Winter weddings — the pros and cons (and why they are amazing!)…
Winter weddings are becoming a thing? Hell-oh YES! In my ten years of being a Celebrant I have never before seen such a strong trend emerge… It has got me thinking about the pros and cons of getting married in the cooler months of winter.
Feeling the frustration of securing your preferred suppliers, only to find they’ve been booked out for months? Or finding it’s gonna cost a bomb to make your Dream Day come true? These are just two reasons why some couples are moving away from peak-season weddings and joining the growing trend of winter weddings…
The Pros
Choice and availability
Spring and autumn are traditionally the high-season months for weddings. (Summer is popular too, but not as much — it is traditionally too hot, not to mention chaotic with Christmas in the mix.)
In Australia’s south west (where I am), this means November and March are insane. Some weekends I can do four weddings in a day! October and April are busy also, but manageable. Then we have the steady sprinkling of weddings through late September, early December, and from late January onwards.
Following the chaos of the “wedding season” (as it is known by suppliers), thing quieten down coming into winter. From mid-May onwards Margaret River region wedding suppliers begin to breathe again, satisfied that they have yet again delivered a first-class wedding season.
Sure, there is the odd elopement or legals-only ceremony here and there, but being low-key, they don’t generally employ the big suppliers — the Celebrant (of course), and maybe a photographer and a restaurant or small venue.
So here’s where the budget-savvy couple can take advantage of creating their day around a winter wedding… Not only are suppliers quiet (therefore you can pick-and-choose without being squeezed in between other weddings), but they may also be open to a discount winter rate. (See the end of this article for some suppliers’ offers!)
Save money
According to south west wedding directory, Coast to Country Weddings, some suppliers do relax their pricing in the quieter months. This is because they have less staff on, so lower overheads.
It’s romantic!
Think open fires, snuggling in warm coats, being cosy indoors, toasting the newlyweds with red wine (rather than champagne), and lashings of comfort food for all.
Yes, yes and a string of big mega yesses.
What if it rains? Read on, to the “Cons” section…
The Pros in summary: Winter weddings not only give couples a wide choice of suppliers, they may save them a stack of money too. And, they’re as romantic as gee-whillakers.
The Cons
It might rain
Who doesn’t love a pop of colour on a cloudy day? Look at how these colourful umbrellas have lifted the celebration tone and feel! I’ve even had a few winter brides take the opportunity to wear the brightest, most decadent coats they could find — they looked amazing!
Rain on your wedding day is lucky!
Some brides may think it’s the worst luck to have rain on their wedding day. Re-frame your thinking, and you’ll soon be grateful!
It’s considered lucky to have rain on your wedding day because
it’s harder to untie a wet knot than a dry one.
I’ve only conducted two ceremonies in the pouring rain, and the experience changed me forever. Once all the guests realised they were gonna get soaking wet, (including me), a sense of “surrender” rippled through the crowd.
“Oh well,” everyone said, “how often do we get to stand in the rain? Let’s just enjoy this!”
It’s like Vivian Greene said —
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass;
it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
So, the Cons in summary? In my humble opinion, there are none!
Winter weddings — ways to book me as your Celebrant
Quickie Wedding Day: For the couples who want a fuss-free (no stress, no politics, no expense) wedding ceremony, consider this Quickie Wedding Day I’ve set up. It’s like a pop-up wedding but without the bells and whistles. This means I’ve been able to keep costs down to $650. At the time of writing this blog there are only three spots available. More dates may open up if the demand is there.
Elope in Margaret River: Choose our own date and time for a simple light-hearted ceremony at the venue of your choice in the Margaret River region. Prices vary depending on how much travel is involved.
Plan the Big Day in off-season: Still want the big white wedding with less expense and without the busy-ness? Just book me as you normally would — by checking my availability for your preferred date/time/venue, and I’ll look after you from there!
Winter weddings — offers from other suppliers
- The wedding DJ — We have reduced our 5-6 hour wedding DJ and Emcee package from $1485 down to $1155 inc GST for weddings between 1 May – 31 Aug 2018. (And the same for 2019.) PLUS you have the chance to win your wedding entertainment through us for free via a promo we are running until 15 Dec this year. More info –> The Wedding DJ
- The Berry Delightful (wedding venue, Brookhampton) — The Berry Delightful are offering 20% off wedding venue hire for the months of June, July and August 2018/2019. Limited spaces available. More info — > The Berry Delightful
- Wez Enterprises Wedding & Event Decor — Winter makes Weddings Wonderful for a multitude of reasons and discounts like this is just one of them! For those couples who dare to be different, Vicki and her team at Wez Enterprises would are offering 20% off all wedding decor packages valued at $1000 or above from 1 May – 31 August 2018. Call us today on 0438 523 752 or visit Wez Enterprises
I normally sign off with “shine on”, but given this is a blog post about winter weddings, I’ll sign off with …
Snuggle on!
Love, Anita