Every season comes with its own challenges for weddings, and things that need to be considered. Since October through April there is always a chance of snow in Wisconsin, I wanted to share my experience from past Wisconsins winter weddings and give you some tips to consider!!
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Dress for it!
- Consider a long sleeve Dress
- Consider a thick material for your groom
- Allow your bridesmaids to wear tights under their dress if it’s long (and consider this yourself!)
- Bring static guard to help with dresses clinging to your legs
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Chapstick
- Stay hydrated!
- Dry weather is ABOUND during Wisconsin winters.
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Extra travel time
- There is always the chance of a snowstorm! So it is definitely a good idea to plan some extra time in your timeline to account for delays.
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One venue
- Best if you can keep your ceremony and reception in one place to avoid all guests having to drive on (potentially messy roads and cause delays in between)
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Winter colors
- Coordinate with the season! A yellow or lavender bridesmaids dress may not scream winter. Burgundy & Forest Green in my opinion are BEAUTIFUL winter wedding colors.
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Coat Check
- Have one for your guests!
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Hot drinks
- Greet guests with a warm welcome at the cocktail hour if they were out in the cold coming from their cars.
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Timing your ceremony and day
- Sunset during winter in Wisconsin is much earlier than the rest of the year, so consider this when scheduling your ceremony time. You may need to wake up for hair and makeup much earlier than you would if it were a different season! Make sure if you’re not doing a first look, your ceremony is early enough to allow 2 hours minimum for formal pictures before the sun sets.
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Accessorize with Layers
- Make sure to get a shawl, fur, or coat for the bride and bridesmaids since you’ll likely have much less covered than the groom and groomsmen. Gift your girls something to keep them warm throughout the day if pictures are going to be outside
- Make sure to get a shawl, fur, or coat for the bride and bridesmaids since you’ll likely have much less covered than the groom and groomsmen. Gift your girls something to keep them warm throughout the day if pictures are going to be outside
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Belts
- Consider belts if you don’t want your layers to look baggy if you plan on wearing layers in your images
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Make your feet happy
- Don’t ruin a set of heels in the snow, consider a second pair of shoes for outdoor portraits
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Hand and Toe Warmers
- Buy a bunch for your wedding party to keep in their pockets or purses! This might even be a nice thank you gift for your guests! “You warm our hearts, We warm your hands!”
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Blankets
- Consider this as a prop for your portraits
- Buy a bunch of fleece fabric that matches your colors, roll them and tie with a ribbon, leave out for guests to stay warm!
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Have fun
- You likely chose to have a Wisconsin winter wedding because you love winter, so have fun with it, prepare for the cold, and still consider your portraits to be outside in the beautiful landscape of winter!
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Keep weather in mind.
- Be prepared with extra buffers in your timeline
- Have umbrellas in case it snows to not stain your dress with wet spots
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Handy Gadgets
- Static guard – keep the dress cling at minimum from the dry air.
- Lotion – not only will this help with dry hands BUT you can also take a tiny bit and rub in your hair to keep the static out of your hair.
I hope that you found these winter wedding tips helpful!