Fall Wedding Inspiration

Plan a Fall Fete

Fall is a season of breathtaking displays as the old makes way for the new. This sentiment -- and nature's palette of deep reds and oranges -- makes for a gorgeous wedding.

 First up: What could be more romantic than saying "I do" beneath a tree? Bring the garden fantasy indoors with urns filled with arching Bradford pear branches; gold leaves here and there add a fairy-tale sheen. A cluster of lily of the valley secured with gold double-faced satin ribbon speaks the same!

On-Theme Dish

Shake things up with a dish that's distinctive but doesn't abandon traditional flavors: fall-foliage lasagna. The secret? Pasta colored with beet and carrot puree, and shaped with cookie cutters. Your caterer can incorporate these tricks into her recipe; we layered fresh ricotta cheese between beet and carrot pastas, which were cooked, then sauteed in -- and drizzled with -- a brown-butter and sage sauce. The combination is hard to, ahem, beet.

Golden Seating Card Display

Manzanita branches, with berry clusters attached, were sprayed gold and hung from ribbons. Threaded over them are wide ochre ribbons that hold calligraphed seating cards in place. The contrasting gold ribbon is anchored at intervals with fabric glue. Glittering millinery flowers add the final touch.

Dogwood Entryway Display

Decorate the entrance of your reception with a blooming branch. Here, a leafless dogwood limb provides the base for a "Just Married" sign and gardenia blossoms that have been wired.

Dogwood Entryway Display

Decorate the entrance of your reception with a blooming branch. Here, a leafless dogwood limb provides the base for a "Just Married" sign and gardenia blossoms that have been wired.

Pinecone Hurricane Vase

Flowers and paper leaves accessorize hurricanes. After making the blossom, affix it to decorative ribbon and wrap around hurricane vases.

Wildflower Aisle Runner

Create an enchanting ceremony path by adding untamed posies to a wooden flower frame. Echo the look with an equally abundant bouquet. At the reception, recycle your makeshift garden into an escort card display.

Beribboned Wreath

A dramatic display like this is sure to draw well-wishers to the guest-book table. The vivid wreath packed with chartreuse santini mums and covered with tiny bows (secured with T pins) gives people something to admire as they pluck a colored pencil from the nearby cup to offer their sentiments to the bride and groom and sign their names. The blank book has a celadon cover and a bookmark of pale-green trim.

Embossed-Velvet Leaf Ring Pillow

Embossed velvet leaves, made with a rubber stamp and an iron, dress up a silk ring pillow for a lasting impression.

Wooden Seating Cards

Show your ingrained sense of style with seating cards crafted from paper-thin wood veneer. These inexpensive sheets are pliable enough to fold and cut easily into delicate shapes; the elegant graining makes a distinctive canvas for calligraphy.

Savory Sips

Warm up an autumn cocktail hour with a comforting, colorful shot of savory vegetable soup in eye-catching colors

Ties in a Range of Fall Colors

Offer your fiance's groomsmen a range of tie colors so they don't look too matchy-matchy. Pick different shades in the same color family -- from vibrant red to soft peach, for instance. That way the group appears coordinated, but each guy looks unique. 

A Blossoming Backdrop

Beckon your guests to a bar adorned with a radiant floral garland, then stock the station with tempting libations and matching stirrers.

Bark Vase Centerpiece

Gloriosa lilies, passion vine, maple leaves, fresh herbs, and dahlias in bark-wrapped vases, along with mushrooms, local foliage, and other forest accents, have a bucolic look.

Mini Candied Apples

The diminutive scale of lady apples transforms a fall favorite into a dainty nibble; offer to guests on passed trays as a sweet-tart surprise at the cocktail hour.

A paper leaf is an elegant touch: Use a computer to design and print "Enjoy!" on card stock, then cut out with a leaf-shape craft punch; affix to short skewers with adhesive dots.

Wheat Wreath Wedding Decoration

Wheat represents bounty and wealth; the horseshoe shape is good luck. Let this decoration work its powers at your ceremony or reception site.

Glass Garden

Encased in inexpensive vessels, miniature violets take on a delightful "Alice in Wonderland" appeal. To assemble them, put the flowers in glass bowls, add a few pieces of plant charcoal at the roots (this will help them thrive), and press in fresh moss to conceal.