Ideas for a winter wedding photo shoot: the best options and poses

Winter is not the most wedding time. Few people want to freeze during a photo shoot, and nature does not please with its green colors, as it does in spring and summer. However, those newlyweds who chose the winter period for their celebration will definitely not regret it. At this time, you can take amazing photos against the backdrop of snowfall or snow-covered fields. The main thing is to plan everything in advance and have a lot of ideas in your arsenal.

Ideas for a winter wonderland

Want to create magical photos? Then be sure to have a photo shoot outdoors. We present some interesting ideas that will fill your wedding photo album with beautiful photos:

Photos with horses. A true winter wedding fairy tale is impossible without these beautiful animals. Horses can brighten up any frame. The bride and groom can have a relaxing horse ride against the backdrop of snow-covered nature. The bride on horseback will also look great.

In addition to horses, huskies, Samoyeds and foxes can also participate in a winter wedding photo shoot. You can pose with them in different ways:

the bride and groom lead their dogs on a leash, while holding hands;
static shot - the bride and groom stand next to the dogs and kiss, or, hugging, look tenderly at each other.

Such photographs can become a decoration for any wedding photo album. And in addition to great photos, you will get a lot of positive impressions from communicating with your four-legged friends.

In a sleigh. Thanks to this attribute, the shots can turn out dynamic and fun. Let the groom quickly take his beloved one for a ride on a sled or both of them go down the mountain on it. You don't even need to pose specifically here. Emotions will do this for you.

We associate sleds with traditional Russian pastimes. Take a samovar, bagels and jars of jam with you. Pose with these props in your hands, or have a tea party. Pour delicious tea and drink from colorful cups or saucers. All this will convey in the photo the traditional Russian spirit of celebration and fun.

In the forest. In winter, nature is especially beautiful in the forest. An untouched blanket of snow and frost on the trees will be an excellent backdrop for a wedding photo shoot. The bride can stand alone on a snow-white background with a bouquet in her hands. If she has a fluffy white dress, then the shots will be the most advantageous (the fabric will seem to merge with the snow). Near the snow-covered trees, a photographer can capture a kissing couple. If you start shooting early, then catch the moment of dawn and capture the bride and groom watching this natural phenomenon.

In the city. If you don’t want to get out into the forest, then look for interesting places in your city. A good wedding photographer should know about such locations, however, you can plan the route yourself. Choose from beautiful parks, alleys, ancient streets, monuments and other attractions. Take pictures near the entrance to a beautiful building (theater, palace of culture, etc.).

By the pond. Near an icy river or lake will make for great photos. A bride holding a bright bouquet will look great against an icy background. Organize a shoot in the “Snow Queen” style. The mysterious, serious look of a girl next to a frozen lake will create a powerful plot for the shots. Add various decorations to this idea: a mirror, ribbons and light furniture.

In the snow. Large flakes falling from the sky on a clear winter day are a stunning opportunity for outdoor photography. The newlyweds can hide under a beautiful umbrella, or they can start playing snowballs. In any case, the shots look like something out of a fairy tale. A good pose for this idea is to spin the bride around in your arms or while dancing.

Fog. It is very difficult to predict this natural phenomenon in advance. But if you find foggy weather on your wedding day, don't be discouraged. Even if everything around seems gloomy, however, the fog is an excellent backdrop for beautiful photographs. Each photo will be full of mystery and a mysterious atmosphere. This type of photography is best done near an old dry tree with fancy branches.

On skates or skis. For brave and active newlyweds, the perfect option is to go ice skating or go down the snowy slope on skis or snowboard.

The bride and groom can even play hockey
Props that may be useful for this idea: bright umbrellas, ribbons and balls.

Snowball game. Yes, it's incredibly fun and dynamic. The shots will definitely show your sincere smiles and good mood. If you don't specifically pose for the camera, it will be even better. Just remember your childhood. Another variation of this idea is to throw the collected snow high or blow it off your palms.

Build a snowman. You can do this not only together, but also with guests. The photographer will film the process itself, and then you can have a fun photo session next to your new “sculpture.”

