Wedding Destinations

Winter Wedding vs Summer Wedding

Weddings are, by nature, very intimate events. As such, the couples usually want every aspect of their Big Day to reflect their personalities. Most women dream of their special day being outdoors or in a chapel with blue skies and 75-degree weather outside, according to some of the wedding magazines. BUT. On the other hand, this year’s trends put the winter wedding on the pedestal. Which season would you, dear reader, choose?

I have analysed both seasons under six different aspects. I used the whole variety of resources, such as magazines, websites, photographers, my own interviews with the planners I worked with. I have also looked at the current trends, tendencies and the most popular wedding destinations list.

I have also asked my Instagram followers, Facebook friends and took a part in research. Despite the fact I don’t think the couple should ever look at the stats when choosing the right time to Tie The Knot, it helped me a lot in terms of creating future content.

Here are some stats:

Budget: Winter > Summer

With summer being such ‘trendy’ time for weddings, it’s not surprising that the best venues and photographers get booked up years in advance. Being in such high demand….. they can also afford to charge more, which is completely understandable. Your dream venue might actually appear a lot cheaper in the winter, leaving you more money to spend on other parts of your ceremony or a lovely honeymoon in the Maldives. I recently featured a winter wedding idea in Zakopane, Polish Tatra Mountains in case you want to have a look (click).

Ironical, the majority of the most popular places for the winter weddings of 2019 are actually…. extremely expensive. Those places are The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, Budir Church in Iceland, Chalets in Kirchberg, Austria, Igloo Village in Finland.  That’s for Europe. There is also amazing Llao Llao Resort in Argentina, but a real gem in the world of winter weddings is…. the Central Park in New York!

Trento in Italy has also found its place among the most popular winter wedding destinations. I have been there in December with Trentino Tourism Board and the place itself is simply wonderful! I promised myself to do a separate wedding article from this amazing place!

Main hall & Ice Ceremony Hall Flower power – Edith Van De Wetering Wilfred Stijger Tjåsa Gusfors z. ICEHOTEL 28 Photo by – Asaf Kliger

Weather: Winter < Summer

This one is quite obvious – is it not? Winter is filled with scheduling conflicts and unpredictable weather. While winter landscapes are beautiful, your bridal party might not be willing to freeze in order to get outdoor photos, limiting you to indoor shots. Outdoor receptions are generally out of the question, which means more logistical problems (like preventing the flower girl from running riot through a nice hotel or keeping the cigarette smoke from smoking guests from interfering with the health or wedding experience of the non-smokers).

While it is important to keep the cons in mind, it is most important to pick a season whose pro column matches your needs. Pick the season you love and then do your best to plan for any conflicts or problems. At the end of the day, you’ll be married to the love of your life; isn’t that the most important part?

The guests: Winter > Summer

If you have your wedding in the summer, your big day will be competing with other people’s plans. Lots of people will be taking holidays and going abroad. In the winter, however, fewer people will have made plans, and the chance to attend a wedding will be a nice reprieve from months of sitting around at home doing nothing. If you want to make sure that all your family and friends can attend, and that your wedding has a lot of guests, holding it in the winter could be a safer bet.

Aries Hotel Winter Wedding

Organisation : Winter < Summer

 

Summer is a popular wedding season for many reasons: long days with plenty of sunlight, beautiful scenery, flowers, and minimal conflicts with school, work, uni or other holidays. It is the perfect time for outdoor ceremonies and receptions. It’s also the perfect season for those desiring a destination wedding, such as la dolce vita wedding in Italy. Not only the guests might be more willing or able to combine attending your wedding with summer vacation plans but Italia is a dream in the summer.

It is important to mention Italy places itself at the top of the most popular wedding destinations for years.

By organisation, I mean picking out THE venue, caterers, menu as well as… making the Big Day as unique as it could be. Not too long ago, I found a dreamy  Instagram account of a wedding agency (15,7k) – Brilliant Wedding Venice. I would not consider myself as a number one expert but their photos delivered the message. Passion, determination, attention to details, prestigious venues and… Venice. Laura Maggiolo, one of two owners, loves what she does! This super talented lady thinks there is nothing better than the summer weddings in the City of Masks, mainly because of the great temperature, amazing sunsets, and the opportunities to hold the Big Day on Venice’s stunning terraces and gardens with the magnificent views of the Venetian lagoon and Grand Canal. The couple and their guests could enjoy a private gondola ride – no better perspective to see the city. A rooftop terrace wedding or a garden wedding is also a great idea for the summer event! Brilliant Wedding Venice: ‘With the beauty of Venice and our expertise in wedding and event planning, we will bring your vision to life.’

