9 Reasons to consider a winter wedding.

Winter weddings. Have you considered one? Sometimes thinking outside the box can bring big advantages – and savings. Brides typically choose a wedding date during warmer months. Winter weddings are becoming more popular – and with good reason.

Here are 11 amazing reasons winter weddings are so great!

1. Better Pricing

There are typical go-to days and times of year for weddings. May, June, September, and October are the most popular months. Saturday is the day of the week most brides desire.

Day of the Week

Did you know that you can realize tremendous savings by booking your wedding on a different day of the week other than Saturday? At Sycamore Creek Ranch, our Sunday and weekday rates offer significant savings for every bride.

Time of Year

As you search for a venue, always ask about off-season rates. Our off-season rates (January - March) provide even bigger savings for brides dreaming of a wedding at Sycamore Creek. Bottom-line: Winter weddings at the ranch leave more money in your pocket for the personal details.

2. Venue Availability

Brides have booked their weddings with us as far as two years in advance. This means high season dates go very quickly. Winter weddings give you more available date options at the venue you want to book with.

3. Vendor Availability

Wedding vendors are very busy during Fall and Spring as dates during those months typically book out very quickly. With fewer events scheduled during the winter, vendors will have more open dates and will be able to give you more attention during those chilly months.

4. More Affordable Honeymoon Travel

A winter wedding allows you to take advantage of off-season pricing for travel too. Think of the places you could go! Prices during winter holidays are an exception as they will likely be higher.

5. Weather 

There are no worries about wind, rain, or humidity – and no last-minute changes or decisions about moving an outdoor ceremony indoors because of the weather. You can rest easy because everything is planned for an indoor event.

6. Ambiance Inside the Heartwood Barn Event Venue

If you’re hosting an indoor wedding, there’s no better place than the Heartwood Barn at Sycamore Creek. We can tell you for a fact that a winter wedding inside our majestic timber frame barn is truly magical! The 30-foot ceilings, large beams, vintage lighting, and warmth of the aged wood create a cozy, beautiful ambiance for any winter event. And brides have complimentary access to our mobile hand-crafted arbor made of rough-hewn timbers for their ceremony.

The Heartwood Barn is not an old animal barn with big gaps between the wood allowing cold air to blow through. It was designed and built with the highest quality custom craftsmanship to serve specifically as an event venue. The inclusion of central heat, radiant floor heating, and insulation means the venue stays nice and warm during winter events.

There are many ceremony/reception layout options for winter weddings inside the Heartwood Barn. The large size of the venue offers wonderful benefits when it comes to floor plans. Options include a long aisle down the middle of the barn, dinner theater seating, or a combination of the two. For larger weddings, pre-prepped and decorated reception tables can be placed in a tent where they’re ready to go when it’s time to flip from ceremony to reception. During the flip, guests can move to the covered porch to enjoy refreshments where mobile heaters keep them warm. Another option is for guests to move to a new heated building at The Gathering Place for cocktail hour while the Heartwood Barn is reset for the reception.

7. Non-Traditional Floral and Decor

Everything about a winter wedding is unique and will make your wedding memorable in comparison with the overabundance of warm-weather weddings.

• Color palettes inspired by the season are more varied and create an enchanting vibe.

• Natural elements work so well in this theme. Pine cones in your tablescape and birch logs holding place cards evoke a winter woodland feel.

• You can incorporate a variety of luxurious textures from velvet table linens to tweed blazers.

• Create pure winter magic by wrapping evergreen trees in white fairy lights!

• Want to save money? Capture the beauty of the season by using lots of wintry evergreens in your decor instead of expensive florals.

Trust us! You will have so much fun utilizing winter elements as you design a winter wedding.

8. Seasonal Elements Make Winter Weddings Stand Out

• With a frosty winter wedding you have the ability to play with some bold makeup colors.

• Bring on the cozy by lighting the fire pits and roasting marshmallows for s’mores.

• Fur stoles and luxuriant ivory sweaters add a festive touch.

• Who doesn’t love the dramatic flair of a wedding dress with long sleeves.

• What other time of year gives you so many great options for drinks? Serve spiced cider or mulled wine as guests arrive – or hire a local coffee shop to set up a mobile coffee service.

• A hot chocolate bar will also set your event apart as it warms your guests from the inside out.

• Use blankets to make your guests feel warm and cozy! Place blankets in baskets at the fire pit or drape them over chairs at your reception.

9. Guest Availability

During wedding’s high season, your invited guests may have several other weddings on the same date – or in the same month. Hosting a winter wedding will make it possible for more of your guests to attend. There will be fewer conflicting engagements during the off season and your friends/family won’t have to make decisions based on finances. During high season, traveling and buying gifts for multiple weddings can be a financial strain.

For all these reasons and more, winter weddings are a big win!