Good Things for Winter Weddings

In winter, bare branches sparkle with frozen crystalline droplets, creating a luminous, icy white. Set the tone for a sophisticated wedding with festive winter-inspired favors, tried-and-true ideas from winter real weddings, and these Good Things that will add some sparkle to your special day.

Here, fondant that has been tinted ice blue blankets this wedding cake like snow in the shadows cast by a winter sun. Real pinecones flecked with royal icing glistening with sanding sugar are accented with finely wrought chocolate pine needles; they add a natural-looking texture to the cake's modern lines.

Cozy knitted ring pillows lend warmth to a winter wedding.

A little glue and tissue paper are all you need to transform plastic fruit into a modern, sculptural still-life.

Instead of the typical flowery clutch, carry an imaginative wreath made of deep-green boxwood, white roses, and waxflowers -- all hardy plants, available year-round. The wreath can be clasped in the hand like a bouquet or looped over the wrist with a ribbon. Bonus: The circular shape serves as a symbol of eternity.

Dress up herbal tea bags with our "Enjoy!" tag, and serve them before or after your vows.

It sounds like the word for a sphinx's riddle, but anaglypta is actually the name of an embossed wallpaper the Victorians used to mimic costlier pressed plaster or tin. These days, it makes an easy centerpiece when affixed to flower-filled cylinder vases in varying sizes.

If the forecast is frosty, offer these cozy extras: Place a stack of shawls (beltoutlet.com) at the entrance to your ceremony, or drape one over every other chair at your reception.

Give tweed flower pins as bridesmaid gifts; they can be worn at the wedding on dresses, shawls, or cardigans, or pinned to ribbon for a wrist corsage.

End your celebration with a few oohs (as in diminutive doughnuts) and aahs (as in the delighted response they're sure to evoke) by passing out these traditional breakfast treats as a dessert with coffee service, either skewered on coffee spoons or set in dainty piles. Any way you serve them, guests are sure to circle back for more.

When planning a winter wedding, you can guarantee an abundance of coats to keep tabs on. Put an end to the headache of rummaging for lost coat-check stubs at the end of the evening with this clever idea: Adhesive perforated tags that guests can stick inside a clutch or jacket pocket for safekeeping.

Leaving a small gift in guests' hotel rooms before they arrive is a personable way to greet them. Tea -- presented with wonderful accessories or just a note -- will be appreciated when the air is chilly. Give gifts to all out-of-town guests, or to special friends or relatives.

You've heard of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but here's something even more delicious (and just as seasonally appropriate): chestnuts dipped in white or semisweet chocolate. To make them, coat chestnuts in melted chocolate, let cool, and garnish with a bit of edible gold leaf.

The Gold Leaf Company 23-karat gold-leaf sheets. Viking Importing Company Danish glassine cups #275C-DCS.

If you can wield a can of spray paint, you can create this wintry display. Using simple paper stencils, transfer the patterns or table numbers to vases with a couple of coats of Rust-O leum Specialty Frosted Glass Aerosol Paint (homedepot.com). Then place small pillar candles inside.

Send a winter-wed couple off in a flurry of paper snowflakes. Use white and light-blue paper and a snowflake punch (available at art-supply stores). Place handfuls of snowflakes in small glassine bags. Wrap a narrow ribbon around each; affix with double-stick tape at the top of the front and back (we taped a snowflake in front). Secure the ribbon and bag flap with a monogrammed silver sticker.

Recalling the winning air of an award rosette, this little adornment flourishes even in the depths of winter.

Keep little legs warm for a winter wedding with these embellished tights. Just sew pretty satin bows to the back of her stockings for added cute points (score extra by matching the color of the ribbon to her shoes).

A sprinkling of snowflake confetti on the tables helps set a merry mood. Use craft punches to cut snowflakes from silver paper; mix in coils and snippings of silver curling ribbon.

Perfect for a snowy wedding, 'Casablanca' lilies, some a hand-span wide, are wired into a plump, ruffled lily ball and intermixed with 20 silver-mesh leaves, some of which drift onto its silvery ribbon.

With their whispery petals and luminous silver centers, the tissue-paper flowers that bloom on this wintry wreath look as if they were plucked from a fairy tale. Perhaps more magical is the fact that this inexpensive pew decoration won't wilt or fade, so you can make as many as you need well ahead of time.

This cake is as magical as the season's first flurry. Snowflakes made from royal icing are miniature at the top of the cake and larger at the bottom, giving the impression of a gracefully drifting snowfall. The tiers are frosted smoothly with Swiss meringue to resemble tightly packed snow.

Fluffy, snow-white meringue tops the layers of this cake. Unbaked meringue holds its shape well when piped; a large star tip (Ateco No. 869) was used to form these fluted peaks. Meringue not only looks lovely, it tastes delicious, especially when flavored with a few drops of vanilla extract or orange-blossom water. (A pale or clear flavoring works best because it won't mar the pure white of the meringue.)

White treats are just right for a winter wedding, while the coconut flavor gives just enough sweet nostalgia for the summer months.

Warm guests with a comfort-food favorite turned elegant: macaroni and cheese served in dainty ramekins. Our version features sharp white cheddar and Gruyere.

With warm and fuzzy yarn accents, a plain stationery set becomes wedding-worthy.

Dragees have a long history at weddings, and a paper compote in the center of each table lets your guests be a part of the tradition.

In winter, bare branches sparkle with frozen crystalline droplets, creating a luminous, icy white that can set the tone for a sophisticated winter wedding. When accented with shades of pale gray and glittering silver, this purest of whites seems to glow, recalling the soft light of a December afternoon.

For a soft accessory, follow the Victorian tradition of carrying flowers in bouquetiers, elaborate vase- or bowl-shaped holders. This one is made to resemble lacy wool.

Collect just the right ingredients for to warm guests. Start with a large container of hot cocoa and a bag of mini marshmallows, measuring them out into individual serving sizes and placing them in small cellophane bags. You can also include two mugs, each filled with a pair of new, cozy socks.