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Hold on to your gloves, hats and scarves. This December we are covering winter weddings.

Summer once had the monopoly, it hoarded weddings, made brides anxiously book venues months in advance, scrabble over florists and kidnap their dressmaker to ensure her undivided attention. All this just to have guaranteed hot weather, perhaps with an outside BBQ and a chance to capture that precious moment in a sun drenched cornfield.

Hang on…was anyone actually in the UK this summer? The sunny days were pretty far and few between – what happens if you’ve planned for sunshine but the reality is grey drizzle? Isn’t that pressure that a bride just doesn’t need?

It could be the unpredictability of the British weather, it could be that savvy, cost-saving brides know they can shave thousands off their budget by choosing a winter date – venues often consider winter weddings as ‘off-peak’ and price their packages accordingly, caterers might offer keener discounts and there are also creative, cost-cutting ways around the local, seasonal flower debate – whatever the reason, winter weddings are now in favour.

I do… love winter

Data from the UK’s register office shows that thousands more people are tying the knot between October and March than in previous years. Indeed London’s Westminster City Council has said that the number of weddings booked at churches and register offices in the capital has risen 15 per cent in 2011 versus 2010. In the USA there has been a 6% rise in weddings held in September, October and November which now takes it to 35 percent of all weddings planned.

Naturally beautiful

Forget plastic snowflakes, Christmas trees and tacky chemical snow, there are many beautiful ways to decorate a winter wedding naturally, ethically and organically. This December, we’ll help you turn a venue’s Christmas décor into something new, examine your worries about the heating and carbon output and even throw in some bridal thermals to warm your cockles.

We’ve been speaking to organic florists who, although their cutting gardens are empty, are still budding with ideas about how to use winter favourites such as cones, berries and contorted willow for centre pieces. How do you feel about a fabric bouquet? We’ve found some fabulous ones that you’ll treasure forever.

Lace fabric bouquet by AutumnArt on Etsy – photo credit: Aaron Wilcox

Let’s not forget the wedding breakfast.  We’ll be serving up our expert organic caterer’s advice on how to keep the buffet seasonal without a roast potato or pig-in-blanket in sight.

Hooded cloak by Wonderful Wraps

Just as you wouldn’t wear denim shorts to a dinner in January, winter brides need to think about a shawl over their silk, hemp or organic cotton. With the popularity of winter weddings expected to rise for winter 2013, many designers are offering wraps, shawls and even coats to complement wedding dresses, and we’ll showcase some of our favourites including a few vintage pieces.

If you’ve got any green wintery wedding ideas you’d like to share or want us to investigate, then get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Kate Marillat

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