Fall wedding ideas: colors, themes and a warm photo look
Fall is the most popular season to get married in the US, and it is easy to see why: mild weather, turning leaves, and a palette that looks good on everyone. The catch is the light. Sunset comes early, so a fall wedding needs a timeline built around it.
- Venues
- Barns, orchards, vineyards, lodges
- Best months
- September to early November
- Feels like
- Cozy, rich, golden
- Photo look
- Deep, saturated warmth
Fall wedding color palettes
Burgundy & gold
Rust & sage
Harvest
The photo look for a fall wedding
The same wedding photo, as it comes out of a guest's phone and developed in Kodachrome. With Revel, you choose the filter when you create your Moment and it is applied to every photo your guests take. The originals are always kept.
Why Kodachrome: Rich, saturated and warm with deep blacks. It makes red and orange leaves pop without making skin look sunburned.
Two alternatives
Golden Hour
Softer and warmer than Kodachrome. Best if the day is mostly outdoors and you want everything to glow.
See the filter
1977
Faded shadows, warm grain and a vignette. A fall wedding that looks like it was shot on film in the seventies.
See the filterGet every guest photo in this look
- 1
Create a Moment
Download Revel and set up a Moment for your wedding.
- 2
Pick Kodachrome
Choose it as the filter. You can change or remove it later.
- 3
Share the QR code
Guests scan and shoot. No app download, no account.
Get Revel · iPhone and Android
Build the timeline around sunset
By late October the sun sets before 6 pm in much of the US. Look up the sunset time for your date and work backwards: portraits in the hour before it, ceremony before that. A first look before the ceremony frees up the golden hour for the couple instead of family formals.
Once it is dark the party moves indoors, so make sure the reception space has warm lighting rather than relying on daylight.
Decor and details
Lean on what is in season: dahlias, mums, wheat, branches with turning leaves, pumpkins and gourds. Velvet runners, copper accents and candles make a room feel warm in the evening. Blankets on outdoor chairs are a thoughtful touch for a chilly ceremony.
Food and drink
Cider bars, mulled wine, a s'mores station, pie instead of (or next to) the cake, and comfort-food late-night snacks. Seasonal menus are often cheaper because the ingredients are at their peak.
Getting the photos to match the day
Fall weddings swing from bright afternoon sun to candlelit evenings in a few hours, and guest photos swing with them. A warm, saturated filter ties both halves together. With Revel you choose it once and every guest photo is developed in it automatically, with originals kept. Guests scan a QR code and start shooting, with no app to install.
12 photo prompts for your guests
Put a few of these on the tables and guests will cover the moments your photographer cannot be at.
- The couple in the fallen leaves
- The best sweater or shawl
- Cider or mulled wine, cheers
- The pumpkin or gourd centerpiece
- The couple at golden hour
- Someone wrapped in a blanket
- Your table, all of you
- The s'mores station in action
- Grandparents on the dance floor
- The trees behind the ceremony
- Candlelight on the tables
- The last dance
Fall wedding questions
What are the best fall wedding colors?
Burgundy and gold for a classic, formal feel. Rust and sage for something softer and more modern. Pumpkin, cranberry and spruce for a full harvest palette. Add cream so it does not get too heavy.
What month is best for a fall wedding?
October is the most popular month in the US. Late September has warmer weather and later sunsets; early November is cheaper and the leaves are often at their peak in the south.
Which filter is best for fall wedding photos?
Kodachrome for rich, punchy color, Golden Hour for a softer glow, or 1977 for a vintage film feel. Revel applies the one you pick to every guest photo, and you can switch it off later because originals are always kept.
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