here is the link: Do I Need Wedding Insurance?
Remember that it gets dark early in the winter.
Look up the sunset time on your wedding day and be sure we’ll have plenty of daylight for your wedding portraits. A first look around 1pm is highly recommended for winter weddings so that you don’t get stuck doing all of your portraits in the dark.
Take some photos indoors!
If your venue has an indoor option for portraits, that’s a huge plus for taking a break from the cold.
Contact your venue and ask them what types of holiday decorations they will have.
Not all venues will have classic red and green holiday decor so find out how your venue will be decorated before making any decisions on your own wedding color palette.
Be careful when choosing a color palette.
Choose a color palette that will be appropriate for the time of year and that doesn’t clash with potential holiday decor.
Choose flowers that will do well in the cold.
For a list of recommended flower options, check out this article: Top 10 Flowers for Your Winter Wedding.
Wear a dress with sleeves.
I don’t know about you, but I just love a wedding dress with sleeves. They are always so elegant and they’ll keep you warm, too!
Gift your ladies something warm to wear.
Shawls and furs will be most welcome and they are the perfect winter accessory, too!
Take short breaks
Whether you take a break to huddle and warm up with your ladies or you go inside for a quick hot drink, take short breaks from being outside to warm up a bit.
Don’t be afraid to include winter or holiday-related touches in your decor or wedding favors.
I hope these tips are useful to you when planning your December wedding!
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Idalia Photography is a team of NJ wedding photographers serving NJ, NY, PA, and beyond. We specialize in romantic, timeless, and classic weddings. Are you planning a wedding? Click here to view our wedding portfolio or contact us for availability and pricing. Happy wedding planning!
