Picturesque Fall Wedding Venue Ideas

Nothing says fall wedding quite like a rustic barn in the countryside. Think apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and the glorious colors of fall trees. Play up the rustic charm of a barn wedding with lots of natural decorations. Use hollowed out gourds and pumpkins as centerpiece vessels. Graceful stalks of wheat bundled with satin ribbon make simple but elegant decorations for guest book tables. The bride can wear a dress with a texture that suits the rustic flavor of a barn wedding, such as a slubby silk dupioni gown with handmade wedding jewelry. It is sure to be a wedding that captures all the beauty of autumn perfectly.

An historic inn is another great idea for a fall wedding venue. A charming country inn is a romantic spot to host a wedding ceremony and reception. Look for an inn with lots of personality, such as wide graceful porches, Adirondack chairs on the lawn, and colorful gardens. Line the porch steps with baskets of seasonal mums for a splash of color. Greet your guests with mulled cider, and serve an elegant meal of fresh fall foods like pumpkin risotto and butternut squash. Best of all, the country inn will make a wonderful place to honeymoon.

How about a fall wedding on the side of a mountain? This is a fantastic idea for an early autumn wedding before it gets too cold in the higher elevations. Pick an overlook with a sweeping view of the valley below for the ceremony. The photos will be truly breathtaking. It may get a bit chilly, so in addition to her gorgeous gown and handmade wedding jewelry, the bride will definitely want a cozy wrap for the reception. Plan the wedding to take place when the fall foliage will be at its peak to take advantage of the best that nature has to offer in the autumn. The location will be so stunning that you will need minimal decorations.

Another very picturesque site for an autumn wedding celebration is a vineyard. How beautiful to host a wedding surrounded by lush grapevines full of the fall harvest. Let your celebration include one of the special autumn vintages made by the vineyard. Long family style tables work beautifully for this rustic-chic location. You don’t have to head to Napa or Sonoma for a marvelous vineyard wedding, either. Many states have their own wine-growing regions, with little vineyards which would make ideal wedding venues.

Wedding Cakes Inspired by Nature

One of the most special parts of any wedding reception is the cake. Always a showpiece, your cake is the perfect opportunity to express something about yourself or your wedding theme. What could be more lovely for a cake than decorations which mimic the beauty of the great outdoors? These are some wonderful ideas for gorgeous wedding cakes inspired by nature.

Cascades of flowers, either fresh or sugar, are gorgeous when you want to create a more natural design for your wedding cake. The blossoms can be dainty and simple, such as pink rosebuds, or dramatic and elegant, as in handcrafted sugar orchids. Very colorful blossoms are a fantastic way to bring some bright color into your wedding reception in a way that is “safe”. Think multi-colored cascades of pinks, purples, and fuchsias or a sophisticated palette of greens and browns. This is a wonderful way to brighten up your reception while getting your inspiration from nature.

Butterflies are a gorgeous idea for a wedding cake decoration. Their fluttery grace and inherent beauty make them the ideal accent for a bridal cake. You can opt for an understated design with a few yellow butterflies perched daintily on each tier, or go wild with an over-the-top flurry of butterflies in every hue of the rainbow covering the cake. Take your color palette from the rest of your wedding, everything from the flowers to the tablecloths to special handmade wedding jewelry can inform the hues you choose for your butterfly cake. This design works equally well for a wedding with a butterfly theme or one with a special color palette but no particular signature motif.

Forests and trees can also be a wonderful place to get inspired for your wedding cake. Deeper colors in a natural palette work best. This is a good motif for an earthy wedding where the bride wears a non-traditional gown and unique handmade wedding jewelry. A deep rich chocolate cake dragged with a utensil to create a “tree bark” effect would be marvelous for a woodland reception. You can decorate it with fresh flowers in deep colors like purple, or whimsical decorations such as marzipan mushrooms and even tiny fairies. A different approach to a forest inspired cake would be to have the baker handpaint a graceful tree growing up the tiers of the cake. This is an elegant take on the woodsy theme.

Pretty Centerpieces for Casual Weddings

Everything about your wedding should flow in harmony. If you are the kind of bride who is most comfortable wearing a simple wedding gown with handmade jewelry, then you will want a very different type of wedding decorations than the bride who is wearing an opulent gown with very elaborately handmade wedding jewelry in a hotel ballroom. Your centerpieces should match your general style, and when your wedding reception is more relaxed, you can have fun with more creative table arrangements.

