Fall is a beautiful time of year to have a wedding, I should know, mine is scheduled for October 2010. Depending on where you live, the weather is mild and the color changes are awe inspiring.
I have looked through hundreds of books, tons of websites, and spoken to many friends, as I’m sure any bride-to-be does, in search of ideas for reception themes and colors. Every bride wants her wedding to be unique as well as a reflection of herself and her partner. Personally, I have been looking into traditional décor with a little flair. I’m a DIY kind of girl, in my own eyes, my wedding won’t be personal to me unless I have a hand in it, or I hand craft it myself.
Champagne Theme: If you’re looking for a classic style and theme combination, a champagne theme is always fresh and sophisticated. Champagne color1 is a slightly off-white, light golden color, the same as your favorite bottle of bubbly, and it matches perfectly with pure white as a color pair for your reception.
To take it a step further, think tiny bubbles when designing your reception decorations. For your centerpieces, consider white flowers in a vase with glass beads. Glass beads create a strong base to hold up flowers, and you can use an up light to brighten2 up the arrangement and really make it sparkle. If you’re going to use candles, remember that gel candles are ideal in keeping with your theme because they form with bubbles. Try to find gel candles contained inside champagne flutes, and if you can’t, you can always buy a kit and make them yourself. I’m sure everyone has received the email about the dangers posed by gel candles and I can assure you, they are no more dangerous3 than regular wax candles, and About.com can verify.
Keep your linens within the champagne color family as well. Beside your necessary linens like tablecloths and napkins, you can use tulle to tie bows4 on the backs of chairs and sachets5 for rice or favors.
The versatility of a champagne theme reception is in the matching of utensils and place settings. Silver or gold silverware will compliment your shimmering décor, along with your cake stand, champagne buckets, and cake cutters.
Autumn Leaves Theme: If you’re a nature lover, a fall wedding has infinite potential for a nature based theme. Because of the many possibilities for themes, your best bet is to pull together your main reception decoration ideas, and then make a decision on your colors. For a good head start, you can attempt to get matching ring pillows, guestbook, and champagne flutes like the packages here6. This particular website is U.K. based, but it’s full of ideas for themes.
Popular main themes for fall wedding receptions are leaves, which represent the change of the season, and birds, which begin their migration in the fall. You can make the decision to incorporate both ideas, or just stick to one in particular. There are many choices and decorating ideas for leaves, and less with birds, so personally I would choose to adorn with leaves or both, and not just a bird theme.
Choose floral arrangements that keep with autumn colors like orange, deep red, beige, yellow, etc. Consider filling out your centerpieces with natural grasses7 and bare branches8 and circling the bases of your vases with wreaths9 to complete the look. If you’re incorporating a bird theme, think about placing large feathers10 amongst your flowers and branches.
Another centrepiece idea, if you are using birds in your décor, is antique bird cages11. Don’t run out to your local pet store to buy birdcages, typically they are rather expensive and they would be modern looking. Check your local antique stores, flea markets, or online to find cheap cages. Remember, they all don’t have to match and if they are in different colors, you can always paint them to match your colors. Also, search your area craft store for fake birds and nests to place inside the cages. Get creative and attach place cards, menus, photographs, vines, or flowers to make your centerpieces stand out.
Halloween Theme: Some people really like to think outside the typical wedding reception box and use fall holidays as the basis for their decorating ideas.
If you’re really feeling abstract, try a Halloween theme. You can carve pumpkins with your fiancé a few days before the wedding or you can purchase fake pumpkins that will last and can be reused. Consider typical Halloween décor like pumpkins for centerpieces, and haunted house type decorations for the remainder of the hall or room you are using. If you’re going to go for it, go all out. Think cobwebs, bats, fog machines, strobe lights, all those things you find at really good haunted houses. If you’re not into black, keep in mind that yellow, purple, orange, and green are also popular Halloween colors you can use.
It may seem a little off-the-wall and tacky to have a haunted house theme for your reception, but think about it this way; you can have a beautiful and classic ceremony, with a fun and unforgettable reception. Your friends will remember your creativity and bizarre choice forever. Your reception is a party; don’t forget to have a little fun.
Classic Thanksgiving Theme: If Halloween is a bit too over the top and grim for your tastes, why not have a large Thanksgiving dinner for your guests instead? Thanksgiving is traditionally a holiday centered on family and coming together, and if you’re wedding is close to the November holiday, you can always provide the banquet.
Cornucopias12 are a symbol of food and abundance, perfect for your reception centerpieces. You can make them yourself13, or check your craft store to see if they have them pre-made. Autumn flowers and branches can also be used to fill out your centerpieces.
Think about the traditional Thanksgiving meal when putting together your menu; carved turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and corn are all great staples of the Thanksgiving spread. If you’re wedding date is close to the holiday, turkey will be in season, along with some other foods that don’t show up until November, and you will definitely save some money.
When putting together your main reception decorations, keep in the vein of classic dining, white tablecloths and napkins, silver, fine china, white lighting, and a buffet. By keeping your centerpieces the center of attention, where most of your color has a chance to shine, you can create an elegant reception and dining experience, with the feel of a traditional family gathering.
Wine Theme: It’s a nice day for a wine wedding. Wine harvest takes place in the fall for the Northern Hemisphere, which presents a beautiful and charming theme for a reception.
For centerpieces, purchase some cheap wine glasses from the store and fill them with fake grapes. For an accent, you can paint the glasses with you and your partners’ initials and wedding date, or a design of your own. To finish the look, use vines on your chairs, any pillars or beams, and the tables.
Make sure to offer your guests plenty of wine to along with your theme, and choose your menu wisely according to the wine you are serving. If you prefer to have more autumn colors, look for a spiced wine recipe so you can blend both themes seamlessly.
As for the small details, don’t forget to match up your favor bags or boxes14, sachets15, and napkins16 with your theme and colors. For some more ideas, here are a few websites to get your creative juices flowing:
Beau-Coup: They have great ideas, although their prices are a bit steep. Don’t be afraid to use the ideas you see at other websites to create the items yourself or find them cheaper.
Save On Crafts: So far, this is where I’ve gotten most of my ideas from. Some of their products are the cheapest I’ve found, while others can be found for a lot less. It’s worth it just to look at the beautiful designs they put together.
The Knot: A centralized place where you can get tons of info, and not just on decorating ideas.
The one thing to keep in mind while you plan your fall wedding is that it’s YOUR wedding. Whether you have a wedding planner or a party planner or you’re doing it yourself like I am for my fall wedding, your ideas are important so don’t be afraid to voice what you would like and what you don’t. Get ideas from your married friends, magazines, and websites, and keep them all in a central place like a notebook or a wedding planning book. You will probably change your mind a few times before the big day, so I suggest starting early so you can really think about your design ideas.
There are many demands on your time during the planning of your wedding, so schedule time for yourself and your partner. The less stressful the planning is, the smoother your wedding will be and that’s what’s important.
1, 12Champagne (color)/Cornucopia – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wikipedia
2,4,5,7,8,9,10, 11 Save-On-Crafts
3 Do Gel Candles Pose A Fire Hazard? – Netlore Archive
About.com:Urban Legends
6 Full of Favour Autumn Splendour Collection
Full of Favour
13 How To Make a Cornucopia – eHow.com
eHow
14 Wedding Favor Boxes, Favor Bags & Wedding Labels
Beau-Coup
15 Potpourri & Sachet Wedding Favors
Favor Ideas
16 Wedding Napkins
Yahoo Partyblock Stores
