Fall Wedding Ideas, From Invitations to Decor

Fall Wedding Invitations

Rustic Elements

For your guests, the wedding invitation, or the save the date card, is the first impression of what’s to come. You can give your guests an idea of what to expect at your fall wedding by incorporating rustic touches within your invitation design. Wedding planner Tara Fay suggests adding in textures, like natural fibers for the paper or binding, if you’re sending physical invitations.

Digital Invitations

Digital invitations are convenient and cost-effective, especially if you plan on having a larger wedding. To bring the fall charm, Fay says to consider the background of the invite or the accompanying wedding website, as these are great areas to bring in the fall aesthetic. “Fall colors are so recognizable that a little color goes a long way — think burnt orange, plum, deep burgundy, or any rich tone of your favorite color,” she adds.

Fall Wedding Cake Ideas

Seasonal Touches

The wedding cake is an element of decor just as much as it is dessert. Fay recommends topping it with seasonal fruits as well as edible seasonal flowers, like Nasturtium, to add a little more color to the fruit. “Also, think about having spices in your cake to make it even more autumnal,” she says, adding that you can serve a fall-flavored cocktail to accompany the cake.

Woodland-Themed Accents

“If budget permits, an abundant woodland cake is a great way to accentuate your design process and color palette,” says Fay. Ask your cake artist for a textured buttercream finish to mimic the look of tree bark. Or, dress up a naked cake with fall-colored florals. You can even have something as simple as a large wooden base to create that woodland-style look.

Fall Wedding Flowers

Fall Foliage

To add a modern twist to a fall-inspired wedding, make like Lisa Lafferty of Lisa Lafferty Events, who for one wedding chose to line the aisle with fall-colored shrubs, foliage, and plants in lieu of florals. “At the right lighting of the evening, the black glossy aisle was reminiscent of a lake,” she says. “We wanted the couple to feel they were walking through a fall forest, so we curved the walkway to create this illusion.”

While faux foliage can be used, Lafferty recommends opting for the real stuff when available and when in season, especially in an instance where the guests will be sitting right next to it.

Nature-Inspired Accents

Nature-inspired accents can add an organic touch to your fall wedding. Play around with using dried flowers versus fresh (think lavender, pampas grass, and wheat) for an earthy aesthetic. Also, wooden elements like crates, tables, and branches make for a cozy, rustic vibe. One wedding, Lafferty did incorporate Japanese Maple, which she calls a perfect representation of fall.