Buffalo, New York is known for brutal winters full of mammoth snow storms.  Fair or not, the reputation is ruthlessly pinned to the Queen City and probably will be forever.  So when it comes to planning big events like weddings, choosing a date after October 31st and before April Fools day seems, well, foolish! But is it so insane to plan a winter wedding in Buffalo?  Now please don’t dismiss the idea too quickly, as you might just like some of the advantages of getting married when there is an arctic chill in the air and maybe some (or even a LOT) of the fluffy white stuff called snow!

Typically, ‘real’ winter in Western New York is December, January and February. Many years, however, including in 2015, there wasn’t any snow on the ground until December 27. So if you WANT the idyllic scenery of snow encrusted trees and landscape, better to check with prior snowfall histories of your particular area.

Artistically speaking, I can’t think of a more beautiful or romantic canvass than diamond-studded snow as a backdrop for the photography and videography that will capture your wedding day! So, that’s the first advantage.

1 – Stunning photography! Although a winter scene out of a romantic movie isn’t a guarantee, there’s certainly a better chance of one than if you have your wedding in July! Even if the ground is void of even one snow flake, there is something majestic and comforting about barren trees standing strong filtering the cold winds of winter.  Any Northerner clings to warm childhood memories of the winter and those images of youth hang from naked branches all around us!

2 – Flexibility in obtaining the most suitable date for your wedding. During the spring, summer and fall months, you might have to contact several different photographers trying to pin down the date of your choice. It’s not uncommon for a hopeful bride to hear “No, I’m sorry we are booked up for that date.” Flexibility also means photographers can offer flexible dates and times. And, because it is the ‘down season’ for wedding photography, you will have a broader range of studios or vendors to choose from likely at better rates. That also leads to the next advantage:

3 – Bargain prices! Everyone likes to snag a deal, right? Well here’s where you may be able to score big. Videographers and photographers have to feed their families (or just themselves) all year long, so here’s your chance to feed a starving artist! Don’t you feel the win-win in this scenario? You get the pics you want, by the professionals you want, at the time you want, at the price you want, and, by the way, you are helping put food on someone’s table, perhaps even the pros at Steven Wayne Productions

4 – More venues available to host your wedding reception. As with the availability of your photographer, all other venues are likewise more accessible during the winter months and are likely ‘priced to sell.’ If you think ahead, you may be celebrating in the really cool place you ‘just loved’ that would be too cost-prohibitive during the peak wedding seasons.

5 – Winter Fun! Are you having guests who enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, ice hockey, regional winter attractions or events, sporting events, etc? Plan a winter wedding and be sure to suggest some of these cool things to the invitees!
Think about it, this could be the ‘Best Wedding Ever!’

6 – NO SWEAT! All of the above can reduce sweat, figuratively and literally!  Most of us have been to a wedding on a summer day where the temperature have reached and even surpassed 90 degrees.  It can be downright oppressive, robbing the wedding party and guests alike from enjoying the day because they’re concentrating so much on when they’ll get out of the heat, where and when they’ll be able to wipe down, get a fresh glass of cold water, and apply more makeup and/or antiperspirant!

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Yes, a frigid cold day isn’t fun either, but ask yourself, would you prefer sweating it out in your $5000 wedding dress or would rather have your new husband keep you toasty with his warm embrace?