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Planning a winter wedding? This Michigan winter wedding guide is sure to help with venues, colors, decore, and more!
Michigan Winter Wedding guide tip 1. Be prepared for a lack of snow
If you’re planning a winter wedding in Michigan you want a snowy wedding, but there’s usually no way to be sure that it’s going to snow on your preferred wedding date. Imagine how things would look in your wedding location without snow, just in case. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to have your wedding in a barren field surrounded by dead grass. Look for locations that have evergreen elements, such as pine trees, ivy, or artistic manmade structures. It’s also a good idea to choose a venue that has decorative Christmas lights or bistro string lights, which provide added detail to photos. I also suggest scoping out indoor spaces at your venue walkthrough for any locations that could be used for indoor photos. These usually turn out stunning even without the snow or greenery!
Michigan Winter Wedding guide tip 2. Dive into the winter aesthetic
Remember, if you’re having a winter wedding in Michigan, it’s going to be cold! Consider providing heating for your guests, such as color-coordinated blankets that match your theme and space heaters that are accurate for the size of your space. Some venues have fireplaces for guest use, so be sure to ask if these can be incorporated. Utilizing coffee bars or hot cocoa stations to help guests keep warm during your ceremony is also a great idea. And, all of these warming elements can make for some great photo props and backdrops as well!
Michigan Winter Wedding guide tip 3. Keep your wedding party comfortable
Just as it is super important to keep your guests warm and comfortable, making sure that your wedding party has plenty of extra warmth is a great way to keep everyone happy and having fun. A great way to add a bit of extra warmth (and pizazz) to your bridesmaids’ dresses is the use of shawls or furs, as well as wearing boots with thick socks under long dresses. Additionally, have everyone keep a coat close by for breaks. Try to get creative with adding warm garments to your wedding party’s attire. Garments like gloves, decorative earmuffs, or hairstyles that cover ears could be utilized as a statement piece. These are all easy ways to prevent loss of body heat in subzero temperatures. Remember, keeping your head and feet warm is the best way to keep your body temperature at a stable rate. If you’re having trouble with adding garments, supplying your wedding party, and even guests, with hand and feet warmers, also works well.
Michigan Winter Wedding guide tip 4. Be aware of how busy winter can be
Make sure to plan your wedding date far enough in advance that you can give your guests plenty of time to make arrangements to be there. Winter months are usually pretty busy for most people, so the earlier you send out your save-the-dates and invitations, the better! Some of the busiest times of the year are as follows:
- Hanukkah – December (varies yearly)
- Christmas – December 25
- New Year’s Eve – December 31
- New Year’s Day – January 1
- Super Bowl Sunday – typically the first weekend in February
- Valentines day – February 14
Michigan Winter Wedding guide tip 5. Plan for travel accommodations
As all of my fellow locals know, Michigan winters can be brutal! Michigan weather is notorious for being unpredictable, so having guest accommodations close to your venue will be greatly appreciated. It can be a great idea to have a shuttle for the winter months so that guests aren’t expected to drive in potential bad weather. You might also want to include extra travel time in your itinerary for both the wedding party and guests, just in case there are delays due to bad weather. After all, the weather could turn out exactly as planned, but expecting it to isn’t realistic. It’s always better to be overprepared!
Michigan Winter Wedding guide tip 6. Consider seasonal changes in lighting
The light generally falls faster in winter due to the shorter days, so keeping this in mind when planning your wedding and photoshoots is ideal. We will usually have usable light until around 4:30/5:00pm in December and January and until around 6:00pm in February. This is why choosing to do a first look earlier in the day can be very helpful. When you are able to get a lot of really good photos earlier in the day, when the light is better, there isn’t as big a need to have an early ceremony if you don’t want to. Knowing what times you will have the best light for photos is extremely helpful in planning out your wedding day timeline. For more information on creating a wedding day timeline, you can find a great example here.
Thanks for checking out our Winter wedding guide, we hope you found some helpful info here. If you’re looking for more winter wedding inspo check out Natalie and Christian’s Pine Tree Barn wedding here