Walking photo shoot. In winter, the city is always decorated with festive illumination on the eve of the New Year holidays. Take advantage of this. Take a photo in front of a beautifully decorated window or some installation. Don't forget to look at the main square of the city, where the main Christmas tree is usually installed. Take a few pictures with her in the background.

Photos of winter weddings

In this block I will show examples of winter photographs of newlyweds in different places in Moscow and the surrounding Moscow region, with brief comments on the main shooting locations.

Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard should be considered an additional place for a photo shoot. Here you can conduct a small episodic shooting, for example, after a photo shoot in the Turandot restaurant, located right there. Considering that this is the center of Moscow, the paths on the boulevard are generously sprinkled with reagents, but even despite this, it is possible to find a dozen beautiful angles for winter photography.

Tverskoy Boulevard - the center of Moscow after a snowfall. We took these photos leaving the Turandot restaurant, located 10 meters from the boulevard.

Serebryany Bor

Serebryany Bor, in my opinion, is one of the best places for a winter wedding photo shoot. Firstly, there are low Christmas trees, caps of snow linger on them, which look very picturesque in photographs. Secondly, you can drive your car straight into the forest, where there are no reagents and you don’t have to be afraid of getting your dress dirty on the roadway.

Winter Christmas trees in Serebryany Bor

Kolomenskoye Park

Winter photo shoot in Arkhangelskoye

The snow-covered Arkhangelskoye Park is especially good for filming in slightly frosty weather. The buildings in the estate are located at a decent distance from the entrance. To protect yourself from the winter cold, it is important to choose the right shoes and outerwear for newlyweds.

Red Square and Zaryadye

Traditional winter fairs selling sweets, hot drinks and various souvenirs are held annually on Red Square. The shopping arcades are beautifully decorated with decorated Christmas trees with toys and colorful garlands. In case of frosty weather, you can go to warm up in GUM, where the shopping arcades are also decorated with bright New Year's decorations. You can also go down to Zaryadye Park. Here I will help you choose several dozen angles with snow-covered trees. All this makes Red Square an excellent place for a winter wedding walk.

Photo session against the backdrop of the winter fair on Red Square

Apothecary garden

The apothecary garden is very popular for summer wedding walks. But even in winter there are plenty of interesting angles here. It is worth considering that entrance to this place is paid, and you need to separately purchase a permit for professional photo and video filming at the checkout.

The Apothecary Garden goes especially well with the Meshchansky Civil Registry Office; these places are located within walking distance of each other.

There is also a year-round tropical greenhouse in the Apothecary Garden. It offers the opportunity to take summer photographs even on frosty days. You just have to take into account the moment of lens condensation. After shooting outdoors, you will have to wait a while for the camera to warm up and the lens lenses to dry from condensation.

The photo was taken in December, in the tropical greenhouse of the Apothecary Garden.

VDNH territory

From the point of view of a winter wedding walk, the territory of VDNKh should be divided into two zones:

The central architectural part, with pavilions and colorful garlands of light bulbs of New Year's fairs.
The park part is covered with snow-covered trees.

Winter walk through the park area of the All-Russian Exhibition Center, photo session after registration at the VDNKh wedding palace

You can also have a photo shoot with horses at the All-Russian Exhibition Center. The stable is located within walking distance from the VDNKh wedding palace:

Winter weddings take place most of the time in warm rooms. From the point of view of a photo shoot, the following scenes are possible:

Wedding morning at the hotel. With a photo session, the morning of the bride and the groom getting ready in the room. Then a joint photo shoot in the hotel interiors, the main areas are usually restaurants and the main hall area (reception area).
Official registration at the registry office or the Wedding Palace. Official on-site registration is also possible in a number of beautiful Moscow venues, these are: registration at the Turandot restaurant, Moscow City Towers, the Savoy restaurant and other venues.
Winter wedding photo shoot in nature. The peculiarity of shooting in cold weather is that the newlyweds will not be able to spend a long time in the cold. Shooting takes place at a higher speed than in warm weather. The photographer must keep in mind in advance the plans and places where the photo shoot will take place.
The banquet program in winter often starts from 16 - 17 hours. This is about an hour or two earlier than in summer. This shift occurs due to the fact that it gets dark much earlier in winter. Otherwise, the banquet program is not much different at weddings at different times of the year. The standard program lasts 5-6 hours.

