London is one of the most romantic cities in the world. With countless rom coms set around the UK capital and a wealth of history dating back thousands of years, London has always been the go-to for star crossed lovers. That’s not all, with the cities broad variety of venues and special offers London hotels, more and more people are opting for their wedding to be a quintessentially British affair.
From royal weddings to glitzy celebrity venues, London is home to a wealth of opportunities for you and your wedding guests, and whether you’re travelling internationally or from within the city itself, your wedding planning will leave you with a lot of factors to consider. First off, is at what time of year will your wedding be most suited? With holidays, work and budgets to consider, the timing of your ceremony and reception are very important indeed.
Most people opt for a wedding in the summertime. The wider range of outdoors venues and summer holidays means that more people will be free and the event more versatile. The unfortunate reality is that many people will be thinking the same thing, and the best venues that utilise the outdoors could get booked up even a year in advance. Secondly, the UK is famous for its unpredictable weather, and so organising a summer reception is no surefire promise of sunshine.
That’s why a winter wedding could be more to your tastes. With the festive cheer, glittering lighting and generally magical atmosphere of London, your wedding could be made whiter by a counter-intuitive approach to event planning. Here are just a few of the reasons why a winter wedding in London could truly be a day to remember.
An abundance of indoor venues
London is home to a broad range of events venues. Across the city, you’ll find a wide array of spaces each with their own personality and unique draws. It goes without saying then, that it wouldn’t be hard to find a venue to suit the character of you and your partner to be. With the Shaftesbury Hotel Group offering a broad variety of function rooms and private venues, you’ll never be short of indoor party potential.
Beautiful lighting
London is known for being one of the most well lit Christmas cities in the world. With its glittering highstreet decorations festooned across Mayfair and Oxford Street, the rest of the city is no different. Whilst your wedding reception venue may be focused on the interior, this doesn’t mean it can’t have an outdoors appeal and atmosphere too, especially with the chill crispness and dazzling London nightlights adding a heady dollop of atmosphere to proceedings.
Cheaper travel and flights
Whilst Christmas might see a rise in prices, January and November could be the perfect time to amass your loved ones from around the world. With cheaper hotel prices in the offseason at hotels like the Park Grand London Kensington, you could afford even more guests at your wedding party.
Hit the holiday season
If the price is no issue, then the availability of your guests may be more open when they’re on their Christmas holidays. A Christmas time wedding could kill two birds with one stone, combining festive cheer with a celebration of your love.
How to plan a winter wedding
Whilst there are plenty of reasons why a London winter wedding could be a marriage made in heaven, how do you actually go about planning it? Wrap up warm and get organising, these events can take a while to thaw!
Winter wear is key
Make sure that all of your guests wrap up, especially for the serenade of the bride and groom and wedding photos outside of your ceremony venue. That goes for those involved in the ceremony as well. Bridesmaids and groomsmen should make sure they’re kitted out for the cold but still dressed to impress.
Velvet for the men
One option for this is in velvet jackets for the men. This will keep your groomsmen suitably warm whilst also matching. With it’s thick and soft fabric, your groom party will be kept comfortable and stylish in equal force.
Layering up
For bridesmaids and the bride herself, layers aren’t exactly what you want from beautiful dresses. Whatever style you’re going for, why not add some secret layers underneath it all, keeping you toasty and beautiful all at the same time. Whether it be a vest or an undershirt, layers will help keep you toasty, especially if you have to stand around for processions or photoshoots. Furthermore, keep umbrellas handy for defence against that ever-looming English rain cloud.
Travel could be delayed
With cold weather comes more road congestion as a larger number of people opt for the road over walking. Keep this in mind when organising your event, and make sure everybody’s travel plans are flexible to this.
Keep it all to a single venue
If the weather outside is frightful, then keep the wedding contained to a single venue. Whether a hotel event space or a rented bar, make sure to keep it contained and suitable to the mood and atmosphere you want to convey.
Or at least two that are close to each other
If one venue isn’t an option, explore a ceremony space and a wedding venue that are close to each other. Nobody wants a half hour trek from the ceremony to the reception, especially if it’s cold outside.
Utilise candlelight
Earlier sunsets mean darker lighting. Why not utilise candles at your reception to heighten the romantic mood. Less light should never be seen as a limiting factor, but another opportunity to make your wedding even more unique.
Coat check at your event venue
With cold weather comes more coats. Make sure you have a system to organise coat hanging and clothes drops.
Make sure everyone is kept warm
Whether through good insulation in your venue, or hearty central heating, keep your venue toasty and the drinks flowing. The more comfortable your guests are, the more likely they’ll want to dance the night away with you.
