How to Create Gorgeous Event Décor for the Fall Wedding
The majority of weddings may take place during the warm summer months, but there is something so charming and beautiful about saying “I do” during the fall. With shades of red, yellow, and orange to work with (and a faint chill in the air), how could you not be enchanted by the thought of an outdoor fall wedding?
As if there weren’t enough reasons to love this season, the variety of fall wedding décor is overwhelming. Pumpkins, pinecones, baskets, and lush flowers are just some of the gorgeous items at your disposal as a wedding planner, so read on for our full guide to creating event décor for the fall wedding!
Start with the food
Every wedding coordinator and event planner knows the struggle of keeping food from melting down (or becoming unsafe) during the summer months. With so many weddings booked throughout the summer, it is always a challenge to ensure that wedding cakes and meals stay fresh in the heat.
Did we mention that the fall is a wonderful time for weddings? Well, we’re going to drive that point home even further here – because autumn months are cooler, food can safely sit for longer periods of time!
Cakes
Don’t worry as much about that magnificent cake melting down – the days and nights are cooler, and the sun isn’t as strong. Use all the buttercream you want for your client’s wedding cake, and consider filling it (or topping it) with fruit such as pears, cherries, and grapes.
Adding flowers and leaves to a cake is also a huge advantage of the fall season, and will brighten your wedding food as well as keep it fall-themed.
Main courses
Take full advantage of those gorgeous shades of red and orange and serve a foliage-themed lasagna as your clients’ main course. Carrots, beets, and pumpkin are readily available and delicious this time of year and lend themselves beautifully to a pasta dish. We LOVE Martha Stewart’s recipe for Fall-Foliage Lasagna.
Cocktails
If your clients are fans of the ever-popular pumpkin spice latte, why not incorporate those flavors into their big day? It is autumn, after all, and the taste of pumpkin is wonderfully welcome in a cocktail – get inspired by this Pumpkin Pie Martini recipe!
But fall isn’t just about pumpkins – apples, cinnamon, and chocolate are also fabulous flavors to include in wedding cocktails. So much to choose from!
Colorful florals
When you think of autumn, you envision shades of red, yellow and orange as the primary colors of the season. However, there are many other floral hues that can be included in your clients’ fall wedding, such as peach, lavender, and green – they’re unique yet still totally seasonal.
There are a variety of ways to create lush and gorgeous arrangements using fall flowers…
Centerpieces
There is something naturally rustic about fall wedding décor, and it’s the perfect time to peruse Pinterest! Consider using a hollow piece of driftwood and filling it with flowers such as peonies, roses, and orchids. These are seriously romantic flowers, and this will result in a lush and lovely centerpiece.
Branches are also an excellent way to create centerpieces for weddings this season, and can be ordered from florists or cut from your clients’ yard! They provide an authentic feeling at a wedding reception, and can be decorated with flowers or fruit such as berries and pumpkins.
Cornucopias also make excellent centerpieces, since they are associated with harvest time and add fullness to the table. Leaves, flowers and candles give cornucopias their classic character and elegance, and the great news is that they’re super easy to create!
Anyone who loves the fall season has a special relationship with pumpkins and gourds – after all, they are recognizable symbols of the season! Use them as much as your client desires for an authentic autumn feeling, but make sure to use faux pumpkins and gourds in order to avoid decomposing décor. You can easily find these at craft stores, and they can be spray painted to match the other colors used in your clients’ décor as well.
Bouquets
Your fall bride is going to put a great deal of thought into the flowers she carries down the aisle! If she wants to arrange the flowers herself, she totally can, but it may be helpful to recommend an expert to do so for her. Florists know seasonal flowers, can make the best recommendations, and will be happy to arrange the flowers in the way your client desires. This way, your bride won’t be stressed while trying to create the bouquet of her dreams!
Crab apples, figs, and ribbons in autumnal colors are wonderful ways of accessorizing fall bouquets. This is a season for creativity and variety, so encourage your bridal client to become familiar with all the florals available and help inspire her vision.
Decorated ceremony
Fall wedding décor certainly isn’t limited to the wedding reception and bridal bouquet! If your clients are being married outdoors, there are so many possibilities for gorgeous autumn décor. If they choose to be married inside and still want the colors of the season around them, there are several ways to make it happen.
Pretty pinecones
These charming pieces of nature will bring an autumn chill to any wedding ceremony, be it indoors or outdoors. Tie them with ribbons to church pews or chairs, or even spray paint them in colors that complement the rest of the wedding décor for a creative twist.
Baskets
We mentioned earlier that fall weddings are naturally rustic, so bring this out further by using baskets as décor! Adorn the altar with baskets full of fruit, flowers, or pinecones, or simply have a variety of baskets empty, which can hold cards or well-wishes from the guests!
Tulle canopy
Create a small canopy out of romantic tulle for the altar. They can be styled like curtains, and you can even add some extra flair by tying them back with a burlap bow (for an even more rustic effect!).
