In the perfect setting, winter holds a special wonder all its own. The twinkling snow and blanketed atmosphere can make everything seem dreamy. This, and the cheaper cost, is why many brides choose winter for their wedding instead of the customary spring ceremony. As with every season, there are great wedding theme ideas you can use to help really flesh out the winter wedding of your dreams.

ICE QUEEN

Use lots of crystals and silver to create that stunning ice queen feel for your wedding. Use a white wedding cake with dangling, clear crystals. Use tons of crystals and white flowers as a bouquet and decorations.

Try to find as much clear, crystal looking decor as possible, including chairs, tables, flatware, and dishes. Think about using tiny, icicle-looking lights to hang from the walls and ceiling. The wedding wardrobe should consist of luxurious silk, velvet, and fur. Remember, you’re royalty, so keep everything looking as fabulous as you.

SNOWY FIELDS

Bring the winter atmosphere indoors without having to worry about dealing with the cold. The wedding colors should stick with white and/or silver. Use craft stuffing to create snow all over everything. Spray snow can frost the windows, and white carpets can blanket the aisle. Use glittering snowflake lights or decorations to hang from the ceiling and walls.

Your cake and wedding invitations can look like a snow fort, snowman, snowflake, or a snowball. Music can cover the many winter-themed songs, or just use regular music on a “snow” covered dance floor.

VICTORIAN

Victorians had a very distinctive look, regardless if it’s summer, spring, fall or winter. So regardless of when your wedding takes place, you can also incorporate a Victorian theme. Try using a traditional Victorian caroling party as your guide, or go with a more pioneer-spirited winter barn dance.

Either way, you’ll need some warm, likely velvet and fur, Victorian clothes. Remember that historical weddings need more money for garments, since things usually need to be elaborate re-creations.

RUSSIAN

If there are two things the Russian culture knows about, it’s throwing parties and dealing with snow! Invoke a more indulgent age and tweak the Victorian theme by modeling your wedding theme after the styles of Tsarist Russia.

Or think about the amazing wood and painting done by peasants and decorate with that colorful style. Provide well-known Russian food and drinks, and think about using assorted Russian folk music for the reception.

NORDIC

If you want a little cabin charm added to your wedding, why not try a Nordic theme? Think about recreating that distinctive look of a Swiss chalet. Old fashion snow shoes, wooden skis, warm fires and fur rugs.

The bride and groom can go formal with fur or stay casual with ski outfits. White walls with wood edging should be easy to recreate with paper and/or plastic. If you want to really go all out, ditch the chalet and make everyone attend the wedding on skis!

ANIMAL

Those cold-weather animals have a warm place in many people’s hearts, so why not show your love by using them in your wedding theme. Cute penguins can adorn your invitations, tables, or even cake. Try ice sculptures of polar bears or seals.

You could also have the chairs decorated like toy polar bears, penguins or seals. The best thing about this type of theme is that you don’t have to worry about the men’s outfits. A basic wedding tux makes a man look like a big penguin anyway.

If you are a hard-core animal lover, you can even do the entire theme about endangered animals and ask for donations to your favorite charity as wedding gifts. Invitations can come from an animal charity and include general wildlife information as well as wedding stuff. It’s your wedding, so make it a cause if that’s what’s important to you.

HOLIDAY

If you love to celebrate the holidays, maybe you should think about involving a specific holiday into your wedding theme. It doesn’t matter what your heritage is, a winter wedding can also be Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, or even winter solstice inspired.

Use the usual symbols and colors of the holiday as a subtle undertone for the wedding. Every holiday has its own traditional decoration, food, and music, so the reception should be easy to figure out.

OUTDOOR

If you do decide on an outdoor wedding, remember to warn everyone that they’ll need to dress warm. Consider a fur hood instead of the typical veil and a decorated fur muff instead of the traditional bouquet. Use a canopy to help keep snow off the seats and aisle. It’s best not to have the wedding in an actual field of snow, but rather in a protected area with raised ground to prevent problems.

Think about serving hot food for the reception and have plenty of coffee, tea and hot chocolate available at all times. Winter weddings are unpredictable because of the weather, so make sure you have a team of people with snow shovels ready to clear your ceremony and reception area in case of a storm.