5 reasons to fall for an autumn wedding
Summer is the best season to get married. True or false?
False, especially depending on your definition of “best.” For the longest time, summer was the quintessential time for weddings – with June being the most popular month for couples to say ‘I do.’ Last year, according to the Knot, over 130,000 weddings occurred during June, but the cool and crisp month of October wasn’t far behind.
Fall weddings are gaining popularity, and is now one of the top Pinterest wedding trends for 2017. Here are five reasons why fall could be the perfect time for your upcoming nuptials.
1. Out-of-season weddings can mean big savings
Summer is still the most popular time to get married, which means busy wedding season typically falls within the summery months of June, July, and August. September and October are still common, but according to Betsy Pearson of Madison, Wisc.-based Piece of Cake Consulting, by the end of October, weddings are officially out of season.
Getting married off-season typically means couples can “save a nice chunk of change on the venue, food & beverage minimums,” Pearson adds. Tying the knot during off-season also means you’ll save time competing with a plethora of other brides when it comes to popular wedding dates (there are only so many Saturdays in June!), venues or planners.
2. Cooler, more predictable weather
For many couples, weather is a huge factor in deciding when to have their wedding. While warm summer weather might seem like a great alternative to frigid winter temperatures, there’s also only so much summer heat and humidity brides and guests can take without sweating bullets. For a great in-between, look to the fall months when temperatures are generally milder and more comfortable.
St. Louis bride Merissa Mellish, who married Nick Doran in 2015, debated between a spring and fall wedding before settling on an Oct. 17 wedding. “It gets very hot in St. Louis, and we didn’t want to be melting and sweaty all day,” Mellish says. “We wanted to be comfortable whether we were inside or outside, and based on our colors (navy and orange), fall made the most sense.”
3. Darker, muted colors provide an elegant backdrop
Some color combinations just scream “fall,” like Mellish’s favorite color blue and husband Doran’s favorite color orange. Darker colors like deep burgundy instead of red, burnt orange instead of bright orange, and deep plums and navys work well with the fall setting and also complements gold, another popular fall color, according to Pearson.
For those getting married in the fall, though, color palettes can really swing any which way. If bright is your style, remember that brighter hues or colorful muted pastels also won’t look out of place. Fall is just close enough to summer to bring in vibrant hues if you want, and close enough to winter to bring in wintry colors like red, gold, and silver.
4. The season offers natural, beautiful scenery
The changing colors of leaves, that crisp Autumn smell, and crunching leaves under your feet are all undeniable highlights of the fall season. The combination of uniquely colored foliage, along with leaves strewn all about can offer you some of the best scenery for your wedding photos that really can’t be replicated in any other season. This is especially great if you’ve always wanted an outdoor wedding – there’s little more décor you’ll need, if you decide to add anything at all!
5. For the little décor you need, there are plenty of options
Leaves are a ubiquitous fall wedding decor choice, but they’re not the only option. “If you’re a DIY bride there's A LOT of opportunity,” wedding planner Pearson says. “For instance, drilling designs in pumpkins to emulate lighted designs is popular, painting pumpkins & gourds, utilizing pumpkins for place card holders, pine cones dipped in wax for fire starter favors, the list goes on and on.”
To combat one of the downsides of a cooler weather wedding, incorporate shawls or pashminas into your wedding favors or as a personal touch by placing a few in baskets throughout the venue. Wood accents along with burlap, lace, and plenty of food items (apples and cranberries in addition to the traditional pumpkins) can also add whimsy and warmth to your décor.