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Planning an Outdoor Fall Wedding

If you're getting married this fall, why not have your ceremony outdoors? There's no better backdrop for your special day than the natural beauty of gorgeous red, orange and yellow leaves gently floating from their branches to the ground. You might think it's too chilly to hold your wedding outdoors in the fall, but with a little planning you and all your guests can be comfortable.

Add Warmth!: To provide warmth in a cool autumn climate, try a convenient patio heater. Or, go natural with a crackling fire pit. You can find both patio heaters and fire pits either online or at your local home improvement store. Once you've taken care of the temperature issue, you can start focusing on more fun aspects of your wedding. Great locations for an outdoor fall wedding include your local park or even a friend or relative's spacious backyard. Other ideas include an orchard, pumpkin patch, bed and breakfast or even the grounds of a church.

Bridal Attire: For your bridal attire, what kind of dress you should wear is purely a matter of preference. You can still go sleeveless or short-sleeved, but you'll need a toasty cape or stole to keep you warm. Try white cashmere or even faux fur for a sophisticated and beautiful look. For your bridesmaids, choose a color that complements the beauty of the great outdoors. Shades of red, orange and green are all gorgeous choices for bridesmaids dresses.

Decorating: Decorating for an outdoor fall wedding can be easy and fun. Choose tablecloths in coordinating autumn shades and also reflect the rustic fall colors of your choice in other decorations like balloons and streamers. If you use portable folding chairs for your guests, spray paint them in an autumn shade like pumpkin orange. You can even make leaf-shaped confetti using a special hole puncher that can be purchased at your local craft store.

Table Centerpieces: For your table centerpieces, use garlands of silk autumn leaves wrapped around chunky cinnamon-scented candles in the color of your choice. Or, try making hollowed out pumpkins into a holder for bouquets of fall flowers like sunflowers and mums accented with sprays of silk leaves.

Menu: The menu for your reception should reflect the colors and flavors of the season. Try making hearty soup served in decorative miniature pumpkins or gourds that have been hollowed out. Go for a pumpkin flavored or spice wedding cake frosted and adorned with faux autumn leaves in shades of red, orange and yellow. Serve hot apple cider served with cinnamon sticks. For a great main course, go for a choice beef roast served with succulent seasonal vegetables.

Wedding Favors: You'll also need wedding favors to give your guests. Try wrapping packets of spiced powdered cider mix, hot cocoa or herbal tea in bright red or orange tulle, then secure with a pretty ribbon. Disposable cameras are always great wedding favors because they allow your guests to capture their own special memories.

An outdoor fall wedding can be a beautiful and magical experience. Just make sure to specify to your guests in the invitations that the ceremony and/or reception is being held outdoors and that they should dress accordingly!