A cosy barn full of warm celebrations, bronzed leaves falling by the arbour and relaxed evenings lit with rays of golden light..autumn and winter weddings at Knightor are simply stunning. 

It's clear to see why weddings at this time of year are on the rise. Throughout autumn and into the magical winter months, come rain or shine, there's plenty to love about these seasonal weddings. 

We've collected together some top tips for creating the ultimate autumn/winter wedding... how to prepare, things to consider and ideas for making the most out of your wedding celebrations. 

Autumn brings with it an explosion of colour that is perfect for celebrations. It's a great time to embrace natural, earthy colours as well as pops of colour, or snow whites. Rich, warm tones will enhance your theme and create an inviting space to celebrate. 

Take note of seasonal flowers, which ones are available and can create an authentic addition. For a festive touch, no wedding would be complete without mistletoe and natural foliage into wreaths, or fir trees. Chrysanthemum, Gypsophila and Myrtle are beautiful flowers perfect for the winter months. 

Take inspiration from your venue and make the most of seasonal themes, including foliage, slates and log circles that can provide a pretty centrepiece for dining tables and decorations throughout.  

Utilise natural and eco-friendly resources such as hessian and twine, get creative and thrifty to create a truly unique look. An outdoor wedding might not be possible, but there's no stopping you from bringing essences of outside, inside. 

After this summers heatwave, it's hard to remember just how cold the winter can be. Get prepared for the big freeze and plan wedding activities around the cooler weather. There's nothing more inviting than a warm wedding celebration and there are plenty of alternative treats and surprises to enchant guests young and old. 

Sparklers are a fun addition to your special day and make for a great photo opportunity, your photographer will love it! Get everyone outside for a sparkling surprise, before retreating back indoors into the cosy warm venue. 

Get creative with your lights, mix it up with both natural and artificial options for creating soft effects and cosy spaces. Masonry jars and wooden slices are a thrifty and creative way to enhance your decorations and really compliment the seasonal look. ​

Autumn and winter are synonymous with enjoying sweet treats and with plenty of delights to choose from, it's easy to create a seasonal buffet that will not only look stunning, but serve as a delicious addition to the celebrations. 

Blackberries, toasted marshmallows, butternut squash, toffee apples, cranberries, mulled wine and of course, pumpkins are just a few favourites to influence your wedding dining options. 

There are loads of gorgeous ways to accessorise your wedding outfits to maximise warmth without compromising style. Faux fur wraps, soft fabrics and elegant cardigans will ensure brides and bridesmaids stay toasty warm throughout the ceremony and into the evening. 

Wedding guests, don't fear if your smartest, warmest outfit is all black or your staple business wear; accessorise with a colour scarf, shoes with a pop of colour or something as simple as hair accessories will add sparkle to your outfit without having to fork out for a new outfit.  

Thanks to our unpredictable climate, no wedding is ever guaranteed sunshine or the avoidance of rainfall, snow or blustery gales, but at least with an autumn or winter wedding, you can expect the worst, and be guaranteed a wonderful surprise when sunshine breaks through the clouds or a sprinkling of snow dusts your venue exterior. 

​Any chance you have to get outdoors and explore, go for it! Take advantage of golden afternoon light for photos and empty spaces with no clusters of tourists to dodge. It may be freezing outdoors, but the photos will be so worth it - show off your dress without layers and you won't regret having done it! 

With just over 450 vineyards in England and the industry steadily growing, winemakers are quite the rarity. We are frequently quizzing our winemaker, David about all things wine, vine, cork and stalk; always asking 'what does this mean?' and 'what would happen if?', but what about his journey into winemaking - how he got into it, where his passion comes from and what his favourite parts are. 

We managed to steal him away from the vines to ask a few questions, here's what we discovered - 
(Do you have a question you'd like to ask David? Comment below) 

1. What is one of the hardest things about winemaking, day in and day out?
 People probably do not realise the amount of time that is spent just cleaning. Whether it be one tank before its used, a pump, a barrel, hoses, bottle filler the list goes on.... its not really that hard, but its just not the most interesting part of the job. 

2. If you weren't a winemaker, what do you think you would be?
Something Horticulture related I imagine. I still enjoy it, It is what I started with and what lead me in to Viticulture and Wine. 

3. Do you have a favourite vineyard, besides Knightor of course?
No chance! But so many vineyard areas impress me, mostly for their non mechanised approach and challenging sites, and also just for the wine. Standouts I find Mosel, Rheingau [Germany], Vaud, Valais [Switzerland], Madeira, Douro [Portugal]. I love some of the wines from these areas, but when you add in to the it the people behind the tough work thats mostly by hand it makes the end result all the more impressive and good value.

