As a lifetime wedding obsessor and lover of all things Bayside, I am so excited for the opportunity to be a guest blogger on Bayside Bride! I am the co-founder of RegistryLove, an online registry that allows you to register for absolutely anything from anywhere. I love to help brides put together their dream registries with gifts that they actually want! My favourite brides are the ones who want more than just a traditional department store gift. They also want that special teapot from the shop around the corner and contributions to their honeymoon (because we all know how expensive those can be). So a lot of my day consists of finding and putting all of those gifts together into one place for lovely couples like you – you could even call me a registry butler of sorts, but I prefer “registry concierge”.

The other day I was hunting down cool, unique new merchants to present to my brides when I came across Atelier 688, a beautiful design and art studio based out of Toronto, Canada. I absolutely love their nautically themed goodies! They can decorate a wedding or your future home together!

I adore these Nautical Rope Lights – perfect for exquisite wedding and home lighting!

Manila Rope Lights

This Kayak chandelier is absolutely perfect for above the head table at a wedding! A true work of art!
Kayak Chandelier 

Smaller details like the Aviator Map Cusions or Paddles can really bring a nautical theme to life!

Aviator Map Cushion + Canoe Paddles via Atelier 688 on Etsy

When the leaves begin to change color and fall to the ground, everyone knows the seasons are changing again. Spring, summer, and (early) fall are the more popular times to get married; however, are they the best? There are so many new color pallets, scenery changes, and opportunities to make winter weddings beautiful.

Designer: Little Bit Heart | Photographer: Kindred Art Photography

Some of the biggest reasons why people choose winter weddings are cost, availability, and scheduling. Most people’s top priority is to get married in the spring or summer so a lot of venues have more availability.  Also most of the times family and friends are less likely to be on vacation or have a prior commitment during the winter months. Higher chance that all of your guests will be able to attend! Some venues give “off-season” pricing but that is not always guaranteed!

A lot of couples want a way to add color to their winter weddings, besides the traditional white, red, or green. Many couples are beginning to add different colors to their wedding.  Wendy, from Weswen Design, describes some unique and different ideas, “Cooler tones like grays, steel blues, lavenders, deep purples are all colors that could be beautiful for a winter wedding. These colors are beautiful together or paired with another popular winter hue like silver. Also, the use of metallic colors that have a shimmer to them could provide a great background for adding hints of winter and sparkle.” When it comes to your wedding, many ideas that will work with the beautiful frost of a winter wedding (just be sure to incorporate your style—it’s your wedding.)

Designer: Allison Barnhill Designs | Photographers: Liz + Ryan

One of the biggest problems that our Bayside Bride readers have is incorporating the “Bayside” style when the water is frozen over! Allison, from Allison Barnhill Designs, describes, “White finger starfish are the perfect seaside winter accessory!  They look like snowflakes!  And, I’ve had brides use sand dollars as favors—they hung them on ribbon and made them into the perfect Christmas tree ornament.” Incorporating that classic beach theme that we all love can be done in tasteful and beautiful way as long as you can think a little outside the box!

Winter weddings can be some of the most beautiful and breath-taking affairs.  Imagine wedding pictures in the middle of a winter wonderland. Or having a beautiful evergreen at the backdrop to the “first-look.” Be sure to be creative and incorporate your own style in a winter wedding to make it a memorable day!