Don’t let winter confine your wedding ideas to the indoors – you still have plenty of opportunity to make big plans for the great outdoors. A blanket of snow or frost can provide the perfect backdrop for some stunning decorations outside the place where you get married or celebrate afterwards (or both). The white sheen of snow or ice bounces back light to draw attention to focal points you create.

In the last post (Winter Wedding Wonderland) I gave some examples of how you can use Winter to your advantage: twinkling lights, a dramatic fur cape, bright flowers for contrast – go back to the article to see all of the great ideas there.

Big Wedding Plans for the Great Outdoors

Bright Ideas for Winter White

Imagine these vibrant petals scattered on the snow along both sides of a path to your chapel – or in your outdoor wedding photos. If the canvas is white, you can literally paint with the petals.

Creative use of dance lights to paint a white landscape would also be effective for a nighttime event (or late afternoon – it can get dark quite early, another advantage to winter weddings!).

www.partylights.co.uk

Paper lanterns can also be beautiful (and budget-conscious) as long as they are needed for only a brief time (rain or even mist will damage them very quickly).

www.justartifacts.com

White on White

For an elegant look, you can avoid contrast and accentuate the whiteness by decorating with transparent or white objects – excellent for a clear, bright winter day. If your event is at night, you can use accent lighting to draw the eye.

tripadvisor.com

You can add your own icicles to nature to emphasize the season. For example, you could decorate with icicles made out of glass or handcrafted snowflakes.

www.glassicicles.com/

These snowflakes are larger than life at 4 feet tall.

www.shindigz.com

While you are bringing big ideas to your winter wedding – you can also incorporate it into the details at the same time. This really pulls the whole event together. Here is an example:

A beautiful snowflake headband

www.flutterbyweddings.co.uk

Recently we looked at the beautiful possibilities presented by a wedding with a white theme (White Weddings That Are Hot, November 10, 2009). This week we’re going to look at a different kind of white wedding: one that happens when it’s snowing outside.

Winter Wedding Wonderland

A snowy setting can be a winter wonderland but it also presents it’s own challenges. For example, it’s cold out and we want the beautiful b-r-r-r-r-r-r-bride to look gorgeous (and comfortable) in the photos.

What to Wear

Winter Wedding Photography Tips is an article that offers some expert advice (it looks like they are based out of Utah so they know what they are talking about). They advise you to bring a cape or jacket to keep warm between shots, bring hand warmers, wear warm leggings under your dress, and that you can wear boots in the snow because your dress will hide them!

Light Up The Night

An evening wedding in a snowy setting give you an opportunity to shine. Select a venue with floor to ceiling windows looking out on to a park. Decorate the outdoors with hundreds of tiny white lights and stage your entrance for maximum effect.

Arrive in a horse and carriage.

www.whisperingpinesranchandcarriage.com

An outdoor arrival also allows you and your wedding party the exciting opportunity to dress for the occasion! Check out this stunning floor length fur cape.

romanticgowns.com

silkandsable.com

Bring the Outdoors Inside

Run a luxurious white carpet down the church aisle and decorate the aisle seating with white feathers that will evoke fluffy snow. Make sure you have an ice sculpture at your reception, of course – or, go all out and get an ice bar!

Some Cool Examples

Most importantly, no matter what the season, your wedding should also be FUN for it to be a success. Here are some examples of beautiful weddings that don’t take themselves too seriously.

Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa Michigan – the bride wears a white coat over her dress and the children in the wedding party wear black bottoms with white winter coats. The snow (and the exercise!) accentuate her rosy cheeks, making her a true blushing bride. From the footage it seems like the wedding manages to be fun and beautiful at the same time.

Another fun example from Sun Peaks resort in British Columbia Canada. The wedding took place at a cute mountain chapel on clear, sunny winter day. The flower girl leaves petals along the snow path in vibrant colors. The bridesmaids wear dresses with cute winter boots. The father of the bride looks cool as can be in sunglasses to shield his eyes from the sun bouncing off the snow (or to hide his tears if he get misty!). Check out the end when the bride casually snowboards down the slopes in her dress!

Image by George Eastman House via Flickr

Today more older brides walk down the aisle than ever before. There are many factors calling for the older brides saying their “I do.” We now live much longer lives – and are marrying later than brides of earlier years. Higher education is more widely available – and many delay marriage until they complete degrees. Additionally there are many second or third marriages taking places. These marriages most often happen when a bride is just a bit older and sometimes wiser.

It used to be there were somewhat strict etiquette and social rules that older brides were expected to follow. An older bride was “permitted” to get married – but she was to do so with little muss and fuss. Most older brides did not wear a fancy veil or a long white dress. A dressy light colored dress was often selected for their wedding. Even the celebration was somewhat toned down. It was expected that the older bride would want a more er, graceful celebration. But do today’s older brides have rules to follow?

The answer is yes and no. In every family, society and culture there may be certain expectations of a bride. No matter your age, you may be expected to do specific things or wear something because you are a bride. Quite often the great difference with the older bride is that she has stronger opinions about what she will and won’t do. Very often the younger bride has the wedding that is determined and approved of by her parents. The older bride has the wedding that is approved of by herself and the groom.