Gerbera daisies are one of the most popular flowers for casual receptions. Their bright colors and cheerful nature are both celebratory and informal. There are several styles of centerpieces which will work wonderfully with gerbera daisies as the main flower. For long tables, plant a “garden” of the daisies in long containers filled with wheatgrass. Choose either a single color, or a mixture of pink, orange, and yellow flowers.  So fun!

Hydrangeas are a perennial wedding flower favorite, and they have the possibility of being made to look very elegant or quite informal. A simple centerpiece idea for an outdoor wedding is to take bunches of hydrangeas and arrange them in pitchers. Find a variety of different pitchers at flea markets to give the table decorations that welcoming homey feeling. These centerpieces are so easy to make that you can pick the flowers from your own yard and quickly drop them into the pitchers.

Potted plants and herbs make wonderful casual centerpieces. Try a mixture of various fresh herbs and flowering plants in a clay pot for a garden wedding. Or choose container plants which are in season for your wedding. Red geraniums or begonias would be very appealing for a summer wedding, or use orange and deep red mums for a rustic fall reception. Put the flowering plants into pretty but informal vessels, such as wicker baskets or painted tin pails. Simply perfect for an informal wedding!

Ideas for Displaying Wedding Favors

The wedding favors you give your guests will make a lasting impression. Make sure it is a great impression by offering thoughtful thank you gifts which are beautifully displayed. These are some great ideas for displaying wedding favors.

Many wedding favors come in small boxes, especially candy. Think about how the gifts can be displayed in a way that ties in with the rest of your wedding. For instance, if you are having an Asian inspired wedding, wrap the boxes in exquisite pieces of patterned origami paper or delicate handmade rice paper. Tie a thin silk cord in a rich red or gold around each box (these are the lucky Chinese wedding colors). To make a real visual impact, stack the beautifully wrapped favor boxes in a pyramid on a specially designated table. Add to the theme by decorating the table with lucky bamboo in pots.

Beach theme weddings are a special category. A destination or beach wedding is so much fun that you will want to enhance the theme whenever you can. For the wedding favors, think about choosing something like a votive candle in a frosted glass holder accented with a silver starfish charm. To display the gifts, create a low wooden tray, fill it with sand or unique smooth sea glass, and nestle the votives inside in neat rows.

Candy bars are one of the most popular wedding favor ideas these days. Think about how you want to arrange the candy for the most attractive display table. For an elegant wedding, use tall clear glass apothecary style footed vases with lids. Take a silver link tag and print the name of each candy on it, then hang it around the neck of the vase. If you were having more of a casual backyard wedding with a simple handmade wedding dress and informal jewelry, opt for a more down to earth style of candy bar. How about tiny galvanized tin pails painted with a gingham check? You can fill the candy bar with your favorite childhood candies or make it extra stylish by choosing only candies in your wedding colors. Of course your guests will need a way to take home all of their sweet treats, so provide them with something like clear Chinese take out containers or clear glassine bags. Put out a stack of customized stickers with your wedding monogram to seal the bags or boxes once they have been filled with loot!

Textural Dried Natural Elements for Wedding Flowers

When you are designing your wedding flowers, the first thing that probably comes to mind is fresh blossoms. It is true that fresh colors are wonderful, but they are not the only thing that can be used to create interesting and beautiful centerpieces and bridal bouquets. A fantastic way to add texture and visual interest to your wedding flowers is to incorporate dried natural elements.

There is an abundance of different dried elements that can be worked into wedding arrangements. Any florist will certainly be able to access a wide variety of dried seed pods, vines, branches, and more, but will the bride who wants to make her own centerpieces and bouquets. These items are widely available at craft stores and on the internet, along with the instructional materials to show you exactly how to work with them. This is great, because it can allow you to design floral arrangements for your wedding that are one-of-a-kind pieces, whether you work with a professional or make them yourself.

More and more brides are finding the appeal of wedding details which have been handmade, whether it is their gown and jewelry, the invitations, or their bouquets. And yet, it can be intimidating to think about making your own wedding bouquets, so many brides who attempt it will end up creating very basic arrangements. However, dried natural elements are so easy to use that almost any bride can learn to incorporate them into her bouquet. For autumn, you could make a wonderful bouquet using mums in shades of russet and orange, combined with dried preserved mini-sunflowers and stalks of natural wheat. So simple, yet so pretty and autumnal.

