Your Fall Colors

When most people think of fall weddings, they picture a rustic style event, all done in the colors of the autumn leaves. While this is pretty, it is also expected, and also not the best choice for a more formal or polished wedding. Read on for advice on how to get away from the rustic fall colors, and how to plan your elegant fall wedding color palette.

There is no rule whatsoever that mandates that an autumn wedding take place in a barn, be decorated with pumpkins and mums, or involve haybales in any way, shape, or form. And yet, if you start looking for design and décor ideas for fall weddings, the chances are that 99% of what you find is geared towards that traditional rustic fall look. As an October bride myself, I am here to tell you that you can have a fabulous fall wedding that is seasonal, and yet avoids all of the autumnal cliches about the autumn colors.

Certainly, you should always take the season in account when planning your wedding color scheme. Red and green might be festive at Christmas, but just plain odd in July. The same is true for a fall wedding. A pastel color palette like lavender and lemon would look much better in April than it would in October. This is not to say that you cannot use your favorite color at any time of the year; just that the combinations of colors you select should make sense for the season. So if lavender is your favorite color, use it for your fall wedding, but pair it with shades of deep purple and burgundy to give it the depth and richness that suit the time of year.

The feeling of autumn is one of richness and coziness, and this is very helpful when you are choosing your fall color palette. Warm metallics like gold, copper, and bronze are ideal accent colors to add depth and elegance to your primary hue. The metallic colors are very easy to combine with other fall colors, and you can use them to make anything feel more sumptuous. Look for details like tablelinens that are shot through with a gold thread for an evening wedding, or for your bridesmaid gifts, choose jewelry that is created with rich bronze Swarovski crystals. Metallic ink can also be used to great effect on your wedding invitations, especially when paired with another color like chocolate brown.

Speaking of chocolate brown, it is always a wonderful color for an autumn wedding. To steer it away from the stereotypical fall palette, do not pair brown with a color like orange or sunflower yellow. Make your wedding upscale and chic by combining warm chocolate with wasabi green. The pairing is unexpected, and yet very pleasing to the eye. Try setting your tables with chocolate dupioni tablecloths with wasabi green napkins as an accent. You can also use this pairing for stylish invitations, bridesmaid dresses, and much, much more.

Deep eggplant purple is another great color for a fall wedding. It has the richness of the classic autumn shades, but is not a common choice. For the most regal elegance, eggplant can be combined with metallic gold or copper. If you really want to make the eggplant look as rich as possible, seek out fabrics in that color that are made in luxurious velvet. This is great for bridesmaid dresses, as well as bridesmaid jewelry gifts, dramatic draped fabric in the reception venue, custom stationery, and of course, the flowers. This color palette works equally well for an afternoon or an evening wedding.

Other colors that are terrific for fall include burgundy and olive green or mahogany and cream. There is no need at all to feel that you must be loyal to the traditional fall colors. When you are having an elegant fall autumn wedding, the perfect color palette will be essential in making your vision come to life.