Best Fall Wedding Ideas on a Budget
Are you looking for some fall wedding ideas on a budget? If so, then you’ve come to the right place!
Fall weddings are a popular choice amongst many couples. It is a beautiful time of year when nature is full of color or vibrancy. Fall weddings offer a chance to wear and utilize the colors of fall and incorporate seasonal elements into the wedding decor.
If you use what nature has to offer and embrace a rustic feel for your wedding day you can create a spectacular wedding, even on a budget.
How to Have the Best Fall Wedding On a Budget
Here are a few things you can do to achieve a gorgeous but still affordable fall wedding. The fall months are a time of year that really suit a rustic wedding theme.
- Host an outdoor wedding. Autumn, with its colourful leaves, is the season with the best landscapes. So, an outdoor spot that showcases the changing leaves on the trees is magical.
- Hold an intimate wedding. Invite your immediate family and best friends. With a smaller guest list you could have a backyard wedding. What counts is that the most important people in your life are present.
- Fall snack bar. It’s cooler, so create a hot chocolate bar or serve hot apple cider and seasonal roasted chestnuts for the cocktail hour to bring a comforting vibe.
- Mismatched decor. Mismatched decor and bridesmaid dresses are trendy. With proper arrangements, everything will come together.
- Morning wedding. For something a little different, get married in the morning. That way, you can prepare breakfast for reception and keep the meal simple.
And some more
- Ask for help. Ask your family and friends for assistance. They can help you decorate the venue, officiate the wedding, or serve the guests. If they’re willing, you can save up more on costs.
- Use in-season flowers. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of flowers that are in season. They’re much cheaper than out-of-season ones. If you want something out of season, you could consider artificial flowers too.
- Choose a weekday for your wedding date. You can usually get discounts on rental venues and other services on a weekday.
- DIY your invitations, decors, and wedding favors. There are many available video tutorials and ideas on the internet. Make good use of them! Wine bottles as candle holders, fall leaves as table decor, slivers of round wood as coasters…You can create a gorgeous setting with hay bales for a rustic feel.
- Choose a fall-inspired cake. A rustic naked cake is very fall-inspired, decorated with sugared cranberries. A family member or friend could make it (though ensure it gets transported to the venue safely). Its’ going to be cheaper than an eleborate fondant cake. Alternatively, ditch the wedding cake and go for cute little cupcakes instead. They’re less expensive and can be customized too.
Autumn Wedding Venue Ideas on a Budget
There are numerous venues you can use for your wedding. You might even be surprised since many good spots are often hidden or yet to be discovered. So, try to search and ask around.
Meanwhile, we compiled a list of venues for you so that you know where to start.
Indoor Venues
Even though we recommend outdoor weddings because they cost less, you can still find indoor venues that aren’t as expensive as others!
Here are some budget indoor venues where you can hold your fall wedding:
- Greenhouse
- Barn
- Inn
- Community center
- Community hall
- Chapel or church
- Library or museum
- Restaurant
Indoor venues are convenient. Not to mention, you won’t have to worry about the weather. The only issues are that they’re usually pricey and require you to pay more attention to the decorations.
Outdoor Venues
As we previously mentioned, outdoor venues are ideal because they’re relatively cheaper. Plus, if you choose just the right place with a magnificent view, the scenery can even be a vital part of your decorations.
Here are some great budget outdoor venues where you can hold your fall wedding:
The advantage of an outdoor venue is that you can incorporate the time of day and the scenery into your wedding theme. On the other hand, you must keep an eye on the temperature and weather during your wedding day.
Themes for a Budget Autumn Wedding
Wedding planning may be overwhelming. Finding the venues and vendors, assembling a guest list, sending invitations, organizing a menu, and doing a slew of other tasks that will stress you out if you don’t know where to begin.
However, thinking of a specific theme will help limit your choices. Plus, it makes completing your tasks easier and more efficient. You will just have to ask yourself whether you want a formal, semi-formal, or casual wedding. And then, what colors and designs will complement it?
You can go for something simple and elegant, such as sticking to a particular color scheme. Or you can also pick something more specific, like autumn leaves or pumpkins.
Whatever style and theme you decide on, just make sure to be consistent about it, and everything should fit together!
Fall Wedding Colors
Fall is the season when colors are the prettiest. Consider using a color palette from those listed below, which should match the splendor of the fall season.
- Gold, copper, bronze
- Rose gold, orange, yellow, brown, burgundy
- Copper rust, orange, burgundy
- White, peach, dusty rose, beige
- Dark red, deep purple, azalea, sage green
- Blue, white, and silver
- If you’re getting married outdoors, you can also match your palette to the colors of the surroundings.
Fall Wedding Decor Ideas on a Budget
When choosing your wedding decor, natural and gold accents will be a good touch. Also, since it’s the fall, season flowers, fall leaves, pine cones and pumpkins will be in abundance. Different colored pumpkins are a great option to bring colour. If you plan your wedding far enough in advance, you can even grow your own pumpkins for it.
Remember that your decorations will mostly depend on your venue and theme. So, you should determine in advance which spots can be decorated. As well as take note of what decorations will be appropriate.
In addition, you should visit any garage sale or thrift stores near you first. If the materials and decors you need aren’t available, then you can opt for the bigger stores. This way, you saved both time and cost.