There are also dramatic dried lotus pods, pine cones, dried rose petals, and all sorts of other natural elements just waiting to be included in your wedding. These interesting dried pieces give your wedding centerpieces and bouquets a wonderful natural earthy quality with fantastic visual appeal.

Favorite Fall Wedding Favors

Autumn is a great time of year, and there are all sorts of things that evoke the spirit of the season. When you are selecting your wedding favors, it is nice to seek out those with an autumnal flair. They will make an especially nice token for your guests to take home from your wedding.

When it comes to wedding favors, what guests particularly enjoy are edible treats. There are all sorts of tasty fall treats that you can offer. Pick one that fits the general style of your wedding as well as the time of year. For instance, if you are having a fairly casual wedding, with the bride in a simple dress and silver handmade wedding jewelry, you can go with a fun and casual fall favorite, like a big, beautiful candy apple or a caramel dipped apple. Your guests will adore the sticky, nostalgic take-away.

Personalized wedding favors are always pleasing. For an autumn wedding, one unique idea would be to present each guest with a small bottle of a fruit wine, such as one made from Northern Spy apples. You can have custom labels printed for the bottles with your names, wedding dates, and a brief message to your guests. To make the gift even more special, tie a decorative wine stopper to the neck of each bottle.

Of course, one of the most distinctive things about fall is the characteristic autumn leaves. A simple but charming fall wedding favor would be a pair of leaf shaped cookie cutters tied together with a piece of plaid ribbon or raffia placed at each guest’s seat. Use the copper cookie cutters, which are much prettier than the plastic or tin ones. Attach a small tag to each set of cookie cutters with a thank you message on the front, and your favorite cookie recipe on the reverse. This is a favor that can be assembled inexpensively, but it is something that your guests will actually find useful and enjoyable.

These are just a few of the top ideas for fall wedding favors. Feel free to design your own special favors that explore the scents, flavors, or colors of the season. Your guests will be sure to enjoy your carefully selected favors.

Family Style Wedding Receptions

One of the more popular ideas for a wedding reception is to serve the food family style. At this type of party, all of the food is placed on the table in large platters that are passed around, rather than having a waiter serve each guest an individual plate of food. Family style service can be less stuffy than traditional plated dinners, and yet more gracious than a buffet. Here are some ideas on how to arrange for a family style wedding reception that your guests will love.

Family style catering ties in with the trend favoring fewer long reception tables over many small round ones. The idea is that this type of set-up is more relaxed and convivial, allowing for a welcoming and intimate reception. It is almost like everyone just happened to stop by your house for an impromptu gathering over good food and great conversation. Sort of like what happens at the end of that show “Everyday Italian” on the Food Network, where all of Giada de Laurentiis’ friends and neighbors show up for a casual yet elegant feast in her backyard.

Certainly, there are some occasions when family style service might seem out of place. For instance, if you are planning a black tie wedding, with everyone in their most formal attire and special handmade wedding jewelry, the more traditional plated dinner service would be much more appropriate. Family style service also tends to limit your menu options more than a buffet or food stations, so that is another consideration.

The types of food that work best for family style service are generally the ones that most families like to eat together. Italian is a very popular choice. It is easy to get good Italian food, it is not particularly expensive, and almost everyone likes it. Italian cuisine is also a great idea if you will be having some vegetarians at your wedding. It is quite simple to have one platter with a meat-free pasta, and another with meatballs and sausages for those guests who enjoy meat. Comfort food is another fantastic option for a family style wedding reception. Your guests will be delighted to be served classics like homemade mac and cheese, slices of meatloaf, and bowls of yummy veggies. When you are looking for a way to unite your friends and families into one big happy group, you might just find that family style service at your reception is the perfect answer.

Charming Ideas for Personalizing a Wedding

Your wedding should be more than beautiful, it should be personal. There are some wonderful ways that you can make your wedding tell your own story. These are charming ideas for personalizing your wedding.

