How to plan a winter wedding
in New Jersey

Every January my inbox fills with the same kind of email. "We're thinking about a winter wedding — is it a terrible idea?" The answer, after fifteen winters of photographing New Jersey weddings, is: no. It might be the best one you have.

The light, first of all

From mid-November through early March, the sun in New Jersey never climbs more than about 40° above the horizon. Every photograph all day has the soft golden quality you usually only get at sunset. Photographers love a January Saturday.

And the practical things: venues are 30–50% cheaper, your favorite vendors are actually available, your guests aren't in Cape Cod, and there is something undeniably intimate about gathering people in candlelit rooms while it snows outside.

"Every photograph I make at a January wedding looks like it was taken at golden hour. The whole day is golden hour."

The venue question

Not every NJ venue is built for winter. The ones I return to share three traits: large windows, real fireplaces, and a contingency plan for snow. The four I recommend without hesitation are below — but really, write me. I have opinions.

What to wear (when it's 28°F)

This is the question I get asked most. Short answer: lean in. A long-sleeved gown is more elegant than a strapless one with a shivering bride trying to hide it. A faux-fur stole photographs like a dream. And invest in flat-soled boots for the walk between portraits — your wedding shoes can wait.

Sunset is at 4:38PM

The hardest, most important truth of a winter wedding: the sun sets early. If you want portraits in natural light — and trust me, you do — your timeline has to be built backward from sunset. Here's the timeline I send every winter couple.

Build everything backward from that 4:38 sunset and you will have natural-light portraits, a ceremony that is not lit by phone flashlights, and time to actually breathe. Miss it, and you are shooting the most important photos of the night in a dark parking lot. This single decision matters more at a winter wedding than almost anything else.

Flowers that don't sulk in the cold

Winter is not a dead season for florals, it is a different one. Ranunculus, anemones, amaryllis, hellebores, and evergreen foliage all photograph beautifully and hold up far better in cold rooms than delicate summer blooms. Deep jewel tones and creamy whites read wonderfully against the low winter light, and a few candles tucked among the arrangements turn a centerpiece into something cinematic. Talk to your florist about what is genuinely in season in January or February rather than forcing summer peonies that arrive tired and overpriced.

A real New Jersey winter wedding

One of my favorite weddings happened on a snowy Saturday in February in northern New Jersey. We watched the forecast all week, moved the portraits fifteen minutes earlier to catch a break in the snow, and ended up with frames I could never have planned: the couple under a bare oak as fat flakes came down, breath visible, everyone laughing. The snow that the couple had quietly dreaded became the thing they loved most about their gallery. Winter rewards couples who lean in.

A few honest questions, answered

Is a winter wedding cheaper? Usually, yes. Many New Jersey venues and vendors offer their lowest rates from December through March, and availability is far better, so you are more likely to get the team you actually want.

Will my guests come? Plan around the calendar and they will. Avoid the few days right around the December holidays, give people plenty of notice, and build in a weather contingency for travel.

What about photos if it does not snow? You do not need snow. The low winter sun does the heavy lifting, and bare trees, frost, and warm interiors give a winter gallery its own quiet, timeless mood.

If you are weighing a winter date anywhere in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania, I would genuinely love to talk it through. Write to me and tell me what you are imagining.