A winter wedding in Colorado can be a magical experience. The snowy white backdrop makes it seems like all the world stands still for your momentous occasion.
In order to keep the wedding details as peaceful as the scenery, I have gathered a few nuggets to share that may be helpful to keep in mind while you are planning and preparing for your special wedding day.
Some things to carefully consider are:
- Wedding Venue
- Winter Attire
- Photography Experience
Winter Wedding Venues in Breckenridge
There are several incredible options for wedding venues in Breckenridge, Keystone, and surrounding areas.
I suggest choosing one venue where you can have both the ceremony and reception, especially for winter. Weather can be unpredictable, and so if all of your guests can safely arrive to just one location, you will not have to worry about weather or traffic delays. An even more seamless experience would be if most of your wedding party and guests could also choose to stay at the same venue.
Here are a few of my favorite wedding venues for winter weddings:
Sapphire Point in Breckenridge
This is perfect for a small, intimate outdoor wedding. Sapphire Point offers 360 views of Lake Dillon and a full mountain range backdrop.
The Lodge at Breckenridge
This location offers beautiful views with a large deck, catering, indoor reception area, and accommodations for your guests.
Breckenridge Golf Club with Sleigh Ride
They also boast of incredible 360 winter views. You can have your ceremony outdoors and a reception inside. You can even schedule a romantic Sleigh Ride for your bridal entry or photo session.
Sapphire Point Winter Wedding
The Lodge at Breckenridge
Breckenridge Golf Club Winter Wedding Sleigh Ride
Winter Attire and Pops of Color
Choosing Attire That Suits the Winter Weather
It goes without saying that the weather will be cold. Temperatures may range on average from 10 degrees to 40 degrees during the winter months in the mountains. How can you make sure as a bride and groom that you and your wedding party are warm enough and not distracted by the cold?
I recommend wearing warm boots and thick tights that are easily hidden under long wedding and bridesmaids dresses.
You can find elegant mittens that complement your attire as well as fur stoles, capes or scarves that easily layer.
Men can wear velvet blazers that offer a little more warmed than an average tuxedo.
Add Color
Because the backdrop is typically white and muted, adding pops of color to your attire with accessories makes for a most beautiful wedding, not to mention photos. The best place to begin is with your flowers.
You can’t go wrong with an over flowing bouquet of whites and greens, but you can also add colorful blooms with deep reds and pastel pinks. It might seem counterintuitive, but pastels found in peach roses, eucalyptus, and dusty rose, lambs ear, and succulents make the perfect contrast to a winter white background.
Insider Tips for Altitude
Some insider tips I try to share with all my clients before their mountain destination wedding:
Drink plenty of water – We live at almost 10,000 ft above sea level, and you don’t want to deal with altitude sickness, headaches, dizziness, or nausea during this special time. It is also a very dry climate, so bring extra lotion.
Chapstick – Never leave home without it, and consider gifting chapstick to each of your guests with your wedding favors as your lips tend to become dry quickly.
Hand Warmers – You can also offer a basket of special mittens, blankets or hand warmers for guests as they arrive to help keep them warm.
When to Schedule Your Photos
Schedule Your Portraits
Timing is everything in photography. Some things can’t be planned like capturing the perfect moment between the two of you. What can be planned is the best time of day to take pictures. Some people call it magic our but booking your session or when most of your portraits will be taken during the last 2 hours of light in the day, gives you the best chance of capturing the best lighting in the mountains.
Sunset Times
The sun sets by 3:30 pm in December and 4:30 pm in January. This is usually earlier than people expect, so it is good to plan your ceremony with these times in mind.
In December, I recommend to start your session by 2 PM and in January by 3 PM to give you enough time to travel between locations, change clothes, and experience the sun setting behind the mountains.
Photo Gallery of Your Wedding Day
Each of my wedding and portrait packages come with a personalized online gallery for you to view, download, and share with others.
Share the best photos, or the complete gallery on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. It’s all integrated into your personalized online gallery so that you won’t have to fuss with any extra steps.
Buy online seamlessly and securely, all directly within the gallery. I try to make it as easy as possible for you to access all your favorite photos from your winter wedding.
Planning a Winter Wedding in Colorado?
Please contact me today, and I will reach out to you shortly