Winter weddings are far less popular than summer, spring, and fall weddings, but that’s just one reason to consider it. Planning a wedding in winter is often easier and more cost-effective. Considered off-season for weddings, everything from the venue to the caterers is more available and less expensive.
Events in winter also provide spectacular backdrops for photos that highlight stunning seasonal styles. Planning your wedding for the colder months will affect what you choose for your bridesmaids. Make the most of the time to choose gorgeous, seasonally appropriate gowns.
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Bridesmaid Dress Length
Midi or knee-length bridesmaid dresses can be very stylish and convey a more casual tone, but they’re not ideal for winter for obvious reasons. You want your girls to be comfortable, and that means staying warm. Many winter weddings are also more formal because they occur after dark in the evenings, making ball gown lengths more suitable.
If you want to choose a shorter dress because it better matches the theme or style of your event, consider how you can make your bridesmaids more comfortable. A heavier fabric or longer sleeves, for instance, might help. You can also find matching tights to complete the look.
Color Options
The color palette should be an early choice for any wedding. It’s one of the fun parts of planning too. This is when you start to picture your vision for the event. Color helps set the tone and conveys your personal style. These are the colors that you will always associate with the big day, so make the choice carefully.
The season should be a huge determining factor in the color palette. For instance, burgundy and rich jewel tones make much more sense in fall than spring. The color choice will extend to your bridesmaid dress, one of the biggest showpieces for the event palette.
For a winter wedding, you have several options. A neutral palette matches the washed-out tones of winter. Use ivory, soft beige, dove gray, champagne, and even white for a neutral winter wedding. Blue tones also work well in winter. Choose pale blues with gray tones or deep midnight blue.
You might want to avoid colors that are too seasonal. Red and green, for example, can make your wedding look more like a Christmas party, while going overboard on gold might give New Year’s Eve vibes. You don’t want to be overshadowed by a seasonal holiday.
Fabric
Color is the first thing guests notice, but other elements of wedding décor and bridesmaid dresses need to match the season. Consider the fabric of your girls’ dresses. Anything too light or airy reads summer or spring, not to mention will not keep them very warm.
Satin is a popular choice for winter. It’s a good choice for a more formal event held in the evening but is also appropriate for afternoon weddings in winter. Look for Peau de soie, a heavier satin that still has a shiny luster.
Winter is the one time of year you can dress your bridesmaids in velvet. This rich, soft fabric is elegant and warm. You might get away with it in the fall, but it is a no-go at other times of the year. A versatile option is crepe. You can find medium or heavy-weight crepes with loose or stiff draping. You can also find crepe with a little stretch, which is often more comfortable to wear and suits a range of body types.
Style Ideas
Winter weather provides great opportunities for styling your bridesmaids in unique ways that would never work in spring or summer. When the weather is hot, it’s hard to incorporate accessories. For winter, you can add all kinds of pieces to create a unique look. Many are also functional:
- Add a wrap, shawl, or bolero for both warmth and extra style.
- Formal gloves add elegance and comfort to a bridesmaid’s look.
- For a true winter wonderland feel, gift your bridesmaids faux fir muffs.
- Consider choosing a cute ankle boot for your girls to keep their feet warmer.
- Choose seasonal-themed jewelry, like necklaces or earrings with snowflakes or sparkling crystals that mimic the snow.
Involve Your Bridesmaids in Winter Style
This is your big day, so push for your vision but also involve your girls in the choices. They might have some great winter-themed ideas you hadn’t yet considered.
Also, everyone is happier and will have a better time at your wedding when they don’t feel forced into choices they don’t like. Set some boundaries and rules, and then let your girls make some of their own winter-style choices.
