*Photo via Seeing Southern Photography
The winter season offers a gorgeous atmosphere for incredible wedding photos. Snowy backdrops, wintery elements, and cozy and warm textures create the perfect opportunity for some truly beautiful shots. These are a few tips that will help you fully take advantage of the season as you take your winter wedding photos.
Keep Lighting in Mind When Creating Your Wedding Day Schedule
Winter means shorter days and less natural light, which makes matters a bit trickier when it comes to taking photos. You’ll want to create your wedding day schedule so that you are still able to get the photos that you want. Maybe you can do a first look with your partner before the ceremony, and take your couple and wedding party photos than when you still have plenty of light. Alternatively, you can schedule an earlier ceremony, so that you have ample time afterward to take your photos in natural light. Discuss the options with your photographer so that you can determine what plan makes the most sense for you and your wedding location.
Since your natural daylight time is limited – and you’ll only be able to handle so much outdoors time if it is a particularly cold day – keep expectations realistic about how much you can get done. Talk with your photographer about what shots you can get in the timeframe, and prioritize which ones are most important to the two of you. You’ll want to make the most of the limited daylight that you have!
Take Advantage of the Wintery Elements
This season offers a beautiful and unique backdrop, so take full advantage of it as you are taking your photos! If you are getting married in a snowy climate, you have a wealth of options for gorgeous shots in front of a bright white backdrop. Plus, you could even have a bit of fun with a snowball fight! Even if it isn’t snowing outside, you can still tap into the coziness and warmth of the season for your photos. A photo in front of a roaring fire, a shot of you cuddling in front of a vast winter landscape, or some fun captured moments of you with wintery props (more on that below) can encapsulate the feeling of winter.
Layer Up
Layers will be a necessity when you are taking photos outside – you’ll want to stay warm! Beyond the practical, however, wintery layers will add a gorgeous touch to photos that you simply won’t get with wedding photos in other seasons. Consider a fur or velvet wrap, a cozy blanket scarf, or any other layer that will both look good in photos and keep you comfortable. You can even fully embrace the winter aesthetic for some shots by bringing in jackets, hats, gloves, and winter boots. These pieces will add texture and color to your photos that will look wonderful against a wintery backdrop.
Add Winter Props for Fun Photo Ops
You can fully play into the winter vibes by bringing out some cute seasonal props. For example, bring a thermos of hot cocoa and some mugs to get a shot of you and your spouse warming up over a delicious hot drink. You could also bring out a comfortable blanket (that matches your color scheme, of course) so that the two of you can cuddle up for some sweet shots. If you are in a snowy climate (and feeling a bit adventurous!), you might even break out the sled and take a spin together to capture a fun and unique moment. Take full advantage of the colder weather!
Bring Hand Warmers
When you are cold and shivering, the last thing you’ll want to be doing is taking photos. For an extra boost of warmth and comfort, bring some hand warmers (as well as your winter layers) with you so that you can fight the cold in between shots. Your future picture-taking self will thank you!
If you are in the process of planning your wedding, come to the next Georgia Bridal Show near you. You will have the chance to meet with wedding professionals from Georgia and the Southeast who can help bring your vision to life!
Georgia wedding vendors, as well as other wedding professionals across the Southeast, can contact us about opportunities for exhibition and online marketing with Georgia Bridal Show.