Snowy and Rustic Wedding
Julia and Heath are getting married at the same locale as where their enchanting engagement is taking place. Read on to see how the transformation of the venue can easily happen!
Details for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
While winter often brings with it the blues and the doldrums, a winter wedding in a rustic location is a beautiful and breathtaking event! There are a wealth of locations just perfect for a snowy and rustic wedding, including farms with old barns and other wooden outbuildings. Many chapels are also built or decorated using a rustic theme, as are cabins.
The snowy and rustic wedding involves a totally different type of wedding dress and accessories (you can add a shawl or a wrap for warmth and still be stylish). You can use holiday colors, but you’re not tied to those for a January or late February wedding.
Color Palette for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
Speaking of a color palette, you’re not tied to red – however, you can incorporate this color if you wish. Conversely, you may also choose some shades of red, including burgundy or wine, maroon, blush pink, and even crimson.
Hosting a January wedding? The gemstone for that month is garnet; this color is perfect for a snowy and rustic wedding, and it can be incorporated with so many different colors. Purple is also a great color for a snowy and rustic wedding. Deep purples can be mixed with the wines and burgundy colors for a royal look at your wedding.
What to Look for in a Venue for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
Understandably, you’ll likely want to select an indoor venue for your snowy and rustic wedding, but those with a taste for adventure may opt for an outdoor setting or perhaps an outdoor setting that is covered.
Look for decor in the venue that offers a worn, rustic look – rough-cut lumber, tin roofs, and older light fixtures. However, if none of this is available, stick to a venue that offers neutral colors in its decor. If you choose a covered venue for your celebratory outdoor event, you can easily add some decor to play up the rustic look, including old barn doors that have been repurposed.
Budget for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
A snowy and rustic wedding need not be an expensive one; in fact, with the right venue, the budget can be stretched quite far.
A truly rustic venue can save you a great deal of money on decor. If you do plan or need to do much in the way of decorating, consider repurposed items for your rustic decor. Old tables, bookshelves, and mason jars that individuals may have just taking up space could make the perfect low-cost decor for the rustic part of your wedding. Also, you can find a great deal of decor at vintage, second hand stores or flea markets.
Wedding Dresses and Accessories for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
One bonus to hosting a snowy and rustic wedding is the fact that you can truly choose the dress of your dreams made from any material you like. Many formal wedding gowns are made from lightweight fabric, but many times these gowns are loaded down with rhinestones, beading, sequins, and the like. While these gowns may be gorgeous, they aren’t always desirable for a summer wedding.
Snowy days with a temperature under 30 degrees are perfect for a formal and bejeweled wedding gown. You may also wish to dress up this gown with a stole, a shawl or a wrap made just for the big day.
Menswear for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
While it’s always appropriate to wear a tuxedo at a wedding, your groom and his attendants may be happy to wear a tux on a snowy wedding day. After all, if he’s outfitted with a vest and a tuxedo jacket, the groom will be quite warm for the nuptials!
Your groom may decide to opt for something less formal. A suit in tweed is not only warm but fitting to the snowy and rustic theme. A tweed suit may be found in lighter colors if the groom prefers. Another great material for a snowy and rustic wedding is velvet. Many grooms and their attendants are utilizing this fabric for gorgeous suits, and it can be had in a plethora of colors.
Wedding Cake Ideas for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
The idea of a snowy and rustic wedding calls for a traditional cake made up of multiple tiers, lots of decadent icing, and a topper that combines greenery and winter flowers (roses would be a proper flower here). You can drape greenery over the layers of cake, and you can add powdered sugar to give the effect of snow surrounding the cake.
A great wintertime rustic-looking cake is a naked cake. You place the bulk of icing between the layers with just a smidge of icing on the exterior of the cake. To really make the cake rustic, add winter fruit toppings – cranberries are especially proper for the snowy, rustic winter wedding cake.
Ceremony Decor for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
When planning a snowy and rustic wedding, brides have a wealth of ceremonial backdrops from which to choose.