4. What got you into the winemaking business?
I was dragged around Europe on holidays as a child visiting lots of vineyards and wineries in the process. My Sister and I found the wineries and vineyards so dull and boring, Chateau, vine, bottle, repeated again and again mostly looked the same as a child.

This eventually all changed one year when offered a sample or two of wine that is! They all tasted so different, and most were quite yummy too! It was amazing. One thing lead to another, a few years later, and a good idea followed. 

As a 13 or 14 year old I already had an allotment where I spent all my spare time growing all sorts of fruit, vegetables, flowers and random seeds I had collected. After taking a cutting or two off a vine this soon spread to become well over 60 grapevines and over 100kg of grapes each year! Most other plants were soon forgotten about! I needed to try and make the tasty drink found on holidays!

A few years after whilst at school I was then fortunate enough to be offered part time work at nearby Nutbourne Vineyards, tending their vines, I loved it.... 
 
5. What is your favourite season for winemaking? 
 When everything is pressed and safely in tank fermenting just after harvest. The smell of happy ferments when you walk in to the winery first thing in the morning is so perfumed, unforgetable. Then blending in spring usually isnt too bad either!

6. What are some of the misconceptions/phrases you hear from people regarding wine that are simply not true (or drive you crazy)?
Not much makes me that irritated. Just minor gripes, for example people not tasting with a very open mind, or making broad sweeping statements. Then also the 'wine snobbery' at times. Its just a drink. A very interesting one though!     

7. If you were a wine, what would you be?
The corked bottle!? I'm no Petrus or Lafite. 

At Knightor, we love wine and everything that comes along with wine-making. We love sharing this passion and so if you've gotten this far through our website, I trust that you are as enthusiastic as we are, with an interest in the behind the scenes magic.
On Monday, a large truck rolled up with Nicholas and Theirry from the  Institut Oenologique de Champagne, having driven 14 hours to reach us. They brought specialist equipment to bottle our sparkling wine and we didn't miss a minute. The sun was shining, it was a beautiful day in St Austell and the team powered through, bottling an astonishing 18,000 bottles of Knightor sparkling wine. Helen, Jovi, Angie and Liam loaded the empty bottles; Salvatore whizzed about with the forklift, moving the pallets around; David, Dian, Adrian and Sam loaded the stillages with the full bottles and Nicholas and Theirry conducted the machines.
We also bottled a few limited run magnums! Cor, they were heavy. However, we've tucked the stillages away and won't peek for at least another 12 months.....

Cupcake, cake pops and cake jars are also popular… ​

Although Brides, make sure you don’t show anyone who hasn’t already seen your dress! ​

Cheese cakes are also lots of fun! If you’re not a huge fan of traditional cake, then why not have a cheese cake? ​

On Friday 30th December 2016 we hosted something fun for the no man's land between Christmas and New Years. Guests joined us for our Nordic Feast which featured a smorgasbord of warming Scandinavian inspired comfort food. Using some seriously seasonal ingredients this style of food perfectly showcased the fantastic local produce available mid winter. And did you know the Scandinavian and Nordic food scene is taking off at the moment, apparently it's the next big thing! Have read here. Skål! 

Nordic Feast Menu

6.30pm - at the bar
House smoked mackerel, pear & celery on rye (smørrebrød), wild alexanders, mustard & dill dressing
Knightor Rose Vermouth and Tonic Spritzer

7.30pm - sit down feast
Slow roast cauliflower & juniper soup, crispy leaves & crunchy sourdough
    Harbourside Pale Ale, St Ives
​
Meatballs, home made brown sauce, pickled cucumber, red cabbage, barley, caramelised onion rings, bacon & cabbage cream sauce
    Skinners Betty Stoggs Bitter

Home smoked cheese, celery & skyr remoulade, pickled red onion and rye crouton
    Penpont Cornish Arvour Amber Ale     

Beer pancakes with pine custard, honey and pollen
    Fowey Valley Sparkling Vintage Cider

There are some added perks to getting married in the winter. People tend to go on holiday during the summer, so in theory your guests shouldn’t be off globetrotting. Nobody can control the weather (especially in Cornwall). During the summer if it rains at a wedding it can have a huge impact! If the ceremony is planned for outside this can be a disaster, people aren’t prepared for the rain, and outfits (and often fake tan!) can end up being completely impractical! But if the weather is rubbish at a winter wedding, then hey, it is winter, put your hood up! 
You will also often find registrars and churches aren’t as busy, so can be more flexible with the timings and dates for your special day. 
I think these are amongst the reason winter weddings are becoming much more popular. ​