An emerald winter wedding at the Brown Hotel

Two grooms sit on the staircase of the historic Brown Hotel and hold hands as they gently rest their foreheads together

What makes winter weddings unique

Winter weddings invite you to incorporate a variety of textures, colors, flavors and even scents that are evocative of the holidays. If you’re planning a winter wedding, lean in to the rich jewel tones of the season like emerald, burgundy, or even 2025’s color of the year Mocha Mousse. Textures like velvet, faux fur, or vegan leather add a luxurious touch. Metallic accents, glitter, and sparkles are all fitting for this time of year. 

Consider fun menu items like mulled wine or a hot chocolate bar, hearty foods like soups or roast beef au jus, and desserts that incorporate holiday flavors like nutmeg, gingerbread, or cinnamon. 

Winter weddings are cozy, elegant, and nostalgic, especially if they happen around holidays like Christmas or New Year’s Eve. Because winter is the off season for weddings, couples who get married in the winter have a greater chance of finding availability for their dream venue as well as an off-season rate.

Why Jared and Matthew chose to have a winter wedding

An emerald green ring box holds two gold bands. It sits atop a pearled veil and next to it is a boutonniere with a large anemone flower.
A hotel cart showcases one of the grooms' white tuxedo jacket with two pearled cape attachments (one for each shoulder). A golden vase with a bouquet sits stylishly on the cart.
A groom's shoes and bowtie lay askance on a pearled white veil

Matthew and Jared chose to get married in December because they got engaged at a Christmas tree farm, so one year later they said “We do” with an elegant winter wedding at the historic Brown Hotel in Downtown Louisville.

The holidays are a perfect time to celebrate family, love, and create new traditions – which is why I think it’s so special they chose this time of year for their wedding!

The details

A landscape photos shows a stunning ballroom at the historic Brown Hotel. There are several ornate chandeliers, three Christmas trees in the center, gold chiavari chairs for guests and pillar candle centerpieces at the end of each aisle.

The Brown Hotel is covered In festive decor, including giant nutcrackers and a massive tree with gifts in the lobby, which paired perfectly with their winter theme. 

For the grooms’ attire, Jared wore a white tuxedo jacket with a pearled veil cape, while Matthew donned an emerald velvet suit jacket and black pants. Their wedding party also wore velvet emerald attire, and their florals included wintry details like pinecones and anemone flowers. 

The groom's best man and mother in law help him put on his tux jacket and bowtie
The maid of honor helps pin the pearled veil cape onto the shoulder of the groom's white tux jacket
The groom smiles as he looks over his shoulder while wearing his white tux jacket, bowtie and black pants. A pearled veil cape drapes from both shoulders.
A closeup detail photo of a pearl bracelet, the white tux jacket and pearly veil
The groom twirls his pearly veil cape and smiles
A close up shows the anemone boutonniere pinned on the groom's white tux
The groom's friend and mother in law help to fix his black bow tie

The other groom's dad helps him fix the collar of his shirt
The other groom's mother pins his boutonniere on his emerald tux jacket
The smiling groom adjusts his bowtie. He wears a velvet emerald tux jacket with a white dress shirt and black pants.
A portrait of the groom in his emerald green tux jacket.

Holiday inspired elegance

Jared and Matthew included several details that complemented the winter holiday in a tasteful way, such as a few disco balls on their sweetheart table and cake, pillar candles, and the pearled veil cape. 

A gold framed mirror holds the emerald green seating chart cards with gold wax seals
A three tiered round cake with pear accents at the base layers has "Mr. and Mr." toppers engraved in two small pieces of wood. Small wintry floral accents adorn the cake.
Two filled champagne glasses with emerald ribbons around the base are placed in front of two Christmas trees whose lights are softly blurred in the background

A sweetheart table decorated with winter greenery and small disco balls sits in front of three Christmas trees.

A table centerpiece has a vase with winter florals and small disco balls at the base
Gold chiavari chairs are set up for ceremony. Next to them in the aisle are three different height pillar candles with winter greenery around them
The cake table has a three tier cake atop an elegant gold base. Two champagne glasses sit next to the cake, and a small sconce chandelier glows behind the table.

