39 Seasonal Ideas for a Fall Wedding

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. Get autumn-inspired favor ideas, browse our favorite fall real weddings, and find seasonal DIY inspiration here.

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 language: nature's beauty.

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.

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.

Calligraphy by Maria-Helena Hoksch.

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.

Celebrate your new name by crowning a simple cake with a sophisticated script initial covered with gilded trim. Complete the look by attaching matching braid to the tiers' edges with dots of royal icing.

Crosswire Design initial cake topper. Bell'occhio gold leaf ribbon. Tinsel Trading Co. gold trim.

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

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.

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.

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

Elite Solids neckties in Christmas red, poinsettia red, burnt orange, ecru, and pale peach; Ties.com. Brooks Brothers French-cuff dress shirt.

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

EK Success Paper Shapers daisy punches, createforless.com. Paper and More vellum in metallic light gold and yellow gold, and card stock in metallic gold. Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies rice lights. Sur La Table bamboo skewers.

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.

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

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.

Violet Barn miniature violets. Save-on-Crafts.com "Bubble Ball" vase. Good Earth Organics plant charcoal and Super Moss moss sheets, amazon.com.

This clever update to the classic fall treat is the brainchild of New York City caterer Peter Callahan, author of the cookbook "Bite by Bite." He added wood twigs to tiny apples, dipped the fruits in caramel, and rolled them in sea salt. Offer these at dessert, or give them out as favors. Whatever you decide, have your caterer make extras—guests won't be able to eat just one.

As a fitting nod to the season, substitute dried leaves for petals in your flower girl's basket. If fall foliage isn't abundant when you wed, you can order pressed leaves online (from drynature.com).

We lined this pint-size basket with cotton fabric. Using scissors, cut a large round of fabric and a slit on opposite sides to accommodate handles, then place in basket. Wrap silk ribbon around, and tie in a bow.

Offer your flower girl a bit of playful bling by attaching a border of sequin trim to her sweater. Use fabric glue, which will ensure that the sparklers stay put even in the washing machine.

Put a spring in your flower girl's step by outlining her ballet flats with two rows of sequins. Choose a metallic shoe, like the pair shown here, and you'll be her BFF for life. 

Nordstrom "Bella" ballet flats. Crewcuts by J.Crew "Larissa" skirt.

Melted chocolate is nearly synonymous with indulgence. Serve it alongside yummy delectables to dip, such as dried apricots, pretzel sticks, and cubes of pound cake. Or consider cookies, caramels, fresh fruit, and chunks of coconut. Use Japanese porcelain teacups and sushi trays to yield single-size portions for guilt-free double-dipping.

Incorporate the shades and symbols of autumn into festive boutonnieres.

The dough for these cookies is firm, making it ideal to cut out into shapes.

Premade decorations dress up a wedding cake in an instant. Embellishments are crafted from gum paste or marzipan and painted with food-safe paint. Have your baker make a plain cake (this one is a basic three-layer cake topped with fondant) to use as a canvas for an assortment of adornments, which can be attached with royal icing. Piped trim at the base of each tier provides decoration.

Create a simple, natural display that's rich in color by propping seating cards atop beautiful pomegranates, seasonal in the autumn months.

A table arrangement of grains celebrates the bounty of fall. In addition to wheat, which symbolizes a fruitful life, this textured display includes other dried grasses (available at crafts stores), so it can be made weeks ahead. The final flourish is a luxurious satin bow.

Florets burst from place cards, made by gluing card stock over veneer paper. Prop up the cards with a triangle of heavy paper glued underneath, perpendicular to the veneer.

Mark the rows reserved for family with wreaths made from vivid autumn leaves.