I always get excited at this time of year, because it’s finally acceptable for me to talk endlessly about how much I adore winter weddings. As a couple, a winter wedding gives you so many opportunities to create glamorous warmth and old Hollywood charm, and as your editorial wedding photographer, I get giddy over the lighting and every glittery little detail. Don’t be put off by the shorter days and temptation to ‘theme’ a November, December or January wedding; I’m going to give you 3 reasons winter weddings really can be the fairest of them all on your fairytale day.

Luscious Lighting At Winter Weddings

As a photographer, I am obsessed with lighting. I will bounce around your wedding day looking for the loveliest shadows and highlights, and at winter weddings there are as many options for lighting as there are sparkly squares on a glitter ball. Think about ways you can use the lack of natural light to your advantage and opt for twinkling fairy lights, cosy candles or even glamorous chandeliers. Even with candles, there are ways to create different ambiences depending on how you use them; clusters at low levels can offer soft uplighting, and their density on your tables can completely change it’s feel. I love how easy it is to really challenge traditions in terms of style, and embrace the flickering beauty of it all at winter weddings!

One of the obvious differences between winter and summer weddings is the limited daylight, but for me that’s where we can really create magic in other ways. My couples often choose to use fireworks and sparklers, which double up as entertainment for your guests and make for the most delicious of images. If you’ve been around me and my lens for a while you’ll know I bloody love flash photography, and it really comes into its own when the natural light is fading. Winter weddings shot creatively are some of the most chic and editorial you’ll see – who wouldn’t want a bit of that?

Old Hollywood Glamour

It’s confession time…I love a sunset as much as the next person, but if I had to choose I would go for some glamorous Old Hollywood glitz every time. The ritzy black and white shots of fur-cape-wearing starlets, perfectly coiffed and hauntingly elegant are timeless and sublime, and I adore it when my couples bring this into the modern world at their winter weddings. While I’ve never been one for following trends, I am starting to see that more and more winter weddings are taking on the Hollywood ambience and it’s right up my street! 

Easy ways to bring a little of the past into the present include fur blankets, mirror balls, themed cocktail hours and even a not-so-casual champagne tower. For your editorial photos, we can have you popping champagne and smoking cigars, and everyone will be feeling just a little bit like Gatsby.

Timelines for Winter Weddings

I encourage you to tear up the rule book when it comes to wedding day timelines (more tips on this here!), and this is never more true than at your winter wedding. I’ll work closely with you to curate the perfect timeline to make the most of the light we do have, and one of my top recommendations is to have your ceremony earlier in the day. The perfect time is around 12.30, so you have time to enjoy your drinks reception and some mingling time before the light fades. 

Winter weddings also give the most glorious sunsets if you are lucky enough to get one. It’s my absolute favourite kind of light; gentle, soft and beautiful. Moving your ceremony forward means we have some flexibility in your timeline to pounce on that setting sun if it makes an appearance, and as the evening wears on all your gorgeous, glamorous decor choices will get their time to shine. 
If you are ready to create some absolute magic at your winter wedding, I am SO ready to capture it. Make my day and fill in my contact form – I can’t wait to hear about your glam plans for winter 2023.