Photographers are always banging on about light, but when you’re getting married in winter – November to March in the UK – light (and timings around it) should be your number one consideration. If you have a 4pm ceremony, all your photos thereafter will be taken using flash and will lack that beautiful natural look. No sunset portraits, no golden hour prettiness. If you’re stuck with a late ceremony time, consider having a drinks reception beforehand, or at least do your portraits and group photos pre-ceremony. This will also prolong your wedding day, and that’s never a bad thing!
It can and probably will rain. But to me this is a good thing. In fact it’s the best thing about winter weddings! I love taking photos in the rain, and most of my couples are disappointed if they don’t get rain on their wedding day.
Get some cool wellies, a clear umbrella and a sense of adventure. I love taking my couples into forests and fields and even lakes for cool photos that show off the venue/weather/day they had. If you’re precious about your dress then you’re going to miss out on some really awesome wedding photos. Here’s why you shouldn’t give a f*ck about your dress.
Get a fluffy warm cape to drape over your shoulders. I shot a wedding last weekend where the poor freezing bride had a blanket over her shoulders as we walked to a dead sunflower field for photos, and it meant I couldn’t take cute photos of them walking (I did however take funny photos of her draped in a checked blanket!)
Sparklers are super tempting for winter weddings, but please bear in mind that drunk people and fire tend not to mix. However, since it gets dark so early in winter, why not have sparklers at around 5pm before people get too blotto? Then you get cool sparkler photos and you don’t have to interrupt the evening entertainment to drag everyone out into the cold!
