Attire for Winter Weddings
Keeping warm in winter weather doesn't mean you need to compromise on style and bundle up in frumpy woolens. Whether you are the bride, member of the wedding party or a guest there are numerous ways to keep warm and still look great at a winter wedding.
Bride
With the majority of wedding dresses today being strapless or shoestring strap gowns it is quite natural for the bride to wonder what she can possibly wear if her wedding date is set for winter time. Firstly you need to see the possibilities rather then getting hung up on what you can't wear. You can wear gowns with sleeves, full ball gown skirts and many other formal and elaborate styles that really aren't that suitable for summer time.
In addition if you have your heart set on a strapless or shoestring strap gown you can still wear it, all you need to do is organize a matching cover up to make sure you don't freeze when your outside. There are a variety of cover ups which can work back with a wedding dress. Capes and wraps work well because they can be draped over your dress in the right way to ensure that any feature areas don't get crushed. Fur or feather lined cloaks with delicate pearl or diamante closures also look very elegant.
Alternatively there are sheer bodysuits which you can wear under your gown to give just a little bit of coverage whilst still showing off all the elements of your dress. If you have trouble finding a cover up to match the right shade of your dress you could always wear a cover up in the same shade as your bridesmaid's dresses. It is not uncommon for brides to wear a little color today no matter what season it is.
It can be difficult to find a wedding dress that has a sleeve, but they are around. Medieval style wedding dresses usually feature a sleeve and designers like Reem Acra and Carolina Herrera often feature a few dresses with a sleeve in their collections. If you would like to wear a wedding dress with a sleeve, but can't find anything suitable then don't despair you can have a dressmaker attach a lace or sheer silk sleeve to the dress you like.
When it comes to the other aspects of your look you could always embrace the winter theme. For example, you could wear a fur lined hood or fur winter hat instead of a veil. A fur muff or gloves will keep your hands warm and inject a touch of austerity. Or perhaps wear a pair of elegant vintage boots to keep your feet warm.
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaid's dresses are typically made in lightweight silk satins, but if it's a winter wedding they can quite easily be made in heavier weight fabrics like velvet, brocades or silk dupioni. They can also be paired with matching bolero jackets or wraps to make sure the arms are kept warm and they can be worn with hosiery to help keep the legs warm.
Menswear
A winter wedding shouldn't present much difficulty for men because it is quite common for men to wear a lined suit anyway. If the wedding is set in a particularly cold climate then members of the wedding party can add warmth by wearing vests, gloves, scarves and fur lined or collared coats.
Female guests
If the wedding ceremony takes place outside you might need an overcoat, but most receptions take place in centrally heated venues so you really have lots of options.
Some ideas include:
-Wear a summer style cocktail dress with nude hosiery, peep toe heels and a shrug, bolero or wrap.
-A wool coat looks cute with a pretty full skirt just peeking out the bottom and if you get warm dancing later on you can always take the coat off.
-There are lots of feminine cardigans available today that feature bows, ruffles, beads or sequins. Pair this with a gorgeous skirt or tailored pants and you'll look elegantly dressed.
-For a more traditional look a matching suit or dress suit works well for winter. To make it a little more modern layer it with a sexy lace camisole just peeking out.
-Long sleeve wrap dresses are perfect for layering a pretty lace or beaded camisole under and depending on the formality of the wedding they can look good with heeled knee high boots.
-A wool dress can be made suitable for a wedding by simply adding a beautiful silk sash tie around the waist.
-A long sleeve silk blouse or bodysuit can look very elegant tucked into a nice pencil skirt and worn with good jewelry like a set of pearls.
As you can see, all you need to do is make a few simple adaptations to ensure you don't freeze, yet still look gorgeous at a wedding!
