Winter Wedding Etiquette

Winter weddings are increasingly popular.

Winter wedding etiquette is based on the same principles as summer wedding etiquette, except it takes cold weather and seasonal holidays into consideration. When planning a winter wedding, the bride is required by etiquette to choose the wedding date wisely, while being sensitive to potential holiday conflicts by planning early. Although ceremony arrangements can be more difficult during this time of year, with enough preparation, even a Christmas wedding can flow smoothly. Also, according to etiquette, winter-wedding couples and guests should still dress formally, unless it is a non-traditional wedding.

Facts

Etiquette dictates that brides may choose to wear a wedding dress made of a heavier material--whether it's velvet, or brocaded satin--for winter wedding ceremonies. Likewise, the groom may also choose to wear a double-breasted suit or tuxedo made of thicker material.

To save money, in-season flowers are often chosen for the ceremony decor. This can be a challenge in winter months, therefore some couples opt to decorate with holly leaves and mistletoe instead.

Choosing the Date

When planning a winter wedding, the couple should take holiday and religious festivities into consideration. According to Holly Lefevre, author of "Wedding Etiquette Book: From Invites to Thank You Notes--All You Need to Handle Even the Stickiest of Situations with Ease," winter weddings that fall on or near a holiday, such as Christmas, may cause planning difficulties for the bride and groom or their guests. "On a holiday weekend, guests may encounter crowds and more expensive travel accommodations."

Christmas Weddings

Christmas weddings, which take place on Christmas Day and may or may not have a Christmas theme, are becoming increasingly popular. According to traditional etiquette, if a couple plans to have a Christmas wedding, they should give their guests plenty of notice and consider factors such as weather, travel, and community and family activities that may interfere with their making it to the wedding.

Guest Attire

Guests at winter weddings dress similarly to that of summer weddings. According to Letitia Baldrige, author of "Letitia Baldrige's New Manners for New Times: A Complete Guide to Etiquette," female guests should not take the wintry weather to mean informal dress is acceptable (unless instructed otherwise). "She should not wear something as informal as a blouse and skirt, or sweater and skirt, and, in my opinion, pants are not a good idea." Likewise, male guests should dress formally unless instructed otherwise on the invitation.

Misconceptions

While many brides and wedding planners prefer winter-wedding colors such as light blue, silver and white, or red and green for a Christmas theme, this is not a requirement. The bride should choose whichever colors she wants. Aspects of the winter season can be represented in the wedding decor but this is entirely up to the bride and groom.

References

• "Wedding Etiquette Book: From Invites to Thank You Notes - All You Need to Handle Even the Stickiest of Situations with Ease"; Holly Lefevre; 2009
• "Letitia Baldrige's New Manners for New Times: A Complete Guide to Etiquette"; Letitia Baldrige; 2003