6 Wedding Destinations for Winter Lovers

Few locations in the world combine beautiful lake scenery with mountains, and forest, and skiing, and gambling.  Lake Tahoe is beautiful year-round but the silencing snow during the winter creates a surprisingly intimate feel to the area; intimate enough for a small wedding.  The ceremony itself is destined to have a gorgeous backdrop (because all backdrops in this area are gorgeous) and your guests will have plenty of activity during the rest of the trip.  From world-class ski resorts scattered around the lake to cozy bars and warm casinos in South Lake Tahoe your guests may be too busy to attend a wedding!

No, not the perpetually-struggling baseball team, but rather their namesake.  The high alpine of the Rockies draws feet of snow each winter creating a beautifully expansive landscape for your viewing pleasure.  Colorado weather is so mild that you may even be able to host an outdoor wedding in the snow!  Jackets and boots are recommended if you try to pursue this endeavor.  For extra points, pick a locale that offers natural hot springs for the unmatched contrast of cold air on the face with hot water surrounding one’s body; perfect.

Another ski-town to make the list is Taos, New Mexico.  That’s right, there’s more for New Mexico to offer than just “blue sky” (the name for fictional crystal meth from the TV show Breaking Bad, which takes place in the state); it also has seemingly endless (real) blue skies, ski resorts, and a decent art scene.  Even for the non-ski population there is plenty to do in this quaint town of only 5,000.  Check out the local theater, the many art galleries, and the stellar food scene.  With 305 inches of snow per year, your wedding should have the pristine scenery that you desire for a winter wedding.

Sure, the streets and sidewalks of NYC can feel quite drab and, frankly, ugly in the winter with traffic undesirably combining pure snow with not-so-pure dirt, mud, soot, and garbage.  However, the oasis of Central Park is not only providing a dramatic contrast between concrete jungle and nature, but shows us the contrast of elegant and untouched snow with the aforementioned street-junk.  Be sure to get some close-up shots as the breathtaking and perplexing views may serve as an unwanted distraction from the photo subject: you.  That said, you’ll have some of the most unique wedding photos of all your friends.

Speaking of contrast, how about snow covering the red and arid desert of Bryce Canyon in Southwestern Utah?  Bryce Canyon has some of the most unique naturally formed beauty in the world, and when a winter snow is added like frosting on a wedding cake it becomes simply awe-inspiring.  For those attendees who are extra ambitious, they can make the four-hour drive before or after the wedding date to Las Vegas to wash off all that national park purity.

Speaking of national parks, let’s not forget the very first one.  Yellowstone National Park draws the majority of its tourists in the summer primarily because many roads will close during the winter limiting your ability to see all of Yellowstone; it’s such a big park you’re unlikely to see a huge percentage of the park even in the summer anyway.  Why do roads close down?  201 inches of annual snowfall!  And with limited human interaction with the vast landscape you’re guaranteed to have fondantesque plains and hills; interrupted by the occasional bison, moose, or wolf pack.