Budget Friendly Fall Wedding Ideas

Hello Fall! Yes, I know it may not be autumn right now, but autumn is always just around the corner, and with it comes bright fall colors, changing leaves, cooler evenings, pumpkin-flavored everything, and of course fall weddings, and if you are planning a fall wedding, you will be looking for inspiration right now.

The idea of a fall wedding makes me smile. Ideas float through my head of pumpkin spice cake, apple and pumpkin pie, jewel-toned decorations in emerald, ruby, amethyst, topaz, sapphire, gold and silver, paper leaves, and the smells of Thanksgiving! So how does someone accomplish a fall wedding in a budget-friendly way? Let me supply you with a few tips and tricks that should help.

Color Theme:

The start to any beautiful wedding day is to choose a color theme that you love! For a fall wedding, I would suggest incorporating Gold or Silver and jewel-toned fall colors that represent you. A wedding can be any color combination that you dream of and as long as you stick to shades of your chosen colors, they will blend well together. You don't have to worry about them matching perfectly. I would suggest having one or two primary colors and a third color to use as an accent to the main colors. Some color combination ideas would be gold, topaz and emerald or silver, ruby, and sapphire. Don't let these two ideas limit you, as there are many color combinations that could be used. After choosing your color combinations the next step is to think about your invitations.

Invitations:

Invitations set the tone of your wedding and should be chosen early in the planning process so that decorations, coordinating signs, and printed items can be designed to match. One of the best ways to save money on your invitations is to stay away from high-priced invitation companies and look to smaller privately-owned companies. These can be found on Etsy or in your local phonebook. Once on Etsy, just search for DIY Fall Wedding invitations and you will find so many designs to choose from or just visit my SHOP page right here to view all my wedding invitation designs. Any of my designs can be adapted to your chose wedding theme and colors.

One of the great things about invitations from Etsy is easy communication with the designer, being able to customize wording and color (on most invitations). It's wonderful to work with a small shop that truly cares about your special day and providing you with the invitation of your dreams. You will also save time and money by being able to order your invitations from the comfort of your home and choosing your print options, such as printing at home or through a local print shop. In most cases means you will spend less on your invitations than you would from a boutique stationery store.

Decorations:

Now that we have the colors chosen and the invitations were taken care of, it's time to move on to the decorations! Decorations for your wedding don't have to be elaborate to make an impact. They can be made at home quickly and easily and still set the mood for your special day in a beautiful and simplistic way.

One idea that comes to mind is, is using leaves on the top of tables to bring the feeling of fall and to add pops of natural fall colors. The most budget-friendly way to do this is to collect leaves and coat them with Mod Podge to preserve them. (Instructions below) Then I would use these preserved leaves on top of a white, silver, gold or jewel-toned table cloth, with Mason jar candle holders and a fall scented or battery-powered tea light.

Another great addition to fall wedding décor is wood rounds (as seen above). These can be purchased from your local craft store or collected from family and friends who have fallen trees on their property. Wood rounds add height and dimension to your centerpieces allowing you to display candles, flowers, or dishes of food.

Arrangements of pumpkins and gourds next to your candles will also add a wonderful fall feeling to your wedding. These can be found at local farms, grocery stores, or craft stores.

I could go on and on as I have many more decorating ideas. If you need more suggestions or help to complete an idea you have, please feel free to contact me. Good luck with your fall wedding!

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How to Preserve Leaves with Decoupage:

Step 1: Gather leaves either from the ground or straight from the tree. Select vibrantly colored leaves that are somewhat dry but not brittle.

Step 2: If your leaves are still very green and moist, place them between two paper towels under a heavy book for a few days so that they dry a bit but are not brittle. If you don't need to dry them, move on to step three.

Step 3: Using a foam brush to apply decoupage (Mod Podge) to one side of your leaf.

Step 4: Place on newspaper to dry until it turns clear and is no longer sticky.

Step 5: Turn leave over and repeat steps 3 and 4.

Once both sides are done your leaves are ready to use!

DIY Budget Party Decorations

I know, I know, where has Beth's blog been! Well... life has been super busy the past few weeks and it just all caught up with me, but I am back in the game now!

A few weeks ago we celebrated a 16th Birthday, for my step-son Logan! Complete with family from all areas, party decorations, barbecued burgers and hot dogs and cheesecake with strawberry-rhubarb compote for a topping! I might have share the recipe with you because it was just so very good!

