A guide to planning autumn/winter wedding decor
If your celebration falls during the colder months, your approach will probably be different to someone planning a wedding in the height of summer, but the results can be no less magical.
If you choose a date for your wedding in autumn or winter, you may find that some of the go-to ideas for wedding decor don’t feel quite right in the colder, darker months. Plus, if your date falls close to a major holiday, you don’t want it to take over. For example, as my wedding was on November 1, a date we were set on while looking at venues, more than once we were asked if we were really into Halloween!
Some may want to lean into a particular holiday, but if you don’t, there are lots of ways to make it feel seasonal, rather than a themed party. Autumn and winter are my favourite seasons, so I wanted our day to feel like a celebration of the best things about this time of year. Here’s how I went about it.
Florals and foliage
While spring and summer weddings are usually awash with blooms, in the autumn and winter, not only can brightly coloured floral arrangements look out of place, but they can also be difficult for your florist to source.
Some brides choose to go with a darker, more limited palette for flowers, which can look really gorgeous. Others opt for dried arrangements, which are also beautiful.
In my case, I chose to skip them altogether, instead opting for fresh greenery to decorate tables, chairs and mantlepieces, and I went without a bouquet. A mix of ivy, rosemary and other evergreen foliage looked absolutely beautiful. The only flowers were some vases of hydrangeas, which had turned from their summer hue to deeper brown and purple shades, both beautiful and true to the season.
Lighting
Natural light is a fleeting resource at this time of year, but what you will have up your sleeve is the magic of candlelight. Opt for what may seem like an excessive amount of candles, and you’re guaranteed to create a gorgeous atmosphere. As well as having them on tables, they can be placed on mantlepieces, set into empty fireplaces, and on the floor in lanterns. Your venue will be able to let you know where you can and can’t place candles, but think more is more. Options such as fairy lights can also be great for creating a twinkly, romantic light.
Textures
One of the best parts of having a celebration at this time of year is that you can lean into sumptuous textures and tones. Think velvet bows tied on chairs, faux fur throws on sofas, and the tactility of natural decorations such as berries or pine cones.
Venue
Ask your venue if they will have any of their own decorations up at the time of your wedding. For example, as our wedding was the week of Halloween, they had decorations up that included skeletons and headstones, but they kindly took these down from any areas that we would be using on the day of the wedding.
If you’re planning a Christmas wedding, you might be excited to have Christmas trees and festive decorations there on your big day, but you might want to ask to see pictures of your venue’s decorations, or visit during the festive season, to make sure their style aligns with your vision for decor.
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