When you started your secret wedding-themed Pinterest board, setting a date may not even have been on the horizon yet (you may not even have met the man you intended to wear the white dress for yet; no judgement, we’ve all done it).
Not having a particular vision in mind meant you were free to pin absolutely everything that made you swoon; even if most of the things you loved you only loved individually and none of them would go together.
Just because you pinned a barefoot beach wedding-dress doesn’t mean you don’t still love that gorgeous ice-sculpture of the swan; but odds are you can’t reconcile the two. They’re just designed for completely different kinds of events.
Not to mention the fact that half the images you pinned and adore are from outdoor weddings, but you’ve always dreamt of a winter wedding. Sometimes you just can’t have your (wedding) cake and eat it too.
And while you can certainly try and stop an ice luge from melting in the summer sun, it’s likely to cost you time and money and probably won’t work anyway.
There are pros and cons and “must considers” for planning a wedding in any of the four seasons. In an effort to help you pare your Pinterest board, and plan for your real-world wedding where ice melts and rain falls, The Lanzerac Wine Estate is proud to present: The Essential Guide to Picking a Season in Which to Wed.
Summer Weddings
If you’ve been dreaming of a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony and being at one with nature on your special day, odds are, you should be planning a summer wedding, as this is when the weather is most likely to play along. Consider the following list of Top 5 Tips for hosting flawless summer weddings and start pinning, paring and planning accordingly:
Sun Protection Factor (SPF)
The Cape Winelands is synonymous with summer sun – with temperatures often in the high 30’s you need to consider protecting your guests from the sun (and the heat); especially when organizing an outdoor wedding. From cute miniature bottles of sunblock as a welcoming gift to decorative parasols there are 101 ways to beat the heat at a summer wedding.
Hydration Station
If you’ll be serving cocktails, wine, bubbly, or any alcoholic beverages along with your canapes, especially if your cocktail hour is outdoors on the lawn, or otherwise in the sun, it is advised that you provide your guests adequate access to non-alcoholic beverage options and enough bottled water to combat dehydration and avoid fainting spells among those who are prone to heatstroke and dehydration.
Especially now that water is getting more scarce in our country – here are “18 Practical Water Saving Tips You Can Use Every Day“.
Wildlife
When you combine outdoor summer venues and a host of foliage (such as bouquets and other floral arrangements) you’re bound to attract some of our nation’s pollinators; such as bees. If you or one of your guests or bridal party are allergic to bees, make sure you have taken appropriate measures to ensure speedy treatment in case of an emergency.
Precautions may include carrying an EpiPen, or avoiding floral arrangements all together in the case of severe allergies and thus heightened risk. You may consider a button bouquet, a feather bouquet, or any one of a number of alternative bouquets that don’t include pollen-rich materials.
Flower (staying-)power
If you can’t imagine your wedding without florals, do remember to consider the longevity of floral arrangements set out in the summer sun. When considering summer wedding venues ask in advance about additional fridge space for surplus floral arrangements; such as the throwing bouquet, so that they do not wilt during the course of the day.
Your own bouquet and the boutonnieres as well as bridesmaids’ bouquets should also be kept refrigerated until the last minute to avoid wilting blooms ruining your ceremony photographs. Choosing hardy summer blooms, especially indigenous fynbos flowers (such a proteas) and some succulents, can also help combat wilting.
Backup Plan
You may have big dreams about an outdoor summer wedding but the weather may have a different idea on the big day; we hate it, but it happens, sometimes we experience summer rainfall and you should ideally be looking for a summer wedding venue with both outdoor and indoor locations for both your ceremony and your reception just in case the weather decides at number 99 not to play along.
Autumn Weddings
Planning an autumn wedding can be a fantastic choice for those whose Pinterest boards and dreams are dominated by fall colours (including reds, oranges, and yellows), for those who hate the summer sun, for those who dream of outdoor weddings in regions that experience summer rainfall but dry autumns, and for those who want to save on vendor costs! Its also important to increase your productivity while planning your big day, because it can be a lot of work.
Top 5 reasons we’re ‘fall’-ing for autumn weddings:
Fallen leaves on the ground
Not just a lyric, autumn leaves make a stunning backdrop for wedding portraiture – whether in front of trees decked out in all their autumn, fiery finery, or atop a blanket of fallen leaves; autumn offers the expert photographer endless opportunities for adventure, and breath-taking feats of photography.
Colour me crazy-for-autumn
As with the above; an autumn wedding basically comes fully equipped with nature’s finest colour scheme! Keep things jewel-toned with lots of warm reds, oranges, and yellows, with pops of plum and emerald for a true autumn paradise.
Floral frenzy
The flowers that bloom in autumn are absolutely gorgeous! Planning an autumn wedding means you can take full advantage of autumn florals and craft a breath-taking, seasonally unique bouquet: think Dahlias, Proteas, Cymbidium Orchids…
Baby, it’s cold outside…but just cold enough
A traditional ball gown style wedding dress has a million layers (just about), and wearing one is like wearing an enormously fashionable snowsuit – it gets hot in there! If wearing a dress in the height of summer sounds like cruel and unusual punishment; you might be glad for a little autumn nip in the air come your wedding day.
Saving money in the off seasons…
Planning an autumn wedding means planning outside peak wedding season which usually means big savings on suppliers!
Winter Weddings
There is nothing more beautiful than a winter winelands wonderland!
