Winter Wedding Dress Inspiration: How to Keep Warm

The winter season is a magical time of year for brides, and staying warm in their wedding dresses is key to being happy and comfortable all day long! Winter wedding dress styles are all about fabrics and features designed to keep a bride warm for outdoor commutes, ceremonies, and photo ops. You might be assuming that means a long-sleeve winter dress is required, but you’d be surprised! Long sleeves are certainly the most popular choice, but as you will find in this article, there are so many ways to style a wedding dress for winter nuptials. Let’s start by diving into the best winter wedding dress styles, then move on to ways you can accessorize and style your wedding dress for warmth during the cold season.

Best Winter Wedding Dress Styles

With warmth as one of the top design goals for winter wedding dresses, the best styles boast features that will keep you cozy. Here are some of the most popular style features that will keep you comfortable during your winter wedding:

• Sleeves: By far the most popular feature for winter wedding dresses is sleeves. Providing the perfect amount of coverage and warmth from your shoulders to your wrists, long-sleeve winter wedding dresses are the seasonal favorite. Of course, there are a variety of sleeve lengths and styles to consider, so if traditional long sleeves are just a bit too much for you, it’s still possible to find this winter staple in a design you love. Read more about sleeve lengths and styles in Avery Austin’s guide to wedding dress sleeve types.
• Heavy Fabrics: Most bridal gowns specifically designed for the winter season will feature fabrics that are thick and heavy for extra warmth. Mikado, ponte, satin, and velvet are just a few of the weightier bridal fabrics that can keep you warm. To learn more about the top wedding dress fabrics, check out Avery Austin’s guide to bridal fabrics.
• High Neckline: As with sleeves, warm necklines on winter wedding dresses are all about coverage. Sweeping up from the bustline to the base of the neck (or just beyond the base), a high neckline is perfect for the chilly season.
• Layered Skirts: A ball gown wedding dress probably immediately comes to mind here, and you’re not wrong! With all the extra layers that give the ball gown style that extra flair, it’s easy to keep your legs warm. Layered skirts aren’t exclusive to ball gown wedding dresses though. Trumpet or mermaid bridal gowns often feature lots of gorgeous layers to create the flared fishtail, so they also work well as winter wedding dresses.

While these features make for the best winter wedding dresses, there’s no rule that says you have to have them for a cold season celebration. There are other ways to keep yourself warm and cozy, so read on to find out how to accessorize for warmth and style.

How to Style a Wedding Dress for Winter

Maybe you’ve fallen in love with a summery strapless bridal gown, or perhaps you want to be able to transition between the cold outside and warm inside with ease. Either way, you’ll need a few winter wedding dress accessory ideas to see you through those temps! Here are a few ways you can style your wedding dress ensemble for winter weather:

• Shoulder Coverage: Having a little something that you can just wrap around your arms and shoulders can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping warm at your winter wedding, and it’s even easier on you if you can just slip it off when you get warm! There are so many ways you can get that kind of simple, comfortable coverage and still match the vibe of your bridal theme and gown. Explore capes, shawls, and scarves for a covering you can just wrap around yourself, or check out boleros and cardigans for stylish sleeved options. And don’t forget, there’s always the quintessential bridal photo pleaser, the faux-fur cloak!
• Coat or Jacket: Offering a little more “oomph” than the shoulder coverage options described above, a fancy formal coat or jacket offers a chic step up in the warmth department. And just imagine the photo opportunities with your bridal party if you arrange coordinating styles! From trendy bridal leather jackets or denim for that rock and roll edge to fluffy faux-fur coats for majestic feminine flair, there are a number of bridal coats and jackets to explore for every winter wedding dress style and bridal theme.
• Tights: Probably the most practical way to keep your legs warm, bridal tights come in a range of hues to match your dress or skin tone. They can be lacy and decorative or basic and thick for warmth (or somewhere in between), but honestly, depending on the length of your gown, you might not even have to worry about how they look, so long as you’re warm!
• Closed-Toe Shoes or Boots: Keep those toes warm by choosing footwear that keeps them covered up! Closed-toe wedding shoes are timeless, or you can go for a classy pair of bridal boots to suit the season and a wintry theme. There’s also always the option to have more than one pair of bridal shoes so you can switch them up based on the weather and your comfort.
• Hand Coverage: Looking for a stylish way to keep your fingers warm during your winter wedding? Gloves and mittens can keep you warm, and the style varieties can range from sweet crocheted designs to elegant long-sleeve ones. If you haven’t considered a wedding muff to complement your winter wedding dress, you should! From faux-fur styles to custom floral bouquet muffs, there are so many beautiful designs to consider that are perfect for both practicality and fashion.

Stylish Inspiration: Winter Wedding Dress Ideas

Now that you’re familiar with the most popular winter wedding dress styles and how to accessorize bridal gowns for the cold season, it’s time to put all of those pieces together! Let’s take a look at some common bridal themes and explore how you can put together the perfect winter wedding ensemble to match them.

• Simple and Modern: Go for a sleek and smooth mikado or satin long-sleeve winter wedding dress that’s unembellished like a clear blanket of fresh fallen snow. Shop Avery Austin’s modern wedding dresses to find a style like this.
• Rustic Holiday: Go for a winter wedding dress with a floral lace neckline or sleeves or embroidered lace appliques that offer the look of frosted flora on a brisk winter morning. Complete the look with a pair of white cowgirl boots and dainty gloves for the full rustic flair. Shop Avery Austin’s rustic wedding dresses to find your favorite rustic winter look.
• Romantic: Go for an a-line winter wedding dress that features demure off-the-shoulder sleeves and a shimmering layer of glitter tulle that mimics the movement of sparkling falling snowflakes. Keep a matching shawl or scarf on hand to keep your shoulders warm as needed (bonus if it has delicate lace detailing too!). Shop Avery Austin’s romantic wedding dresses to discover a style to suit your bridal theme.
• Winter Princess: Go for a ball gown wedding dress with cascading skirt layers that are reminiscent of snow drifting up in a cold winter breeze. Check out Avery Austin’s ball gown wedding dress options here. If a poofy gown is not your style but you still want a regal vibe, go for an elegant mermaid wedding dress topped by a snow white velvet cape and complemented by a warm faux-fur muff with a colorful pop of seasonal poinsettia or winterberry accents. Explore Avery Austin’s mermaid bridal gowns if you love this winter wedding dress idea!

Feeling ready for your winter wedding with the tips and stylish inspiration above? We hope so! But, if you’d still like to talk through some of your styling options with an expert, don’t hesitate to reach out and speak to one of our bridal specialists. Always happy to bring your wedding vision to life, our bridal stylists can walk you through the season, accessorizing, and more! They can even help you build your very own Try at Home Box so you can try on up to three bridal gowns from the comfort of your own home. What a perfect way to make your winter wedding dress ideas a reality!