You can head over to a vintage store or a local flea market to look for a repurposed mantle. Many older homes have had these mantles removed, and you can paint the mantle or leave it as is! Add garland and lights around the mantle, and you have the perfect ceremonial backdrop for a snowy, rustic winter wedding.
If you really want to make the mantle look lifelike, find some electric logs to run during the ceremony. Bonus points if the electric logs will “crackle” as if they are real wood. In lieu of a mantle, however, you can choose a ceremonial arch or an arbor. These structures can be decorated with gossamer, fairy lights, or floral garlands.
Reception Decor for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
If you really want to set the romantic mood of a snowy and rustic wedding reception, then concentrate on your centerpieces. You can fill glass vases with peonies (which are available during the winter) as well as baby’s breath for filler greenery. Be sure to add a small, tea light candle to the vase as well for the perfect lighting.
At the same time, you may choose dried flowers, dried berries, and a mix of white cherry blossoms woven into greenery as a backdrop for the reception. You can also place this floral arrangement in vases or rustic lanterns for centerpieces. Another darling idea is to hang beige or off-white curtains, then hang holiday lights from the top.
Food for a Snowy and Rustic Wedding
A snowy and rustic wedding deserves food that is warming and delicious at the same time. A finely served roast or brisket is always enjoyed, as is a steak dinner with potatoes (even a potato bar with toppings is a terrific self serve addition). For vegan guests, a spicy squash soup or a vegetable stew is a treat.
At the dessert table, offer piping hot chocolate, coffee, tea, and cold drinks for those who prefer them. Scones, cookies, a macaron tree and pumpkin bread are tasty add-ons.
Snowy and Rustic, Perfectly Styled Engagement Shoot
Today’s gorgeous engagement shoot from Bellamint Photography showcases some super cozy winter styling elements & heartfelt details – it’s the perfect example of how to create a ‘wow’ engagement session while including parts of your story and personal style!
From Bellamint Photography – “The Colorado snow came just in time for this California couple! They chose to have their engagement session at the same place they will be getting married this April. La Foret has a very special place in Julia’s heart (she’ll tell you more about it below!).
For Julia & Heath’s engagement session, Cheryl of Sunflower Creative Floral designed a succulent hair wreath for Julia and we used antlers, pine cones, pheasant feathers, and fresh-cut wood to create a cozy, rustic theme and lanterns provided a warm glow.
Julia’s ring is a raw diamond and has a unique design that I immediately fell in love with! She also wore a vintage fur coat from her grandmother.”
Tell me about the amazing fur coat you were rocking?
From Julia – My grandmother – Beverly Muir was quite the fashionista. She passed away last year, but is alive and well in our hearts! That faux fur coat was from Paris in the 1950s, it belonged to her. Wasn’t she fabulous?
Where did you get your ring made?
My dear friend Corinne Simone designed it. Her work is beautiful! She and I met in NYC several years back and we both live in LA now. Thank God Heath called her when he was thinking of proposing. I just ordered Heath’s and my wedding bands from her too!
Why La Foret?
I grew up going to La Foret! From the time I was tiny, we would enjoy Thanksgiving here each year and later I was a middle school and high school camper and counselor at their summer camps. I met some of my dearest friends there and had the most eye-opening discoveries as well. It is sacred ground; truly magical and full of amazing memories for me.
Tell me about the two of you!
Heath and I met on the Disney Magic cruise ship. I was starting an 8-month contract as a singer/dancer and he had come on board for a week to do his comedy show. My friend Cate introduced us, raving about what a sweetie he was. I was set on ‘not looking for a boyfriend,’ but Heath was amazing. Honest, steadfast, and so very funny! We dated the rest of those eight months all throughout the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Baltic seas. It was an incredible ‘courting period.’ We would say ‘that was fun going to Florence today – want to go to Rome tomorrow?’
After Disney, I moved to LA where Heath has been for about 15 years. We live in an adorable neighborhood and we found a lost beagle last year. Life is good.”
Credits: Photography: Bellamint Photography // Floral Design: Sunflower Creative Floral // Event Planner: Day Planner Events // Makeup: Magnifica Bella // Jewelry: Corinne Simon Jewelry // Venue: La Foret, Colorado Springs.