A wedding is beautiful at any time of year, but a Winter Wedding brings something special to the holiday season. Not only does it give you a reason to gather with friends and family, it could save you money. Wintertime is outside traditional 'peak wedding season,' so you'll find great bargains in a less-crowded market.

When it comes to flowers for your Winter Wedding, you'll save a fortune by choosing flowers that are in-season and plentiful at the time of your wedding. Some suggestions for the top Winter Wedding flowers:

• White poinsettias
• Roses ­ whites, reds
• Casablanca lilies
• Calla lilies (available in white, green or a burgundy called a 'Merlot')
• Stargazer lilies
• Gardenias
• Amaryllis
• Magnolias
• Carnations
• Tulips (especially lovely in white for a winter wedding)
• Snowball mums
• And others as suggested by your floral designer

Seasonal 'add-ins' to make your Winter Wedding floral centerpieces and bouquets stand out include:

• Evergreen branches
• Pine cones (plain or with the edges painted white)
• Holly leaves
• Berry branches
• White birch branches
• Frosted berry branches
• Frosted fruits
• Eucalyptus
• Ivy
• Baby's breath
• Queen Anne's lace
• Mini- or full-sized ornaments in your choice of colors
• Cinnamon sticks
• Pillar, taper or votive candles (for your centerpieces only)
• And others as suggested by your floral designer

Inspired? Now it's time to start thinking about your color scheme. You're not limited to white and silver, or red and green. Today's Winter Wedding comes in a beautiful palette of possibilities. You can go mono-chromatic (as in all-white or all-red), or mix-and-match your colors for a unique and unforgettable impression. Here are some ideas:

• White, with your choice of color accents
• Silvers, golds or coppers
• Copper and chocolate brown
• Light blues and silvers
• Light purples/lavenders and deeper purples or plum
• Burgundy
• Reds, rubies, and cranberry
• Hunter greens with white or sage green
• Black, silver and white
• And others as suggested by your floral designer

Since flowers come in a range of hues, always be sure to bring fabric swatches from both your gown and your bridesmaids' gowns to your floral designer so that he or she can design the perfect complement to the real colors of your day. After all, 'white' can mean anything from a pure white to a champagne to an eggshell white to ivory or cream. Reds, blues, greens, even silvers and coppers can also come in a range of colors, so be sure to match carefully.

- Special thanks to Kathy at Charles the Florist in Madison, NJ

Sharon Naylor is the author of over 30 wedding planning books and is the Q&A specialist at NJWedding.com. Sharon will answer any wedding-related questions at www.njwedding.com/expertadvice. She is a resident of Morristown, New Jersey. To view and purchase any of Sharon's helpful books, click here to visit the NJWedding.com WedStore!