10 Fall Wedding Favor Ideas

1. 1. Caramel Apples: Treat guest to the quintessential fall indulgence--caramel apples. Have them packaged individually and tied off with a ribbon that matches your colors so guests can grab them as they exit without getting caramel on their nice clothes.

2. Soy Candles: Capture the coziness of autumn with soy candles in shades of burnt orange, gold, or brown.

3. Autumnal-Shaped Chocolates: Chocolate is always a favorite flavor. Consider shapes of maple leaves or acorns. Display in individual boxes at each place setting or on trays at the dessert station.

4. Mini Maple Syrup Bottles: Few things represent the fall season better than maple syrup. Give mini bottles of maple syrup as a sweet thank you or include them in farewell bags at the post wedding brunch for all to enjoy with their breakfast.

5. Apple Cider Mix: Packets of apple cider mix are perfect for welcome baskets and reception favors alike. Buy them prepackaged with cute sayings such as, "Falling in Love" , or make them yourself--and don't forget the cinnamon stirring sticks.

6. Pumpkin Spice Soaps: They are practical and pretty, and your guests will love the scent. Get pumpkin shaped soaps and leave them at each place setting.

7. Individual Apple Tarts: You don't want to upstage the cake, but fresh apple tarts are a tasty way to wow your guests.

8. Sunflower Seeds: Both for eating and for planting, packets of sunflower seeds are ideal for a rustic fall wedding theme. Display the packets alongside fresh sunflowers in vases, or simply place little pouches filled with seeds at each place setting.

9. Candied Pecans: Warm pecans coated in cinnamon and brown sugar will leave your guests feeling snug and satisfied. Have your caterer arrange for a pecan cart to give out the snacks toward the end of the evening.

10. Apple Butter: Whether you buy it or make it yourself, apple butter is a unique fall favor that not only looks the part, but tastes great too. Package in mini jars then cover each jar lid with fabric to match your wedding colors and tie with raffia and a small thank you note.

Fall Weddings

Fall is one of the most popular times to plan a wedding--and for a good reason. Gorgeous natural foliage and temperate weather make for great fall weddings. But for all of autumn's positive attributes, there are still potential issues you will need to keep in mind while planning your event.

First, keep in mind that if your guests are to be comfortable at your afternoon ceremony, they need to be prepared for the temperature to drop during the evening hours. You might arrange bins of inexpensive wraps at the reception entrance or set up patio heaters in outdoor areas where guests will congregate. You could even embrace the season with a few fire pits and for fun have a smore's bar for guests to relax and enjoy.

Another common obstacle is fall flowers. Though many popular wedding blooms are not in season during this time of year, this is the perfect opportunity to get creative with a fall wedding bouquet. Incorporate unexpected plants such as wheat, crabapples, and ornamental vegetables.

Finally, remember to do your research when selecting your wedding date. There are many holidays during the fall--including Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the Jewish high holidays--but by doing your research you can help your guests avoid scheduling conflicts.

5 Rules NOT To Break

1. Make sure there's no more than an hour of downtime between the cermony's end and the start of the reception. It's not nice to force out-of-towners to kill the better part of an afternoon just wating around.


2. Keep guests in the loop. That means having the DJ or emcee explain anything that's unusual, such as the fact that you and your dad are shooting hoops at the reception instead of having a first dance.


3. Be hosts. Greet all of your guests, even if you don't know some of them, either on a receiving line or by going table-to-table. And don't ask anyone to pay for anything. Cash bars are TACKY!!


4. Throw a wedding, not a business conference. Avoid long speeches, longer slideshows, and anything that smacks of sponsorship ("Flowers provided by Florals by Adrienne"). Your guests are there to have fun.


5. Make your guests comfort your priority. Inviting an elderly aunt? Don't make her scale a small alp to get to the ceremony. Tying the knot at a farm? Let guests know that they should leave the heels and ties at home. And make sure there's plenty of food and drink.

10 Ways a Wedding Consultant Can Help

1. Listening to your ideas, then suggesting what works for your style and budget.


2. Helping out with just one or two specific tasks, if that's all you need-such as scouting reception sites, tracking invitations, or finding a minister.


3. Recommending vendors (florists, bakers, caterers) who will serve your needs best.


4. Acting as the contact person between you and all vendors, from the contract signing to the I do's.


5. Getting great deals from vendors with whom she regularly works. Her relationships may mean price breaks.


6. Overseeing your wedding day. She'll manage the timeline, make sure every detail is in place (the tent is up, the favors are distributed), and handle emergencies (the limo is MIA!) so you can relax.