But on to the real reason for this blog, parties! They can cost a lot of money and you want your children to feel special, right? So you choose a color theme, you buy invitations, you start shopping for decorations, paper plates, plastic ware, cups, tablecloths, napkins. Then there is the food, snacks, desserts and drinks.

All of this can really start to add up. Did you know there is a way around this? It doesn't have to cost you a lot of money to throw the perfect birthday party for your child. Here are my tips on how to throw and affordable birthday party:

Tip one: Invitations

Start your parting planning with the perfect DIY invitation that matches your theme and set the tone for your party from the moment you start planning. Visit Beth Ann Erickson Designs or Blue House Collection to purchase wonderful print at home invitations.

Tip two: Buy items you can use for multiple parties

This past year I also planned the decorations for my sister's birthday party and some of the key items I used for that party were also used for my step-son's party. These things can include glass dishes/candle holders that can be used for a variety of things from candy, flowers or candles. These square candle holders pictured here have been used for flowers and candy and were purchased at the the local dollar store.

Also reusable are the plastic disposable table clothes that you can find at Walmar, the dollar store or Party City. Just wipe them down at the end of your party, fold and store for your next event. After about the second or third use I throw them away.

Tip three: The Dollar Store is your friend!

Maybe you have never been in your local dollar or discount store, but if you have the patience to sift through all the unwanted items, there are often treasures there that will work perfectly for throwing a party. Most recently I found my tablecloths, plastic wear, table decoration and napkins at the dollar store. One of my best finds was beer glasses for $1 each which I used as vase and candle holders. Which in the end only cost me around six dollars and some of those items can be reused in the future!

Tip four: DIY decorations

Do you have a computer and a printer? Yes, well then you have the ability to print your own decorations. Maybe your thinking “But I have no idea how to make decorations on my computer.” Well, I am here to tell you that you can! One of the most simple ways to do this if by searching online for royalty free images that you can print out that match the theme or color scheme of your party. The other option is to visit Etsy and search for printables that you can purchase and print out at home.

Visit Chalky Prints or Stockberry Studio to see what is available. These party sets might look complicated to use, but if you have a printer, scissors, colored ink and just some household supplies like twine, bamboo skewers, paper bags, glue and stapler these are really very easy to use. See the photos throughout this post for ideas on how to use printable party decorations.

Tip five: Add Color

There are also ways to add pops of color to your party without making your own decorations. You can purchase candy in coordinating colors. Jelly beans work great for this. You can take ribbon and wrap it around your water bottles, vases, or jars. Make juice or punch and wrap your gifts to match your color theme. Float candles in mason jars and add food coloring to the water.

Truth be told there are lots of ways to decorate for a party without spending a bundle! This is just the tip of the iceberg!

P.S. Here is the recipe for the Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote. Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

2 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 + ½ cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
¾ cup granulated sugar

In a saucepan, add in the strawberries, rhubarb and sugar. Mash the strawberries to get the juice flowing.
Place over medium heat and let cook for about 17 - 20 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Recipe Credit: http://cookiedoughandovenmitt.com/strawberry-rhubarb-cheesecake

Wedding Dreams:

The art of coordinating your wedding theme

This week I thought it would be fun to give brides-to-be some ideas on how to coordinate the theme of their wedding all the way from save the dates, invitations, decorations, hair & make-up, to what to wear. Our theme for the purposes of this blog, will be a rustic wedding. Currently a very popular choice among brides, but sometimes hard to coordinate through-out the entire wedding, but I have some ideas on how to help with that. I am also very excited to introduce Molly of Lovely You By Molly, she will be contributing to the blog with the hair and make-up portion along with some wonderful hair tips for the day of the wedding!

A rustic wedding can be formal-rustic or casual-rustic. So, your first choice would be what direction do you want to take? After choosing your direction, it is then time to look for your save-the-dates and invitations, along with choosing your color combinations. Most people don't realize that your invitations and other printed items can help set the mood for your special day, along with decorations, clothing options, hair and make-up. Its a good idea to use your save-the-dates and invitations to give your guests a small taste of what the day will be like.

What things convey a rustic wedding theme? Well there are quite a few things that do this. Some ideas would be, wood backgrounds, mason jars, lanterns, chalkboards, brick walls, wood rounds, logs, stumps, wildflowers, cowboy boots, jeans and much more.

