wedding planning
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Why more and more couples are being seduced by a winter wedding
Winter weddings have a particular atmosphere. Earlier evenings, candlelight, fireplaces, formal dressing and menus built around the rich flavours of the season all create a setting with plenty of character.
For couples considering a winter wedding, there’s a lot to explore: winter wedding flowers and foliage, candlelit tables, seasonal food and drinks, evening dressing and those smaller details that make the season part of the celebration.
At Deer Park, winter brings the house into focus. The Georgian Orangery provides the setting for dinner, while the lounge and its roaring fire offer another part of the evening.
Winter wedding flowers, foliage and styling
Winter opens up a rich mix of colour, texture and scent. Eucalyptus and rosemary bring softer greens and fragrance, while white blooms sit beautifully against deeper foliage. Think lily of the valley, anemones, white roses, hellebores, large-headed roses and pine, with fresh berries introducing flashes of colour from deep winter reds and purples to softer tones. A sprig or two of mistletoe adds a ‘kiss-me’ detail to a bouquet or somewhere unexpected around the house.
For a softer, romantic palette, pale pink roses with muted greens bring a different feel, while dried flowers are be equally at home in the season.
The scent can be just as evocative: rosemary, orange and frankincense bringing the season into the room as guests arrive and the candles begin to glow.
At the table, a runner of greens and candlelight brings the winter palette to the length of the table, with the beauty of the Georgian Orangery providing the backdrop.
Winter wedding food
Winter is a good season for a menu with depth and plenty of flavour.
Think cured salmon with dill and pickled cucumber, duck and black truffle, warm Devon Blue with sweet onion, then roast duck with root vegetables, beef Wellington or roast monkfish with crab and leek. Vegetarian dishes can take the same approach, with truffle, celeriac, confit garlic and winter greens bringing plenty of substance to the table.
Dessert is equally warming: Winter berry pudding with Devon clotted cream, creme caramel with Armagnac prunes and almond tuille, white chocolate mousse, winter berries, and vanilla sablé. Next, on to coffee and a champagne toast!
Winter wedding drinks
A seasonal guest welcome of mulled cider or a Spiced 75 starts the celebration, while Champagne keeps things classic.
Then there is the martini. Served beside the roaring fire in the lounge after dinner in the Orangery, a very good evening drink before the party.
What to wear to a winter wedding
Winter wedding dressing has its own appeal. A simple, elegant long-sleeved dress, a beautiful coat for arriving at the house, black tie for the evening. Velvet, silk, sharp tailoring, evening shoes and jewellery all have their place.
Think country house, filled with guests in black tie and evening gowns. The dress code part of the atmosphere, giving a high sense of occasion and ceremony.
A winter wedding at Deer Park
A winter wedding fits well in to a country house setting.
The Orangery and lounges at Deer Park Country House create a sequence of spaces for the celebration, from the arrival and welcome drinks through to dinner and the later part of the evening.
The Autumn/Winter wedding season runs from October to March, with seasonal food and drinks as part of the Exclusive Use package.
For couples looking for winter wedding inspiration, it’s a season that comes with plenty of possibilities: candle light, flowers and foliage, a serious dinner, evening dressing and cocktails beside the fire. Winter weddings have their own character and this is a setting that knows how to use it.
Explore Autumn/Winter Exclusive Use package
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