It’s time for your fall wedding—the air is crisp, leaves are changing, and porch steps are littered with pumpkins. There’s a lot to love about this transitional time of year, and plenty happening in nature to take inspiration from for your wedding color scheme. That doesn’t mean you have to go with a traditional red, yellow, and orange color palette though.

From rich cranberry, to burnt orange, to deep jewel tones, there are plenty of elegant and beautiful options for a fall wedding color scheme. Here, five fall color schemes to consider:

Jewel Tones: Emerald, Burgundy, Plum, and Sapphire

With summer behind you, it’s time to embrace a deeper color palette for your autumn wedding. Jewel tones, like emerald, burgundy, plum, and sapphire, fit the start of the chillier season perfectly. These fall wedding colors are also a richer alternative to black or grey, and look gorgeous as decor for both your ceremony and reception. They also mix well with velvet, gold, moss, and wooden elements.

Some ideas for incorporating jewel tones into your wedding day include:

• Have bridesmaids choose long fall-appropriate bridesmaid dresses in the rich color of their choice
• Mix jewel-toned vintage tinted stemware and napkins
• Use high stem vases filled with boldly colored bouquets and candles
• Choose rich jewel-tone invitations that include flowy fonts and tuck them inside of gold envelopes
• Consider a naked cake decorated with blackberries, raspberries, or florals in a jewel-toned color scheme

Cranberry

Cranberry is a gorgeous and romantic accent color for a fall wedding. You can use the deep tone to inspire your decor or even choose to incorporate real cranberries in various aspects of your wedding ceremony and reception.

Cranberry also pairs especially well with gold, Champagne, white, yellow, florals and greenery.

Here’s how to incorporate cranberry into your decor:

• Choose a buttercream cake decorated with real cranberries or serve red velvet cake or cupcakes
• Serve cranberry juice cocktails before the ceremony or cocktails with cranberries and sprigs of rosemary in them
• Use bouquets of flowers with roses, calla lilies, and ranunculus in cranberry tones mixed with white roses and greenery
• Drape cranberry-colored fabric over a simple wooden arch for a gorgeous wedding ceremony focal point

Photo Credit // Unsplash

Pumpkin, Sage, and Blush

When you think pumpkin, bright orange may come to mind. But in slightly lighter shades and paired with neutrals like sage green, blush, and dusty rose, pumpkin can be a gorgeous choice for a fall wedding palette. This look is especially beautiful for an outdoor wedding.

Here’s how to decorate with this color scheme:

• Have bridesmaids wear a lighter orange, sage green, or blush dress of their choice
• Decorate reception tables with mini pumpkins, sage clusters, and candles
• Serve a naked cake decorated with pumpkin, sage, and blush flowers for a rustic look
• Create ceremony arch decor with garlands made of sage and pumpkins

Mustard Yellow and Greens

Bright yellow is out, but warmer mustard yellow paired with greenery works beautifully for indoor or outdoor fall weddings. You could also mix these shades with another fall color, like merlot or navy blue, if you wish.

Here are some ideas for using this combination of colors:

• Have the bride wear mustard yellow heels for a pop of color
• Dress groomsmen in mustard yellow ties and add a pop of green (eucalyptus or succulent) to the fall boutonniere
• Gift bridesmaids mustard cardigans to wear for photos on a chilly day
• Use mustard chargers as an anchor element for your reception tables
• Have your florist recommend seasonal floral arrangement and greenery ideas, like solidago and Queen Anne's Lace

Gray and Navy

As the weather turns, the classic combination of grey and navy blue is especially appealing for a late October or November wedding. Pairing these traditional hues with another pop of color like burnt orange, burgundy, gold, or silver would be ideal for a fall celebration, too.

Here are a few ideas for decorating with this color scheme:

• Have the bride wear navy heels as her something blue
• Serve blueberry-inspired cocktails
• Put groomsmen in grey jackets or suits
• Ask bridesmaids to wear navy blue dresses
• Decorate the receotion with navy table runners, candles, and elegant seasonal bouquets

Zola: Your Trusted Source for All Seasons

As you plan your wedding, the color palette is only the tip of the iceberg. If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for your planning needs, look no further than Zola. Our easy wedding website creator and registry planning tools help you seamlessly cross items off of your to-do list.

And as you shop for decor, don’t forget to check out our wedding blog for information on the latest trends. The fully stocked Wedding Boutique has everything you need for any and all events from your engagement party to your honeymoon.