Talk it through with your venue

The best way to make sure your wedding day goes off without a hitch, whatever the season, is to build a good rapport with the venue team (aka your new wedding family). A good venue should be attentive to your needs, responsive to queries and ready and willing to give you answers to any questions you may have.

In fact, here at Old Palace Chester, we’ve got a dedicated team who are passionate about making sure your wedding day is everything you’ve ever dreamed of. From getting to know you as a couple, and learning about your vision, to coordinating and organising everything on the day itself, we’ve got you covered.

If you’re interested in having a winter wedding, make sure you speak to the team and find out exactly how weddings work throughout different seasons at their venue. They’ll likely have lots of past wedding inspiration that they can show you in the form of wedding photo albums, seasonal galleries on their websites and even videos.

Remember, their goal is to help you create the most memorable and meaningful wedding day possible, and they’ve got loads of experience for you to draw from for advice. They’ll also be able to recommend suppliers who can really help you bring your winter wedding to life.

Prepare for every type of weather

As the saying goes ‘if you fail to prepare then prepare to fail’. We all know that even during the summer months we can’t always count on the British weather to provide us with picture-perfect, clear blue skies.

With a winter wedding, you may be lucky and be blessed with crisp sunshine, but you’re also likely to end up with the odd rain shower, snow or wind. Preparing for these eventualities will make them infinitely less stressful if they do occur, so here are a few tips to beat the British weather blues.

Speak to your photographer ahead of time

Your photographer will likely have taken fantastic shots in all weather and will know exactly how to get a stunning shot despite torrential rain. Perhaps you can buy some pretty umbrellas that match your bridesmaid dresses, or pop some wellies under your dress when you head outside. Your photographer will likely be watching the weather all day for the best weather and lighting so make sure you’re ready to head outside to get some snaps as soon as they ask!

Think about low-maintenance hairstyles

There’s nothing worse than having a perfected wedding hairstyle that gets ruined by the wind or rain. So, if you do plan on heading outside at any point during your day, speak to your hairstylist and ask them to suggest hairstyles that won’t be ruined by the elements.

Layer up

There are some absolutely beautiful wedding dresses that are ideal for winter weddings, with slightly thicker material and longer sleeves. You could also add a touch of sparkle or faux fur with a jacket or shrug that will keep you warm when you head outside for photographs.

Winter styles for grooms are particularly gorgeous, with thicker materials such as tweed making the perfect choice for a winter wedding suit. And don’t forget to have a pair of sensible shoes on hand so you don’t slip over!

Ask your guests to arrive early

You’ll probably be religiously checking your weather app in the run-up to the big day, so if you notice there’s going to be any bad weather, send a message to your guests asking them to set off a bit earlier. You don’t want people getting stuck in traffic because of bad rain or ice on the roads!

Get cosy with décor and lighting

With the darker days and moody skies comes the perfect opportunity to create a beautiful, cosy atmosphere for your wedding day. Here are a few ideas to bring the sparkle to your day.

Make the most of the light

Winter is the perfect time to bring in twinkling fairy lights that really give a cosy glow to your day. Drape them from the ceiling or use them as a centrepiece for your tables…the possibilities are endless.

Use candles to create a warm, natural glow

Most venues have certain rules around the use of candles, but if you can find a way to incorporate them into your wedding they’ll help you create a cosy atmosphere and add a bit of warmth to the room, too.

Foliage and dried flowers

Finding bright, spring blooms during the winter can be a little more difficult for a winter wedding. They can still look beautiful but are likely to be a bit more expensive due to the difficulty of growing them year-round. If you have a specific flower in mind, dried bouquets can be brilliant for bringing the colour schemes together. Evergreen foliage is also a wonderful way of adding some rich colour to your bouquets and table arrangements.

Flowers such as roses, lisianthus, veronica, alstroemeria and gypsophila are available year-round, meaning they may work well with your budget. They also lend themselves nicely to a jewel-tone colour palette which is extremely popular for winter weddings.

Lean into Christmas décor

If you celebrate Christmas and you’re having a late November or December wedding, why not lean into all the joys of the season? Rich reds and green colour schemes always bring festive cheer, and most venues will have their own Christmas trees as a feature point for you and your guests to pose next to.

Create a bespoke food and drink menu

Fine winter food

Lean into the seasonal delights of winter food and discuss the menu options with your venue or catering team. Here at Old Palace Chester, we pride ourselves on offering the most incredible, sumptuous food for all to enjoy. Our team of experts work with you to hand-select your food with the best ingredients the season has to offer. We create a bespoke menu with you, discussing every single detail to make sure it’s perfect for you and your partner. From winter vegetable broth, pork belly, to apple and cinnamon crumble and so much more…we’ve got something to suit every unique taste.

Delicious seasonal drinks

The festive season is always a brilliant excuse for a party, and our bespoke drinks packages will definitely get your party started in the right way. Our dedicated team will work closely with you to select the best drinks to complement your food and further enhance the winter wedding atmosphere.

Learn more about our bespoke wedding food and drink packages here.

Keep the party going by inviting guests to stay the night

Let’s face it, you don’t want to be bracing yourself for going out into the cold night after your dream wedding day is over. So why not continue the festivities by staying onsite at your wedding venue? That way you don’t have to worry about finding taxis or hotels, everything is there for you.

For our wedding couple at Old Palace Chester we have The Palace Suite where you can expect a night of pure enchanting luxury. From its Italian-listed plasterwork ceiling, opulent furnishings, lavish bathroom and incomparable views across the River Dee it’s a truly incredible way to end your wedding celebrations.

We also have 23 en-suite bedrooms, meaning there’s plenty of space for your nearest and dearest to stay the night. And better still, you can all meet up the next morning and swap stories of the day before over breakfast.

What are you waiting for?

Winter weddings add a touch of magic and sparkle that’s difficult to match throughout any other season. So, why wait to book your dream Cheshire wedding that’s full of elegant luxury? Our team would love to discuss your plans for your day with you, you can contact them by calling 01244564380. Or why not see if your winter wedding date is available by checking our availability calendar? We can’t wait to hear from you!