Are you planning a winter wedding in Coventry and Warwickshire in 2019 or beyond?
At Coombe Abbey, we take pride in offering couples the perfect wedding venue. With such a stunning array of locations to choose from within our fairy-tale setting, all you need to do is decide where within our historical grounds you would like to celebrate your perfect day!
We understand how important your wedding is, and to help inspire you, we’ve compiled a list of our top ten tips for a perfect winter wedding in Coventry and Warwickshire so you can stay organised. And furthermore, we also have a wedding fair right here at Coombe Abbey, which offers you the opportunity to see the range of venues we have on offer within our grounds and to meet our specially chosen exhibitors who are on hand to offer advice, tips and inspiration for your winter wedding in Coventry and Warwickshire!
So, make a note of the Coombe Abbey Wedding Fair, which takes place on Sunday 24th February 2019 and come along – it’s free to attend! In the meantime, we hope our top ten winter wedding tips will help you along the way!
Baby, it’s cold outside!
Winter weddings look amazing, but it can be a cold time of the year! Brides and grooms both want to look stunning, but how do you dress to impress without throwing on the thermals? For the bride, we recommend complimenting your wedding dress with a faux fur stole or a perhaps a stunning cape?
You could also look at long sleeve wedding dresses, which, not only look sensational, but will keep you warm when you’re outside taking those winter wedding photos! Grooms also have great choices for winter wedding attire… aside from the usual wedding suits, a velvet blazer is an attractive choice that would look great for a winter wedding theme. Plus, the fabric is thicker for extra warmth.
Don’t forget your bridesmaids – especially if you have younger ones, and pageboys too. Little ones can wear vests underneath their outfits, the girls can have velvet capes (in rich, dark jewel colours perhaps?) and the boys can wear warm jackets.
And don’t forget, if you’re really worried about how cold it can be, you could slip on pair of thick tights (as long as it doesn’t show of course!) under your dress for those outside photos and remove once you’re inside for your wedding reception! Oh and don’t forget, you can even look at boots depending on your dress – there are so many bridal shoe options available now!
Winter wedding style
As well as choosing wedding outfits that will keep you warm, a winter wedding is the perfect excuse to choose winter inspired colours and themes that will look enchanting in photographs as well as on the day. How about a sparkly winter wedding theme with glittery dresses for your bridesmaids? Or inject rich accents of red into your wedding look with a red rose bouquet, red lipstick and/or hair accessories.
You may even want to consider a pair of richly coloured shoes that will look gorgeous against a white or cream dress…beautiful shoes that you can wear again and again. Pretty pastels and faux fur, or a simple white bouquet made with winter flowers will also look elegant and stylish for a winter wedding. Your style can also extend to your décor theme. Talk to your florist or wedding venue about using warm rich colours for stunning wintery centrepieces or an abundance of tea lights to create a warming backdrop to your winter wedding?
One venue for everything…
Image source: celticcastles.com
Winter weddings are wonderful, but as we all know, the weather can be unreliable. Having both the ceremony and wedding breakfast/reception at one venue makes transport easier (and keeps you out of the cold!) especially if you consider a venue where you can stay the night before, as well as the night of the wedding.
At Coombe Abbey, we have a variety of different venues where you can hold every part of your Coventry and Warwickshire winter wedding. From The Courthouse, our regal, two-story venue that dates back to 1817, to the candlelit mediaeval Abbeygate, as well as our Intimate Rooms, The Marquee (which is heated and decorated for the winter months too) and The Cloisters Ballroom, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to planning your winter wedding! Our beautifully decorated bedchambers also provide the perfect end to your perfect day, as well as offering you the relaxation and space you need the night before, and the morning of, your wedding to prepare for your big day.
Be camera ready!
If you’re considering a winter wedding, have a good chat with your wedding photographer about when to take your official photos due to the fact that it gets dark so much earlier in the winter months. You may even want to take a few of your outdoor photos before the actual ceremony, depending on what time you are getting married, and you can also speak to your venue and photographer about the best spots, and where to take romantic sunset photos too. At Coombe Abbey we have so many impressive backdrops. Our beautiful gardens are tended to all year round and with so many twinkling festive lights dotted around, you’ll have plenty of stunning areas to choose from when it comes to your winter wedding photos.
Hot toddies all round!
Why not treat your guests to something a little different once they arrive such as a warm mulled wine or a hot toddy spiced with cloves? For a hot toddy with a wintry kick, we love this Jamie Oliver recipe and your wedding venue can also help you find the right ‘on arrival’ drinks.
Winter wedding favours…
A winter wedding is the perfect excuse to try something a little different when it comes to wedding favours. For your older bridesmaids, you could treat them to wonderfully soft pashminas and for smaller bridesmaids, pageboys and younger guests, how about some festive cookies or candy canes? Mulled winter spices are also perfect for your wedding guests in general and will add a wonderful scent to the whole room too.
Get your glow
We all know that wintertime can create havoc with our skin and lips so prepare your face for your big day by keeping hydrated with plenty of water as well as hydrating creams and a good lip balm, which you can keep stored in your wedding purse on the day.
Festive décor
If you are having your winter wedding during the Christmas and New Year season, ask your wedding venue about their festive decorations so you can be sure you’re happy with them and that they suit your taste. At Coombe Abbey, our festive decorations compliment every area – both inside and out. To see just how beautiful our decorations look, why not visit us over the festive period or, if you’re planning on visiting our wedding fair, one of our organisers will happily show you images of how opulent Coombe Abbey looks over Christmas and New Year.
Bring some brollies
Have an abundance of brollies on standby for outdoor photos for your guests. You can buy beautiful white brollies in bulk for a great price online or perhaps try a classic festive red?
Toasty hands
Keep frozen fingers and toes at bay with some DIY hand warmers. We recommend faff-free and easy to use hand warmers that are available in Halfords.
We hope our top ten tips for a winter wedding has inspired you and don’t forget to join us at our Wedding Fair on Sunday 24th February 2019 for even more ideas and inspiration…see you there!