7. Carrying an emergency kit with safety pins, aspirin, and water.


8. Mediating if things get tense between you and your mom or a vendor.


9. Helping you get your legal docs (birth certificate, marriage license) in order.


10. Arranging a ride to take you to your wedding-night hotel or the airport.

Reception Table Naming

Get creative and try naming your reception tables instead of simply numbering the tables. If your wedding has a theme, try incorporating your theme into the table names. If you're having a fall wedding you could name each of the tables a different type of tree and use the specific tree leaf as a motif on the table card. One bride recently named her tables after the couple's top 10 date spots. If you and your fiance are avid readers, you might name your tables after your favorite books or authors.

Invitation Timeline

12 Months Before: Mail save-the-date cards if you're having a destination wedding, are marrying over a holiday, or are inviting a lot of out-of-town guests.

6 Months Before: After choosing a wedding style and budget, shop for invites. Order paper samples or review stock with your stationer.

5 Months Before: If you'll be commissioning a custom ivitation or details, such as a monogram or stamp, start the process now.

4 Months Before: Now's the time to order labor-intensive invitations. Those would be invitations that are letterpress or engraved. Allow time for printing and delivery. If you are a DIY bride, start now.

3 Months Before: If you're ordering invites with a quick turnaround time, do so now. Allow time for printing, delivery, and proofreading.

2 Months Before: Start addressing envelopes or get them to your calligrapher. If you're using a calligrapher, remember 150 envelopes normally takes about two weeks. Assemble and weigh one complete invitation to figure the correct postage. Mail your invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding date.

1 Month Before: Your RSVPs should start arriving three to four weeks before the wedding. A few days after the RSVP date has passed call anyone who hasn't sent in a response.

Color Trend

The hot new color trend is Purple and Chocolate. Deep chocolate brown is being called the new black. Paired with deep, vibrant purple this combination is a knockout for a late summer wedding. Bronze is brilliant neutral that plays well with the power shades.

3-D Flowers

Bold blooms are hot, hot, hot! 3-D flowers are seen on ball gowns, bags, shoes and jewelry. If you are a romantic bride, these buds are for you!

Inspiring iPhone Apps

• 23,000 Great Quotes ($.99) Perfect for vow-writing, this app has thousands of quotations, all searchable by keyword. (Try love or marriage.)



• Flowerpedia ($4.99) Before you visit the florist, flick through the endless galleries of brilliant blooms.



• Color Expert ($9.99) Use the interactive color wheel to pick your party's palette--or pull your wedding hues from a favorite photograph.

Writing Your Vows

Creating personalized wedding vows is a lot like telling a story. Be sure to give the writing structure-a beginning, a middle, and an end--and use language you are comfortable with, so the words sound like you, not like a speech. Decide early on if you'll write your vows as a couple. If not, will you share them with each other beforehand or wait for the big day? The key to success: Start the writing process early-at least a month before the wedding. Try to incorporate your favorite poems, song lyrics, love letters or religious readings. Be sure to ask your officiant about any required phrasing.

Ask yourself the following questions before you start writing. They'll help focus your thoughts.

1. Why is he/she so special to you?


2. What do you consider his/her best trait?


3. When did you realize you were in love?


4. What is your dream for your life together?


5. What does marriage mean to you?


6. How do you define love and commitment?

The vows below have a mix of traditional vows, personal sentiments, and a few lines of poetry:

I, Leah, take you, Andrew, to be my husband, from this day forward. I've loved you since the day you rescued the stray kitten from the tree. You were so patient and kind, and I knew that very moment that you were the person I wanted to share my life with-see the world, start a family, buy a home. e.e.cummings said it better than I can; "I carry your heart with me, I carry it in my heart. I am never without it. Anywhere I go, you go...I fear no fate, for you are my fate...I want no world, for beautiful you are my world...And it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you." I will love you and cherish you, from this day forward until death do us part.

Valentine's Day Candy Station

For a Valentine's Day Wedding candy stations are all the rage. Display conversation hearts, red hots or any novelty candies in glass containers on a candy cart and provide bags or boxes for guests to take home as favors. You could also incorporate them into the centerpiece design of your guest tables at the reception.