July 2019

On 7 July 2019, I married Anne and Orion in the farm grounds of Poachers Pantry.  They chose a spot about 10 minutes’ walk from Poachers Pantry restaurant, their reception venue.

The spot they chose embodied earth’s natural beauty with plenty of sunshine, open rolling hills, trees abounding, serene water, sheep and other wildlife.  This made the perfect backdrop for Anne and Orion’s mid‑winter outdoor wedding!

If you are planning a wedding, don’t rule out an outdoor winter wedding in Canberra and the surrounding district.

With the many lovely days of winter sunshine we experience, and with some planning for an alternative if the weather doesn’t go to order (this is the case for weddings all year round), winter can be embraced as a season for your wedding ceremony.  As an added benefit, you might even find that some of the venues and other marriage services are cheaper in the quiet ‘wedding season’.

Here are some tips I hope you find useful if you are thinking about a winter wedding.  It’s not an exhaustive list, so feel free to get in touch if you’d like to talk more about planning your wedding, whatever the season.

Winter accessories are stylish too

Anne opted for a long-sleeved wedding dress and Orion had a three-piece suit.  Coats were available as an option if needed but with the sun shining and the wonderful emotions flowing during the ceremony that ran for about 30 minutes, there was no time to feel the cold.

All about the timing

Think about the warmest part of the day that you may like to have your wedding ceremony.  It’s worth having a look at the average temperatures for the month in winter when you might want to be married.  Late morning or early afternoon on a winter’s day will generally mean best light for photos and for warmth.  Anne and Orion were married at midday followed by a lunch reception with local seasonal produce served at Poachers Pantry restaurant.

Winter wedding colours

While there is no protocol, a winter wedding may lend itself to warm tones of berry red, burgundy, deep blues, black and gold.  Anne had a wonderful deep berry native bouquet and these colours were carried through to the reception decorations.  I styled the signing table in berry chrysanthemums together with never-failing evergreen gum to work in Anne and Orion’s colour and bush theme.

Plan for adaptability

Whatever season you’re planning your marriage – spring, summer, autumn or winter – it’s always advisable to have options for an indoor ceremony in adverse or wet weather.  For some this might mean supplying umbrellas in the rain, and for others, it might result in moving to an indoor venue.  Anne and Orion had advised their guests in their invitation to dress for comfort and warmth.  Though it was a chilly morning, the sun didn’t disappoint, and most guests were taking off their extra layer after their walk and before the ceremony commenced.  Plus, Anne and Orion had an indoor option at Poachers Pantry should this have been needed.

Link your ceremony and reception venue (if possible)

If possible, have your ceremony and reception in the one venue/area, or in areas near to each other.  For Anne and Orion, it was a short walk from the restaurant reception at Poachers Pantry to the wonderful spot on the farm where they were married.  Family and friends all commented on the beauty of the walk through bush and the wedding spot.