The ceremony

Their ceremony decor included several large Christmas trees with twinkling white lights, gold chiavari chairs and pillar candles with winter greenery in the aisles. The ballroom of the Brown Hotel, with its sparkling chandelier and elegant details, perfectly complemented the warm and nostalgic vibes of the holiday season.

Groom Matthew enters the ballroom of the Brown Hotel with his mother and father on either side
Groom Jared enters the ballroom escorted by his partner's mother, as everyone looks lovingly towards them
Matthew looks at his groom and mother coming down the aisle. Next to Matthew, his younger sister is visibly emotional as she looks at him.
A photo from the back of the aisle as Jared and Matthew's mother walk towards the altar
Jared hugs his mother in law as he escorts her to her seat
The grooms hold hands and their wedding party looks towards them
The grooms hold hands at the altar as their ceremony begins
Jared looks towards the officiant as she reads the words she prepared

A guest perspective shows the two grooms holding hands and their officiant from the center aisle

The grooms share a kiss as their wedding party smiles and cheers
Matthew (left) and Jared (right) exit the ceremony hand in hand

The meaningful moments

Even more special than the seasonal elegance of this wedding were the touching and very emotional moments for this couple. Matthew’s mother pinned Jared’s boutonniere on him before the ceremony, walked him down the aisle, and shared a dance with him for the mother-son dance. 

Matthew and Jared sit at their sweetheart table. Three lit Christmas trees are behind them, and they smile as they listen to their friends and family share speeches

Matthew’s father gave a heartfelt speech to the newlyweds, followed by them sharing their first dance to Taylor Swift’s “Lover.” I’ve never heard so many audible sniffles, or looked around a ballroom to see almost every person there weeping with joy – the love that everyone felt for this couple was palpable in this moment. 

Jared and Matthew share their first dance
Jared and Matthew share their first dance
Jared and Matthew share their first dance
Jared and Matthew share their first dance
Matthew embraces his mother for their mother-son dance
Matthew embraces his mother for their mother-son dance
Matthew's father takes a photo with his phone of his son and wife dancing together
Matthew and his father share a dance, as mom and his new groom look towards them lovingly
Matthew's father gives him a kiss on his cheek at the end of their dance
Jared shares a dance with his mother-in-law as Matthew and their maid of honor watch

Winter-inspired menu

A pair of winter cocktails: an espresso martini and an eggnog cocktail

The additional fun of having a winter wedding are the unique menu items you don’t see in other seasons! Guests enjoyed espresso martinis and eggnog cocktails in the ornate alcoves of this 1920s era hotel during cocktail hour, and later returned to the ballroom for the reception. The gourmet tomato basil soup and grilled cheese were absolutely delicious. 

A gourmet tomato basil soup and grilled cheese

Winter Wedding Photography 

I’d love to photograph your winter wedding celebration, click here to visit my wedding website and inquire about your date.

The newlyweds share a close embrace as the pearled veil covers them, giving the illusion of snowflakes falling
Jared rests his head on Matthew's shoulder as he embraces him
A closeup photo shows both grooms' hands with their wedding bands on
An aerial photo from the staircase shows Jared kissing Matthew's hand as they walk down the staircase
The grooms cut their cake
A closeup of the grooms' suits and their ring hands together
The grooms share a kiss on the staircase of the Brown Hotel
An aerial photo from the staircase shows Jared holding Matthew's hand as they walk down the staircase
The grooms each hold the hand with their wedding band in front of the lit Christmas tree
The grooms look classy as they pose for a photo in front of one of the many Christmas trees at the Brown Hotel

If you loved this blog post, read these next…

My favorite wedding looks for grooms and suit-wearers

Winter editorial engagement session at the historic Brown Hotel

A cozy in-home winter elopement and brewery reception

Meet your wedding photographer

A photographer holding her camera smiles coyly into the distance. She wears a styish ivory blazer, a turquoise necklace and teal wide leg pants and stands in front of a golden yellow backdrop.

Johanna Hribal is a wedding photographer based in Louisville, Kentucky. She enjoys traveling to other states and countries for weddings and elopements whenever possible! People love her colorful and vibrant edits and the way she captures their love in a natural and non-intrusive way. Click here to visit her website to learn more about current wedding collections. Follow me on Instagram to see more engagement sessions, weddings I’ve been photographing!

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