Sunday, November 2, 2008

how to decorate for a fall wedding

Autumn is a beautiful time to have a wedding. To amplify the season, incorporate the season into your wedding decorations and your guests will be talking about your special day for years to come.

1. For the ceremony, decorate aisles with autumn colored leaves. Most arts and craft stores sell a variety of cloth and polyurethane leaves. They can easily be attached to a chair or a pew with double-sided tape. You can use fresh leaves, as well, though they dry out and become fragile quickly. Instead of decorating with flowers, use fall plants like wheat, Indian corn, grapevine and ferns. Have the ceremony in a location surrounded by fall foliage, whether at a church or lodge.

2. Use fall flowers in bouquets. Mums, heather and goldenrod can be used or interchanged with autumn-colored flowers like dahlias. Roses can be found in many shades of red, orange, yellow and even brown. Confetti roses are very common in fall wedding bouquets.

3. Use pumpkins for place cards. Choose mini pumpkins with their stems still attached. Use a sharp knife to make a semi-deep cut into the stem. Insert a place card and secure with a drop of glue. Gourds and squash can be used instead or with the pumpkins.

4. For the ceremony, continue decorating with leaves, Indian corn, grapevine, mums, and other fall plants. Place large pumpkins, gourds, squash and apples around the room and on serving tables. Also use Granny Smith apples and chestnuts.

5. Place a simple votive candle and some (non-flammable) leaves on each table as centerpieces. Your florist may be able to supply you with a candle holder in which you can display leaves and a candle.

6. Give your guests a fall treat as a favor. Packets of cider and tea can be purchased in bulk and wrapped up with a cinnamon stick. Individually package some homemade pumpkin or apple cinnamon mini-muffins in a plastic bag and tie them with a fall-colored ribbon.

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