The older bride in most cases will pay for her own wedding or pay for it with help from the groom. This can have a great deal to do with the older bride having stronger opinions about what she does and does not want – it is after all her money and her choice to spend it on as she wishes. The bride’s parents when paying for a wedding may put their foot down subtlety and “suggest” things in a way that lets her know they are expected. An older bride is more likely to make her own choices.

Some may frown on the older bride who marries all in white, wearing a sparkly tiara and big flowing veil. But the older bride typically marries in what she chooses. If she desires to marry in the “princess” fantasy then this is what she will select. If the bride prefers another style for her wedding she will choose that instead.

A wedding may be a family affair but it is also traditionally the bride’s day. No one knows this more than the older bride. Your wedding is a day you’ll remember for the rest of the day with your beloved. You deserve to spend it as you choose, wearing what you like and enjoying the things you like the most. You could say that older brides make their own rules – we do!

Related articles

• Your Groom Speech – 5 Ideas for Success (myweddingideas.net)
• Why Choose A Beach Wedding Dress (myweddingideas.net)
• Do I Need Wedding Insurance? (myweddingideas.net)
• Venor Spotlight: Maharani Bride Jewelry (littlebrownbride.wordpress.com)
• Wedding Withdrawal, or Your Time is Up (2blu2btru.wordpress.com)

If you are getting married before Christmas, don’t forget to plan ahead for the holidays.

Your first Christmas is a wonderful way to celebrate the beginning of your life together. Make sure you have some time to celebrate the holidays together, just the two of you.

What Do Newlyweds Want for Christmas?

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A Cabin in the Woods

Retreat into the woods for some ‘alone time’ with your Mr or Mrs. Rent a cabin and prepare to enjoy the good kind of cabin fever!

A Cozy Fire

Plan to snuggle in front of a cozy fireplace  - if you don’t have one at home, check out bed and breakfasts in your area for a romantic getaway close to home! This is also perfect if you haven’t had a chance to decorate your new home yet – sometimes a bed and breakfast can feel more “homey” than your own place! It’s also a great way to spend time in an old-fashioned, romantic setting (particularly if your day-to-day tastes – and surroundings – are more modern).

St Helena Vineyard Country Inn

Gifts to Go

Plan to exchange gifts that tie in to your getaway: comfy robes, romantic lingerie, and other treats.

Some hotels provide robes, but it’s also fun to bring your own (a robe also makes a great Christmas gift that you can bring along and use right away!).

bathrobeshop.com

Here’s another gift idea… let Mary Ann’s style inspire you and stay away from Ginger for a romantic night like this one. The baby doll pictured below is available at sears.com.

Simple, Delicious Fare

Bring your own basket of goodies, filled with the best of everything simple and delicious (wine, cheeses, nuts, chocolate, fruit, bread….). Go to picnicfun.com for a great selection of baskets.

Old Fashioned Decorations

Bring your own decorations to make your stay more personal. Think old-fashioned and disposable (or edible)…

String together popcorn and cranberries ahead of time and bring your garland along (instructions at craftelf.com)

craftelf.com

These Christmas ornaments are made out of chocolate – they add Christmas spirit to any room and then you can eat them afterwards! (Available at artcoco.com).

artcoco.com

Baby, it’s cold outside…

You can really heat things up when the temperature outside is cool – it’s all about contrasts. Imagine a white wedding…

White Church

This historic white church, built in 1822, is set high on a hill in Blandford, Massachusetts. It is available for weddings (thewhitechurch.org). Consider a white carpet down the aisle, white flowers, and white fabric (tulle?) draped every where…

Or, scatter white petals outside the church and along the aisle. Or, use red petals and then have the flower girl add white petals when she walks down the aisle.

White Linens

www.vitaintl.com

As an added bonus, white linens are readily available from party rental companies (and are often less expensive than specialty colours). Your venue may even include white table cloths and other linens in the rental cost. Also, white dishes are now intentional and not just the every day plates used at every other event…

White Wedding Cake

www.sweetart.co.uk/

If your wedding cake is going to be completely white, it can be ornately decorated without seeming over-the-top. Consider textures, flowers, designs…

White Flowers

You can make a white bouquet interesting by using several different flowers – you have a wide selection to choose from. Consider: roses, lilies, and gerber daisies together, for example.

White Carriage

www.whisperingpinesranchandcarriage.com

…drawn by white horses of course! Another option: use white cars and decorate them with white flowers.

RED DRESS

The Bride is supposed to be the centre of attention, right?

Now the wedding day is really all about you!

Note the white fingernails – a french manicure or something equally subtle is appropriate when you are wearing a red dress to your own wedding. Simple jewelry is also best – avoid white pearls or any other colour. Diamonds or red stones work well.

Make sure you have the personality to pull this off, not everyone should wear a red wedding dress! This is for confident, scene-stealers only!

For the very brave: Ask all of your guests to wear either black or white only so that you really light up your special day.