5 things to know when planning a Fall/Winter wedding

In the UK, May to August is the traditional main season for weddings. April and September are the traditional shoulder seasons. They have tended to be more popular with people on a tight budget (or challenging schedules).

Now, however, the post-COVID19 demand for wedding venues has led increasing numbers of couples to look at autumn and winter weddings. If you’re one of them, here, Kuldip Rait, Director of White 7 Bedford, specialist in wedding car hire, shares five tips to help.

Have an indoor-only wedding

Work on the assumption that the weather is not going to be suitable to have any of your wedding out of doors. This may seem restrictive, but it can actually widen your choice of venues rather than narrow it.

Look for places that have great indoor spaces. If they also have nice outdoor space that’s a potential bonus. It means that you may be able to enjoy it if the weather is nice. Just don’t rely on this happening.

Book your venue as early as you can

Spring and summer may be the traditional peak season for weddings. Autumn and winter, however, are busy times for indoor events in general. They also have a lot of important holidays in them. These include Halloween, bonfire night, Diwali, Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s Day. Your perfect wedding venue may be somebody else’s perfect event venue so book as far in advance as you can.

Keep the weather in mind when hiring a car

Transport also tends to be a high priority for weddings. Again, you want to book it as early as you can. In general, it’s best to avoid open-top sports cars and be very careful about classic cars. Neither of these options is likely to be up to handling the sort of weather the UK can get in autumn and winter. An enclosed, modern car is likely to be your best choice.

Research your flower choices

If you’ve set your heart on a traditional bouquet of fresh, out-of-season flowers, then you’ll need to make it a priority to order them. Your florist will probably need time to make a special order for you. With that said, there are plenty of alternative options. These are likely to be more economical as well as more sustainable.

For example, if you really want a bouquet made of out-of-season flowers, then you could choose dried or artificial flowers instead. If the idea of using artificial flowers makes you cringe, then have a look on the internet. You’ll see that modern artificial flowers can look just as good as the real ones. You can also get artificial flowers made of paper so they’re even more sustainable.

Another option would be to go for a fresh, seasonal bouquet. There are flowers that bloom in autumn and winter (other than poinsettia). Your florist would also probably include a lot of colourful, shapely foliage, berries and twigs.

Dress for the season

You can have wedding outfits that are stylish, comfortable and seasonally appropriate. Your guests can too, and you should encourage them to do so. If you’re going for a traditional wedding dress then consider wearing thick tights underneath.

You might also want to go for boots or sturdy shoes instead of more delicate footwear. They can still look smart. You can add a white shawl over the top of your wedding dress for extra warmth. If you’re going outside at all, even for a short time, then be prepared with waterproofs and/or umbrellas.

If you’re going for a non-traditional wedding outfit, then layers are your best friend. Just adjust them according to how the weather goes on the day. You can also lean into seasonal colours and textures.

As a final point, make sure that there’s somewhere for you and your guests to put outerwear when you’re indoors. Ideally, try to find somewhere you can put some blankets if certain guests do feel a bit chilly (e.g., older people).