15 Ideas for a Winter Wedding in the Cotswolds

To create a warming winter wedding palette, it’s a good idea to embrace deep and opulent colours like burgundy, dark greens, navy, and sometimes even black.

The best thing about this season is that you can indulge your inner magpie by going big on glitter as it will look fantastic against all the dark hues. Sequin glitter dresses for your bridesmaids paired with faux fur – shawls, this will certainly capture the perfect pictures!

Metallic colours like gold, bronze, and copper also work particularly well for winter weddings, add those subtle touches with maybe your glassware, cutlery and beaded charger plates?

Here at the Manor, we allow you to decorate the venue however you wish. We have an experienced team on hand who are able to assist with ideas, as well as contacts for our recommended suppliers. We want to make sure that you get the perfect winter wedding venue of your dreams, that is decorated to perfection!

Once you have your wedding venue booked, the next step is to find your dream wedding dress or sleek tux – Arguably the most exciting part of the whole wedding experience! Nowadays there are so many options to choose from – long-sleeved wedding dresses, satin, lace, sequin to flouncy wedding dresses. Suits in deep velvet colours or a 3 piece black tie tux, there is alot to decipher in the world of wedding outfits.

But not only that, but there are also so many choices when it comes to the details – such as choosing a dress with faux fur, tulle sleeves, or a sleeveless dress with a wintery shawl to go with it. All the dress shops are your oyster and enjoy every moment of finding your perfect dress to say ‘I-Do’ too!

If you’re getting married in December, there’s an obvious winter wedding theme that you can embrace… Christmas! Plus Manor By The Lake will already be adorned in all its festive glory, meaning you can relax when it comes to the décor and make the most of the winter wedding wonderland backdrop that’s already there. From festive decorations to Christmas trees and fairy lights a-plenty throughout the manor.

Take a look at our winter wonderland wedding collections, which also include complimentary decorations for you to add to your fantastic day!

If Christmas is your theme, get creative with baubles, glitter candles, mini Christmas trees, fairy lights, and crackers. If you’re going for more of a wintry scene outside of the festive period think of wooden details, rustic touches, elegant velvet and natural textures to add warmth to the look.

Winter might not be the first season that springs to mind when you think of flowers, but you’d be surprised by how many elegant arrangements you can create at this colder time of the year, plus there’s not much chance of them wilting in the hot sun! A winter wedding can, in fact, be an opportunity to get more creative.

There are plenty of lovely flowers like roses, lilies, and freesias that are available year-round and you can also make the most of seasonal blooms like hyacinths, amaryllis, hellebores, paperwhites, and ranunculus. You can also ask your florist to add a little bit of sparkle or metallic frosting to your foliage and bouquets, for a wonderfully wintry look.

Give your guests a warm welcome to your day by serving a classic winter cocktail like a delicious mulled wine or winter punch full of fabulous spices. Maybe choose to pair it with a sweet treat too, such as mince pies. Sounds like a perfect start to your special day!

When it comes to food at a winter wedding, it’s very much a case of more the merrier. Much like at Christmas, your guests will be in the mood for warming and hearty dishes so reflect this in your menu with choices like seasonal meat, vegetables, and wholesome hot puddings. Consult with your wedding venue to ensure you create the perfect winter wedding for you, your friends, and your family!

At Manor By The Lake, we have award-winning in-house chefs who are happy to work with each and every couple to create a bespoke menu depending on what you are looking for. The chefs use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, to produce the best delicious dishes for you to enjoy.

Adding some winter cocktails to your wedding day before the ceremony or during the drinks reception can really help guests to embrace the theme of the day. A few examples include sloe gin fizzes, winter whiskey sours, gluhweins, mulled ciders, or classic snowballs.

Here at Manor by the Lake we love nothing more than discussing all your ideas and creating bespoke cocktail menus and making signature drinks reception tipples, all based on your taste, of course.

Have you considered adding a magician to your wedding, to really add that magical element to the day? Or perhaps having Father Christmas in the Manor handing out presents to the children, maybe even a snow machine?

There is so much you can include into your day, such as Christmas novelty glasses or Christmas scratch card games to keep adults and children alike entertained!