Winter photo shoot of a pregnant bride and groom

Favorable time for shooting

In winter, it is important to choose the right time for a photo shoot so that daylight beautifully emphasizes the subject of the photo. Daylight hours are divided into several ranges:

December

Morning dawn light from 9-00 to 9-30. The sun is at its zenith at 12-30. Evening pre-sunset light from 15-00 to 15-40.

January

Morning light from 8-30 to 9-10. Zenit 12-40. Pre-sunset light from 15-50 to 16-30.

February

Dawn light from 8-00 to 8-50. The sun is at its zenith 12-45. Evening light from 16-50 to 17-40.

January wedding of Alexander and Anna

Useful tips

If you decide to have a wedding photo shoot outside, then you should take into account the natural factor, namely cold, wind and snow. It is very difficult to predict the weather a month, or even a week in advance, especially in winter.

To ensure the photography goes well and your images are not spoiled, prepare for this event in advance. Don't forget to dress warmly. Nowadays there are many beautiful fur capes for the bride and coats for the groom that maintain a formal look. It is better not to wear shoes - not only are they cold, but there is also a risk of falling on an icy surface. So buy some nice boots.

Take a thermos with hot tea with you, because a photo shoot in nature can take a long time.
Don't forget about protective creams for your face and hands. Thanks to them, the skin will not become chapped.

Benefits of a winter wedding

Registering a wedding in winter has a lot of advantages and benefits, here are some of them:

lack of queues at the registry office, more opportunity to choose a convenient time for registration for you, and not the remaining free time, which did not suit other newlyweds.
low prices for all wedding-related services, the opportunity to get big discounts in winter (for example, wedding salons have big sales in winter).
greater choice of places for a formal wedding banquet, free choice of restaurant or banquet hall.
lack of other weddings in walking areas. There is no need to wait for the right place to become available for the most beautiful and vibrant wedding photography. There will be no unauthorized persons in your footage or video.
the opportunity to choose a beautiful wedding dress, your wedding dress will be complemented by a very elegant fur coat - the bride in furs. And no matter how funny it sounds: You won’t be hot in a wedding dress. In winter (in cold weather) there is less dirt, less chance of getting your dress dirty or ruined. After all, the photo shoot mainly takes place on white snow, and not on the grass - where there is a chance of getting dirty.
The most important advantage of a winter wedding is photographs from your walk. Unique, inimitable and original. Snow, a blushing bride, a white dress in the snow, a bride in a fur coat or coat - this will be your main trump card in a winter photo shoot and your success will be the envy of your friends.

But besides the advantages, there are also disadvantages. If you decide to get married in winter, then remember that the main enemy of a winter wedding is frost. This is the only drawback and this is the only thing that you really need to fear. But I’ll paraphrase the saying: “They’re afraid of frost, don’t get married in winter” (don’t go to the forest).

Here you can use the main advice - just dress warmly. Again, let us remember the saying - “keep your feet warm, but keep your head cold.”

You can put exquisite gloves on your hands, or here it’s worth remembering our nobility, and the royalty who used fur muffs to warm their hands. An original hat, a muff on the hands, a beautiful wedding dress, a fur cape on the shoulders - this is the optimal outfit for the bride. And photographs with such an elegant and regal person will turn out truly royal. I can also recommend fur clothes for the groom - for a walk - a “boyar fur coat”. If you don’t have a fur coat, then your spouse should pay attention to a long cashmere coat, which can be decorated with a boutonniere, and you will be the best couple among all your friends and acquaintances.

Indoor photography

Not all couples want to freeze outside, walk through snowdrifts and stand in the snow. There are many great alternatives to outdoor photo shoots.

