Elements: Winter Wedding Wonderland

Although summer tends to be the most renowned wedding season, winter is nothing to ignore. Some of the most beautiful weddings I’ve seen took place in the winter months, and chilly weddings have been on the rise in recent years for just this reason. But what makes them so beautiful?

1. The Lights
One of the best parts of winter holidays is seeing all the lights. From the candy canes hung up on streetlights downtown to the decorative lights hung on houses, there’s no shortage of wattage. The same is true of winter weddings. Whether it’s a crystal chandelier or mason jars filled with candles, lights reflecting off the snow on a cold, dreary winter day do wonders for the elegance and coziness of winter weddings.

2. The Woodland Elements
Flowers are one of the main elements in today’s spring, summer and fall weddings. But what are winter brides to do? They certainly don’t have to panic thanks to several lovely options for winter flowers. They could also save a few thousand from their budget and toss the flowers altogether. But this isn’t as crazy as it sounds. Branches (yes, branches!) and succulents can add just as much pizzazz as do the flowers.

3. The Color Palette
Soft, feminine colors are most often used during the winter wedding season to bring about an air of elegance. Soft pinks and beiges are seen in both the men and women’s attire, while crisp darker colors are occasionally used to offset the white of the season. Both are wonderful options that offer completely different looks.

4. The Accessories
A cold winter evening probably doesn’t bring to mind a strapless, lace wedding gown. Won’t the couple be freezing and look stiff in outdoor photos? The answer is yes — unless you utilize the correct accessories. A faux fur shawl is perfect for keeping a bride warm while also showing off her elegant side. For the more relaxed couple, wellies can be a cute addition to wedding attire as they trudge out through the snow for photos.

5. The Snow
What’s more romantic and dramatic than a formally dressed couple sharing a kiss in the snow? While you can’t guarantee a soft snowfall for the evening of your wedding, the white fluff certainly makes for beautiful pictures. Just look at these couples enjoying the cold!

What do you think of winter weddings?

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Sweet Sentiments

From the cute ring bearer and cake to the tearful father of the bride, weddings are such a sweet moment in life.

We’ve found a few ideas to add even more sweetness into your day. A first look for the couple that doesn’t involve seeing one another? Yes, please! A sweet note from the groom to the bride on the morning of the wedding? We want more!

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Do I Really Need a Wedding Planner?

At the beginning stages of wedding planning, most brides are excited about what lies ahead. Choosing the dress, venue and cake are all exciting moments leading up the big day. But what most brides don’t realize the first time around is how daunting of a task it is to plan such an important event as a wedding. Does this sound like you?

To encourage brides to consider how important wedding planners are, we’ve compiled a list of reasons we feel wedding planners are one of the most important choices before a wedding.

1. Wedding planners have some serious connections. They know who makes the best cakes in town and who can help in last minute emergencies. Plus, they may even be able to get you a discount on certain items as they’re good at negotiating with vendors and creating customized packages.

2. They’re paid to think creatively. Having experience with past weddings (including their own, possibly) has made them capable of thinking of all the possibilities. Because they have handled so many weddings, they may be able to think of ideas that you simply would have thought of as impossible.

3. Honestly, it’s tough to take care of yourself, your job, your wedding, your friends and family, and your friends and family’s lives. Wedding planners won’t be overwhelmed by all the people and schedules that have to be worked around.

4. A wedding planner is often a good mediator between you and your fiance. Often times, decisions can be difficult when there are disagreements about important elements of the wedding and it’s tough for couples to be impartial. Allow a wedding planner into the process and you’ll find some decision-making help.

5. Tense moments are bound to arise between either you, your fiance or family members. Instead of having to deal with these yourself, or hurting feelings of those you care about, allow a wedding planner to take charge. They’re used to mediating between unhappy guests and will be better able to politely tell a drunken loved one to leave than you will.

6. They’re used to sticking to established budgets. Brides often get so excited about the wedding process that they throw caution to the wind and begin racking up charges they’ll stress over later. Let the wedding planner be a strict voice of reason for both you and your wallet.

7. What will you do if it rains at your outdoor event? What if an unwelcome guest shows up to disrupt the wedding? Will you have time and patience to deal with a late food vendor? All of these are possible, and it’s better to let a wedding planner deal with issues than to let them ruin your day.

8. If you’re having a destination wedding, how are you going to visit venues, sort out the little details and still feel comfortable about the process? Wedding planners in other areas will be able to communicate with you about all the wedding planning to-dos that you may not have the time or funds to complete.

9. Whether you’re short on friends or short on creative friends, some wedding planners will even take care of the bachelor and bachelorette parties for you. You’ll be able to communicate with them about what you do and don’t want more than you could with a best friend who may be offended you don’t like her inappropriate theme.

10. While they cost money and add to your budget, wedding planners are more often than not worth the money. The amount of stress they save couples is significant in the months leading up the wedding, allowing couples to enjoy their day without a care in the world. And even better, some wedding planers save couples more money than they actually cost.

Consider using Danah Artis at My Wedding Bag as your planner today!

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