Six Stylish Same-Sex Winter Weddings

Nothing quite like a hearty fire, a chunky-knit polo neck and the rich, harmonious fragrance of pine mixed with cinnamon and clove, spells cosy Christmas; that and, possibly the addition of a negroni. Yes indeedy, for many the favourite time of year is when the temperature gauge falls to freezing which is perhaps why so many people get engaged over Christmas… and others get married. If you’re a fan of the big winter freeze, bare trees and romantic white snowscapes, this post is for you. Six same-sex winter weddings with detaling you’ll love.

Anthony and Nicholas

Venue: Asylum, and One Friendly Place, London
Photography: Claire Penn Photography

Anthony and Nicholas married in early January. Embracing the bleak midwinter beauty, they married in the stripped-down naked Asylum, London – the bombed former chapel that’s unforgettably romantic in its history and architecture. They dressed warm, wearing traditional tweed suits, transported their champagne-sipping guests to their reception venue (formerly a spice warehouse) in vintage London buses where they served mulled juice and negronis, and posed for photos against a corrugated fence, before dancing into the wee hours to ’80s classics.

Details we love: the tweed suits, the festive green socks, the vinyl invitations, the cassette tape place-cards and the take-me-home cartoon portraits of guests.

Katie and Shanaka

Venue: Hocking Hills Dining Lounge, Columbus
Photography: Amy Ann Photography

Katie and Shanaka married on Boxing Day. Embracing the wintry theme and Uggs to the ready, they got ready in a log cabin and, after the rain caused them to abandon their plans of marrying in Ash Cave, they headed straight to their reception venue – Hocking Hills Dining Lounge, where they married in front of a blazing fire at Hocking Hills Dining Lounge, with their four children and 20 guests cheering them on.

Details we love: the rainbow blanket to keep them warm; red berry, pine cone and silver detailing throughout.

Robyn and Michelle

Venue: Gallery 1080, Chicago
Photographer: erinhoytphotography.com

It might have been close to freezing outside, but Robyn and Michelle made sure it was anything but inside at their warehouse wedding, incorporating a staggering 400 candles at varying heights right the way through the venue and giving bridal party members soft tartan stoles to wrap up in. They ate warming ‘comfort’ food – barbecued chicken and salmon with green beans and sweet potato fries; and had a fabulous rainbow wedding cake.

Details we love: the pine bouquet and scenting of the venue with fresh pine, the tartan stoles, the fir-tree place-settings, the personalised festive-red cranberry cocktails, the collection of family wedding photos through the ages by their guest book, and the ‘bringing the outdoors in’ snowy winter-wall projection.

Lucio and Chris

Venue: Lake Garda, Italy
Photographer: Alberto e Alessandra

Held in Italy at a beautiful beachfront restaurant on Lake Garda, Lucio and Chris very much made their wedding their own. Wearing tailored suits, they arrived to their venue in a boat where they were greeted by a warm round of applause from friends and family. The emotion, captured so earnestly by Alberto e Alessandra, is palpable. As is the cold. They even wore their coats during the ceremony. Stilted entertainers handed up gold and ice-white balloons, rice mixed with white petals was thrown as confetti, ‘ice’ covered pine, cones, ivy, candles and baubles all enhanced the magic and setting of their winter theme.

Details we love: the ivy-strewn accordion, which pays homage to their Italian setting, the ‘ice’ flake detailing that appears everywhere, and the soloist’s illuminated bow and violin.

Megan and Mikayla

Venue: The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, Sierra Nevada, USA
Photographer: Katy Weaver

Nothing says winter quite like a thick blanket of snow, and that’s exactly what Megan and Mikayla got when they married at Lake Tahoe in Sierra Nevada. And, beneath their lace-covered dresses, they wore snug white snowboots and kept their shoulders warm with faux fur shrugs. Their ceremony was held outside in the snow, underneath a gorgeous bare-branch arbour festooned with glass baubles, lit with candles. Warmth came in the form of heat lamps, an enormous glass-covered outdoor fire, and cocktails; plenty of cocktails. Inside tables were lit atmospherically and laid beautifully with white and peach floral centrepieces, snow white linen and glass and Scandinavian style wooden tealights.

Details we love: the snowboots, the red and white contrasting, the pale peach bouquets, and the icicle-esque glass bauble wedding arbour, and the snow-flake wedding cake.

Donovan and Santini

Venue: Utah mountains
Wedding planner: Colin Cowie
Photographer: Annie McElwain

Slickly styled from foot to summit, Donovan and Santini’s black-tie/white dress wedding made sure that everything – including their guests-ware – complemented their mountain wedding theme in Utah. With men dressed in black tuxedos and women in snowy white, they could be sure that their wedding photographs would look as elegant and dramatic as a Hollywood film against the tall firs and white capped peaks of their backdrop. Inside, the wintry theme continued, with reindeer antler chandeliers, crisp white linen, white candles in tall holders of contrasting heights, white floral table decorations and pale wood cuts reminiscent of a single antler, placed on each table setting.

Details we love: the armchairs by the fire pits, the elevation of the Veuve Clicquot, the transparent reception chairs and the silvery greys, snow white and ice-crystal clear colourways.