If you’re the kind of bride who has her heart set on a winter wedding, we doubt you need any convincing.
But if you’ve been heartbroken to discover that the venue of your dreams is booked solid for the next three summers in a row, why not consider a winter wedding instead?
Apart from the gorgeous, moody colour schemes, faux-fur details and opportunities to wear big, stunning ball gowns that summer brides would absolutely melt in, there are 101 practical reasons to opt in for a winter wedding in the Cape Winelands:
Money, money, money
Many wedding venues have peak-season prices and winter package prices can be significantly reduced during this time! By opting to host a winter wonderland wedding you can save big bucks on venue!
It is also the optimal time of year to score savings in negotiations with other vendors who will be involved in your big day.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Venues in the Cape Winelands are purpose-built to banish the winter blues – when considering a wedding venue take note of the little extras that really make a winter wedding all the more beautiful.
With a summer wedding you may find yourself considering spending extra money on flowers to lay atop the mantle, you may find yourself considering ways to cover up the fireplace, but in winter…with a roaring fire…a few candles atop the mantle…instant atmosphere!
Baby, it’s really cold outside…
But that doesn’t need to be a bad thing!
Dramatic, stormy grey skies make for stunning wedding photographs!
Knowing you’ll be getting married in winter also means you won’t need to worry about checking the long term weather forecasts and panicking like summer/autumn/spring brides who are planning festivities outdoors – keep an eye out for wedding venues that have beautiful indoor ceremony locations like wine cellars!
A Spring Wedding
Ah, spring… what is more beautiful than fresh blooms?
What better season in which to embark upon your new journey together as spouses than the season of new beginnings, of rebirth, and of promises fulfilled? Spring is the happy middle-ground between melting in the summer sun, and shivering in the autumn air.
Spring calls for florals, sparkles, pastels or brights. Spring calls for fun, friends and laughter. If your Pinterest board is overrun by images of cotton candy-coloured bridesmaids, and flower crowns, consider getting married in spring.
Things to keep in mind when planning a spring wedding, may include:
Pick a Picnic
Spring is the ideal to season to provide relaxed dining options at your wedding! Whether you opt for an informal picnic, hiring food-trucks, or going all out and having your very own outdoor carnival-weekend wedding, spring lets you get away with just about anything!
It’s also the ideal time of year to offer raw food options at your wedding, like a variety of gorgeous and delicious cold salads. While winter weddings demand a hot meal, and summer weddings demand a break from the heat, a spring wedding means you can serve all your favourite foods!
Pro Tip: If a picnic wedding strikes you as right up your alley, it is important to remember that older guests may not be comfortable on the floor, or may have trouble getting up and down, so remember to provide adequate seating at picnic tables or on hay bales!
Honeymoon in full bloom
If you are planning to honeymoon in the same hemisphere, getting married in spring means you can plan a FABULOUS beach or other warm weather honeymoon!
On the flipside, if you’ve always dreamed of a warm weather wedding day, and a snuggle-up-by-the-fireside kind of honeymoon, getting married in spring and honeymooning in the opposite hemisphere allows you to experience the colder temperatures in your honeymoon destination without going abroad in the height of winter and risking having your travel plans (and even your safety!) threatened by snow and/or other bad weather systems.
Flower child
If you’ve always been the girl with the flowers in her hair, and/or if florals and floral décor are a big part of what you have always envisaged for your wedding day, planning a spring wedding means you will have the widest variety of blooms to choose from, and at the lowest prices!
In particular, peonies, a very popular flower used in wedding bouquets and other floral arrangements, is a very finicky flower available only for a handful of months in the year, and they are in full bloom during spring! If peonies are a non-negotiable, congratulations! You just decided to have a spring wedding!
Pro Tip: If you are going to have your bridesmaids wear flower crowns, first make sure that nobody has a pollen allergy! Or, if they do, and they are willing to, remind them to take an antihistamine beforehand, and carry extras for later in the day! Weeping, red and itchy eyes are not comfortable or what you want in your wedding pictures!
No matter what your weather-preference, at the end of the day, we are all at mother nature’s mercy, so it pays to have a backup plan. When all is said and done, if you and your partner end up married and have a good time, nobody can say that anything went wrong on your wedding day.
Plan for every eventuality if you are that way inclined but remember to relax and let it be on your dream day. If it rains, embrace it. Dance in the rain, strike a pose with a novelty umbrella, rock some Hunters under your gown. There is no problem that cannot be solved if you keep an open mind!
Remember, be true to you and your tastes as a couple on your big day – there are 101 reasons to get married in each of the four seasons, but none of those reasons matter if that’s not the right season for you. You know yourself. No matter how much you love those beach wedding photographs, if you’ve never liked the beach before, you won’t enjoy your wedding and it will show.
Wedding photographers are good, but they can’t suddenly make you enjoy the feeling of sand between your toes. Search your soul and find what sets it on fire, do the reading, do the research, consult the budget, and go from there. We hope your big day is filled with love, light and laughter.
More Inspiration For Seasonal Weddings:
The Pros and Cons of Each Wedding Season – Bridal Guide
Wedding Themes for Every Season – Bridal Guide
Wedding Flowers Ideas – Blank Canvas
A Wedding Guide For Every Season – Bride Box
Seasonal Weddings – Martha Stewart Weddings
The Ultimate 12 Month Wedding Planning Checklist – The Aleit Group
Wedding Events Management – The Aleit Academy
