Fall weddings are always luxurious affairs with rich jewel tones, savory seasonal tastes, and stunning natural accents. Fall weddings in 2020 will feature all of these trends and more to create personalized, memorable events perfect for couples starting their happily ever after.
Fall is a popular season for weddings, and for good reason. The worst summer heat has passed, and couples can enjoy cooler evenings than for summer affairs but without risking the harshest cold of winter weddings. Because spring and summer are peak wedding seasons, fall events are often less expensive, giving couples a budgetary break. Furthermore, travel expenses are often lower during fall, so out-of-town guests can more easily travel to a wedding. There are fewer large holidays during most autumn months, so couples don’t need to compete with other gatherings to schedule their special day. All of these reasons make fall a perfect choice for a memorable wedding, and more and more couples are making autumn arrangements for their nuptials.
More intimate affairs – often fewer than 100 guests, or even fewer than 50 – give couples more opportunities to truly interact with their guests. Smaller guest lists also allow couples to create more luxurious affairs with extraordinary touches that wouldn’t be possible with hundreds of guests. Furthermore, smaller bridal parties are also growing more popular, allowing brides and grooms to share their most intimate wedding details with their closest friends rather than larger, more difficult to coordinate groups.
With smaller guest lists, couples can choose more unusual wedding venues such as art museums, aquariums, zoos, historical homes, libraries, rooftop gardens, and other locations that might not be suitable for large parties. This is especially appealing for late autumn weddings, when the weather can be more unpredictable and couples don’t want the same typical wedding sites.
More couples are choosing sustainable and zero-waste options for their weddings. This can be done in many ways, from recycled paper for wedding invitations to eliminating plastic from ceremonies and receptions to choosing locally sourced foods for a delicious menu. Choosing vendors with sustainable practices is also of increasing importance to many engaged couples.
In keeping with a sustainable theme, couples are often donating their wedding materials to local charities after the event. Floral arrangements can be welcome at hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice centers, whereas leftover food can be donated to different shelters so nothing is wasted.
Gone are the days of basic menu choices, and inclusive menus are growing more and more popular for weddings. Couples are crafting diverse menus that feature vegan and vegetarian entrees, and more options for special dietary needs, such as keto diets, gluten-free variations, nut-free dishes, and other diets are also popular so every guest can eat a delicious meal rather than skipping courses because of dietary considerations.
A toast – or several toasts – is essential at any wedding, but fall couples are looking beyond wine and champagne in 2020. Local microbreweries can provide a wide range of flavorful beers with distinctive autumn flavors, including apple, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, ginger, and cranberry. Hard ciders are another popular choice for fall weddings, and couples are also offering non-alcoholic options to suit guests with different drinking preferences.
Instead of a standard cocktail hour, more couples are opting for unique snacks both before the wedding reception begins and to reenergize late-night revelers. A popcorn cart is a fun choice, or caramel corn is a great option for autumn tastes. Charcuterie boards and luscious spreads of gourmet cheeses, crackers, nuts, and fruit are delicious options everyone can enjoy.
While some colors, such as jewel tones and autumn hues, are perennial favorites for fall weddings, colors with more depth are increasingly popular. Instead of a mustard yellow, for example, many couples will opt for a rustic yellow shade with red or orange undertones for more complexity and depth. Blue shades, particularly faded denim or cobalt hues and other unusual choices, are also popular 2020 wedding colors.
While the wedding veils will always be welcome and dramatic statement veils are increasingly popular for 2020, different hair accessories are a growing trend. Many brides are opting for elegant barrettes, headbands, and combs to accent their wedding hairstyles. Even if the bride chooses a veil for the ceremony, different hair accessories can be swapped out as more practical options for the reception.
Flowers will always hold a place of honor for wedding decorations, but many couples are moving away from traditional bouquets and classic arrangements. Instead, unusually treated flowers can add a pop of unexpected color and glamor to wedding flowers, and spray painted, dip dyed, or bleached flowers are growing in popularity. Many fall couples are even using dried flowers for a more natural and sustainable touch for their wedding arrangements.
Instead of the same wedding favors that have been popular for years, many couples are opting to make charitable contributions to support meaningful causes close to their hearts. Local charities are popular recipients of such contributions, or couples may choose causes that unite them or are meaningful for their families. Some couples, particularly for second weddings or couples who are already well-established, are also opting to ask for charitable contributions made in their name in lieu of traditional wedding gifts or registries.
To make their wedding ceremony more intimate and meaningful, many couples are asking family members or close friends to officiate rather than choosing a minister, justice of the peace, or other authority figure with whom they don’t have a personal connection. This allows for even greater personalization and variation in the wedding ceremony and vows, and gives a very honorable role to a special someone in the couple’s lives.
More and more couples are embracing technology for their weddings, particularly to bring more people together when the actual event may not have a huge guest list. While wedding websites have been popular for years, new technology trends are big in 2020, including customized wedding hashtags, Facebook groups for wedding guests and bridal parties, sharing wedding photos on Instagram, and even livestreaming wedding events so long-distance guests can still see the event even if they can’t personally attend.
Ultimately, every couple needs to plan the wedding of their dreams that suits their preferences and budget, no matter what year or season. Some of 2020’s best wedding trends will be ideal for different couples, while other popular options won’t resonate with them as well. Choose the trends that you enjoy the most and create a personalized, memorable day for you and your guests, and you might even start a fall wedding trend of your own.
Comments