39 of Our Favorite Ideas for Your Fall Wedding

By Sarah Schreiber
Updated September 26, 2019
Katie Mick Photography

Wow your guests with a festive nod (or two!) to the season.

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Credit: Katie Mick Photography

Fall comes with cool, crisp weather, and gorgeous foliage—the perfect recipe for a seasonal wedding. Autumn does more than set a pretty scene, however. The season's signature spices lend themselves to delicious cocktails; muted, earthy color schemes make for stunning paper goods and floral arrangements; and the harvest's signature fruits (think apples and pumpkins) make for the sweetest décor. And there's a reason why fall has become one of the most popular seasons for nuptials: The predictable, temperate weather allows for the prettiest outdoor events. Ultimately, if you're trying to decide when to host your wedding, you can't go wrong with a September, October, or November date.

Here, you'll find a broad range of ideas—from weddings cakes to place cards—perfect for virtually any type of fall fête. Casual or formal, rustic or modern, these seasonal elements are versatile enough for any type of big day. They can even be used in a fall wedding that's not seasonally-themed. Subtle leaf motifs, velvet fabrics, and hay bales are all ways to nod to the time of year, without committing fully to a red-and-rust, apples-everywhere event. Sourced straight from real weddings, these tried-and-true ideas will help you bring the best of the season right into your big day.

With cozy fireplaces, fruit-filled centerpieces, and more, these rustic, harvest-oriented ideas make for picturesque tablescapes and landscapes (the season's transitional burnt orange, scarlet, and ochre leaves create an unparalleled backdrop for your portraits!), alike. Ahead, a comprehensive trove of autumnal wedding ideas to inform your upcoming nuptials.

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Fall Floral Cake Sash

Credit: Charla Storey

Looking for a way to dress up your all-white confection for fall? Make like Max Owen Design and add a train of in-season blooms—in a slew of autumnal colorways—to the front.

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Multicolored Hydrangea

Credit: Rebecca Yale

Now here's a fun, unconventional way to play off the season's colorful foliage: RO & Co. Events and Oak & the Owl created this lucite escort card station using multicolored hydrangea blooms (which filled a large acrylic box) to reference the transitional trees just outside the venue. Laura Hooper Calligraphy added guests' names and seating chart to each note, which were laid on top of the box.

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Ochre Tuxedo

Credit: Charla Storey

Get your groom in on the seasonal fun with an ochre-hued tuxedo jacket (it's the perfect fall reception look!).

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Seasonal Centerpiece

Credit: This Modern Romance

This Wild Club centerpiece is full of fall's greatest floral hits: dahlias, rust astilbe, and golden roses. Dried leaves provided plenty of texture to the arrangement, which was situated on an otherwise neutral tabletop by Simply Santa Barbara Events.

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Between-Seasons Arch

Credit: Elisa Bricker

Tying the knot in early fall? Bookmark this ceremony structure by Nature Composed, which incorporates floral elements from both seasons. Tropical (but muted!) protea nod to the warmer months, while rust-hued astilbe offer fall vibes—together, the floral elements made for the perfect transitional décor detail at this Donovan Groves Events wedding.

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Autumnal Accessories

Credit: Paula Visco

We love this bride's copper leaf hair accessory, which paired prettily with her bright orange lipstick (Nicole Grittani Artistry handled both her swept-back style and makeup).

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Contemporary Touch

Credit: Charla Storey

Getting married in the fall doesn't mean you have to throw a rustic celebration. This Birds of a Feather Events tabletop is proof—the cobalt ceramic plates, set with coordinating brass cutlery, brought a contemporary vibe to the tablescape, which featured an array for seasonal colors and florals by Max Owens Design.

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Thematic Escort Card Display

Credit: Rebecca Yale Photography

There are simple, low-lift ways to bring the season straight into your reception décor. Take this fall vineyard event's escort card station, for example. Callista & Company and Lambert Floral Studio strung notes felt more in tune with the time of year thanks to a few colorful vines.

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Mismatched Boutonnière

Credit: Erika Brown Photography

Mismatched boutonnières can still feel seasonal. Just be sure to make like Flowers by Kim and keep yours with a unified seasonal color palette, like burgundy and mauve.

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Textured Pumps

Credit: Clay Austin Photography

Velvet, always a popular fall wedding fabric, is the perfect medium of choice for your big-day accessories. Consider a soft bow for your hair or copy this bride and choose emerald velvet pumps (instead of traditional white stilettos).

