Summer months might reign supreme for the number of weddings per season but if you’re an autumn girlie you’ll have the rusty sunset-hued shades of fall on your mood board. For many couples autumn is the perfect backdrop to their wedding day, because the weather, though cooler, can still be fair and the days bright. There’s also something decidedly cosy about autumn as colour palettes become warm and moody, and food moves from light to the wholesomeness of harvest season.

If you’ve booked a wedding date in September, October or early November there are a few factors that you should be mindful off to ensure that proceedings run smoothly. Here we highlight the most common mistakes to avoid when planning an autumn wedding – so that you don’t make them.

Thinking Autumn is Low Season

A lot of people think high season in weddings is summer, and yes May to September is where we see the biggest peaks in weddings, and therefore dates book up fast for venues and suppliers. However, September is a month that is very popular too as the weather can be very nice that month (usually when the kids go back to school!).

There’s also a midterm break in October for primary and secondary schools, plus a bank holiday on the last Monday in October in Ireland, so this can also be a peek time for bookings. Teachers or anyone with children to consider could potentially be eyeing up this time to get married. And just remember that this might also drive up prices for flights and accommodation for your guests.

Not Finding Out When It Gets Dark

We all know it gets dark earlier in autumn, but as the time changes throughout the season, keep your twilight time in mind when you’re plotting out the timeline of your day, planning your photographs so that you know when the best light will be. If it’s late autumn you could perhaps do a first look session and get your couples portraits before the ceremony, and any other activities you want to include such as outdoor games during the reception.

We’ve put together an sample wedding timeline here to help.

Not Making Sure Your Venue Shines At Night

Lots of couples only view their venues during the daytime, and very often in spring or summer particularly if you’re doing your initial venue search. If you’re looking for somewhere where you can lean into the season – think a forest with fallen leaves in autumnal shades, and an inviting atmosphere and twinkling lights where people will feel cosy when the sun goes down, visit your venue in the late afternoon in autumn, to see how the grounds look and how the venue is dressed and lit up. Then you’ll know it’s perfect for an autumn wedding.

Some spectacular venues lose their appeal at night, and others come into their own – as most of your reception could be after dark, make sure yours is the latter.

Consider Ground Conditions

Just because it’s autumn, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still have your dream outdoor ceremony. It just requires a bit of planning especially if ground conditions become challenging. Fallen leaves can be a slip hazard for guests. Lawns can also become boggy underfoot, and trails and paths muddy, so if the weather is not on your side in the days leading up to the wedding, better to play it safe and have your ceremony inside.

Have a Weatherproof Plan

Most destinations require a weatherproof plan all year around – even a July wedding can fall victim to a hail storm or a heatwave – but an autumn wedding does need a little more planning around potential meteorological pitfalls and we have some tips about how to deal.

Talk to your venue about what they’ll do if there’s a storm and you’re in a remote location, or if it rains and you’ve planned an outdoor ceremony or reception drinks. Also chat to your photographer about where you’ll do photos if it’s a dull, rainy day, so they can scout possible alternatives, and speak to your transport suppliers about allowing extra time for traffic if there’s bad weather.

Prepare Your Guests

The temperature can really drop suddenly in autumn and even swing wildly on the same day – sunny and bright one minute, cold and crisp the next. So, if you have any outdoor elements, make sure you let your guests know in advance so they can dress appropriately, and have cover ups such as blankets, or umbrellas in place should you need them.

Allow a little extra time throughout your day in case the weather leads to any delays like waiting for a shower to stop, so you don’t run out of time for pictures. Needless to say, we suggest you invest in a large, sturdy umbrella to hide under when dashing from place to place.

Ask Your Venue About Heating

Most wedding venues will have their heating down to a fine art, but for places like churches, castles, barns or marquees, it might take a little more organisation. Talk to your venue about how they heat the space (without over-heating it!) and whether or not you need to do anything additional for the comfort of your guests (hot beverages on arrival are always a good idea later in autumn – extra bonus points if they’re pumpkin spice!).

It’s also thoughtful to let any guests bringing children know if there will be open fires at the venue. Oh and remember to sit older guests away from any potential drafts, and closer to fires or radiators if it’s a cold day.

Check the Seasonal Decoration Situation

Getting married in Autumn can mean big savings on decor if your venue is already decked out with harvest-inspired décor like pumpkins and rustic arrangements in the shades of fall, but it is a good idea to check what decorations they have, how they’ll look, and where they’ll be, so they don’t clash with how you want your day to look.

If you don’t want decorations in the background, especially not anything for Halloween, check with your venue about when they’ll be going up and getting taken down so you don’t have unwanted décor in the photos.

Find the Right Photographer

Most good wedding photographers can shoot beautiful pictures in any setting, any light, and any season, but if you’re looking for a particular aesthetic for your photographs, it’s wise to see examples of a photographer’s work either on dull days, at night, or in bad weather, to get a feel for their style year-round and how flexible they are.

Autumn days can create the most dreamy lighting, and the colours can make for some amazing shots, but if it’s lashing rain, windy, and one of those days when it never really gets bright, you want to make sure you’ll still have gorgeous shots to look back on, that make you forget all about the weather.

All About the Style

We have whole features with tips about warm wedding style and bridal and bridesmaids cover ups right here, but there are a few main things to consider when you’re planning out your own look, and your wedding party’s style too. For starters, make sure everyone will be warm, (especially the little ones!), but also don’t choose anything so heavy that you’ll be breaking a sweat if the temperature rises again suddenly.

As with all chilly weather dressing, layering is key, so choose cover ups like nice shawls, a leather jacket, a cape or a bridal coat that will look great in the photos, is easy to take on and off and keep you from shivering. And, perhaps an autumn wedding tip you mightn’t have thought of – when it comes to underwear, make sure your bra has padding or wear stick-on pasties – you want your guests to have their eyes on your face – not your chest!

Protect Your Look

Bad weather can play havoc with your hair and makeup so do everything you can to protect yourself from the wind and rain, at least until you have a few photos in the bag. After that, all bets are off, and you can both dance in the rain or take your photos on a windswept cliffside! We have a whole post on how to weather-proof your hair and makeup here plus where to buy pretty umbrellas here.

Have an Emergency Kit

It’s not just your hair and makeup that can take a battering – so can your clothing. Rain can leave watermarks on delicate fabrics, so we suggest you choose a dress material that isn’t affected by water. Your clothing and shoes can also easily end up with mud stains on them, so we suggest you read our post on how to romove a stain on your wedding day here and create a wedding day emergency stain removal kit.

Be sure to spray any suede or leather shoes to protect them from being stained in wet weather, or for heels, pick up heel protectors so they don’t get damaged an give them to the bridal party on the morning too.

Seasonal Allergies

Autumn can be bad for allergies in Ireland due to weed pollen and, most significantly, mould spores. While the traditional grass pollen season ends around September, weed pollen can persist into early autumn, and damp, mild weather exacerbates mould growth outdoors in places like leaf piles, and indoors in damp areas. So if that’s something that affects you or your partner, you might want to rethink any outdoor elements.

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