Winter wedding in Duluth A WEDDING PLANNER AND A WINTER BRIDE OFFER TIPS FOR THE SEASON

By Andrea Busche

Depending on whether you see the glass as half-empty or half-full, Northland winters are either cold and dreary, or crisp and magical.

There’s no doubt the weather is cold, the days are short, and the snow is deep. But on the flip side, it’s a great time to cozy up in front of the fireplace, light some candles and yes, even get married.

While the vast majority of local couples choose to marry during summer or fall, wintertime can provide a stunning, snowy backdrop for your special day. Cozy, romantic, and intimate are a few words commonly used to describe a winter wedding. Marrying in the off-season is also a great way to stretch your wedding-day budget.

Seasoned pros

Mary Carlson, owner of Pure Event Planning & Design, is a wedding and special events planner. She has been in the industry for seven years, and has coordinated 10 winter weddings in Duluth. Amber Gilbert is a winter bride; she and her husband, Justin, were wed Dec. 19, 2015.

Both women agree that winter can be a spectacular time to tie the knot in Duluth. Besides the inherent beauty of the season, couples can typically nab their first-choice venue without a waiting list and save money by marrying in the offseason.

Today, Carlson and Gilbert share what they’ve learned about planning a winter wedding, covering everything from footwear to flowers. When factoring in the rollercoaster of winter weather in the Northland, however, perhaps the

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Décor

The Gilbert wedding took place at Duluth Independent Apostolic Lutheran Church, with a reception at Lafayette Community Center on Park Point. The couple decorated, fittingly, with snowflakes, candles and twinkly lights. Their color scheme was white and silver, with accents of purple and green.

The natural beauty of our area appealed enormously to the couple. “The idea of a winter wedding seemed cozy and intimate,” Gilbert said. “I really wanted a winter wedding, complete with ice skating and a bonfire. And, the aesthetic of the snow was something I connected with.”

Carlson shared that a winter wedding lit by candlelight can be “comfortable and wonderful.” And when it comes to color schemes, she said, “Wedding colors tend to be on the darker side in the winter. Jewel tones are really popular.”

Food and drink

Carlson shared a fun idea for beverages at a winter wedding. “I helped plan a wedding with a hot beverage station, including hot chocolate and coffee drinks, including alcohol,” she said. “In the winter, you can really think outside the box with the bar.”

The Gilbert wedding also featured a hot chocolate bar. And for dinner, their guests were treated to a warm and cozy soup buffet, including cheesy broccoli and chicken wild rice soups. The soup was served with fresh bread, local jams, salad and cheese. Christmas cookies, cheesecake, eclairs and cream puffs were on the menu for dessert.

Flowers

If tying the knot during winter, it’s important to choose your flowers appropriately. “People often don’t take their flowers into consideration for winter weddings,” Carlson said. “But, they can die if you bring them inside and outside repeatedly.”

She recommends leaving the flowers inside until it’s time for photos. And while Carlson personally prefers real flowers, another option is to go faux.

The Gilberts purposely selected several hardy varietals of flowers and foliage for their wedding day. “We had eucalyptus and lots of greenery with splashes of hydrangea and white roses. We actually had more foliage than flowers,” Gilbert said.

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Attire

When it comes to the bridal gown, “Every bride should choose the dress she feels good in, regardless of the season,” Carlson said. “But sleeves are becoming more popular right now. A lot of brides are wearing their grandmother’s shawls, or a coat, and I see a lot more veils in the wintertime. Gilbert covered her own shoulders with a lace bolero, and purchased pashminas for her bridesmaids.

Carlson shared perhaps the most important tip for winter wedding attire: “Choose appropriate footwear! I love boots for winter weddings. Then they can wear whatever they want once they’re inside.”

Gilbert agreed. She wore white and gray boots while she was outside, saving her sparkly high heels for indoors.

Weather

The weather is always a big unknown in Duluth. Winter can feature warm temperatures and slush, or snowstorms and ice. The tip is to be prepared for anything.

Leading up to the Gilbert wedding, the weather was unseasonably warm, rainy and muddy. But then the night before, Duluth received the perfect snowfall.

“It snowed enough to cover the trees. I was relieved,” Gilbert said. “It was cold, but it was perfect.”

The unpredictable weather can sometimes even necessitate a last-minute cancellation. “Once while I worked in Chaska, we had a mega-storm, and we had to reschedule a wedding,”

Carlson said. “But, a winter bride is a little more willing to embrace the Minnesota weather. They know it’s going to be cold, and there will probably be snow.”

Benefits of marrying in winter

There are plenty of perks associated with marrying in the off-season. “More brides are considering winter weddings for financial reasons, and also because they don’t want to wait two years for their venue to open up,” Carlson said. “Couples can take their time when planning a winter wedding.”

Gilbert was able to leverage the slower season to score good deal on her wedding photography. A photographer who was out of her budget in the summer was willing to negotiate a lower-priced package in the winter.

A special type of couple

The typical couple planning a winter wedding in Duluth is a lot more laid-back, and willing to accept the unknowns. “We live in Minnesota,” Carlson said. “Half of the year is cold and snowy. We have to just embrace it.”

“I am really happy with how everything turned

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out,” Gilbert said about their December nuptials. “While it wasn’t cold enough for ice skating like I had hoped, we had a nice bonfire on the beach, and could hear the waves of Lake Superior. The look of the snow is just lovely in our pictures, and is something we’ll always treasure.” •

Online

A talented wedding planner can help you manage the unknowns of a wedding any time of the year. Visit pure-events.com to learn more.

By Trina Hoff

We’veall been there: You’re at the register paying for that long-coveted purchase. You swipe your ATM/debit card, and the touch screen asks, “Credit or Debit?” If you’re like most people, you make a choice without investing too much brain power, but do you really know the difference between one choice and another? When is credit better than debit — and the other way around?

If you’re paying with your ATM/ debit card, one thing is always the same: Any credit or debit transaction you make will result in money coming directly out of your checking account. “Credit” transactions are not true credit; payments do not become part of a revolving account, as a regular credit card transaction would. There is no interest and no monthly payments. In this way, “credit” and “debit” charges on your ATM/debit card are largely interchangeable, and in most cases, either choice is perfectly acceptable.