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In the lane, snow is glistening…and three girls are on a mission!
One of the first questions that every bride is asked is, “What’s your date?,” but when you’re planning a December wedding in Winnipeg, the immediate response to your date isn’t the usual nodding and smiling—it’s a concerned look followed by “…but why?” For David and I it was simple: he worked in sports all summer and fall, so a December wedding was the first month we’d actually be able to do it in without risking a playoff game preventing him from attending!
While a winter wedding means the groom can definitely attend, it also means a big risk in the form of Mother Nature’s temperament, no matter how prepared we are. Come December 4 the average temperature here is -15°C with a record low of -38°C. This is cold business, ladies and gents, and one of my first tasks in planning has been how to deal with it. My first stop? Outerwear.
My wonderfully determined bridesmaids and I set out one evening in early December on a simple task: to find a white coat we could all wear for outdoor pictures. But about halfway through scouring the city’s largest shopping centre from top to bottom, we realized this was going to be far trickier than anticipated.
Realization #1: There is no such thing as a white wool coat.
Every pea coat we found came in ten different shades of black, with the odd exception being a shade of a yellowish cream. I like to think I’m a relaxed, easy-going bride who doesn’t stress over minor details, but our colours are white, ice blue and silver. Against my white dress, a cream jacket isn’t going to cut it. Is it?
Realization #2: If we’re set on white, we’ll have to accept that we will either look like Michelin Men, or first-year med students.
Everything that came in white seemed to be either a puffer jacket, or a sterile shade of thick linen that made us look like Gregory House’s latest recruits. I don’t want to be fastidious, but neither really says “wedding party” to me.
Realization #3: If you do find something that fits the bill, chances are it’ll be discontinued, and only available in XXXL.
Winter coats are a hot commodity here, so the few times we found something that worked, none of the stores in the city had anything in our sizes. Even looking online and embracing astronomical shipping and duty charges (along with a dubious return process) left us empty handed, and wondering if white coats have ever existed at all!
So, our mission ended as an epic fail, but we’re still determined—and your help would be absolutely indispensable. What should we do?
1. Resign ourselves to cream. It won’t look that bad over my white dress, and the chances of finding one that matches exactly is pretty slim anyway.
2. Give up on anything remotely flattering, and buy puffer jackets. At least they’ll fit the colour scheme!
3. Scout out a seamstress, and have cloaks made. Even if they all seem to charge upwards of $250 per person. Yikes.
4. Forget outdoor pictures and just wear whatever’s comfortable. We’ll be outside for a grand total of 10 minutes before risking frostbite anyway, so we’ll just double our efforts to find an indoor location for posed pictures!
The challenge is on…
Tags: blogger search, bridesmaids, colour scheme, jacket, traditional, white, winter
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That is a dilema! What if only YOU wore a white jacket and the others wore a gray or black jacket?
I saw two students walking into school today with puffy jackets. They were cute with fur-lined hoods…but it made me realize it wouldn’t look all that cute with fancy dresses underneath. What color dresses are the girls wearing? I think you should go with the wool cream coats. If you take close-ups they’ll look super cute and you won’t even tell the cream/white difference…even though I think full-length shots will still look great! :)
From the way you describe your wedding and colors and all, I can not WAIT to see pictures. That sounds breathtaking! Good luck with the coats, lady :)
Hiya!! I’m here to support! I’ve never been married and am not planning on being married soon and/or in the bitter, cold snow. But if I was…I would definitely use these tips. They are awesome!!
:)
Ha! That’s brilliant . . . when my best friend got married she did it in mid summer, but summer has the problem of rain showers. The Bride, the brilliant woman that she is, got all us bridesmaids a pair of bright red gumboots, and a pair of gold jandals so in the bridal photos we didn’t have to tramp around in our gold stilettos! Coats a similar idea, I think. Appropriate to the winter season :)
way to go em! I agree with the others cream would be just fine. or just take all your pics indoors if you can find somewhere nice and avoid being cold anyway! great story :o)
oh lady i hope you find your coat! that will indeed be a freezing wedding!! you are beautiful and i miss your blog. i hope that you’re doing well! much love.
Thanks, I’ll look into it! I was thinking maybe of having the same coats – but then having blue accessories (scarves and gloves) for the ladies, and white ones for me. Would that look okay?
Haha, I totally agree with you on the med student look! What a cute story. Maybe instead of getting a full coat made (if you end up not being able to find anything in stores), you can have some sort of wrap made for you and the girls. Something pretty that will shield the cold a little bit. And you should wear a different colored one from the other girls so you stand out. :)
Wow – all I can say is thank you so much to EVERYBODY for stopping by and sharing ideas!! I will definitely look into costing how much it’d be to have something made – and also keep an eye out when 2010′s winter stuff starts hitting shops at the end of the summer. You guys are all rockstars :)
I love this post, Emily! You are definitely right about the med student look. :D I can only imagine how frustrating it’s been to try to find the right coats. I hope that somehow you’re able to find *the one* or find another color that works!