Save-the-Dates and Invitations

Here are a few examples of rustic save-the-dates and invitation sets. These are available for purchase at www.bethannerickson.etsy.com. As you will see below, these use lots of wood backgrounds and a mix of chalkboard fonts and formal script fonts. There are many more styles to choose from on Etsy and they can be created in any color combination you choose.

Attire, Hair and Make-Up

The next step would be choosing what your wedding party will wear on the special day and testing out possible hairstyles and make-up options. Some ideas for rustic attire range from, trendy jeans, dress shirts and cowboy boots for the guys to short/medium length dresses and cowboy boots for the girls if you are choosing the casual side of things. For my own wedding which was a purple and silver wedding with rustic tones, we chose more formal clothing, but wore Converse to bring in the casual side of things. The bride could wear a long or short dress, or a sundress with a choice of casual foot attire. Here are a few pictures to give you some ideas.

Now I will turn the blog over to Molly for the hair and make-up portion, picking back up when she is finished.

Hi Lovelies! My name is Molly and I was pleasantly surprised when Beth asked me share some tips for Brides on how they might incorporate a rustic style in their hair and makeup for their wedding day. Let me share a little bit about myself before we get to the details.

I am a licensed hair stylist and makeup artist for weddings and events. I own my own business called Lovely You by Molly. I have two sweet kids, a 4 year old daughter and a 1 year old son. I own a cleaning business as well but the hair and makeup is definitely my favorite. It is a joy to be a part of someones special day whether it’s their wedding day or headed to prom. I love it when I see a huge smile on a client’s face after they look in the mirror, with the style they have always dreamed of.

Back to this rustic theme, What are some good looks if you are a bride planning this style of wedding? Words that come to my mind for hair are loose waves, braids, and an effortless look. For makeup, I think of natural, warm tones and a soft look. Here are some photos of some styles I have created to get you thinking. The last one is a combined hair and makeup look on myself:

Lastly, I wanted to share three tips for Brides as the plan their wedding day style:

1. Choose a classic and timeless look. When picking a hair and makeup style, try to always have in the back of your mind, is this something I will be happy looking at a few years from now, as I browse through my wedding photos? Save the trendy looks for a date night or even your engagement photos but on your wedding day, pick a style that reflects the elegance of a bride.
2. Dry Shampoo is your friend. Dry shampoo is a great starting point for any style, to create volume and texture, especially for Brides who have fine hair or tend to get oily. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.
3. Create variety in your curls. When curling your hair, alternate the direction of each curl. You will get more of a natural look doing this. It also helps your hair to not bunch together into “one” big curl as the day progresses.

Thanks for reading and I hope these tips helped you become inspired about a beautiful, rustic wedding theme. Come find me on instagram @lovelyyoubymolly as well as Facebook, www.facebook.com/lovelyyoubymolly. I would love to get in touch!

Thank you Molly for all those wonderful suggestions.

Decorations

Next up, decorations! Decorations for a rustic themed wedding really are very simple. To complete this theme, use lots of wood, pallet boards, lanterns, mason jars, burlap, candles and lace. Popular right now are wood rounds for center pieces with mason jars or lanterns placed on top. Wrapping the mason jars with burlap, twine, vintage looking paper or lace adds an extra rustic feel and is fairly inexpensive to accomplish. Here are some photos of decoration ideas. If you have any questions on how to accomplish these looks feel free to ask me.

To wrap things up, once you choose your wedding theme, coordinating that theme throughout your wedding is really very simple. If you choose a floral theme, look for invitations with your favorite flowers on them, choose a long flowing dress, and bouquets of beautiful flowers. You could use flowers in your hair and have the pocket squares for the grooms be a fabric with an underlying flower texture. Use an arbor in the ceremony with flowers affixed to it and centerpieces with the same flowers arranged around candles or lanterns.

Some current trends in wedding themes are bohemian, floral, fantasy, fairy tale and rustic. If you search for these online you will find a many great ideas! But don't overwhelm yourself by trying to do everything you see, just pick and choose what you absolutely love. I really hope this helps you coordinate the wedding of your dreams. For ideas, suggestions or to hire me to help decorate your wedding, just contact me.

Coming Next Week: Wedding Memories: The art of creating a shadow box