Ideas for a Fall Wedding

With summer now in full bloom many of you brides-2-b who are getting married after the summer will be turning your attention to your wedding decorations and finishing touches. For those of you who are getting married in the fall months this will now be your main priority within your wedding planning.

I am never quite sure when fall begins some having it as late September and others mid October. Personally I let nature dictate when it begins by noting the color change in the leaves on the trees outside my house. So for the purposes of this article we will say Fall runs from mid-September to mid November.

If you are planning a fall wedding then here are a few ideas to help inspire you

Colors: at this time of year nature gives us a wealth of wonderful colors to work with, from dark browns to burn orange, amber, red, gold and yellow there is a wonderful spectrum to choose from. As each color compliments them you can choose to work with many colors in your wedding details.

Patterns and motifs: instantly we think about leaves as a motif for stationery and other elements. Try skeleton leaves for something a little different or choose a specific tree leaf which is local to you, for instance, oak, beech or ash.

Other suggestions come from harvest time, so think about pumpkins, corn bundles and seasonal produce. Fall is a bountiful time and you may be surprised by what is on offer.

In terms of patterns, checks and ginghams are popular choices and ones which seem to fit the season very well.

Wedding favors: you will find a wealth of fall inspired wedding favors to choose from, perhaps more so than any other season. From leaf shaped bottle stoppers and bookmarks to glass coasters and scented soaps.

If you prefer to make you own try some recipes of seasonal dishes such as cider punch, spiced apple sauce and pumpkin soup. Give out little Hessian bags with seasonal flower bulbs or back your own leaf shaped cookies.

Table centers: some of the best I have seen have been created in hollowed out pumpkins sometimes filled with flowers or carved with the couples initials (jack-o-lantern style) and lit from within with a votive candle.

Choose natural looking containers for your center pieces such as wooden boxes, hollowed out tree logs or terracotta plant pots. Keep flowers seasonal also and in traditional autumnal colors.

Food and beverage: if you haven't sorted this out already then consider some of the dishes mentioned above. Serve up pumpkin soup, a second course consisting of roast pork with seasonal vegetables and spiced apple sauce and finish with a dessert made with seasonal fruits such as blackberries and apples.

Welcome your guests with a glass of cider punch when they arrive and serve up rich wines with a hint of blackberry throughout the meal.

Decorations: depending on your venue you could choose a harvest festival style decoration with bundles of corn, garlands of seasonal fruit and vegetables and standard copper beech trees.

As an alternative make your own bunting in fall colored gingham and patterned fabrics. Arrange scented tea lights in amber colored glasses on tables and hang orange ‘pumpkin' paper shades from the ceiling. You could also collect freshly fallen leaves and make your own garlands, also using them as place cards by writing your guests names on them with gold marker pen. Don't collect leaves that are too dry as they will be too brittle to work with and look for leaves with an interesting array of colors.