In the past, it used to be that June was among the most popular months for beautiful brides, not so anymore. Fall weddings with opulent fall wedding themes are now as common as weddings any other time of year. If fall is the most convenient time to plan your wedding, or your favorite time of year, capitalize on rich fall colors and themes to create your own unique, yet elegant wedding them for fall.
Fall is a beautiful time of year, so when considering your fall wedding them remember that you can bring in an array of colors from hues of orange and green to deep reds and burgundies. The key to deciding upon fall wedding themes is first to determine if you want a traditional, formal wedding, or a casual themed wedding. As you know, it’s your wedding and practically anything goes. The following ideas may help you sort through wedding themes for fall and decide which best suits you and the groom.
Formal Fall Wedding Themes: A Harvest of Color
One way to simplify your plans around formal fall wedding it to think of it as you would a traditional spring or summer wedding, only instead of spring bouquets you will use the colors of autumn. Use fall leaves, either pressed or preserved in silica, or silk leaves to spread over the guest tables. Fall wedding centerpieces can be created from small glass jars or small pots. Small pots make lovely centerpieces when painted a deep hunter green. Add interest to the table use different sizes of jars or pots.
Flowers that you should consider including, according to Brides.com, are cymbidium orchids and calla lilies, orange dahlias, vanda orchids and protea. The great thing about your fall flower combination is that all the colors work together, so it is simply a matter of picking the color and flowers that please you. Many fall themed wedding centerpieces are created using a mixture of these flowers and fall berries. The most beautiful bouquet of fall flowers I saw on Brides.com was a bouquet they called Barnyard blooms. It contained orchids, gloriosa lilies, amaryllis, and roses creating a breathtaking display of colors and textures. The centerpiece, created by blumgarten.com added touches of chard, artichokes, plums, and radicchio to give it real harvest appeal.
This same combination of flowers, perhaps minus the bulk, would make a stunning bridal bouquet. The key to choosing your bridal bouquet is to add rich, deeply colored velvety roses to any bouquet of fall flowers to add a subtle traditional feel and magnificent color.
Guest cards can be created in fall colors from using any of a variety of templates available online, try websites like Wedding Clipart has a variety of designs to use for wedding cards, thank you notes, and other clip art that may be used in wedding decorations or gifts. Find clipart to match your fall theme and enjoy the ability to create your own designs.
Casual Fall Wedding Themes: A Genuine Harvest Celebration
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a casual wedding. Again, you have to create a wedding atmosphere in which you and your guests feel most comfortable. I have been in ministry for over 25 years, my husband for close to forty. We have seen and he has officiated a lot of wedding ceremonies. It seems brides and grooms are often hesitant to have a casual wedding because of what others will think. In the end, it is the ceremony that most fits your mood and personality at which you and your wedding guests have a most fun and memorable day.
Casual fall wedding themes are extremely easy to pull together and can be very budget friendly. They can also be a lot of fun to plan and attend.
Using the floral suggestions from above, such as autumn colored dahlias, calla lilies, gloriosa lilies you can create a bridal bouquet that rivals any spring rose bouquet. If you are unsure of how to pull the colors together contact the florist from whom you will be purchasing flowers and get suggestions from a professional. Their advice is usually free if you plan to order flowers from them.
Create a fun fall wedding atmosphere by using bales of hay to display around the altar. Don’t forget that pumpkins and squash can be used, as well. I might stop short of a scarecrow.
On the table small pumpkins and squash can be arranged with fall leaves for inexpensive and creative centerpieces. Another creative centerpiece for a fall wedding is to use a produce basket and fill it with fresh vegetables that have leafy or flowering tops, like carrots, radishes, or any harvest vegetable or plastic harvest vegetable of your choice. A solid fall color table cloth, perhaps in a mustard orange works well for covering tables. If you really want to go casual, use picnic tables.
One of the benefits of choosing from a casual fall wedding scene is that you can usually find a suitable outdoor venue, which is also going to save you money. If someone in the community owns an idealistic red barn, get married in the doorway, creating an altar. You can also get married by a lake, or in a public park. If you choose a public park, be sure to call for reservations. The reservations are usually very inexpensive, but it will ensure that there isn’t a gaggle of unexpected picnickers at your wedding.
A casual fall wedding theme can call for a dress code anywhere from blue jeans for everyone or casual business dress, like khakis. Your venue and band, if you choose to employ one, will play a big role. After all, it is fun to have a dance, with a little more country music and maybe a professionally called square dance or two.
Your choice of a casual fall wedding can be fun and different, and it doesn’t influence the outcome of the ceremony at all. Besides, if you are a casual person, your friends will appreciate it and have a blast.
Traditional Fall Wedding Themes: Black and White
I remember many years ago when I went to my first black and white wedding. The bridesmaids were all dressed in black, the men’s tuxedos were black, and when the bride came in with her flowing white dress the contrast was absolutely stunning. Black and white wedding themes are now common, even traditional for fall.
One thing to remember is that black and white weddings are usually held in the evening, after 5:00pm, and are almost always considered formal.
The great thing about a black and white wedding is that you don’t have to worry too much about the colors, and it is easy to add very deep and richly colored roses that do not appear to disturb the black and white theme, but only add to the elegance.
The bridal bouquet can be made of beautiful white roses, or if you prefer you can accent it with red. It looks dramatic when white roses are tied with a flowing black ribbon. The bride and groom can leave the wedding venue to a cascade of bubbles. A couple of inexpensive bubble machines can be picked up at Party City, and hidden behind large lovely bundles of white mums or carnations. Small bubbles; which can be picked up through any wedding supplier, Party City, or Michael’s; make great wedding gifts. White carnations with note, from a template of course, thanking your guests for attending are also appropriate and appreciated wedding gifts.
Tables, covered in white can be decorated easily with silver trays, arranged with black and white candles, tied with black and white, decorative, ribbons for elegance.
You may never have considered a black and white wedding for your fall wedding them, but it is a beautiful, elegant way to express yourself. Black and white weddings always make a lasting impression on guests. There is nothing gothic or dark about a black and white wedding, unless you plan it that way.
Sources:
Blumgarten.com
Partycity.com
“The Flowers of Fall,” Brides.com, Retrieved May 22, 2009.
Wedding Clipart
