I absolutely adore photographing winter weddings.  They have an elegance, cozyness, and je ne sais quois that surrounds bridesmaids in fur stoles, hot toddy’s on the cocktails list, and first dances that feel safe and warm in a cozy hall decorated with Edison lights while snow falls outside.  Winter weddings do require a slightly different type of planning and timeline than summer weddings though in order for us to capture the most beautiful, bright, and airy photographs as you see in my summer wedding galleries.  Consider the tips below when you’re planning a winter wedding, and always remember that this is the perfect opportunity to do things a bit differently, and plan a wedding that is exactly everything you want it to be!

Get your photographs done early

The biggest challenge we face with a winter wedding is how early the light disappears.  Natural light is the single most important tool I have as a photographer to create those gorgeous, bright, and glowing photographs you see, so getting your photographs done while it’s still light outside is one of the most important elements of your timeline.  I recommend starting your day an hour or two earlier than you would for a summer wedding, planning a first look into your timeline, and getting all of the important family photographs done before the ceremony while we still have light.  As long as we’re shooting during daylight hours, we will be able to create stunning wedding photographs and beautiful portraits that you will adore.

Plan your ceremony while it’s still light out

If you’re envisioning a ceremony that’s dark and cozy, lit by string lights overhead and candles surrounding you, then this tip doesn’t apply.   Just make sure you own it if you’re planning a ceremony for after dark, and add enough light to the scene that I can capture beautiful ceremony photographs without a flash.   If you’re planning a ceremony while it’s still light out, make sure it’s scheduled early enough that we actually still have daylight flooding in through the windows.  Many ceremonies are right around sunset in the winter, which is a beautiful time of day, however there’s often an imbalance of not having enough natural light, while simultaneously not adding enough indoor light, creating darker photographs that won’t be quite as clean and bright looking.

Choose a good indoor space for your photographs

Even if you’d like to capture some outdoor winter wedding photographs, the bulk of your images will still be captured indoors where people will feel warm and comfortable.  Making sure that we have a beautiful indoor space to take photographs will make all the difference in your full wedding gallery.  If the venue you’ve chosen doesn’t have an aesthetic that you want in all of your photographs, or if it’s too dark or small for some of your larger family group and wedding party photographs, consider renting an alternate location for a couple of hours to take your photographs.  Examples include nearby greenhouses (allen gardens is a beautiful spot for winter weddings), natural light photo studios (Mint Room Studios is beautiful!), or restaurants or bars (look for somewhere with a beautiful bright aesthetic like Figo).  The sky’s the limit with finding beautiful indoor spaces in the city though, and I’m always happy to help you find the perfect location if you’re not sure where to shoot!