Ideas for the Perfect Fall Wedding

Now that the engagement is official, it’s time to plan the wedding. All of your friends and family will likely want to know when your big day is. Then, they’ll ask if you want formal or casual or somewhere in between.

As you begin to plan, why not consider a fall wedding? It’s one of the most beautiful times of the year with the leaves changing and the crispness in the air. The colors of fall make beautiful dresses and traditional accessories for groomsmen. Not to mention the more moderate temperatures are wonderful for beautiful outdoor celebrations.

From fall foliage-filled bouquets to personalized mason jars (for a fall-themed signature drink), ideas abound for making your special day as unique as you and your soon-to-be spouse. We took the liberty to compile some of our favorites.

Signature Drinks

You could serve the traditional champagne or punch at your wedding reception, but your special day deserves a little more pizzazz than the traditional fare. Why not create a signature drink? This will inject a little of your personality into the reception or cocktail hour (if you’re planning a formal meal).

Fall is the perfect time for a country or rustic theme. Those themes lend themselves nicely to mugs or other drinkware as wedding favors. Personalized mason jars (for a fall-themed signature drink) are great favors for your guests or keepsake glasses for you and your beloved.

You could choose to serve your favorite apple cider—hot or cold—a cocktail you created with your love, or even a hot toddy. Other ideas include having a full bar with personalized mason jars (for a fall-themed signature drink) available for guests to fill and refill. Self-service drink stations containing sodas and water are also good ideas.

Fall Fruits

Fall has many people thinking of pumpkins and apples. Those, along with other fall fruits, can be beautiful decorative additions to your wedding. You could create a vignette of different fruits mixed with flowers and foliage for table centerpieces or even to decorate an unoccupied corner of the room.

Mini white pumpkins make interesting place card holders. Apples can do double duty as tealight candle holders that add both ambiance and a pleasing scent to the space. Use large pumpkins with sunflowers, mums, or even sprigs of wheat placed strategically around the room to create a tableau of colorful fall décor.

A Fire Pit

Nothing says fall quite like a fire pit. Outdoor weddings in the fall are beautiful, but sometimes chilly, affairs. Why not have your guests gather around a fire pit with their personalized mason jars (for a fall-themed signature drink) and warm themselves? Create a cozy seating area for guests to sit and talk about their memories with you or your new spouse while enjoying the ambient glow of the firelight.

If you’ve decided on a casual or country-themed wedding, you could set up a s’mores station, or marshmallow roasting station beside the fire pit. Guests often enjoy having interactive experiences at celebrations. You could also consider placing the dance area near the fire pit for warmth.

Farm to Fork

Fall weddings are wonderful opportunities to experience the bounty of a local harvest. Fill your reception or wedding dinner with locally grown meats and vegetables. Work with your caterer or venue to plan a menu of items that are perfectly in season on your special day.

Don’t forget that cake isn’t the only dessert you can have on your wedding day. Don’t settle for cake simply because it’s considered tradition; choose the dessert that you love. Many people think of pies when they think of fall. There are also cobblers, tarts, and crisps that highlight the wonderful fresh flavors of fall.

The Flowers

Whether you’re designing your bouquet or the perfect tablescape, flowers play a large part in typical wedding décor. For fall, choose flowers that are in season like dahlias, mums, and sunflowers. Rich burgundies and yellows make beautiful compliments to casual or formal occasions.

For an elegant touch add some gold metallic elements to your bouquet. If rustic or country is more your style, perhaps greenery or even pinecones would accentuate your flowers perfectly. Faded hydrangeas in an archway or a centerpiece are also an exceptional fall floral choice.

Hot Beverages

Rather than giving your guests personalized mugs (for a fall-themed signature drink) why not consider mugs that match your color scheme as your wedding favors? Your guests can use them at a hot beverage bar you’ve set up with coffee, hot teas, and hot chocolate before taking them home as a souvenir of your event. Hot apple cider is also a pleasing choice for a fall hot beverage bar.

The hot drink bar is an especially good idea if you’re hosting an outdoor event in the late fall. Chilly weather brings with it the desire to enjoy a good hot beverage while enjoying the crisp evening air.

A Welcome Table

Whether you’ve planned an elegant indoor celebration or a rustic outdoor country party, you want your guests to feel welcome at your event. One way to welcome them right from the start is to create a welcome table. Welcome tables can include anything from a photo booth with instant cameras so they can leave pictures and messages for you in a scrapbook to self-serve coffee and muffins or doughnuts.

One idea for inclusion at your welcome table is cozy throws or scarfs to help your guests stay warm. They can then take these warm items home with them as a wedding favor and will remember feeling like you were considerate of them on your special day.

Wrapping It Up

A fall wedding is a beautiful event that can incorporate many hints of the season. From fruits as décor and farm to fork foods for your guests, your wedding should be as beautiful and unique as you are. Fall is a season of beautiful colors and crisp, fresh air; use the natural fall elements to your advantage when planning your wedding day.