Statistics reveal that the most popular time of year for weddings is late spring and early summer, and the most favoured month is May, but have you ever considered getting married at Christmas?

The winter months in general and Christmas in particular, can be a very special time of year to get married and many wedding photographers prefer the light at this time of year for outside shots to the brilliant summer sunshine…or not!

What are the advantages to a Christmas wedding?

There are a surprising amount of advantages to a Christmas wedding, here are just a few to tempt you as you plan your date:-

  • Most commercial approved venues like hotels and restaurants will already be decorated for the festive season so you can cash in on this theme and enjoy a magical setting for you and your guests without any extra cost. If you are getting married just after Christmas, double check when the decorations come down as some hotels will remove them quite quickly after Boxing Day
  • Almost without exception, winter weddings are indoors so you won’t have that tremendous worry which affects all spring and summer brides – the weather! Trying to guarantee a sunny day or a dry day is impossible, but Christmas brides will be planning all their photos under cover anyway unless you get very lucky and experience some snowfall
  • Because the days are short, candlelight and outside feature lights can create a romantic and beautiful effect and if you do get lucky with some snow flurries, then there will be some amazing photo opportunities
  • If gold, silver and white are your favourite colours or you like rich crimson, dark greens and purples then this is the time of year to get married. Indulge yourself in all the colours of the season, deck the halls with holly, berries and mistletoe and choose rich fabrics like velvet and damask for table linen
  • It’s so easy to theme Christmas as that is just what everyone else is doing so sorting out wedding favours and festive style accessories won’t be a problem, in fact, you will be spoilt for choice
  • Christmas weddings are less popular so it will be easier to book popular wedding suppliers than if you were getting married in the summer

Challenges to consider

Christmas is without doubt a busy time of year both for people in general and the hospitality trade in particular so there are a few things you need to consider when making your wedding plans:-

  • Book your venue early - if you want a hotel or restaurant and especially if you want exclusive occupation then you will need to plan ahead
  • Christmas weddings have to compete with office functions and parties so dates are often booked months in advance or from one year to another, it can be easier to pick a different type of venue that is less popular in the Christmas season if you don’t want to wait
  • You might want to get married on Christmas Day or Boxing Day but you may not be able to book a Registrar for those dates so Christmas Eve might be the closest you can get
  • Christmas is a busy time of year for many people and some of your guests may choose to go on holiday either for some winter sun or a seasonal skiing trip so if there are certain key people that you definitely want to attend then check dates with them first
  • As it is party season, then you won’t get a favourable rate on venue hire, it could make all the difference if you decide to marry in November or January but it’s just not the same
  • You may be competing with rowdy office parties at some approved venues if you have booked a function room in a large hotel or leisure complex
  • Weather can be a challenge in December, particularly if you are booking a remote venue, make sure you have contingency plans in place so that guests can access the ceremony and reception if there is snowfall or heavy rain
  • Christmas can be the time of colds and flu so think carefully about a hygiene protocol and check your wedding insurance carefully for the terms and conditions pertaining to ill health and reasons for cancellation
  • If you want to decorate the room and exterior to your own tastes and don’t want the venue’s version of Christmas then you may need to negotiate or possibly book another venue that is more flexible. Most commercial premises like hotels have a standard Christmas package that they produce every year and it can be quite hard to change this, ditto with menus, if you want to avoid roast turkey and Christmas pudding
  • Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays and if they fall at a weekend then there can be extra Bank Holidays added to the calendar in lieu, this can restrict travel arrangements for those coming from near and far if they are needing to use public services or have to book flights

There is no doubt about it, Christmas is a truly magical time of year to get married but you do have to consider some key features which are peculiar to the season like the weather and the fact that Christmas is a time of celebration for just about everyone else too. Factor these in and you can create a romantic wedding to remember for you and your guests.