Why Not A Fall Wedding?

While Spring and Summer represent the peak seasons for weddings – with the proverbial “June Bride” often considered to be the gold standard by many – more and more people are opting to get married in Autumn for a variety of  very good reasons:

Just as the days get shorter, the nights get cooler, and harvest time is upon us, Fall is also a time of consolidation and for contemplating how much we truly have to be thankful for to live in this great country ours. What better way to reaffirm our faith in the future than by forming that deepest of bonds between two people and marrying our beloved during the most beautiful and bountiful season of the year, with the  promise of a new life together as a couple still before us.

The themes of “weddings” and Thanksgiving” can easily be integrated into each other  during that time of year, and the lush, warm colours of dark brown, olive green, burnt orange, deep red, and harvest gold that are so much a part of the backdrop to that season can easily be carried over into awe-inspiring church decorations as well as forming the basis of a spectacular reception hall presentation – not to mention also being reflected in the colours (and accents or accessories to) the bride’s dress as well as those of her wedding party. Here is where a hint of gold trim – especially when paired with an ivory or off-white wedding gown – can yield jaw-dropping results.

As for the wedding hall decorations themselves, consider thinking in terms of the usual Thanksgiving themes such as gourds, cornucopias, acorns, pine cones, dried cobs of Indian corn etc., or even the odd straw man scarecrows scattered about the room if you’re especially adventuresome and want to impart a bit of an “edge” to the decor. The choice of flowers should also reflect the overall harvest theme, and here again, the choices should gravitate towards colourful perennial favourites such as daisies, black-eyed Susans, and assorted wild flowers. A few tree branches with berries on them along with some pussy willows can even be added for good effect to accentuate the underlying theme.

What food is best served at the wedding reception? The better question here would be “Where do we begin?” as the choices at that time of the year are almost limitless – especially when it comes to home-grown delicacies. Leave the turkey aside for Thanksgiving Day – there’s plenty of time for that later – but do consider something hearty and in keeping with the spirit of the season. In other words – “comfort food”, although this is not the time to trot out your mother’s favourite meat loaf recipe. Opt instead for something with a bit more panache such as a hearty rabbit or venison stew, roast quail, or pan-seared rainbow trout, but served with side dishes of bacon/garlic infused mashed or parisienne potatoes and seasonal vegetables such as pureed turnip, cauliflower in a cream sauce, or braised red cabbage. Soups and appetizers can include such traditional favourites as butternut squash or French onion soup, and desert can be something as simple yet flavourful as apple crisp, peach cobbler or pecan pie. And for the vegetarians among your guests, a nice mushroom ragout or a serving of ratatouille will surely please them as well.

All of the above advantages aside, the best part of an Autumn wedding is that it lends itself particularly well to smaller, more intimate venues with only the closest of friends and family members attending. That goes hand-in-hand with a rustic setting in the countryside for both the wedding ceremony itself as well as the reception. One or more Bed and Breakfast establishments can potentially be enlisted to accommodate the bride and groom and their invitees as a special touch, and in the process accentuate the feeling of closeness to friends and relatives that is such a vital part of the joining together of  two individuals and their respective families. In the end, that is what weddings are really all about.