Add Winter To Your Reception Venue
Regardless of your venue choice, a winter feeling can easily be added to your location. Open the curtains over windows and doors to let the outdoor winter landscape become part of your party. Mountain vistas overlooking a hillside of frosty pines or acres of fluffy snow can bring a natural setting inside. Stoke available fireplaces and line the mantels with glowing votives. If the fireplaces are antique and no longer functional, fill the space with candles. Keep the style and color the same, but vary the heights, for a dramatic presentation. Ivory candles provide the softest glow and will highlight a few well-placed wedding colored candles if you need some extra pop. Place evergreen boughs or garland between the flickering pillars and add tulle bows, wedding colored ribbon and giant pinecones to the entire arrangement. Christmas Lights Etc. has battery operated lights to add faux candle light to table tops without outlets. By creating softer lighting, you will encourage a lingering and relaxed winter feeling for your guests.Add Winter To Your Decorations
Potted evergreens, wrapped with snowy white lights, blend with any theme or decor. Decorate the branches with satin bows and pew sized arrangements in white or ivory to keep your wedding theme in the forefront while creating an underlying winter touch. The addition of snowflake shaped flowers, such as thistles, to your arrangements will lend a frosty air in a subtle way to all your bouquets. Pine cones, clear crystals and sparkling beads can all be worked into tabletop flower bouquets to add a wintery touch. Glitters and charms come in all kinds of seasonal shapes for sprinkling on tables or mirrored tiles. Snowflake confetti can decorate buffet and gift tables to bring them some winter detail. Wrap snowflake garland around imitation evergreen boughs for doorways and banister railings. Rich blue velvet runners and silver table cloths dress your tables with elegant color while creating a seasonal touch. Top these crisp linens with snowmen, pewter candle sticks or sparkling crystal bowls filled with floating candles. In Casa Gifts showcases snowflake-topped wine stoppers for the perfect winter wedding favor which can be also used as a placecard holder. Wanderfuls offers festive wedding favor centerpieces, available in Christmas colors and filled with your choice of goodies. Look to the ceiling if your other decorating plans are already set. Use transparent fishing line to attach a sky full of winter stars or glittery snowflakes in different lengths. These twinkling additions will twirl above dancers and reflect the light to create a winter wonderland.Add Winter to your Menu
Your winter wedding menu can be selected to provide more hearty fare and create the feeling of winter. Baked hams, roasted potatoes and thick stews all help create a winter mood. Merely adding a soup course to your sit down dinner can give the menu a winter boost. Baked goods such as artisan breads, crusty rolls and filled pastries are all winter comfort foods. Serve creamy hot chocolate, spiced ciders and full bodied coffees or teas to your guests while they await your arrival.Winter Lighting
Check with your reception venue on the acceptable placement of candles. Votive and floating candles offer pools of warm light and can take the edge off of hard fluorescent fixtures. Pillar candles and candelabras offer focal points, but must be placed in secure locations to avoid a fire risk. Dim the lights if at all possible or only turn on every other fixture for a softer glow in place of bright, flooding light. Add small lamps with amber colored shades to cake tables and dark corners. Adding candles with spicy notes or baking aromas can add to a winter reception, but be cautious of overpowering scents or unsavory clashes with your buffet line.Adding winter elements to your wedding reception doesn't have to include a major overhaul of your completed plans. Simple additions to flower arrangements or existing wall decorations can be all the winter you need. Take some time to talk about which traditional symbols mean winter to you two. A bride in the mountains may have a much different opinion than a sea side bride on the details of winter. Focus on the fundamental ideas which say "winter" in your location and use this elegant season to highlight your winter wedding reception.