Ha ha, I was totally thinking you girls looked like med students. Shopping for something specific that you can’t find anywhere takes all the fun out of shopping. Good luck!
I agree with some of the other commenters – what about something lovely a bright? Though, I’m not sure where something like that will fit into your color scheme…A deep eggplant?? I don’t know, I’m tragically bad at colors. Though, come July there’s going to be plenty of coats out in stores, right now only the dregs are left.
Or…just focus on beautiful indoor places for pictures. I’m sure everything will be lovely!
Is it important that the bride match the wedding party? Because I think a custom-made cloak would look really gorgeous with a wedding dress. For the attendants, though, especially if the dresses are blue, I think you could get away with gorgeous cream coats!
I say go for a cream or blue coat. :)
You’re gonna look super cute no matter what!
December wedding in Canada, huh? Brrrr…I can only imagine how cold it must get there!!!
I think emily’s made it clear in her last post that she’s ALL about keeping in mind what’s most important on the day and she’s just sharing a funny story which I personally laughed out loud at. she’s got a big heart from what I’ve read so far and I’m sure whatever she finds she’ll be happy with. besides what else are bridesmaids going to wear with light blue dresses? black coats wouldn’t fit at all!
I think you should just go with something that fits the style your looking for even if its cream, you can always make the pics B&W. whatever you pick it’ll look great. thanks for making me laugh today!
You don’t need them to be all white, it is winter and honestly, who really cares….and why do the bridesmaids need to wear white??? Crisly says to go to Burlington Coat factory in Fargo and they have any style, color of coat you can imagine…..good luck with this, although 10 years from now you’ll ask yourself, was it really that important? It’s really all about saying your vows and spending the day with close friends and family…not about what you are wearing.
LMAO great story em. If anyone can make michelin man coats look good you can!
what a funny story!
i think getting them made would be cool, especially if you know someone who would be willing to do them.
Or finding a color that looks good with your dresses, maybe something bright?
I don’t see any problems at this end! :)
Sorry the text is running out of the blog post. Tech prob! We’re working on it now…
Oh goodness THANK YOU you guys for stopping by and commenting today! That seriously brought a huge smile to my face! :) Thank you for all your ideas and your VERY sweet comments (especially those who emailed me lists of online shops I could check out!) – lots of ideas I hadn’t even thought of. I am kind of afraid it may end up being too cold for any sort of outdoor pictures, but then again December 4th 2009 was just balmy, and in strange, uncharacteristically Winnipeg fashion, it hadn’t even snowed yet! Lots to think about – thank you for all your wonderful suggestions, and for your support. It means the world! :)
Hi Emily, I got married in December, many years ago. None of our group pictures were taken outside because it was too cold and people didn’t stand around outside the Church waiting to see me arrive or leave for the same reason. But if you do want matching coats, you might have a better chance of finding something when the winter clothes hit the stores in the middle of summer…I’ll keep an eye out for white or ice blue(not sure what shade that is) coats when I’m out and about. Good luck!
I would be the luckiest to marry you even if you looked like a doctor ;)
What about a coat in your accent color? Most wedding shops have capes or faux fur wraps that you could possibly use. I agree with Nilsa keep an eye on Etsy and you may be able to find someone willing to do a custom order.
I love the idea of cloaks. They seem so romantic and wintery and lovely. What colour are your bridesmaids’ dresses? Instead of trying to find white coats could you go for a bright contrasty colour?
And hope you don’t mind me linking to your wb page in my comments- I don’t have my own website so hopefully more people will come visit you that way!
I agree! I love Sean’s idea of adding earmuffs and scarves and things, and now’s the time to get them. I don’t know if I would necessarily go with cloaks ‘cus they won’t really be useful in keeping you warm. Same with those little fur kind of things and I know you’d never condone fur in a million years! Can you do a day trip to the states one weekend and check things out there? There may be lots more options. And agreed with Brittany – you definitely are gorgeous! Another great post – keep up the fab writing.
I love the idea of white overcoats. Here’s a couple ideas that might net a smaller pricetag than $250. First, why not go to a local sewing shop. See if the ladies there know anyone willing to take on a custom project like yours. There are people who sew magical things as a hobby and one of them might be willing to help a lovely bride out.
Second? Scour ETSY.COM for the exact same thing. Someone willing to custom make cloaks for you (since you won’t be able to be fitted for something more tailored, like coats).
In both instances, you’d be able to choose your own fabric and work on a design that meets your exact needs (and sizing and budget!).
Oh, and why not barter. You’ve got a wonderful blog and are participating in an amazing blogging contest. Why not offer, in exchange for a reasonable price, a few plugs on your blog. Advertising is what most small timers could never afford on their own!!!
What a delightfully tragic post! One of the things I miss most about the winter in Winnipeg is colour. Other then white, blue and grey, there is not much to work with in the city. My suggestion would be to go all out with some really vibrant colour that contrasts with the white snow, but still looks elegant, chic, and fun. As much as the winter is devastating in Winnipeg, it can also be a lot of fun! Go all out with ear muffs and the like – play with it – stodgy boring outwear pieces are for spring/fall/and summer weddings anyways.