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Unexpected Palette

Credit: Mary Alice Hall

If you're trying to curate an unexpected autumnal color palette, bookmark this setup. Slate gray taper candles brought a unique cool-weather touch to this otherwise classic fall tablescape, which featured crimson, green, and cream shades.

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Leather Touches

Credit: This Modern Romance

Though this Yonder Design set's mustard yellow flat-lay backdrop is a note-worthy idea for fall, the suite itself features plenty of autumnal inspiration, like pressed flowers and yellow velvet ribbon. Type A Society styled this pretty shot.

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Seasonal First Look

Credit: Branco Prata

Searching for the best place to have your first look on your cool-weather wedding day? Take a note out of this bride's playbook: She and her husband-to-be shared this special moment on a Pippin Hill pathway surrounded by transitional foliage—end-of-year hydrangeas, included.

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Full Bloom Arch

Credit: Theo Milo Photography

The secret to the ultimate fall ceremony arch is incorporating both fresh, in-season blooms (like dahlias and garden roses, which were incorporated into this structure by Rebecca Rose Events) and dried elements (note the crunch leaves featured here).

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Modern Fall Suite

Credit: Branco Prata

Reds, mustards, and burnt oranges don't have to define your celebration's color palette. Get creative by pairing one of fall's go-to hues (like scarlet!) with an unexpected contemporary monochrome, like gray; this Steph B. and Co suite shows how fresh the combination can be when translated onto your paper goods.

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In-Season Ceremony Space

Credit: Carlie Statsky Photography

Foliage-centric aisle and altar arrangements by Seascape Flowers weren't this ceremony space's only nods to the season. The yellow leaves from a tree just beyond the setup reinforced the celebration's fall vibes.

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Feathers and Foliage

Credit: Jose Villa

Now here's a fun way to transform a seasonally-neutral white four-tier into an homage to autumn. Magpies Bakery and Mindy Rice added transitional leaves, feathers, and on-palette greens to make this cake feel more timely; a plaid stand and backdrop reinforced the aesthetic.

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Fall Pinks

Credit: Sarah Kate Photography

Need proof that you can make a pink color palette feel fall-ready? This Stefanie Miles Events setup has plenty. The pros topped these tables with blush velvet linens; the cozy texture made the springy shade feel more autumnal. As for the Bows and Arrows centerpieces? Terra-cotta pots and dark red orchids and scabiosa toned down the pinker blooms, like peonies, spray roses, and carnations.

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Burgundy Bridesmaids

Credit: Plum & Oak Photo

These 'maids look great in their deep burgundy gowns. Dress your attendants in a similar shade for a seasonally-inspired look.

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In-Season Bouquet

Credit: D'Arcy Benincosa

An arrangement of roses, berries, and dried greens is an ideal way to add a touch of the season to your bridal look. This arrangement, by Jolley's Gift & Floral, did just this for the bride's otherwise classic white wedding dress.

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Maple Syrup Favor

Credit: Erin McGinn Photography

Is there a favor more seasonally appropriate than a miniature bottle of maple syrup? Finish yours off with a sweet note of thanks or a tag complete with your monogram, as seen here.

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Foliage-Filled Portraits

Credit: Heather Waraksa

If you're tying the knot during peak foliage season, you're practically required to head outside for portraits. After all, how could you better highlight the season than with a backdrop of changing leaves?

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Foliage Bouquet

Credit: Jose Villa

If you want a classic bouquet that still feels subtly seasonal, look to this pretty example. Majolica spray roses, tuberose, and snapdragons were paired with seasonal foliage in this Sarah Winward arrangement.

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Cozy Blankets

Credit: Heather Waraksa

Cozy blankets and wraps in autumnal colors or festive flannel prints are the perfect way to keep your guests warm during the ceremony and reception.

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Foliage Ceremony Arch

Credit: Rebecca Hollis

Flower-covered ceremony arches are lovely, but consider using changing foliage and dried flowers instead. This arch, by Greenwood Events, is proof that the finished product will wow on your wedding day.

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Single-Tiered Cake

Credit: Mary Alice Hall

You don't need tier upon tier of wedding cake to make a seasonal statement with your dessert. This single-tiered confection, baked by Lux Sucre Desserts, featured a lace-inspired fondant design and a sprinkling of seasonal blooms and foliage on top.

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Plaid Invitation Suite

Credit: Jose Villa

Few patterns speak to the fall season more than plaid, and this invitation suite, created by Amber Moon Design, certainly suggests autumn. Complete with metallic calligraphy, a copper wax seal, a deer illustration, and real pheasant feathers, guests won't be left wondering about the wedding's inspiration.

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Pumpkin Place Card