Brilliant Wedding Venice (French version here for the Russian click here) deliver the highest quality in the organization of summer wedding planning, whether the couple wants a Civil, Religious or a Symbolic ceremony. They have experience making amazing boutique weddings, elopements, huge parties and rehearsal dinners. They work closely with the most prestigious venues, such as Kempinski and Ca’ Sagredo Venice, as you can see on the images below.

Laura and her team would make your summer wedding in Venice a dream. I have fallen in love with their photo samples of a traditional Venetian wedding, courtyards and hidden gardens. You could also watch their work on Brilliant Wedding Venice You Tube Channel (VideoVideo 2 ). The videos are simply…. brilliant!

Brilliant Wedding Venice won’t provide you with a price list. They treat everyone with a different approach. I would advise contacting Laura on her mobile +39 347 249 33 73.

 

Photos: Winter = Summer

Both seasons are wonderful for the photo shoot – there is no denying! Winter could be cosy, featuring all the fireplaces, white capes, snow but summer… is summer. As some of you know, I am a fan of beach weddings. I find them truly amazing, unique and the photos are (almost) always great! I take amazing Digital Kafe Photographers as an example.

Digital Kafe are destination weddings photography brand, based in the paradise itself – the Bahamas. Their origins have truly defined who they are and how they work. As you can see on the photos below, they operate around the bright and vivid colours in order to expose what is the most beautiful about the beach wedding, which is crystal clear water, golden sand, attire. Their hard work has been internationally recognized and featured in the most influential wedding magazines, such as ‘Brides’, wedding networks such as Wedding Wire and the knot wedding network. Digital Kafe have also been rewarded by Wedding Wire for their Couple’s Choice Awards in 2016 & 2017 and LUX Life Magazine, Global Wedding Awards – Best Caribbean Photography 2018 which is undoubtedly a great achievement (especially these days!). Let me quote the founder: ‘Our wedding photography work is guided by our sincere belief that being entrusted to document a celebration as unique and important as a wedding is both an honour and a responsibility. We take pride in knowing that the images we capture will become part of the bride and groom’s beloved memories and we do our utmost to provide images that are stunning and timeless.’

Despite the fact Digital Kafe feature mostly summer weddings, they could make your winter wedding photos truly magical too, especially as the weather in The Bahamas is always great! With their great eye for detail and skill to make the colours be more… colourful. They could surely capture THE moment among the snowy background, cosy fireplace or the magnificent mountains.

As they are often out and about and, as the destination wedding photographers travel the world, you might send them an e-mail, set up a call or simply ask for a solution.

 

 

 

 

Decorations Winter = Summer

This one depends on the couple’s taste. I think both seasons are equally amazing. As for colour palette and decorative choices in the summer, there is a loooot to choose from, as you can see in the photo below: summer is the time to go big or go home. Go wild with vibrant bridesmaids’ dresses or colourful blooms. Get playful with your invitations and don’t be afraid to try something unique, colourful, or quirky. Winter, on the other hand, always provides a unique and memorable backdrop, either with stark scenery or snowy landscapes. It’s the perfect season for those desiring more traditional, elegant colours and themes, such as classic combinations like burgundy, red, white and black. The couple can also book a reception venue with roaring fireplaces, serve mulled wine and make their menu wintery. I also like December weddings, such as Lydia Elise Millen’s UK mansion big day. And, if you want a festive wedding, you will probably find that your chosen venue will be decorated anyway in the winter. This means you can save money on making your chosen venue look special.

 

 

Personal preference

As a matter of fact – your wedding is about YOU. When it comes to choosing when to hold a wedding, what you want is the most important factor. As you can see from the list – there isn’t a ‘bad’ or a ‘good’ time to tie the know. Both seasons have their pros and cons, and it is all depending on preference. A winter wedding may be cheaper, but a summer wedding may be more idyllic. There is no ‘better’ option, simply what suits the two of you best. We have chosen my wedding to be in the summer because we have alwayd been dreaming of a beach wedding (which could technically be held in winter too as we are getting married in Asia). I have just been to an amazing winter wedding of my close friends two days ago, and it was a beautiful boutique event as well! I know organisers and planners who would make your autumn or spring wedding a dream too! Love is all you need 🙂

8 Comment

  1. I think, if I could marry another time (the same person, for sure 😉 I would love to have a christmassy winter wedding. Our marriage was in autumn and it was simply perfect, all the colorful leaves and decorations. Have a lovely new week dear, x S.Mirli
    https://www.mirlime.at

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.