Photo studio. Probably the first option that comes to mind when it comes to indoor photography. Today, many couples like to shoot in specially equipped photo studios. There may be several ideas for posing in such places:

a couple sits by a makeshift fireplace and warms up after a long winter walk. The groom carefully wraps the girl in a blanket;
the bride sits near a beautiful composition, while the groom stands behind her;
the bride sits on the groom's lap;
a couple looks at New Year's gifts under the tree. The closer the New Year is, the more relevant such photographs will be.
the bride and groom look out the window and tenderly hug each other. For this pose, it is better to choose a photo studio with a beautiful view of the city: snow-covered streets or a forest that can be seen in the distance.

If you prefer a photo studio, take care of this option in advance, because on the eve of the winter holidays it is more difficult to rent such places from professional photographers.

Museum. The interiors of such places are created for a magnificent, noble wedding photo shoot. Columns, stucco, high ceilings, beautiful staircases and works of art will create a royal atmosphere. Many of these buildings have beautiful and large staircases. Pose on different sides - next to the wrought iron railings. If the bride has a long veil or dress hem, shoot her walking up the stairs with a strip of fabric trailing elegantly behind her.

Cozy coffee shops. Drink hot chocolate or delicious coffee while looking out the window. If it's snowing outside, the photos will create a great contrast between warmth and frost.

Hotels and restaurants. Choose the setting you need for photography. What will it be? Luxurious apartments, cobbled stairs or a small restaurant with a cozy atmosphere? It's up to you to decide.

Details that will be useful for a photo shoot

Play with brightness. The white snow background was created so that you can arrange a photo shoot with various bright attributes.

Umbrellas. We have already described the idea of taking pictures with umbrellas. Take them for a walk in the snow or just hide under a bright shelter. You can take a photo with guests holding umbrellas - such a background will become a bright spot among the snow-white streets or forest.

Mittens. If you are organizing a photo shoot in the forest, then bright mittens, scarves and shawls can convey a nice and cozy atmosphere in the frames. The groom can gently wrap his beloved in a bright shawl (or blanket), and the bride can hug her betrothed with warm mittens.

Letters. Collect various nice words from colorful letters. Hold them in your hands, stand next to them - the most important thing is that the word stands out clearly and emphasizes you.

Bouquet. It is not necessary to use the bouquet that will be in the hands of the bride on the occasion itself. Create a special “stunt double” for filming. It may consist of bright red roses and berries, wrapped in a thick, bright satin ribbon.

Apples and other fruits. Bright red fruits can now be easily found in winter. Collect them in a beautiful wicker basket. The bride can feed the groom an apple, or simply hold the basket in her hands, thus posing for the camera.

During the cold winter season, it is very important to properly prepare for a photo shoot in order to get a lot of pleasure from the process. If it’s snowing outside, then take advantage of this natural phenomenon, but if there is no snow in your city, then there are many ideas for holding an excellent photo shoot in a photo studio. We hope that our ideas and tips will be useful for creating the best winter wedding photo shoot.

How to prepare for a winter photo shoot?

A winter wedding photo shoot involves choosing country, forest or park areas where the snow is not trampled down and not covered with urban greyness. Therefore, it is important to think about the location of the photo shoot in advance, as well as prepare the necessary props and, of course, take warm clothes.

Photos are taken with breaks, during which the young people warm up in cars. There is no need to show heroism so that your noses are not red and your smiles are strained

Of course, photos of young people in natural wedding dresses look very impressive against the background of a snow-white winter landscape. But if you are afraid of catching a cold or simply cannot stand the cold, do not torture yourself - the bride can be photographed in a snow-white fur coat , and the groom will suit a long black coat.

You don’t have to wear hats - after all, the set won’t last too long, especially since many people manage to show off without hats even in severe frosts. But you should take care of your shoes. Feel free to put on boots or felt boots - they will not be visible under your clothes, but snowdrifts will not only do a disservice to your health and comfort; if you go to a photo shoot in shoes , you will ruin the shoes in which you still have to return to the banquet. In addition, the shoes will slip, and hitting the ice is very painful and dangerous.