Autumn Wedding? Here's What You Can Do

Summer is most often considered prime time for weddings. However, there are many benefits to having a fall wedding. The color scheme that autumn presents is very natural and beautiful and the weather can often be more pleasant. Here are a few things that you can do to make your fall themed wedding as comforting as the season itself.

If you are choosing to have a flower girl at your ceremony, consider an alternative to the tradition of dropping rose petals down the aisle. While the rose petals offer a nice touch of color, try swapping them with artificial leaves. Wal-Mart offers bags of red, green, orange, and brown leaves for less than $1.00 a bag. You'll need about 3 of the bags to accommodate a lengthy aisle. An added bonus to this substitution is that, if you haven't noticed already, that same amount of rose petals would cost you near 4 or 5 times as much. The leaves will create a gorgeous path for the bride to grace as she walks to her husband-to-be. You can also buy additional bags to use at the reception. Scratch the usual "Congratulations" confetti and scatter some autumn leaves on each table. It's an instant rush of color that brings that cozy autumn feel directly to each guests seat.

Fall colors are traditionally more subdued, deeper colors. Spring is marked with pastels, summer with vibrant blues, greens, pinks and yellows. Fall calls for warmer muted colors such as deep reds, rich oranges, and harvest yellows. Another important distinction with fall colors is the difference between white and ivory. White compliments the spring and summer months much better than the fall and winter months. Consider transitioning all of the traditionally white items to ivory. A fall bride looks stunning in ivory. Candles, flowers, and linens in ivory will also compliment the autumn months.

Autumn lends feelings of cooled breezes and cozy warmth by a bonfire. Falling leaves, crisp air, and the smell of the season's change can be a very comforting sentiment. Try offering that homey essence through a lower lit ceremony doused with candlelight. If the location you are saying your vows in offers the technology, try to set up the lighting so that the place where the bride, groom, and pastor will stand can be spot-lighted and dim the rest of the lights in the sanctuary. Your guests will feel the intimacy of the event as they gather with friends and family. After doing this at my wedding, I had an astonishing amount of people tell me that they felt like they were part of the family.

The best way to give yourself and your guests the most enjoyable, intimate experience is to appeal to every one of their senses as possible. Not often do we consider the sense of smell when planning events of such magnitude. There is something about the smell of apple cinnamon that really conveys a sense of autumn. Try burning scented candles at the ceremony to really stimulate the senses of you, your fiance, and your guests. The key here is to not overkill on the scented candles. You don't want to gag your guests! However, depending on the size of your location, purchase some candles that you know have the scent you are looking for and try burning them in the venue for a couple hours before the ceremony. That way, once you have achieved the atmosphere you're looking to get, you can extinguish the candles and avoid the overkill. You can also use apple cinnamon scented votives on the tables at the reception, along with sticks of cinnamon that will contribute a comforting aroma as well as an aesthetic appeal.

A few touches here and a few touches there will create a hospitable, comforting, romantic atmosphere for you and your fiance on your special day. Have other ideas? Leave them in the comments section to share with others!