Couples who are planning a winter wedding will often think more about how their venue works on a bad weather day than couples planning a summer wedding. In reality this is something that you should consider regardless of when you are planning on having your nuptials. Although the chance of a warm, sunny day in August is higher than in January it can be wet and windy and downright miserable at any time of the year.
It is also important to realise that your registrar has the final say about whether or not a wedding can be held outdoors. It doesn’t need to be wet for the registrar to move a ceremony indoors either. It may be a dry warm day but if it is windy and registrar thinks there may be a safety concern for you or your guests then he or she may move the ceremony indoors. You should also think about how late this decision can be left. Here at The Green we will often take the final decision just before the ceremony. Some venues will require that this decision is made well in advance so you should check this too.
Another thing to consider is the comfort of your guests. If you are having an outdoor ceremony in spring or autumn, it is worth remembering that the air temperature can be cooler. Always let your guests know in advance that you are planning an outdoor ceremony as this allows them to plan their outfits (and footwear!) accordingly. It is also worth bearing in mind that elderly relatives and guests with children may want to know in advance.
We do get the occasional really, really wet day but they aren’t actually as common as we sometimes think. Always plan in some opportunities during your day to get outside for pictures or drinks even if the weather isn’t kind all day there is normally a break at some point. We have had guests enjoying hot chocolate and rum outdoors on crisp and sunny January days. And the light then can be perfect for those photos!
Every civil venue should have an indoor alternative. It is important for you to make sure that your venue works either way. So, for example, if you are inviting 120 guests then you should ensure that your venue can accommodate 120 indoors and outdoors. You should also make sure that you really like both spaces. It’s not ideal if the outdoor ceremony location is beautiful but the indoor alternative is a dingy conference room or a draughty barn.
At The Green we have 2 gorgeous outdoor locations to choose from and a stunning wedding barn for indoor wedding. The wedding barn is separate to our main function space too so your guests never have to be huddling under umbrellas as they can always be indoors even when the main function room is being changed over from meal set up to the evening reception set up. Both of our function rooms are fully heated too. This is definitely an important consideration for winter weddings.
We have never known the weather to spoil a wedding. Even if you are hoping for an august heatwave and get a mizzle instead the commitment you make to each other, the overwhelming warmth of your guests and the fun of the day is what will stay with you forever. And remember rain on your wedding day is lucky![/text_output]
