Today it is raining here steadily for the first time in what seems like months. So if today was your wedding day how would you cope?

Photo by Max Klingensmith

Send someone out to buy lots of umbrellas – black or white would look elegant or even plain coloured ones if you are lucky enough to find them at short notice. If you had looked at the forecast for your wedding day and found that rain was expected you could order your umbrellas online beforehand.

Buy beautifully patterned gumboots. There are lots available now that are not only for kids. At the very least you could wear them to the venue door and then change into your expensive bridal shoes – and lets face it they would add a touch of humour to your photos as you lift your dress and hop out of the car!

Photographs look wonderful in the rain. The soft light casts few shadows and the colours of nature seem enhanced by the rain. There is something romantic about raindrops running down a window or mist seen as you peer outside. Rain adds cosiness to your day and having the celebration inside means that most guests will stay inside instead of wandering outside.

If you are a really adventurous couple you could have your photographs taken in the rain – that is if you don’t mind wet hairstyles and damp dresses. Jumping over those puddles might just become your best wedding picture, in that it expresses the joyousness of your day! Maybe it would be a good idea to have a spare outfit in case you do get wet!

Don’t let the rain spoil your day. Be flexible, use your sense of humour and you will find that you will be able to laugh about it and be grateful that the earth is being renewed on your special day.

How warming it is to eat a bowl of soup while curled up watching your favourite TV show or listening to music.

Martha Stewart Mixed Mushroom Soup

Recently on a Saturday, we cooked some pea and ham soup. Ham hocks bought from the butcher, green split peas, onions and stock – and we had the makings of a simple soup that took hours to cook and perfumed the house with that ‘what’s for dinner?’ smell. Some good bread and a glass of wine and the meal was complete, both for the tummy and the soul.

Pumpkin soup is another favourite, all the better when the pumpkin is roasted first and a good chicken stock is used. Potato soup, broccoli soup with cream, and a real favourite here, chicken soup cooked with plenty of vegetables and noodles.

Martha Stewart Emerald Green Velvet Soup

All of these soups can be adapted for a winter wedding breakfast. Tweak the recipe a little to add elegance and serve your guests the soup in small earthenware cups or small bowls.

Have you every tried Christmas in July? As we are so used to having a hot Christmas here in Australia, with often the lighter foods being offered, it makes a nice change to serve the more traditional foods during this cooler month.

Photo by DJ Lean

For us the leaden skies and the colder weather seem sometimes to drag on and on, so it is a nice counterpoint to break the dreariness, with a vibrant night of feasting with family and friends. Set the table with red, silver or gold Christmas decorations, get out your special dinnerware and glasses, light the open fire and cook up a storm! Add some pine branches for the beautiful smell and lots of fat red ribbons tied onto curtain rods, chair backs, banisters, door handles.

For inspiration try Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson recipes. Turkey with stuffing and gravy, chestnuts, ham with all the trimmings – roasted potatoes, parsnips and pumpkin, cranberry sauce, Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, eggnog, mulled wine.

Photo by Daniel Greene

Gifts of spice or pine scented potpourri in muslin bags, little ‘joke’ or funny trinkets tailored to the receiver, party bags of cheap whistles, masks, sweets from the party shop – just something small to sit at each place setting will add to the festive feeling.

Finish the evening with some hot chocolate and carol singing or silly games. You never know, you may have started a tradition of your own!

Winter is the time for us to enjoy comfort foods. Long slow cooking of stews, casseroles and roasts bring us back to the table and leisurely meals enjoyed with family and friends. A bowl of chicken soup with really good bread, jam roly poly or golden syrup steamed pudding – all foods to warm the body and the soul.

Sunday Suppers Grilled Corn Soup (full recipe here)

These recipes will adapt well to a winter wedding. If you have fond memories of a  favourite dessert that your mother cooked regularly during your childhood, what better tribute to her than to include it in your wedding reception menu. Grandma may have been a whiz at sponge cake making or apple pies, or Dad may have been adept at pancake cooking on a Sunday morning.
Your caterer will be able to come up with suggestions as to how to bring your favourite recipe into the 21st Century. From a simple change of ingredient, a different way of plating the food, a variation in the main ingredient e.g. duck instead of chicken, barramundi instead of mullet, or adding different herbs or spices, our favourites can be modernised and made as elegant as you desire.

Sunday Suppers Bittersweet Chocolate and Orange Pot (full recipe here)

Crepes instead of thick pancakes, steamed puddings served in individual pots and turned out onto a plate with extra sauce on the side, soup served in small glasses or cups. A dessert table could incorporate an ‘afternoon tea’ area featuring all those old fashioned cakes and biscuits, beautifully iced and presented on vintage platters and cake stands.
Suddenly ‘old’ could be ‘new’ again!

On this cold Melbourne morning, this photo by One Love Photo captures all that we’re longing for.

A wedding with loved ones, long, beautiful conversations and wine in the sunshine under a beautiful old tree.

Found on one of our favourite ever wedding blogs A Practical Wedding