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Autumnal wedmin advice from those in the know
CELEBRATE THE SEASON
We want to make our ceremony and big-day as a whole a celebration of autumn. Do you have any ideas on what we could do and include to carry this off?
When I think of autumn weddings, I think crisp, clear days with dark sparkling nights, pine cones, vibrant leaves, rustic logs and tree stumps. Outdoor ceremonies almost feel like a must!
Themed weddings spring to mind including apple bobbing, Halloween, Harry Potter or pumpkins and chestnuts with palette accents of orange, copper or gold if you want to go all out. Autumn is a romantic and atmospheric time of year to get married, as the warm colour schemes add a natural earthy feel to proceedings.
Choose seasonal wedding flowers such as foxgloves, antique roses, dried ferns and eucalyptus. These all look amazing with muted peach and brown tones, perhaps even consider an artificial bouquet in rich hues reflecting the season. If you love the idea of a confetti throw, use fresh crisp leaves crushed into clear jars that can hold candles afterwards to light your venue’s outdoor spaces when the sun goes down.
The autumn months allow you to be adventurous with your food options and be sure to use quality local produce. What could be more inviting on a crisp afternoon than a bowl of fresh homemade soup to start your wedding breakfast? Finish with hot chocolate, cream and marshmallows to take outside as you gaze at the stars.
Magic and sparkles: I just love autumn weddings!
Merie Brown| www.orangeroseceremonies.com
WARMING BAKES
We’re having an autumn wedding and would love to incorporate the time of year into our cake. Do you have any flavour suggestions or decorations we could choose?
There’s definitely a wonderful opportunity here to include colours and flavours that really accent the season. For example, try replacing a raspberry or strawberry conserve filling for blackberry or plum. Also, orange or hazelnut praline flavours can be added to classic choices such as chocolate and vanilla to give them a real boost. Delicious caramel notes are very versatile and have proven popular in recent years, as have gingerbread and spiced carrot cake. These options offer a rich, spicy taste designed to warm the soul.
When it comes to embellishment, decorate your cakes with bold, muted colours of burnt orange, mustard, cream, burgundy and dark green; or focus on grey blues, sage, peach and dusky pink if you prefer a more subtle palette. If you like a classic look, why not swap out the traditional white for an ivory or champagne hue, which will better complement the colours of the season? The use of dried foliage and grasses such as pampas, bunny tails and ruscus is on trend, and adds a distinctive texture with a rustic feel. Lastly, we love rose gold and copper accents, which bring a gorgeous metallic element as the final flourish.
I’ve been obsessed with the idea of having my own customised veil ever since falling in love with Meghan Markle’s. How can I go about this and what bespoke design options are available to me?
It’s always so exciting to work collaboratively with brides, creating a truly personal accessory. An embroidered veil isn’t just something for the wedding day, but a beautiful heirloom and keepsake to treasure long afterwards.
First and foremost book a design consultation to talk through your veil ideas. Here at Tabitha Textiles, we can embroider onto a pre-bought veil or if you’re going fully bespoke, you can choose from a range of luxury tulles, styles and lengths. This allows me to tailor the measurements to fit perfectly with your dress and overall look. Tulle and embroidery samples, along with unlimited design mocks ups, are sent to you once your bespoke veil is booked in the diary.
I often get asked: “So what can I have embroidered on my veil?” The answer is pretty much anything, within reason. Most brides will request their initials with those of their spouse-to-be along with their wedding date, however if this is an autumn wedding you might have flowers in your bouquet to represent the season, or generally like the idea of woodland flora and fauna. You might even have a favourite song lyric or poem that holds special meaning for you. It’s possible to design something truly unique to capture your story as a couple.
Tabitha Buckley | www.instagram.com/tabithatextiles
BLOOMING GORGEOUS
I’ve always longed to have peonies in my bridal bouquet, but we’re getting married in the autumn and I understand they won’t be available then. What would you suggest as alternatives that will have a similar look and impact?
Peonies are such a beautiful flower, but they have a very short growing time and are only available in the early summer months. Luckily, there are a number of alternatives for an autumnal wedding. I’d go for some gorgeous garden roses, which are available all year round and have the same ruffled, fluffy and full look that gives the peony its scrumptious volume. Some varieties are also scented as an added bonus!
If you’re looking for something with the wow factor when it comes to size, dahlias are the perfect alternative thanks to the impact of that majestic bloom. Best of all, they’ll be in season at the time of your wedding. They do tend to come in stronger colours though, so if bright and bold isn’t for you, another sizeable flower to consider could be a hydrangea. They have the same lovely roundness and fluffiness and come in pastel hues.
Remember to check with your florist, as we always have something up our sleeves to create the look you’re after.
Petra Beaton | www.sussexflorals.co.uk
www.stephaniekalber.com
TRICK OF THE LIGHT
Our November wedding is going to be held in the late afternoon so it’ll be getting dark by the time our ceremony ends. How will this affect our photography?
There are a few different options for this depending on how traditional you’d like to be and what style of photography you’d like. If you prefer to use entirely natural or available light, but aren’t too worried about seeing each other before the ceremony, then you could always arrange a first look shoot. It will allow you to utilise the light earlier in the day and can give you a chance to steal a few private moments together rather than seeing each other for the first time in front of all of your guests. There are some romantic and intimate examples of first looks online, which will give you an idea — they’re very common at American weddings.
If your photographer is happy using additional lighting, off-camera flash etc, then there are some amazing options you can go for in the winter light and darkness. Sparklers are also a fun choice for after-dark portraits. Make sure you look at your preferred photographer’s portfolio before booking and ask to see examples of winter or poorly lit weddings.
Don’t worry too much though, some of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen have been at autumn and winter weddings, so just be flexible and let your photographer lead you. Wedding photography at this time of year can be wonderfully dramatic.
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