The Ultimate Guide To Winter Weddings In Michigan

It’s really the scenery that makes winter weddings in Michigan so exciting.

Especially around here in Grand Rapids, we experience the best of all worlds: just urban enough to get those urban aesthetics many couples love, while also being a small enough city that we still have an abundance of green spaces, and you’re never far from a park or the outskirts.

On top of that, you can frequently get better vendor pricing and other benefits during winter that you wouldn’t get in spring or summer.

And to help you get started, we’ve put together this helpful planning guide based on our experience.

Choose Your Time Consciously

Most winter weddings in Michigan are held from the end of November to the beginning of March.

• Late November: Generally cool temperatures and occasional snow

• December: Snowy, festive, and holiday-themed

• January: Usually the coldest month with the greatest opportunity for photos with snow

• February: Crisp, but not quite as cold as January. Very romantic for Valentine's Day

• Early March: Still snowy, but getting warmer and with more daylight (for photos)

Because each month has a different mood and vibe, your decision should be based primarily on the aesthetic and/or experience you aim to create. 

However, be mindful of the holidays, particularly in December and January, as many folks will be celebrating Christmas/New Year and might be unable to attend a wedding during that time.

Planning a Winter Wedding in Grand Rapids?

See how The Broadway Avenue brings cozy elegance to life with an all in one space, warm interiors, and a seamless guest experience.

Schedule a Tour

Scout For Venues

As with any wedding during any other time of year, winter weddings in Michigan really hinge on the venues because that’s where everything happens. 

If you have a great venue, then everything comes together beautifully, but if there is something wrong with your venue, whether it’s a scheduling misunderstanding or a lack of some kind of infrastructure, it will be much harder to make anything else work. 

Some venue types you might consider are:

• Historic sites in town

• Bed and breakfast inns/lodges

• Refurbished barns with modern heating systems

• Luxury hotels/ballrooms (if your budget permits)

• Ski resorts/mountain lodges (again, if your budget permits)

• Greenhouses/conservatories

And some important things for you to think about are:

• Reliable heating systems

• Indoor ceremony space and a backup plan (in case of inclement weather)

• Distance from the nearest airport (for out-of-town guests)

• On-site lodging or a recommended hotel nearby

• Parking (free or paid)

For better or worse (pun intended), your venue will impact your overall wedding experience more than almost any other factor.

Decide on Your Decor

Winter weddings in Michigan naturally tend to lend themselves to a more formal, elegant aesthetic, which is a big part of why so many couples opt to get married in winter.

Some popular visual themes worth exploring are:

• Classic white and silver

• Evergreen with pine accents

• Candle-lit (like, lots of candles)

• Velvet, fur (or faux fur), and textured fabrics

• Deep jewel tones (emerald, burgundy, navy)

Rather than trying to fight against the season, try to use the season to your advantage—winter weddings decorated well are a statement of luxury and intention.

Be Wise With Your Attire

As we mentioned, winter weddings in Michigan tend toward the formal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be more casual if that’s more fitting to both of you. In either case, though, you’ll want to make sure that your attire is appropriate for the weather. That means wearing substantial, preferably natural, fabrics and layering to retain more heat.

For the bride and bridesmaids:

• Long-sleeve dresses

• Heavier fabrics, like satin and velvet

• Faux fur and capes

• Closed-toe shoes/wedding boots

For the groom and groomsmen:

• Wool/Tweed Suits

• Layered Vests

• Dark/Rich Colors

• Polished Winter Footwear

Pro Tip: Coordinate with everyone in your wedding party (groomsmen and bridesmaids) to ensure everyone’s attire is both warm and complementary.

Make Sure Your Guests Will Be Comfortable

It does get cold, so guest comfort can be a concern with winter weddings in Michigan, but it can be easily managed.

You can keep your guests warm and happy by:

• Providing your guests with clear travel and weather information

• Serving warm beverages (such as coffee, tea, cider, and hot chocolate)

• Keeping guest traffic between indoor spaces to a minimum

• Starting your ceremony a little earlier to give guests less time to drive home safely

By cultivating a warm, cozy environment, you give your guests (and yourselves) the freedom to stop worrying about the temperature and focus on the experience of being there.

Winter-Inspired Food and Drink Options

The snowy season is associated with particular types of food and even specific dishes.

Think roasted chestnuts and s'mores around Christmas. You can have a lot of fun with this, and you absolutely should. 

Some great winter items to include on your menu are:

• Seasonal soups and starters

• Braised meats and warming sides

• Mashed potatoes, root vegetables, and winter greens

• Traditional comfort foods

And some of your signature winter drinks could be:

• Mulled wine

• Spiked cocoa

• Espresso-based cocktails

• Hot toddy

You may notice that the idea with the drinks, much like with the food, is to warm everyone up rather than cool them down.

Save Money On Your Winter Wedding In Michigan

One of the biggest advantages of having a winter wedding in Michigan is the lower overall cost.

From the venue to the vendors and even the plane tickets, wedding-related expenses just tend to be lower in winter.

And if you’re a couple trying to start your married life on a responsible financial footing, this couldbe a deciding factor for you. 

During winter, you may be able to find:

• Your venue rental fees

• Off-season vendor discounts

• More attractive package deals

• More flexible booking date choices

If more couples understood how much of a financial difference choosing this season could make for them, we'd probably see more couples getting married in winter.

Maybe winter would even become the peak wedding season here in Michigan instead of summer and fall.

Final Thoughts

Winter weddings in Michigan offer you peak beauty while also providing potentially the best value for money of any time of the year.

And to top it off, winter is often the most convenient time of the year for people to attend weddings since it’s less likely to conflict with other plans or commitments they have.

As long as you plan things right and your heads are both in the right place, you’ll be glad you’ll have a magical experience.