“I do” Ideas: Winter Weddings!

This week, given all the snow we’ve been getting in the Northeast, I thought we could look at how to pull off a Winter Wedding!

For attire, keep in mind the weather! If you plan on January or February and are not in the Southern US, you HAVE to be prepared for snow. Wear (or have in the wings) sensible shoes for trekking through. Personally, I love the idea of having these handy:

And then maybe these for later on during the reception:

For hair and other accessories, I like the idea of bringing in wintry shades of blue, like these:

Also for attire, you don’t have to choose long sleeve dresses but you do have to remember a jacket! (For you AND for your girls!) Does it have to be a big ol’ North Face? No, of course not. A color coordinating bolero is the cutest option in my opinion.

For flowers, I love the winter white!

If you do prefer a pop of color, I love these deep reds.

Same goes for the bouts. Stick with the winter branches and whites. These scream winter wedding to me!

For your winter ceremony, I love the idea of it being right in front of a beautiful fireplace.  How cozy is this on a cold day?

At the reception for décor, I’m thinking branches,

holiday lighting,

and, of course, lots of candles!

For placecards, I love this standing “window” seating chart decorated with candles and greens, as well as these dark brown ones, again, accented by candles.

We all know I love a themed signature drink, so how about this bright blue number in a champagne glass? Or, even better, hot cocoa!

For cakes, I think, again, sticking with whites is key. Snowflakes, pinecones or even just flowers can help to decorate.

Don’t forget to bring your color and theme ideas into your favors and menus. People will notice all these special touches.

Finally, brave the cold and take a snowy picture! A little bit of frost bite, maybe, but you’ll survive!

Did you do a winter wedding? Or do you plan on doing one? I’d love to hear some of your ideas!

All images courtesy of The Knot, with the exception of the last image; Courtesy of Zenobia Studios.

A Wedding Story: Julie!

This week's Wedding Story is Connecticut native Julie Marshall who had a 'destination wedding' you might say. Two summers ago she put together a beautiful beach wedding in local summer hotspot, Cape Cod. I'll let her tell you more about it...

When did you get married?
June 20, 2009.

Where was your ceremony? Reception?
Red Jacket Beach Resort, South Yarmouth, MA (Cape Cod)

What made you choose that reception location?
We wanted a place that we could have the ceremony on a private beach. It was one of the few places in RI, CT and MA that had their own beach that we could more or less take over. We were able to have the ceremony, reception, and rooms for guests at the same location. And their food was really really good!

What was your favorite aspect of your wedding?
Our ceremony and cocktail hour on the beach.

What was the best resource you used during the planning process?
The girls I met on the knot!

What's the one thing you would have done differently?
We would have shopped around more for a cake baker. Our cake was delicious but didn't look exactly as we had wanted it to.

Any advice for future brides?
Remember that whatever happens during the planning and during the wedding, none of it really matters. The only thing that matters is that at the end of the day you will be married to the person you love!

I think sometimes we forget how close (and beautiful!) Cape Cod is. What a great alternative for RI brides to consider for their weddings. Thanks, Julie!

Photo courtesy of Cregg Annarino.

If you'd like to be a Featured Wedding Story, please email me at legallybride@hotmail.com

A Wedding Story: Susan!

This week’s Wedding Story comes from a bride who had a fabulous destination wedding in fabulous LAS VEGAS!

When did you get married?
We were married on May 1, 2010

Where was your ceremony? Reception?
We had a destination wedding! Our ceremony was held in the Classico Chapel at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV. Our dinner reception was held at Canaletto, a restaurant inside the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, NV.

Godiva chocolate favors

What made you choose that reception location?
We originally had planned a bigger, traditional wedding in our hometown. All of our plans changed when my mom got very sick about 6 months before our original wedding date of June 13, 2009. We ended up canceling our plans to wait for her to get better. When she died, two weeks before our original date, we decided to go in a completely opposite direction for our wedding. We decided to go destination so that we could keep it small. I chose Canaletto at the Venetian because it is a beautiful restaurant with private rooms that overlook the canal that runs through the hotel. I had also eaten there before and knew that the food was amazing. It was perfect for us. There was a live string trio playing in the piazza below our private room, so we turned down the music we had playing and let the live music entertain our guests.

What was your favorite aspect of your wedding?
I truly loved our reception. We didn't have the typical reception with a dj and dancing. We simply had an amazing 6 course dinner in a beautiful room. We did keep some of the traditional elements though. The best man introduced us, we had a champagne toast, and had a phenomenal wedding cake. Because we only had 22 people there, we were able to go around and talk with all of our guests, and still were able to relax and really enjoy the evening.

What was the best resource you used during the planning process?
The Las Vegas wedding forum on theknot.com! The brides there are all so helpful and sweet. Past brides have put together a list of vendors and FAQs to help new brides in the planning process. I have formed wonderful relationships with some of the brides on that forum, and they definitely made the whole process easy and fun.

What's the one thing you would have done differently?
I wish I would have gotten more sleep the night before, I only got about 5 hours of sleep! After our reception, we had plans to go and have an after party at an outside lounge at the Mirage hotel, but I literally could not keep my eyes open! I really wish I would have been able to stay up with my guests and really enjoy the beautiful night!

Cake courtesy of Cake Designs LV

Any advice for future brides?
If you are planning a destination wedding, just know that you will have to give up some control. Also, make sure you take a minute to take it all in, the night will seriously fly by.

Photos courtesy of Deacon Tyler

If you'd like to be a Featured Wedding Story, please email me at legallybride@hotmail.com