First, congratulations again! I’m so excited for your big day.
Second, I didn’t realize Kyla was so TALL! :) You ladies are the epitome of gorgeous.
Now, although it might be expensive I think the capes would look really pretty, especially at the time of year you plan to get married. Or a pretty ice blue coat??
Hilarious writing, by the way. :) Good luck!!
Too funny!
For some reason, I find the idea of puffer jackets strangely compelling!
I wonder how cream would look? It might be worth trying.
I also saw a wedding show once that was featuring a winter wedding and the bride wore a fur wrap type-thing. It looked gorgeous!
Old Navy had really nice light cream wool peacoats at the beginning of the holiday season, not sure if they have any left in store. I know, I said “light cream” they are not pure white, but the closest I have seen to white. http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5448&vid=1&pid=675619&scid=675619012 and http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5448&vid=1&pid=675618&scid=675618032
I purchased a pure white 3/4 sleeve dress coat from Joe Fresh last year, not sure what they have in stores this year. Good luck!
Oh your writing’s funny :D If those options are the only ones you have, you realise you’ve going to have to try out EVERY combination to find the one you hate least? ;) That or outdoor heating? I don’t suppose they’d be hard to find in Canada?
Hi Ems, perhaps a tailored three quater sleeve length Bolero, showing the dresses off, and keeping you somewhat warmer, but if your still cold you could always wear your normal coats to get into position then whip them off just in time for the photo… have a designated coat person or something…haha!
You Emily are a very resourceful young woman, and i’m sure you and your bridesmaids will figure something out, and the great thing is… you still have loads of time!
All the best my love…
it will turn out perfectly!
“If we’re set on white, we’ll have to accept that we will either look like Michelin Men, or first-year med students” — TOO funny! i’d have to agree with judith though, on not giving up just yet! i’ll keep an eye out for you! either way, i’m sure your photographer has a whole handful of beautiful indoor locations for pictures!
Perhaps you could find a flimsy cape/cloak and just put a sweater under for outside pictures. Or what about a white button-up sweater on top of another layer or two.
I love the winter wedding idea. Hopefully Mother Nature plays nice.
lol Em I’m glad they picked you in this cause you’re such a good writer. Loved this post. I reckon cream might be your best bet although cloaks might be a bit Lord of the Rings and we all know what a nerd you are lol =) Way to go on another great post!!!!
If it were me, I might have something made. Of course, my mom is a badass with the sewing machine, so it’s easy for me to say that. Do you know someone who sews? I think buying some white wool and having cloaks made wouldn’t be as expensive as you think if you know someone who could do the sewing. Plus, cloaks would be so ridiculously romantic!
Yea, those jackets were a definite no! lol
Hi Emily,
Go for the cream.
You can have your pictures taken at the conservatory at the park. The inside is so beautiful and it is filled with plants etc and they always decorate for the season. So you could run from the car into the conservatory as they have a drop off point by the front door. You can have the lomo driver drop and pick up…..
You can’t find white coats? A wedding I shot recently had gorgeous one’s, and while they were gorgeous…they refused to take them off for photo’s because it was too cold. So all bridal party shots have coats on. So you can’t see the dresses. Which is what you’re wanting to showcase anyway!
What about fur cape’s?
My cousin got married January 4th of 2009 and she had them. It was freezing cold and snowing like crazy so they wore them, but you could still see the dress underneath.
have you thought about a fur or fake fur mink like stole, if you are opposed to real fur. There are lots of them out there, maybe you can do a winnipeg plea, you might even find ice blue or silver stoles in somesones closet they havent worn in years i know they around. An ad on used winnipeg, or kiji or face book for help in your search, I bet soneones mother would love to have their cherised piece have a day of glamor.
Oh my gosh! Wow. That is quite a quandary! And you had me laughing as well. :P What if you had ice blue coats? Would that be weird, and even harder to find? Hahaha. Have you tried looking online, or would it be expensive to have stuff shipped? Anyway, the most important thing is that you’re marrying the man of your dreams! So yay! :P I’m helping my best friend plan her wedding and I know that it can be pretty intense at times. :P Best of luck!
What a cute post but definitely a dilemma my dear! You could always pile the girls in a car for a weekend trip down to the states for a shopping blitz. It’ll be a great mini get away and you get to go shopping for a jacket. I wouldn’t give up just yet and if your heart set on white, I say keep looking. Don’t settle for anything that isn’t going to make you incredibly happy. As Carrie Bradshaw would say in Sex in the City, “Don’t settle for anything less than butterflies.”
Best of luck shopping and enjoy your vacation this coming week! I’m sure you’ll forget about ALL your worries ;).
There’s got to be somewhere you can find little capelets. White for you, and ice blue or silver for the girls?
LOL… You KNOW you’re going to find exactly what you want the week AFTER your wedding…What about going with Ice Blue or Silver?
Hey em!! LOL I love this post, you always crack me up :-)
Go for cream, its the only option plus its January, everything’ll prob. be on sale!!!