Planning Your Winter Wedding In Kent

I find myself shooting a great deal of winter weddings in Kent and based on my years of experience I have put together a few tips and considerations that I think would help couples with their planning of their wedding day.

CHOOSING YOUR VENUE

Primarily with a winter wedding you’re going to be looking at the indoor space at a venue. You’ll want to consider the number and size of the rooms and if you have exclusive access to them all.
You’ll have an idea of the ‘feel’ you want your wedding to have and this can be influenced greatly not just by the building itself and the decor but also the lighting and even the heating in the form of open fires.
As an example, Boys Hall in Ashford, Kent is a venue that allows you exclusive use, with a number of different rooms set in some beautiful grounds, and although suitable for weddings held at any time of the year, it is ideal for winter weddings with it’s open fireplaces and cosy feel.

TIMINGS

Along with the chance you may have inclement weather, you will also have shorter daylight hours but a good photographer will capture your wedding well regardless of the weather and if it’s dark outside. If though you’ve chosen a venue due in part to it’s stunning grounds and wish to have photos taken while it’s still light your ceremony needs to be early enough to accommodate this.

PHOTOS

Light is the most important aspect of creating beautiful imagery and winter weddings can present some of the best opportunities for this. With atmospheric interior lighting and dusk falling early in the afternoon or evening there are a host of possibilities for some beautiful couple shots. Talk with your photographer before your wedding day so your timings give you the chance to perhaps have these couple shots taken at a time when the light can help produce the best photos for you.
Group photos are a very important part of the collection of photos taken, all your nearest and dearest assembled for your special day, so you want to ensure you have a suitable indoor area for these to be taken if it’s too cold or dark outside, where there is enough room and where other guests are not mingling.
A venue of real grandeur that provides a great location for a winter wedding is Eastwell Manor in Ashford in Kent, with large manicured gardens and historic rooms, together with a sweeping staircase and beautiful feature window half way up, Eastwell Manor can cater for a large wedding party and provide them with accommodation.

FLOWERS

Choosing flowers that are in season will probably keep the cost down and a good florist will advise you on this.

TRAVEL

We can never be sure what weather will present itself to us at different times of the year but snow is probably the biggest concern when planning your winter wedding. Although it’s impossible to plan for every eventuality, you want your guests to be able to reach the venue. This means choosing somewhere along a narrow 3 mile track for example may not give you the best odds if the snow does fall, unless you have a 4×4 to hand.