We here at BDW love a good beach wedding, and it’s certainly what most people think of when they picture a destination wedding, but there’s something to be said about a gorgeous winter setting. Right now is the perfect time of year for a winter wedding getaway and we thought we’d share our picks for the top 5 winter wedding destinations. If your dream wedding involves more snow than sand, follow along for some ideas on where to go!
Plus, enter our Pin-it-to-Win-it Winter Weddings Pinterest giveaway!!
1. Jukkasjarvi, Sweden (Ice Hotel)
Feeling adventurous? Why not take your winter wedding vision to the extreme by visiting the Ice Hotel in Sweden? The Ice Hotel opened in 1990 and is the world’s first ice hotel, though many others have popped up since in places like Alaska and Canada. The Ice Church is only available from December 23rd through the end of April and can accommodate 35-45 people. After the wedding, you and your guests can stay in one of the many rooms made entirely of ice. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the Northern Lights. Ice Hotel is said to be one of the best places in the world to see this natural phenomenon!
What you need to know:
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Best time of year to go: between December and April
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Guest capacity: max 45 people
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Average cost of wedding: Official website didn’t say—contact the Wedding Coordinator for inquiries.
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Bonus: Same sex weddings have been legal here since 2009!
2. Lake Tahoe, California or Nevada
This location is a common vacation spot for many West Coast snow/ski fans and would be a beautiful spot for a wedding. Though there are a ton of perfectly lovely settings in Tahoe for a winter wonderland wedding, we can’t really think of anything more quaint and picturesque than a sleigh ride wedding. We stumbled across this amazing lakefront wedding venue, where weddings take place on a snow covered spot with lake views. Bride, groom and wedding party are taken to the location via a romantic sleigh ride!
What you need to know:
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Best time of year to go: Weddings can be performed at the sleigh ride lakefront venue in winter only, when there is enough snow for a sleigh. Other venues offer more flexibility but in general if you want those great snowy pictures, the best time to travel is from December to February.
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Guest capacity: Sleigh ride wedding has a max of 20 people, check with other venues for their restrictions.
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Average cost of wedding: The sleigh ride wedding package is only $1000, but doesn’t include a reception or anything other than the actual ceremony.
Cruise weddings have gained popularity in recent years, and with good reason. Take all the fun of an all-inclusive resort, add water and what is essentially a floating city and throw in stops at a few ports for the ultimate vacation or wedding experience. Alaskan cruises are especially stunning and typically offer views of marine life, waterfalls, glaciers, national parks and more.
What you need to know:
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Best time of year to go: OK so Alaskan cruises aren’t offered during the traditional winter season, but due to the colder climate and glacial setting, we’re still including this as a winter wedding option since it fits the vision. The Alaskan cruise season is from mid-May to mid-September.
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Guest capacity: Most cruises hold thousands of guests. Since the chances are good your collection of friends and family isn’t quite that large, it’s safe to say the sky is the limit when it comes to a cruise wedding guest list!
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Average cost of wedding: We saw several wedding package options in the $1195-$3995 range, and for a bit more money Princess Cruise Lines offers a Glacier wedding for $4700. We saw 7-day cruise packages for as low as $595/person, and remember that there are frequently great cruise deals and incentives for even more savings!
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Bonus: Many Alaskan cruises stop in Sitka, which any rom com movie buffs will remember as the setting for the Sandra Bullock/Ryan Reynolds movie
Image courtesy of accessniagara.com
Typically thought of as a honeymoon spot (it’s been known as the honeymoon capital of the world), Niagara Falls is also a fantastic location for a picturesque wedding. Weddings here can take place in a variety of locations—adjacent to the falls themselves, lakeside or riverside. Niagara USA has specific venue ideas for each of these locations, as well as information on vendors to complete your winter wedding day vision.
What you need to know:
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Best time of year to go: Niagara Falls is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year, but for that ideal winter wedding look, consider traveling December through February when snowfall is most likely.
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Guest capacity: Varies by venue location.
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Average cost of wedding: Varies by venue location.
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Fun fact: Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the U.S. (established in 1885) and it was designed by architect Frederick Law Olmstead, who also designed NYC’s Central Park.
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Fun fact #2: On the TV series 'The Office,' Pam and Jim were married by the captain of the Maid of the Mist IV ferry in Niagara Falls. That's them in the above picture!
Park City, Utah is a favorite destination among Hollywood’s elite, thanks in part to the annual Sundance Film Festival that takes place there and also due to the fact that there is no shortage of luxury hotels. The Montage, St. Regis and Waldorf Astoria are just a handful of the 5-star hotels that have a branch in Park City, and while they all offer wedding packages, one of our favorite options we found is Park City Mountain Resorts. They feature a selection of settings for both ceremony and reception; including a meadow, terrace or lodge.
What you need to know:
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Best time of year to go: The ski/snow season is from November to April, but snowfall is heaviest December through January.
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Guest capacity: Varies by venue location, contact wedding coordinator for info.
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Average cost of wedding: Varies by venue location, contact wedding coordinator for info.
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Tip: The Sundance Film Festival http://www.sundance.org/festival/ takes place in Park City at the end of January each year, so you may want to avoid those weeks and miss the crowds.
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Bonus: The wedding party and all guests are taken to the top of a mountain via a chairlift, and then get to the reception site by taking the Alpine Slide to the mountain base. How fun does this look?!
We know there are a lot of great options for winter weddings, but since we were only highlighting 5 we tried to pick a variety of locations and types of weddings. Leave a comment below if we left off one of your favorites!
Need more “pinspiration?” head over to BDW's winter wedding Pinterest board for more pics and ideas! And don't forget to enter our Pin-it-to-Win-It Winter Wedding Pinterest giveaway!
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