The Winter Wedding

A winter wedding can be such a stylish affair - the groom either in traditional morning suit or velvet frock coat, and the bride in a floor-length white gown with a white fur wrap. This is the perfect time of year for luxurious fabrics - sparkling crystals, feathers, fake fur, white velvet and satin. Look for wraps, shrugs, and capes, or dramatic coats - how about a red velvet opera coat to wear over your wedding dress? If you want just a small touch of colour, a narrow dark velvet sash over your dress can subtly pick up the Christmas theme. Embroidery, lace and veils decorated with tiny crystals are all extra beautiful at Christmas time and bridesmaids look great with fake fur stoles around their shoulders and fur muffs to keep their hands warm.

When you're planning a winter wedding, you can indulge in a little fantasy. How about a glittery, sparkling Narnia theme, with lots of frosty white, icy sequins and soft faux fur? Or a nostalgic Dickensian look with bright reds, deep greens, shimmery gold and rich, warm colours? Or, for the minimalists among you, stark and elegant black and white winter wedding themes, with pure white dresses and black tailcoats?

Look for a country house hotel with a grand fireplace for an atmospheric winter wedding and make sure you ask about heating and what seasonal decorations they are planning. Beware of rooms with too many windows, they can seem cold and unwelcoming in winter; and although you may imagine drifts of beautiful snow, you could end up with a freezing sleety day. It might be romantic to arrive at the church or reception by horse and carriage with a fur throw to keep the bride and groom warm. If it's close to Christmas, it is likely that your church or reception venue will already be decorated for festive celebrations, which can save you quite a lot of money, and you could include a popular carol in the wedding service. You will also need to send out your invitations a little bit earlier than usual for a December wedding - about 12 weeks before the event, as people make plans early for Christmas.

If you are having a church service, it might be nice to have a choir sing some carols while you sign the register or have the organist play traditional Christmas music. A madrigal choir or string quartet could welcome guests into the venue with Christmas music and the DJ can play Christmas party songs as well as current hits when you all hit the dance floor.

For food you can have all of your winter favourites - smoked salmon canapés, Parma ham and fig wraps and goats cheese parcels make great winter nibbles, and how about a warming winter vegetable soup to start? Roast beef or lamb is a great option for the main course, followed by a rich dessert and cheese. Consider serving hot winter Pimms, mulled wine, or hot chocolate as a warming welcome drink or outside during the photographs if the weather permits. A white iced wedding cake, decorated with snowflake patterns, silver decorations, and flowers that suit your scheme will really complement the winter wedding theme.

There are so many great combinations and colour schemes for winter - silver or gold and white creates an elegant Christmas look, or celebrate the festive season with reds and greens. Try silver-dollar eucalyptus mixed with white roses, lilies and stephanotis. If you're looking for a colourful bouquet, consider deep red roses with berries and greenery. Flowers that are in season such as tulips, roses, and ornamental berries will be better value and smell wonderful and gold and silver ribbons add a celebratory touch.

Decorate your tables with white linen table cloths, and beautiful white poinsettias or winter roses and use plenty of spiced winter scented candles. Create a magical atmosphere by hanging fairy lights around doorways, over tables and on archways. You could use miniature Christmas trees with fairy lights on tables, and why not use some Christmas snow-globes as centrepieces? If you get married late in the day you could hold the entire ceremony and reception by candlelight.

A ceramic Christmas tree decoration makes a perfect winter keepsake, as does a scented candle with the bride and groom's name on the label. Small gold mesh bags of gold chocolate beans make festive gifts, or small boxes of truffles or Turkish delight. For Christmas weddings you could have individually boxed luxury mini-mince pies.