Crisp temperatures, cozy vibes, and gorgeous rich colors are only a few of the reasons why fall weddings are becoming so popular. Throwing a fall micro wedding means that you can zoom into the natural beauty of the season, and capitalize on everything from breathtaking decor to scrumptious fall food.
Here we’ve found some of the most popular fall micro wedding ideas, ensuring that your special day is just as magical as the season.
Food
Mini Pies
While you don’t ever need an excuse to serve pie at your wedding, fall is the perfect season to highlight this delectable dessert, especially when you incorporate seasonal ingredients. Pumpkin and apple are predictable stars that will never be out of style, but also consider berry pies that incorporate warm herbs like rosemary and thyme to bring an especially cozy and comforting feel to the dish. You can also consider serving mini hand pies, which are both convenient and produce less waste.
Rustic Desserts
If pies aren’t your thing but you still want to serve a fall themed dessert at your wedding, don’t fret, there are endless options from fall flavored desserts to the vessel you serve them in. We love yummy parfaits served in a cute mini mason jar, or delicious berry cobblers in ceramic dishes. Since you’re naturally serving fewer guests at a micro wedding, you can get more creative with your dessert presentation.
Some more fall dessert flavors that we love include:
- Apple anything (cheesecake, pie, hand pies)
- Pumpkin
- Pecan
- Cranberry
- Sweet potato
- Cinnamon
- Chai
Halloween Candy
If your wedding date falls around Halloween, consider providing cute little dishes of favorite Halloween candy for your guests to snack on. These could also make sweet welcome or wedding gifts, especially if you put some thought into the presentation. You can also create a delicious display with an assortment of your favorite candies, or put together to go bags for your guests to take on the road.
Gourmet Hot Chocolate Bar
Take hot chocolate to the next level by providing a gourmet hot chocolate bar for your guests. This could be displayed as a pre-ceremony drink, or added during the reception. Serving fewer people means you can really go gourmet, choosing the best and most decadent hot chocolate available, and providing delicious add-ins like fancy marshmallows (yes, they do exist!), peppermint sticks, and fresh whipped cream.
For serving, you can do custom disposable cups, or even splurge for cozy mugs. If you’re looking to score a two-in-one, then consider providing individualized ceramic to go cups with each guests name on it.
Hot Toddy Bar
Move over beer tub, this classic cold weather drink is a perfect addition to your fall micro wedding. A hot toddy bar is the perfect way to get the party started while also staying with the fall theme. If a hot toddy isn’t quite your cup of… liquor, then consider a different boozy cocktail that’ll warm your guests from the inside out. Some of our favorites include hot buttered rum, boozy ciders, and anything with bourbon.
Fall Feast
Fall is made for foodies, and providing a fall feast at your micro wedding is the perfect way to celebrate both your love and the incredible flavors that are highlighted throughout the season. Hire a seasoned caterer or personal chef to create a custom menu that features flavors like squash, apple , and root vegetables. Warm soups, rich sauces, and delicious comfort foods are all sure to please, and everything is better when it’s served with everyone around the table.
Fresh Donuts
True, donuts are perfectly acceptable year round, but don’t tell us that a bag of fresh warm donuts doesn’t immediately make you think about fall and apple picking. Having a fresh donut stall during your pre-reception cocktail period, or during the full on festivities is a great way to bring that cozy autumn feel to your wedding. You can even take it a step further and make the donuts fall flavored, with apple cinnamon or caramel dipping sauce.
Decor
Fall Color Schemes
Deep, moody, and romantic colors are one of the things we love most about fall weddings. Why not capitalize on this with your chosen wedding colors? Some of our favorite picks include burgundy, navy, deep teal, and cranberry and any of the above choices go perfectly with accents of gold. It’s difficult to pull these colors off successfully any other time of year, but they vibe perfectly during the fall and you can’t go wrong with any of the choices.
Tablescapes
While we may be a bit biased, micro wedding table scapes are some of our all time favorite elements of an entire wedding. Working with fewer tables and less space affords you the opportunity to create a truly memorable display, so don’t be afraid to dream big here. Fall table scapes are especially dreamy, with mini pumpkins, gold accents, and deep romantic colors. You can choose to go floral, or more earthy, with natural foliage and wood centerpieces.
Cozy Lighting
Set the mood for a romantic fall micro wedding with strategic lighting. You can go classic with string lights above you, or more unique with candles. Don’t limit yourself here either. Lighting can be special and unique throughout the entire event, with lanterns lining the aisle, candles glowing around you and your partner during the ceremony, and glowing chandeliers during dinner. With a smaller space to fill, you can easily light up the room with less.
Centerpieces
Beautiful fall themed centerpieces are sure to take everyone’s breath away, especially if they feature the deep and luxurious colors associated with fall. The best part? You won’t break the bank since hosting a micro wedding means you’ll only have a handful of tables max to fill. Get creative with your centerpieces, playing with a variety of levels, textures, and colors to create an unforgettable statement.
