Hi, I'm Sarah!
I love being able to document the raw emotions and excitement of a wedding day and take pride in delivering stunning images that my couples will cherish for a lifetime.
I create a calm and relaxed atmosphere for my clients, ensuring that they feel at ease and enjoy every moment of their day.
Although I'm based in Hertford, I'm not just a Hertfordshire Wedding Photographer. I can travel all over the UK (and beyond) for your Wedding!
PLANNING YOUR PERFECT WINTER WEDDING
Winter is a wonderful time of year to plan a wedding and can have a real wow-factor! There is something quite magical and romantic about the colder months of the year that make it perfect time to get married. The days are short and cold, so think fur wraps, grand fireplaces, warm drinks and a great party atmosphere!
There are some things to consider when planning your winter wedding, so read on for my top tips to make the most of your winter wedding day.
Here are my 6 winter wedding tips to keep in mind when planning your day:
Winter wedding tip # 1
Consider the weather!
Winter weather can be very unpredictable, with high chances of rain - maybe even snow - along with slippery ice or strong winds, so please be prepared in case of bad weather on your winter wedding day.
Ensure you have large cosy indoor areas available for your wedding photos in case you can't get any outside.
If extreme weather is forecast, remind your guests to allow extra time for their journeys and keep them informed of any changes due to bad weather. Check travel plans with key suppliers.
It's a good precaution to invest in Wedding insurance - just in case!
Winter wedding tip # 2
Make sure to leave enough daylight for wedding portraits!
In the depths of winter the sun sets as early as 4pm, meaning fewer daylight hours for your wedding photographs! If you're planning a winter wedding, consider having your wedding ceremony earlier in the day to make the most of the natural light. Work with your photographer and wedding planner in advance to ensure that you have time for your photos between the ceremony and wedding breakfast before the light fades, but also plan an area for indoor photos if the light or the weather make outdoor pictures impossible.
Read more about planning your wedding timeline here.
Think carefully about the shots you definitely want to be outdoors and prioritise those. If you only have an hour or so of light left after your ceremony, I suggest that you do the confetti shot and whole group photo immediately and then focus on some couple portraits. The other smaller group photos are much easier to do later on in a cosy area inside.
Ensure that you choose a photographer with experience of flash photography, rather than one who is just a natural light photographer, in case you're not able to have your photos outside. Ask to see wedding galleries they've taken at a similar time of year.
Consider doing some group shots before the ceremony to maximise time and natural light. If you can plan to be ready a little bit early it can be lovely to get some wedding party and family groups before your ceremony.
You could also break with tradition and consider a 'first look' before the ceremony to have a chance to take some portraits together in good light.
A benefit of those long, dark nights is that it’s much easier to get your guests on to the dancefloor – no matter how amazing your band and DJ are, you will struggle to get a full dancefloor when it’s still light outside. Winter Weddings are perfect to get your guests dancing all night long.
Winter wedding tip # 3
Choose a venue with enough space.
As the majority of your day is likely to take place inside during a winter wedding, it is important to choose a wedding venue with plenty of space. It is a good idea to visit your venue at the right time of year, to give you a good feel of how it will look at that time of year, and do ask the wedding co-ordinator about their bad weather back-up plans. Do they allow confetti inside?
Some venues are marketed as 'summer venues' and focus on their outside space, but if the weather isn't on your side and you're forced to move indoors things can feel a little cramped.
This is a particular consideration for your drinks reception, when you are usually required to leave the ceremony room while it gets redressed for the wedding breakfast (and again after the wedding breakfast while it is cleared, ready for the dancefloor), so if the weather isn't good enough for guests to be outside, then there needs to be a spacious inside area for your guests to be comfortable during this time.
As mentioned in tip #2, think about the probability of some of your more formal wedding photos being indoors due to poor light or bad weather, so be sure to choose a wedding venue with enough room to accommodate inside larger group photos too.
Winter wedding tip # 4
Draw on the wintery season for inspiration
A winter wedding is an excuse for everyone to embrace the glitz and glamour of the season and really add some sparkle to your day. Sequin dresses, sparkly accessories and smart black ties make the ideal dress code for a winter wedding.
Take inspiration from the season's icy hues of white, silver and blue for your winter wedding theme. Incorporate crystal and glass into your décor for some frosty sparkle.
Or embrace the Christmas theme with rich reds, greens and gold. Add pinecones or berries as a pop of colour to your bouquet or other wedding décor. Often large wedding venues will be decorated for Christmas throughout December, so use it to your advantage for some ready-made backdrops!
Add in lots of candles or twinkly fairy lights to enhance the warm, cosy vibe and add interest to dark areas. Fairy lights behind the top table create a wonderful effect for the speech photographs.
Although coloured uplighters seem to be very on trend, I would avoid using too many since they can cause unusual colour casts on people's faces. Similarly, those red-toned heaters often used in churches or barns can give skin tones an unpleasant orange glow. If the heaters need to be used to warm up the space, ask that they be turned on early enough to heat the building and turned off just before the ceremony begins.
Winter wedding tip # 5
Keep cosy!
If you're planning a winter wedding you'll want to add in a few ways to ensure your guests stay warm and cosy. Choose a venue with plenty of warm areas - maybe even a real fire! Perhaps you could provide a hot cocoa or mulled wine station.
Remind guests to bring along a jacket or shawl if you're planning outdoor photos. Keep your bridesmaids warm by incorporating a wrap or funky jacket into their outfit.
You could think about adding a lovely jacket or faux fur short coat or wrap to your own wedding look! You don't need to wear it all day, but it adds an interesting extra dimension to some of your wedding photos if you choose to wear an extra layer in some of them.
Winter wedding tip # 6
Embrace the darkness and the weather!
Don’t worry about your dress getting dirty - you're only going to wear it once - it’s so much fun to embrace your wedding day no matter what the weather. You can still get some incredible photos outside in winter, even in the rain or snow. For a more in-depth look at preparing for rain, have a look at my rainy wedding day blog here!
Invest in a couple of clear umbrellas and a change of footwear so your feet stay warm and dry. Add a thick coat or fur wrap for some cosy outdoor photos.
It is also worth noting that golden hour still happens in winter and there can be incredible sunsets! Check out what time the sun will set on your wedding day and see if you can plan in 10-15 minutes to capture some golden hour magic!
You can still create some spectacular photos after it gets dark in winter. You could opt for sparkler photos or we can just do a few couple portraits in front of some dramatic backdrops.
"Exactly what we wanted!
We got our photos from Sarah today (only 10 days after our wedding!) and they were absolutely amazing. Sarah really listened to what we wanted and took this on board on the day. The style is exactly what we pictured and we can’t wait to get some printed for our albums, frames and wall hanging. Thanks so much Sarah! Highly recommend!"
Hollie
I hope these tips help you to make the most of your day if you're planning a winter wedding.
If you're still looking for a photographer to capture your winter wedding please get in touch. I'd love to chat!
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