Why Winter Weddings Take the Cake

With so many wedding dreams deferred to 2021, newly engaged couples are setting their sights on a safe and festive celebration next winter.

Sarah Just, Director of Sales at Turning Stone Resort Casino, offers her top tips for making a winter wedding extra special:

Let it snow. Few scenes are more stunning than a sugar-white blanket of snow against a backdrop of white-fringed trees. So when Mother Nature delivers, take the wedding photo session outdoors. Two spots that are particularly beautiful at Turning Stone are the golf course and Great Lawn. A snowy forecast also presents great opportunities for pre- or post-wedding outdoor fun, with snowshoeing and cross-country skiing among the options nearby.
Make it glow. Turn winter’s earlier nightfall to your advantage and create a truly magical atmosphere with an abundance of string lights and candles. And if there’s a fireplace, all the better — nothing says romance like a warm, flickering fire. Upon entering the Shenendoah Clubhouse, guests are greeted with a warm fireplace that serves as a beautiful welcome. Better yet, another grand fireplace in the Clubhouse often serves as a dramatic backdrop for the sweetheart table at Turning Stone winter wedding receptions.
Give your décor budget a boost. Plan your wedding for early winter and you’ll likely benefit from holiday trimmings already in place for the season, adding to the festive ambiance and creating a perfect backdrop for photos. For winter weddings at Turning Stone, we often recommend couples take their first-look photos in the Great Room, with its magnificent holiday tree and fireplace.
Warm their bellies. While warm-weather weddings tend to favor lighter fare, a winter event invites comfort food, like hearty stews and roasts. Drinks benefit from a winter warming, too — think hot toddies and mulled wine.
Have fun with accessories. Cold-weather accessories can add a touch of elegance or fun to winter wedding style. One winter bridal party at Turning Stone turned up the glamour with faux fur stoles while another posed for photos in UGG boots and matching pashminas.
Think outside the ballroom. A more intimate winter wedding can be as creative and nontraditional as the couple desires. Turning Stone offers indoor spaces to suit any theme, from an elegant ballroom affair to a rustic barn vibe at Tin Rooster to rock-and-roll romance at The Gig. In the Atrium, windows overlooking a row of large pine trees make a strikingly beautiful winter backdrop for cocktail hour.
Plan for inclement weather. Keep weather worries at bay by holding your winter wedding weekend at an all-in-one resort that can host the ceremony, reception, and overnight guests, so there’s no need to travel from venue to venue. And because there’s a fine line between cozily snowbound and stir-crazy, plenty of onsite amenities are a must. When your wedding a weekend-long celebration at Turning Stone, wedding guests will find endless ways to stay happily occupied, from spa treatments, gaming, and live entertainment to a multitude of dining options for all tastes.