Decorations to dazzle

Fabulous winter flowers

For fabulous winter flowers, Interflora florist Jenny Murphy, from Flowers by Moira in Dunshaughlin, recommends sticking to seasonal blooms. "They will be more reasonably priced," she says. "Plus, a cold snap can cause unforeseen transport problems - don’t get caught out trying to find unusual flowers that need to be imported from the other side of the world. Amaryllis, Cymbidium orchids, Brunia flowers and roses all look fabulous in winter and willow, fir, skimmia and berries are great touches too."

Jenny encourages brides to embrace classic seasonal colours so they don’t clash with the church or venue backdrop during the festive period. “Burgundy and claret work fantastically well with creams and as part of a wider colour palette of pastel or bold pinks,” she says.

"Bright reds and evergreens are popular, and mistletoe, holly, noble fir and pine work well as pew ends. White and silver is a striking combination, adding serious glamour, but a dash of greenery will soften the impact if it seems rather cold."

Jenny also says that spices or festive fruit add a fabulous aroma to winter wedding flowers: “Think cinnamon sticks, star anise, figs, red apples or even Satsuma segments.

"Candles and lanterns are popular in winter but should be positioned carefully so they don’t create any unnecessary heat that will affect your floral designs. A professional Interflora florist will know exactly how to make your wedding flowers last in a toasty-warm venue."

Sensational seasonal cakes and stationery

You can set the tone for your wedding from the word go with stylish seasonal stationery. Kay Patel from Intricate Creations says she is often asked for vibrant winter designs. “Sharp, clean lines, snowflakes, thorns and holly are a great way to introduce your guest to a winter wonderland wedding," says Kay.

Kay adds that white, blue, grey and silver colour schemes work well. “Complement bold colours, such as Royal blue, with ice white rather than creams and ivory for crisp winter stationery. Or you can completely flip the script and use rich tones of gold, cream and red for a warm Christmas glow.

"Finish your stationery with a scattering of diamantes or Swarovski Crystals to add sparkle; the little gems will look like a light dusting of snow and ice, accentuating your winter stationery."

For cakes with winter pizzazz, Marie Sinclair owner of GC Couture says that white cakes are a huge trend. “The whiter the cake, the better,” she says. "White cut-out snowflakes, snowmen and stars, delicately covered in iridescent glitter, give a dream winter wedding feel. White holly leaves with red berries add a hint of colour."

"Chocolate always goes down a treat,” Marie also reveals. “Our most popular chocolate cakes for winter are chocolate and orange and chocolate and peppermint."

Accessories with winter sparkle

Beautiful winter accessories are in abundance for brides and from seasonal bouquets to sparkling, embellished shoes and jewellery, you can work a consistent and gorgeous winter theme across all your wedding accessories.

"My 'teardrop shower' jewellery bouquet is most popular with December brides," says Debbie Carlisle from Debbie Carlisle Bouquets. "I’m also working on a design with snowflake brooches and vintage buttons in crisp white and silver tones which is perfect for a winter wedding."

Debbie says that winter wedding accessories are all about sparkle. “In winter, bright silver tones look beautiful. Vintage-inspired headpieces and fashion-forward forehead chains are brilliant too, particularly if they add a bit of bling to your day.

"Winter brides do need to be careful with reds and greens so they don’t end up looking like a Christmas decoration, but you should never get bogged down by rules. Whatever the season, the day is all about you; if you find a bouquet or accessory that makes your heart leap, just go for it. Winter is a beautiful season and when you’re working with sensational, seasonal neutral tones in white and silver, there really are no limits."