So, I'm a winter gal. I'll admit it. Give me warm heavy blankets, fresh crisp air and sparkling snow on the ground any day. Most people in Ontario are like, what-the-what, who likes winter? In Ontario? But I do and I also think it's one of the best months to get married in. Sure, summer weddings have their perks. The flowers are abundant, the sun is usually shining and late-night cocktail parties or campfire weddings are always so much fun. But winter weddings have some major bonuses, and if you're here, you probably either already agree or you are wondering what the heck I'm talking about. So without further ado, here are my Top 5 Reasons why you should consider having a Winter Wedding.

We are Award Winning Winter Wedding Experts! Contact us today to find out more about our
off-season wedding discount!

We placed 12th in the Professional Wedding Photographers of Canada Competition - Spring EditionWe placed 12th in the Professional Wedding Photographers of Canada Competition - Spring Edition
 

1. The Weather

It hardly ever pours rain in winter. Pouring snow (is that such a thing?) is so much prettier. And Mike, the owner and Lead Photographer here at Zekar Photography, gets really super excited when it snows on our couples wedding days. He's gotten some of the coolest (pun intended) shots he's ever taken in the middle of a snowstorm. See these two chickadees? They were totally into our surprisingly snowy shoot that day. 

It's also not so insanely hot that everyone and everything is melting. Your makeup will stay in place, your groom will not get woozy due to being in a suit in 35 degree weather and you can totally wear long johns under your dress. Actually, wouldn't that be hilarious to surprise your groom when he goes in for that garter at the end of the night? 

If you're worried about snowstorms and such, we recently did a wedding this past February and the day of the wedding was actually being called Snowmageddon. It snowed all the snow for the whole winter, on one day. All at once.

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So everything ran quite a bit behind schedule (we're talking hours) and it was absolutely nobody's fault. So Mike offered to take this couple out on a separate day to get their wedding portraits done at no cost. We will always try and offer that if the wedding day gets sidetracked by things that are way out of anyone's control like that. The bride was so, so grateful for Mike's calm and optimistic demeanor that day, because man, that weather was a nail biter. It just goes to show how our 8 years of experience in the industry can make a big difference on your big day. And in all of our years of doing weddings, that was the only time we've ever actually had to do that. Weather things just seem to work out for the better somehow!
 

2. It's So Romantic

It really is! When you're hot, you kind of want to stick to high fives and dropping ice cubes down the backs of eachothers clothing. But when you're cold, there's not much else to do but snuggle right up and keep eachother warm. I'm thinking faux fir stoles, beautiful evergreen and cranberry bouquet creations and twinkly lights and candlelight as far as the eye can see. You could give hot chocolate kits as favours or even mistletoe Christmas ornaments, if you're into that kinda thing. 

3. Budget Friendly

This is a big one. No matter what the size of your wedding is, most wedding vendors offer off-season discounts. At Zekar Photography, we give a special discount to our couples who are getting married between November and May. Since the heart of wedding seasons is in the fall and summer months, we have lots of flexibility in the wintertime. Contact us for more information on our off-season wedding discounts. Plus, I know for a fact that many of the venues in the area like Carmen's and Ancaster Mill offer off-season discounts. You can have the wedding of your dreams at discounted rates and who can say no to that? 

Contact us today to find out more about our off-season wedding discounts! 

4. Great lighting and night time shot opportunities

From a professional photographers perspective, the lighting in the winter time is primo. It's not usually glaringly sunny, but the light is more muted, making natural lighting a dream. And because the sun goes down a lot sooner, we get to do some really amazing snowy nighttime shots and don't have to wait till way into the night to do so. If you're looking for a photographer for your winter wedding, make sure you ask them if they know off-camera lighting because they'll definitely need to bust out those flashes for anything after sundown. Speaking of questions to ask your photographer, check out this blog I wrote called 11 Essential Questions To Ask Your Photographer. It can help make sense of some of the really important questions you need to ask in your search. 

5. Vendor Availability

Some of you might be reading this because you really really wanted to get married at a specific venue or you had your heart set on a specific vendor, but they were booked solid. As I mentioned before, wedding season in Ontario hits its peak from June-October. Since there are less couples getting married in the off-season, there's a much better chance that your favourite florist, makeup artist and live band will be available on your date. And of course, your favourite photographer too! 

Bonus Reason:

Because our photography studio is located at The Cotton Factory here in Hamilton, Ontario,  we often have access to really cool inndoor photography locations. So if you love the idea of winter but you don't actually want to be in winter, we can help you out! 

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below, there's probably some I hadn't even thought about! If you're interested in having our team shoot your winter wedding and would like some more information, give me a shout, we'd love to chat!

If you'd like to see a real winter wedding done by the team here at Zekar Photography, click on either of the links below.

Michelle & Justin 

Natalie & Nathan

This blog was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography. All pictures were taken by Mike Tigchelaar or Kamila Kuzmicka for Zekar Photography.