Everyone wants their wedding to stand out. You want your family and friends to have fond memories of the event that they can bring up and get nostalgic over for years to come after the big day. But after you’ve been to a few weddings, they can kind of blend together. It gets to the point that the only memorable things about most weddings are the accidents and disasters. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Holding your wedding off season can go a long way toward making your ceremony stand out in a good way. Plus, by embracing the magic of winter for your nuptials, you can get a host of other benefits that would not be available to you in spring or summer—the peak wedding season.

A More Affordable Wedding

Are winter weddings cheaper? Yes! Because demand for venues, musicians/DJs, officiants, flowers, and everything else you need for your wedding goes down in the off peak wedding season, they are all less expensive.

It’s no secret that many companies can and do inflate prices for their wedding related goods and services. Holding a wedding off season often results in discounts that make up for those additional charges or even exceed them!

While the cheapest month to get married can depend on where you live, there is no question that the cheapest time of year to get married is during the off season for weddings.

More Options Available to You

When trying to get a summer wedding in order, you can be limited by all the other weddings that other people want to have at the same time. If another couple picks your ideal venue on your chosen date before you, you’re out of luck.

By getting married in January or another off season month, you avoid a great deal of competition for the people and places you want to facilitate your wedding. But that’s only the start of it.

You will have more style options open to you. A winter wedding allows you to comfortably play with more layers and accessories in your wedding look. Imagine the glamorous photos you could take with opera length gloves and faux-fur stoles on your wedding party.

You can also be bolder with your makeup and hair because you won’t have to worry about the summer sun and humidity ruining the looks you painstakingly applied. 

Your wedding’s color palette will be open to more possibilities as well. If you plan your wedding near a major holiday, you can either lean into that day’s traditional colors or go with a theme that’s as far away from them as possible. With a winter landscape outside, the chances of your wedding colors clashing with the coloration of the world around you are very slim.

Getting married in February or another winter month can even open up your options for interesting plant arrangements for your big day. Many February wedding bouquets actually put greenery at the forefront instead of florals—which can look amazing in outdoor photos especially.

Essentially, from the aesthetics and fashions of the day to the places and things you and your guests will interact with, you will have more options available to you by making the simple choice to hold your wedding off season.

Happier Guests

Let’s be honest. Sitting in the hot sun while wearing a suit is unpleasant. Standing in the hot sun while wearing a tuxedo is even worse. Formal wear and hot weather are not great together. The nice thing about a winter wedding vs summer weddings for many of your guests is that it will likely be indoors with climate control.

But that isn’t the only thing that will make your guests happy when you have a wedding off season. Just as the essentials for your big day are less expensive during the off peak season, travel costs and hotel rooms for your guests will be less expensive.

And it’s more likely that your guests will be able to make it to your big day. During the summer, you have to compete with family vacations and other weddings and all sorts of conflicts that show up for your guests. Your guests face far fewer conflicts in winter, with the possible exception of holidays.

A winter marriage allows more guests to come and does not cost them as much to attend. That’s a recipe for happy wedding guests. And who knows, that happiness may translate into better gifts for you!

There is Magic in the Air

It’s easy to get caught up in the particulars of planning a wedding, but it is important to remember that winter carries a certain magic that spring and summer just don’t have. And there are a few different sources for that.

Holidays carry certain atmospheric elements that are easy to embrace when you get into a room filled with loved ones. And the thrill of possibility in the air around New Year’s Eve is tough to beat.

But even a normal day in winter has a bit of magic to it. There is something truly spectacular about looking out a window at moonlight glinting off the snow as you take a sip of a hot drink. You can’t get that kind of feeling in August.

And the magic of a winter wedding translates to your wedding photos. From photos that legitimately show the couple embracing and sharing their warmth with each other to the amazing shots you can get when snow is falling on a kissing couple—you cannot beat the feelings that radiate from winter wedding pictures.

The Honeymoon

Not everyone plans to start their honeymoon immediately after their wedding. Maybe the expense of the wedding was such that you need to save up for a while before you take that big trip to celebrate your relationship.

Of course, when you have a wedding off season, you spend less money on the ceremony and reception, so maybe you actually can take that trip right away. Plus, winter is also the off peak season for most travel destinations, so you also get a discount there.

And even though winter is undoubtedly magical, it feels great to board a plane when it’s below freezing and walk off that plane in a tropical wonderland a few hours later. Any time of year can be great for a vacation like that, but it is especially welcome in winter.

A Wedding Off Season Puts the Power in your Hands

There is nothing wrong with wanting an amazing, unforgettable wedding. The mistake lots of people make is ignoring the benefits of a winter wedding. You can have a dream venue, amazing dress, unforgettable pictures, and an amazing group of friends and family for far less money by getting married in the winter.

Holding your wedding off season gives you access to deep discounts on all the things you need for a perfect day. And if you can have cheap wedding food without sacrificing quality or selection, why wouldn’t you take that option?

A wedding in the off peak season gives you access to more high-quality goods and services at a lower price. You get a unique experience for yourself and your guests that no one will ever forget—for all the right reasons.