Nothing is more personal than photos. There are quite a few ways in which photos of the bride and groom can be incorporated into the wedding design. At one recent ceremony in a rustic yet elegant barn, the entrance to the site was lined with photos of the bride and groom, showing the timeline of their lives. It began with baby pictures, and went through the years, ending with images of the happy couple together closest to the door to the ceremony. In keeping with the rustic setting, the photos were clipped to a clothesline with old fashioned clothespins, which was just perfect.

Another neat way to put your personal stamp on your wedding is with the table names. Rather than the standard numbers, choose names that have meaning in your life together. They could be the names of places that you have visited together, the names of your favorite authors, or anything else that refers to a shared hobby. Not only will these unique table names add character to your reception, they are a great conversation starter for your guests.

Speaking of favors, they can be a wonderful thing to personalize. They should also tell a story about the bride and groom. For instance, if the bride loves to make homemade jam or the groom makes his own maple syrup, little jars of these homemade delicacies would be ideal wedding favors. If the bride and groom are avid skiers, a little Christmas ornament in the shape of a skier would make a great winter wedding favor. The wine enthusiasts could share their hobby with their guests by giving out small bottles of their favorite vintage or a box of wine charms.

One other charming way to personalize your wedding is by giving special little gifts to the people that are a part of it, such as the bridesmaids and mothers of the bride and groom. One bride that I knew had pretty white hankies embroidered that said “mother of the bride” or “grandmother of the groom” and so forth to give to each close family member. Some brides will have delightful pieces of wedding jewelry handmade to give to their mothers and grandmothers.  It is a delightful way to add character to your wedding and to make it more meaningful for your entire family.

Decorate Your Wedding With River Rocks

One of the hottest trends in weddings these days is to use elements that feel organic and natural. For a design element that can feel both earthy and Zen, check out river rocks. These smooth little stones can be used in a surprising number of ways to add a wonderfully natural feeling to your wedding.

The river rock unity ceremony is a perfect addition to an outdoor wedding. It will fit right in with the type of wedding where the bride is wearing a simple flowing gown and handmade jewelry. The naturally free-form style of handmade keishi pearl wedding jewelry is a wonderful complement to the earthy stones. You can also think about using a row of river rocks down each side of the aisle to define the walkway.

A very pleasing and easy idea for your escort cards is to use a metallic pen to write the name of each guest on a smooth stone. It is the ultimate DIY project; just be sure that whoever wields the pen has good handwriting. Give the escort card table more flair by arranging the river rocks over a bed of wheatgrass or a woven mat. It is a low-key and yet elegant way to display your escort cards.

The centerpieces will lend themselves to the river rock idea wonderfully. You can use a bunch of the smooth stones to anchor the floral arrangements in clear vases. Another idea is to let the river rocks themselves stand alone as a decorative element. Arrange a trio of low clear or white vessels in the center of each table. Fill one with river rocks and the other two with natural elements such as moss or sand. It is a very chic Zen centerpiece design. For any bride hoping to give her wedding a modern earthy feeling, smooth river rocks are the perfect addition.

Homespun Wedding Details

There is nothing as special as a wedding that feels very personal and unique. One of the best ways to make your wedding feel uniquely your own is to include some handcrafted elements. These are some ideas for homespun wedding details that will add charm to your special day.

Homespun details are especially nice at country or informal weddings, as they will make your guests to feel almost like they are in your home, rather than a wedding venue. One of the best places to start is at the end: the wedding favors. This can be a perfect area to try your hand at making something, or to give a homemade look to a favor that you purchased. A great example would be a homemade jar of jam wrapped in a red check cloth. Tie a little note to each jar with a piece of cotton string or twine thanking your guests for being a part of your wedding.

Your homespun details can also be a part of the bride’s attire. It is often nice to have some sort of a wrap to wear in the evening over your bridal gown; a very cozy style would be a handknit shawl. Another thing that is nice to have handmade is your wedding jewelry. Handmade wedding jewelry feels so much more personal because you know that it was carefully crafted by human hands, not stamped out by a machine.

A very nifty idea for your wedding is to make your own paper flowers. They can be used in bouquets, boutonierres, wreaths, and more. Tissue paper flowers have a beautiful delicate look, and they also make a fun momento of your wedding. Paper flowers will also allow you to have your bouquet be any color that you like, and will even save you money. Just be sure to start your paper flower project a long time before your wedding date!