Some centerpiece ideas that are absolutely dreamy include:
- Candles
- Flowers
- Mason jars
- Lanterns
- Greenery
- Wood
- Pumpkins
Bouquets
Fall is synonymous with harvest and beautiful rich colors, which makes it a perfect opportunity to showcase these colors and cozy yet breathtaking vibes with your fall bouquet. Fall flowers like mums, astilbe, and asters are great options, along with flowers in orange, yellow, and deep red. Add fulness and fun to your bouquet with fall accents, such as maple leaves, berries, wheat, and greenery. If you’re looking to ball out on a budget, fall bouquets are perfect for saving money because you can fill them with less expensive, yet equally as beautiful accents and foliage. If you’re planning to wear white, this provides an incredible contrast to the rich colors featured in your bouquet.
Wheat Accents
Wheat accents not only add fun texture to your wedding decor, they’re also the perfect option for any budget savvy couple since it’s an affordable option and can be bought in bulk (this is especially true if you happen to have it growing in your own backyard!). Wheat bunches look beautiful as aisle decor, centerpieces, and can even take the place of wedding party bouquets (or be used as a gorgeous natural colored filler).
Pumpkin Decor
Pumpkins are the perfect, natural way to add variety and color to your fall wedding decor. Since they come in a variety of both sizes and colors, there are an endless number of ways they can be incorporated. If you’re after a traditional rustic fall feel, then place orange pumpkins throughout your ceremony and reception area. If you’re looking for a unique statement piece, then consider a less traditional pumpkin, like white, green, or even painted pumpkins. These can be used to line your aisle, provide place cards for guests, create your table scape or centerpiece, or fill any empty spaces that you’d like to enhance with a festive pop of color.
Coffee and Blankets Welcome Table
Fall weddings come with fall weather, which can mean chilly days and downright cold evenings. To keep your guests comfortable during an outdoor ceremony, set up a coffee and blankets welcome table. Provide cozy blankets for each of your guests to take, along with a hot beverage to keep their hands warm. You could also sub out the coffee for tea, hot chocolate, cider, or a boozier option like a hot toddy.
Extras
Maple Leaf Photos
This fall wedding trend gives us all of those autumn romance feels. To achieve it, find some perfectly red maple leaves as a backdrop for your rings. To avoid your photo looking one dimensional, try layering the leaves have them places on top of a stump or tree to add texture.
If you’re lucky enough to be having your event in an area with maple trees, then make sure you take advantage of the gorgeous natural backdrop and get some beautiful photos with you and your partner.
Fall Colored Bridesmaid Dresses
Autumn colors offer a perfect inspiration for your bridal party, specifically your bridesmaids dresses. And don’t think that you have to limit yourself to the dark fall colors. This season offers the unique opportunity to mix and match rich saturated tones with lighter more whimsical ones. Whether you’re choosing a moody maroon, or a light neutral to play up the harvest feel, you won’t go wrong. Don’t forget to take advantage of accessories as well! Since you’ll be moving into the colder months, you might want to pair shawls or trendy gloves with your dresses, further playing up the fall theme.
Outdoor ceremony
Natural fall colors create the most perfect backdrop to an outdoor fall wedding ceremony. Aim to hold your ceremony in a location with rich fall colors (oranges, reds, and golds). Maple and aspen trees lend both color and ambiance to your ceremony.
If you do plan an outdoor ceremony, be sure to have a plan B in case of adverse weather. This is especially true if you live somewhere where temps can notoriously swing to the single digits, even in the fall season (we’re looking at you midwest).
Bonfires
Your fall micro wedding is the perfect opportunity to have a cozy and romantic bonfire reception. Gathering 100+ people around a bonfire is not so easy, but your intimate wedding means you can literally gather your party around the fire for a night of celebrating, chatting, and partying. Provide s’more supplies, snuggly blankets, and beverage buckets to keep your guests comfy and happy throughout the night.
Welcome Gifts
Welcome gifts can quickly get expensive when you’re hosting a full sized wedding, but a fall micro wedding is the perfect opportunity to capitalize on your minimized guest count, and show them the welcome they deserve. Fall welcome baskets are especially fun to put together, simply because there are so many thoughtful and fun autumn items to choose from. Theme your basket to your region, or just make it a bundle of happiness with warm and cozy items.
Some great fall items include:
- Fall scented candles
- Maple syrup
- Fall drinks (hot cocoa, cider, teas)
- Fall treats (caramel apples, pies, s’mores kit)
- Cozy blankets/shawls
Regardless of what you include, your guests will appreciate the thought, and it’ll be a perfect way to kick off the celebration.
Venue
While there are no venues that strictly operate only for fall, a few are perfectly designed to shine during this magical season. Some of these venues include:
- Vineyards/winery
- Backyard weddings
- Barn
- Mountain
- Airbnb
- Ski resort
- Orchard