In part 1 of this series, I discussed, briefly, some winter wedding spots in Southern California. What I’d like to do now is briefly discuss some winter wedding favors as well as colors you may use for a winter wedding. You’re probably asking what does this have to do with wedding photography, well, a lot actually. You see, your photographer will be responsible for capturing your wedding day and if you are planning on having a winter wedding then there are some things that make it a unique wedding, like the favors and colors. Your photographer needs to be able to capture these and this is why I am providing some suggestions for them.
If you’re hosting a winter wedding, then you’ll want to seek out winter wedding favors, which by the way, if you’re looking for suppliers online, try this wedding favor site: MyWeddingFavors.com or type the keywords “winter wedding favors” or “Christmas wedding favors.” in to a search engine. You’ll be surprised at the amount of online weddings stores that offer these items. Note: You can try the advertiser on my site to the right side of this page
Some suggested winter favors may include:
- snowflake photo coasters,
- snowflake place card holders,
- hanging picture frames,
- snow globes,
- silver bells,
- and holiday cookies.
By displaying these favors, it provides many great opportunities for your wedding photographer and videographer to capture the elements of the this unique wedding day; so when family and friends look at your albums they will get a sense that you actually had a winter wedding.
Colors
With winter, comes the winter color pallet. While it’s suggested that the bride wear white, the groom may also want to wear a white tuxedo as well to keep within the “snow” feel of winter. Additional winter colors that can be incorporated in to your winter wedding theme are
- gold,
- white,
- soft gray,
- silver,
- light blue,
- red (pinks), or
- green.
These colors can be used through-out your decorations and even as colors for your bridesmaids’ dresses. For additional color ideas, think of nature’s offerings during the season: berries, holly leaves, pine cones, eucalyptus, snow and ice. Use colors from nature to accent your occasion.
In my next post, I’ll talk about winter wedding photography opportunities.
I decided to write a four part series for winter weddings in Southern California. Actually, I have given the topic it’s own category and hope to add to the category on a regular basis. but for now, I’ll write the 4 parts to this series over the week – The general introduction (this post, favors and colors, photography opportunities, and finally a list of tips for your winter wedding. I’ll be adding various other articles and perhaps some key wedding venues that may be of interest to brides seeking a winter wedding location in Southern California.
Winter weddings in Southern California almost sounds like an oxymoron. After all, the mere name, Southern California, conjures up images of sunny warm weather. However, despite popular belief, we do have a winter in Southern California, regardless of the lack of snowfall in the local mountains or sub-freezing temperatures like the east coast. Brides seeking to fulfill their childhood fantasy of a winter wonderland wedding are not left out in the cold in Southern California, especially the past few weeks as we have seen snow fall at low elevations and a drop in temperatures one could associate with winter in Northern California.
Southern California has some of the nations best weather and with its mild winters (average temperature in the mid to upper 60’s in the months of December) it’s no wonder California is host to the majority of U.S. weddings as well as destination weddings with bookings well over 213,000 in 2006 according to The Wedding Report. So while Jack Frost spends most of his time chilling the north and north east, California brides can rest assured that they too can have a piece of the frost for their wedding. To ensure that you capture the most of your winter wedding, Southern California Wedding Photography has put together a suggestion list (over 4 parts) of what you may want to consider when planning your winter wedding.
Winter Wedding Locations – Southern California
While the beach tends to be a popular spot for weddings in California, if you’re seeking a more traditional look and feel for your winter wedding, we suggest a wedding venue that may lend itself to more of a winter theme. By doing so, it provides the backdrop for stunning photographs and video that will remind you of your well planned event. One suggestion may be to get married in a small chapel, especially one in the local San Bernardino mountains, with communities such as Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead (I’ll be doing a few blog posts on Big Bear in a few weeks. First I have to make it up there in all of the current snow). Another suggestion would be the woods. This can provide for a stunning photo or video backdrop because wooded areas and lakes tend to remind people of the north and hence, winter.
You’ll also find that many Bed and Breakfasts, such as the Christmas House in Rancho Cucamonga, offer a themed Christmas wedding environment. Completely decorated with a Christmas tree, ornaments, and the coziness you would find if you where at home. If you’re not opposed to having a “Christmas” wedding, then nothing screams winter louder than a Christmas theme.
But in the end, the location is only part of the overall feel for your winter wedding. You can certainly hold your wedding in a private residence and still capture the charm and warmth of winter. Your wedding favors and colors will determine a big part of your winter wonderland wedding momories. I’ll make note of both favors and colors in part 2 of this series tomorrow.
About the Photo in this post: The main photo in this post was taken at the Christmas House in Rancho Cucamonga. I used a remote Nikon SB800 flash mounted on a tripod off to the left side. The flash had a amber filter over it, this provided for an overall warm feeling to the photo. The camera was mounted on a tripod and set at 2.8 1/30th of a second. The iso was not recorded. The photo depicts a cold, winter environment with its dark clouds, but the warmth of the lighting gives it an overall cozy feel.
This weeks engagement photography location takes us to Oceanside pier in San Diego County. The pier is one of the longest wooden pier’s on the west
Engagement Photography on Oceanside Pier
coast and provides a great photo opportunity for couples interested in having their engagement photos taken on a pier. In addition to photographing on the pier, there are opportunities to capture images under the pier as well, next to the rocks which are located just underneath the structure.
On this particular engagement photo shoot, the couple where hoping to capture a shot of them silhouetted against a setting sun. Unfortunately, trying to capture the shot proved to be futile as there was heavy cloud coverage, something you may expect if you are planning a photo shoot in the Oceanside or San Diego beach areas. The photo I selected to showcase in this post is perhaps one of my favorites due to the intermittent lighting of the sun dodging the clouds. It provided for some great shadows in the foreground and using a mauve filter on the camera, I was able to add a little color to an otherwise gray sky.
It does appear as though the couple are the only two people on the pier, however, the opposite is true. We just waited where there where no pedestrians in the shot. Otherwise, the pier and beach where crowded, even though it was overcast and cold. When working in busy environments, one bit of advice I have for both the photographer and couple is to be patient. The end reslt can yeild an image you free of people, unless of course you are wanting to add the foot traffic as ambiance to your photo.
I’ve included a few additional images, sans the couple, of the day and one of the evening from the same photo shoot.
The pier is located off of 3rd street in Oceanside. Take plenty of change for the parking meters. If you plan on taking a change of clothes – as I recommend to my couples so we get a variety of photos – they do have restrooms on the pier. And if you get hungry, Ruby’s Restaurant is at the end of the pier.
For additional information, you may want to check this site out.
I’ve added a few additional images, not of the engaged couple, but just some fun images of the ocean. The image of the boat in the water was taken to the north of the pier about the same time the image of the couple above was (the clouds where rolling in fast). And the image of the coastline was taken on the pier looking south in the evening.
Image photographed off of the Oceanside Pier looking north
Image of Oceanside coastline at night. Photo taken off of the Oceanside Pier looking south.
