Fall Wedding Ideas for a Luxury, Elevated Fall Wedding Design
Okay, you can stop your 2-hour-long Pinterest search for fall wedding ideas here, because Mr. and Mrs. Le’s wedding?? It’s basically THE fall wedding moodboard.
As a Northern California wedding photographer, wedding design is my jam. So when it comes to a chic, luxe wedding… I’m the happiest girl alive!!
If you’re planning a fall wedding and want it to feel elevated, you won’t want to miss these fall wedding ideas, with everything from colors to flowers that work, plus some wedding design tips from someone who sees a lottt of weddings.
Fall Wedding Ideas to Make Your Design Feel Chic
I know that being in the midst of planning a wedding can feel chaotic AF. If you need help for specific parts of planning, you can just click one of these links, and it’ll take you right to that section!! Here’s everything I’m covering fall-wedding-ideas-wise:
- What a Luxury Fall Wedding Feels Like
- The Best Northern California Wedding Venues for These Fall Wedding Ideas
- Fall Wedding Color Palette Ideas
- Fall Wedding Ideas for Your Florals
- Fall Wedding Dresses
- Wedding Party Attire Ideas for Fall Weddings
- Fall Wedding Ideas for Lighting
- Fall Wedding Stationery Ideas
- More Fall Wedding Ideas From Mr. & Mrs. Le’s Wedding
What a Luxury Fall Wedding Feels Like
Northern California in the fall?? Kinda magic if you ask me!!
Fall vibes will foreverrr be some of my faves. Spooky season? The crisp feel in the air? An iced matcha with pumpkin cold foam?? Gimme!!!
When it comes to weddings, though, NorCal brings the luxury in the fall. It’s cooler, but not too cold, and you can catch some really pretty, really vibrant fall colors depending on where you’re at!! That means rich color palettes and outdoor wedding receptions that last well past golden hour, and that’s basically a recipe for a wedding that feels elevated.
We’ll get into it all, but when I think of luxury fall weddings in Northern California, I always picture you going from your scenic ceremony with incredible views to a cocktail hour with a glass of red wine in your hand, to then being out on the dance floor well into the night, swaying to old love songs!!
If you want to see that kind of day in action, see more of my Northern California wedding photography portfolio, because it’s a LOT of days like that.
The Best Northern California Wedding Venues for These Fall Wedding Ideas
Let’s be real for a sec… You can’t get into too many fall wedding ideas before you pick your venue, because it kind of affects everything about your day. The vibe, the design, the views, the timing, the photos- you name it!!
If you haven’t found your wedding venue yet, my list of cinematic NorCal wedding locations is a good place to start, but for fall weddings specifically, I LOVE weddings at:
- Hollins House – for scenic mountain views that give your ceremony backdrop a wow factor. See my Hollins House planning guide if this is your venue!!
- Switzer Farm – perfect for an intimate, luxury fall wedding with oceanfront views and insane vibes.
- Park Winters – for a cozy, charming autumn feel. You can learn more about this one on my Park Winters guide!!
Fall Wedding Color Palette Ideas
My next step when it comes to fall wedding ideas will always be nailing down your color palette. This will kinda be your guiding light through every part of the design so that everything, from your bouquet to your bridesmaids’ dresses, feels cohesive!!
For fall, you’re basically unlimited. I usually tell my couples to let the colors of the season guide them, but there’s sooo much you can do with that!! A few fall wedding color palettes that I love seeing are:
- Burnt orange + yellow
- Burgundy + green
- Terracotta + dusty rose
- Olive green + butter yellow
- Monochrome chocolate brown
… Or some combination of all of these. Because you can never go wrong with burgundy, orange, green, yellow, and brown together. Like… Ever!!
Fall Wedding Ideas for Your Florals
Flowers are where things start to get funnnn, because they can take your design from basic to chic so fast!!
One thing to consider for any wedding is what florals are in season for your date. When it comes to fall weddings, you’ll see a lot of zinnias, dahlias, echinacea, and asters!! And for my trendy girls, don’t worry… Calla lilies basically work all season, along with amaranthus, anthurium, and delphinium.
Fall Wedding Dresses I LOVE
I can’t make a fall wedding ideas blog without including ideas for fall wedding dresses, because bridal style is one of my FAVEEE parts of the day, and fall wedding dresses?? They hit every time!!
Here are a few wedding dresses that I think about pretty much all the time that would be perf for a fall wedding!!:
What Are Popular Fabrics for Fall Bridal Gowns?
If you’re going wedding dress shopping for dresses like this, some fabrics to look out for that work really well for fall wedding dresses are satin or mikado (for our classic girlies!!), crepe, brocade, and pleated chiffon or organza. These are all on the thicker side, and they all hold their structure, which makes them a great choice for a luxury fall wedding!!
Wedding Party Attire Ideas for Fall Weddings
Wedding party attire can be really simple and just fit the color scheme of the day, but what I really love seeing is when luxury weddings elevate wedding party attire a little bit.
For example, groomsmen in chocolate brown suits with a funky tie?? Love!!
Bridesmaids in mismatched dresses that fit the color palette, with some in a patterned dress or fun fabric (like Jordan by Jenny Yoo)?? Obsessed!!!
Things like wedding party attire help tie everything together, and when you have a seamless design down to your besties, you get a super chic wedding. Love that for you.
Fall Wedding Ideas for Lighting
Wedding lighting is sooo underrated. I mean, for something that literally sets the whole vibe… It gets overlooked a lot!!
For fall weddings, after golden hour when the sun has gone down, you need to keep the energy going. Because I see you!! I know you want to be on that dance floor screaming Beyoncé songs at the top of your lungs until you literally can’t anymore!!
When I document weddings that use lamps, lanterns, and candlelight, it’s a whole new level of luxury. The lighting photographs SO well (although you’ll still 100% catch me using direct flash sometimes), and it really just keeps the party going.
If you’re planning a wedding where the design, atmosphere, and photos all matter equally… This is EXACTLY the kind of thing I love helping my couples think through. You can see more design-forward wedding days here!!
Fall Wedding Stationery Ideas
Before you see allll these fall wedding ideas in action from Mr. and Mrs. Le’s wedding, let’s talk stationery, because that’s another SUPER underrated part of creating a luxury wedding.
Your save-the-dates are literally people’s first impression of your wedding. If you want to establish an elevated tone, it starts there!!
My top tip? Invest in custom stationery. Whether it’s something that has little motifs that nod to your wedding or your relationship, or something that’s simple but super classy, there’s something about it being custom-made that makes everything feel special.
And from a photography perspective… They look SO good on camera!!
More Fall Wedding Ideas From Mr. & Mrs. Le’s Wedding
Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Le’s wedding??? I’ll be dreaming about it forever!!
Their fall wedding color palette was SO good, and tied together so well throughout every part of their design. Those flowers had me OBSESSED (which you can probably tell from how many pictures there are of them… Oops!!), and the way they decorated their venue, Grand Island Mansion, was truly incredible.
I know a bride with a vision when I see one, and Mrs. Le brought it!!
Grace Thao | Northern California Wedding Photographer
If these fall wedding ideas are right up your alley, I can already tell we’re gonna get along SO well.
If you’re looking for a Northern California wedding photographer who will hype up your WHOLE design and capture it in a way that feels honest, nostalgic, and true-to-life, I’m your gal!! You can inquire about booking me here. So excited to hear about your vision!!
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