Photo Credit: Anna Grace Photography
Fall is a breathtaking time of year in Maryland. Within minutes a sunset sky changes from blues and oranges to lavender, purple and pink. Pair this with the fall foliage in reds, golds, and oranges and you have a rainbow of color as a backdrop to your special day.Turf Valley's Catering Director, Jenny Betlejewski, loves fall weddings at Turf Valley, and has many tips for brides planning an autumn wedding.
Fall is still a time to consider having an outdoor ceremony - but be ready with a fur wrap to take the chill off and pay attention to sunset times when scheduling your outdoor ceremony to ensure you still have time to take photos post-ceremony if you wish!
Take a cue from the colors of the sky, trees and fields for your décor. Pumpkins aren't just for Halloween - they make a great vessel for flowers on the tables. Paint them and use them as signs, carve them and use for lanterns (a power drill with a variety of bits does this in no time), or perhaps use some small ones to paint your table number for guest tables. Mums and pansies abound, but you might consider some dried flowers and gatherings - dried hydrangeas turn a lovely shade of pale green and ruby red and lighted twigs and branches make a great statement in bunches on guest tables, patios, and flanking doorways.
Photo Credit: [L-R] Google Images, Anna Grace Photography, Google Images, Google Images
Use wine barrels for a display set-up
perhaps some Seasonal Beers(there are beers that have pumpkin, pecan and maple syrup flavors!), Black and Tans, Warm Spicy Apple Cider or a Jack-O'Lantern made with OJ, Cognac, Ginger Ale and Grand Marnier. Have Roasted Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds in bowls throughout the cocktail area for guests to munch on.
Photo Credit: Google Images
Fall is harvest time - a time of plenty
To illustrate the bounty of the season, incorporate a cornucopia into displays full of fresh fruit or vegetable crudités. Choose seasonal hors d'oeuvres such as sweet potato puffs, baked brie encrusted with nuts and honey served with rosemary raisin crostini. Interject a soup course of roasted red pepper soup in addition to a fall salad of mixed greens, toasted walnuts, black seedless grapes, feta cheese, and thinly sliced red onion with a Dijon vinaigrette. Filet Mignon with rosemary herb butter, butternut squash risotto and roasted Brussels sprouts with crispy pancetta makes a fabulous entrée.
Photo Credit: Google Images
For the wedding cake
perhaps just a one layer cake to cut into ceremoniously with a variety of pies - pecan, pumpkin, sweet potato and fried apple handpies served with luscious bowls of lightly sweetened whipped cream. Include favors of caramel and candy apples in the display for guests. And speaking of Halloween - what better time to have a candy bar with treat bags for your guests to take home!
Photo Credit: Pinterest
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