Fall Wedding Ceremony and Reception Decorations
Some things may depend on your location and the venue’s rules for decorating. Here are how the venues are typically decorated:
- Altars or signing tables can be decorated with floral arrangements. If you are getting married in the late afternoon or evening, fairy lights can be strung along too.
- Monoblock chairs can be covered in fabrics, while pews can be designed with flowers on each end.
- Table décor. Add centerpieces to the tables which can be lights, candles, pinecones, and pumpkins just to name a few. You can reuse the wedding bouquets from the bridal party as centerpieces.
- Aisles can be decorated by placing flower vases or lining up lanterns on the side. If you’re getting married in an open space, it’s also a good idea to set up a small stage in front as the focal point of the wedding.
- To decorate arcs, branches, flowers and leaves could be used.
Here are a few more ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Wood stumps
- Lights in mason jars
- Floating candles
- Hay bales as seats
- Dried flowers
- Mini pumpkin decor
- Wooden signs
- Branches, twigs, and leaves
- Wooden crates
- Wine bottle vases
- Potted plants
- Whiskey barrels
- Flower crowns
- Lanterns
- Mirrors
- String lights
- Floral photo hoops
- Lace and ribbons
Fall Wedding Flowers
Out-of-season flowers are pricey, so you can choose to use dried flowers instead or fresh ones that are in season. Look for a way to utilize a variety of trendy and in-season flowers for your fall wedding.
They can be used as aisle decorations, unique centerpieces, and arc designs. You can also use branches and other greeneries to add texture and style.
If you’re on a budget, thinking outside the box and getting creative will help. This way, you’re able to save on costs while still impressing your guests.
Another thing to keep note of, flowers are available depending on your location and the time of the year. Because of this, you should visit any floral shops near you to find out what you can use.
Fall flower ideas
In the meantime, here’s a list of lovely flowers that might fit well with your fall wedding:
- Chrysanthemums
- Sunflowers
- Dahlias
- Daisies
- Roses
- Zinnias
- Carnations
- Hydrangeas
- Marigolds
- Succulents
Fall Wedding Centerpieces
There are many great and affordable options for your centerpieces. The cheapest should be making your own by browsing the net for ideas. Youtube and Pinterest will be the best places to start.
If you don’t think it’s possible to make your own, buying in bulk online should also suffice. There should also be thrift shops and discount stores around you, where you can look for items that will match your theme but won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
Here are a few starters:
- Use leaves, fresh or dried, to decorate. They’re easily accessible and are a great addition to building that autumn vibe.
- Use candles. They’re inexpensive, come in different colors and scents, and also create a warm atmosphere.
- Decorate the table runners with harvests, such as apples, grapes, cranberries, figs, pinecones, pumpkins, squash, and pears. You can use other available in-season fruits and vegetables, too.
- Use lanterns, or DIY mason jar lights, and decorate them with flowers. You can hang them on walls, line them up to serve as paths, or simply place them on the tables.
- Paint small gourds and pumpkins with your wedding theme colors. For pumpkins, you can even hollow them out and use them to hold more of your fall decorations.
Autumn Wedding Food Ideas on a Budget
The food for your wedding reception can be dependent on when your wedding ceremony will finish. As we’ve previously suggested, you can choose to get married in the morning, and then make a light and simple breakfast menu.
Generally, it’s easier and more budget-friendly to go for the classic wedding menu: soup, chicken, salad, and pasta. But you can also opt for a Thanksgiving potluck if you’re tight on budget.
If you’re going to hold your wedding later in the day, it’s also possible to set up a dessert station or snack bar, and beverage bar. To be consistent with your fall theme, you can add hot cocoa as a drink and also serve pumpkin pies and apple tarts.
Fall food ideas
Here are some affordable food and drink items you can add to your snack bar menu:
- Smores
- Cupcakes
- Cookies
- Roasted chestnuts
- Mulled wine
- Apple cider
- Chocolate bars
- Donuts
- Charcuterie boards
- Soups
- Pies
Autumn Wedding Invitations on a Budget
If you’re thinking of making your invitations, you can get a lot of ideas and templates on the internet. Making your own should be fun and personal since you get to create everything according to your taste.
Pinterest, Instagram, and Youtube should give you enough tutorials and references. Additionally, there are many apps and software you can use for designing and customizing your fall wedding invitations.
Otherwise, there will be many stores you can order from that offer discounts and affordable prices. You can even search for online shops and commission them for your wedding invitations.
If you do, then double-check the details to be sure everything is according to your instructions, style, and theme. You can also have them send you a sample first if possible!
Autumn Wedding Photography on a Budget
A wedding is a big day for couples and their family. That’s why it’s no surprise that they’d want to invest in a photographer to record the most important day of their lives, even if they’re on a tight budget.
What you can do to not break the bank while still getting inexpensive photography of your wedding is to book someone for only a short time. You can also save more on costs if you choose a less popular date for your wedding.
On weekdays and off-peak months, photographers are more likely to be available. As a result, you can hire them at a lower rate and possibly even receive a discount.
Conclusion
Fall weddings have so much going for them. It’s a busy season that’s popular with engaged and soon-to-be wedded couples. For this reason, autumn weddings can be expensive.
However, we’re here to help you save where you can. Many of the best fall wedding ideas on a budget have been covered in the article. This includes the venues, decorations, food, and even invitations and photography!
A lot of them require you to be bold and creative. But that’s just the charm of having the best, and at the same time, most affordable fall wedding.
So, go on and start planning the fall wedding you’ve always dreamed of!
