Winter weddings can be seriously beautiful
Winter weddings get a bit of a bad reputation.
"It's going to be freezing."
"It'll be dark."
"What if it rains?"
All perfectly reasonable thoughts.
But there's another way of looking at it.
Cosy venues. Candlelight. Christmas decorations. Atmospheric rooms. Dramatic skies. People huddled together with drinks. And everyone having a brilliant time indoors.
From a photography point of view, winter weddings can be absolutely fantastic.
Why choose a winter wedding?
The biggest difference with a winter wedding is the atmosphere.
Instead of spending most of the day outside, your wedding naturally becomes more about the venue and the people inside it.
And that can create some really intimate photographs.
Warm interiors contrasted with the cold outside.
Candlelight during dinner.
Fairy lights.
Christmas trees.
Fireplaces.
Flowers and decorations.
And a dance floor full of people who have clearly decided that dignity is no longer required.
Winter light
Winter has something that photographers love: low light.
The sun sits much lower in the sky, creating a softer and more atmospheric quality of light.
And because it gets dark earlier, your evening photographs don't have to wait until some ridiculous hour.
If your wedding is in December, for example, we can often make the most of the available daylight earlier in the day and then concentrate on the atmosphere inside once darkness falls.
What happens if it's raining?
We embrace it.
Well, perhaps not literally.
But I certainly won't be panicking if the forecast isn't looking great.
There are plenty of ways to create great photographs indoors, and if the weather gives us a short break, we'll head outside and make the most of it.
Sometimes five minutes outside in the cold can produce one of the best photographs of the day.
Then you can get back inside where it's warm.
Christmas weddings
Christmas weddings are particularly good fun.
Think:
Christmas trees
Fairy lights
Candles
Festive decorations
Mulled wine
Winter flowers
Cosy fireplaces
Guests wrapped up outside
Lots of twinkly lights
It gives the photographs a very distinctive feel and creates a record of a really special time of year.
Winter wedding photography doesn't mean standing around posing
My approach is the same whatever time of year you get married.
I'm there to photograph your day, not take it over.
I'll organise the important family and group photographs, give you some time for photographs together and then spend the rest of the day looking for the moments that happen naturally.
You don't need to be particularly good at having your photograph taken.
In fact, most people tell me they're not.
That's fine.
I'll tell you what you need to know and keep things relaxed.
Winter weddings across the North East
I'm based in County Durham and photograph winter weddings throughout County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and North Yorkshire, as well as further afield across the UK.
Whether you're planning a Christmas wedding, a small winter ceremony or a big celebration with all your friends and family, winter gives us plenty of opportunities to create something a little different.
Thinking about a winter wedding?
Don't automatically rule winter out because you're worried about the weather.
Some of my favourite wedding photographs come from days when the weather wasn't exactly behaving itself.
If you want relaxed wedding photography that captures the atmosphere, the people and all the little moments that make your wedding yours, get in touch.
And if you're still deciding which season is right for you, have a look at my spring, summer and autumn wedding photography pages too.