Planning a Fall Wedding

Fall is a gorgeous time to celebrate your wedding. The days are warm and bright with golden sunlight and the glorious colors of changing leaves and the evenings are crisp and cool, scented with apples and harvest. This season is perfect for a simple yet elegant wedding, made all the more spectacular by the bounty of natural beauty.

The location for your fall wedding can be any idyllic location you might envision for a summer wedding (just make sure you have an indoor location for when the night gets chilly): a vineyard, an old, elegant inn, a gorgeous mill alive with fall color, a quaint old church tucked away amidst cornfields and apple orchards. Let your imagination soar! The reception can be as casual or chic as you want, and even in locations without the annual color show, you can replicate that in your choice of colors for decoration.

Colors for a wedding at this time of the year should run toward the jewel-toned or the earthy, traditional colors of autumn: reds, oranges, browns, bronze and yellows. A touch of light-blue can really add a spark of elegance and class to this color palate. You may want to accent with the harvest of the season: pumpkins, gourds, wheat sheaves and apples. For a fun flair, add jack-o-lanterns, Indian corn-filled mason jars, luminaries or other fall items for centerpieces.

Fall flowers are alive with bright colors and, if you select things like roses, daisies, sunflowers, fall leaves and mums, you can find them fairly inexpensively. Herbal bouquets are also very pretty and affordable this time of year. A single, red Gerber Daisy can make a stunning statement against a simple cream or off-white gown with bridesmaids in jewel-tones or even elegant black. As you choose your colors and attire, keep in mind the cooler weather and choose long-sleeved gowns or gowns with a cape or wrap.

When planning the menu, think simplicity. Hearty, filling chowders, roasted meats and vegetables, freshly baked breads and crisp, sweet autumn salads couldn't find a happier home than on your wedding menu. Spiced cider or wine would make a welcome and warming compliment. You might even consider a spiced cake or delicious caramel apples for deserts.

Favors can also follow your fall theme. Offer your guests caramel apple kits (an apple, a skewer, some caramels and a recipe tied up in a pretty bag with ribbon), or pretty, pressed fall flowers for bookmarks or framing.

Fall is a simply gorgeous season for a wedding with all of nature's beauty bursting to create a beautiful backdrop for your happy day.