Fall Chicago Wedding Trends
by Ali Phillips
Fall in Chicago is one of my favorite times of the year. The smell of burning wood, crisp leaves crunching under my feet and red sunsets glowing over Lake Michigan. The short season between late-September and December provides couples with a myriad of ways to personalize their wedding. They’re incorporating the texture and the feel of Autumn in their choices of design, food, as well as their wedding activities. Fall in Chicago gives couples the freedom to fully express themselves in all aspects of their wedding weekend.
Design
Rich browns and classic golds are making a comeback! Fruits, vegetables, leaves, and branches are also making an appearance throughout many fall weddings. For example, a number of brides are choosing invitations with more texture than the traditional, engraved wedding invitations. Invites with bows, tulle, vellum, branches, and even berries are matching the overall décor of many weddings.
You will find shades of green, orange and red in the fall flowers this year. Brides are choosing to accent their flowers with the rich colors in their table linens and napkins. And, yes, we see the return of linens with texture!
Couples are also placing branch wreaths accented with berries and leaves on the doors of their ceremony location. They’ll also incorporate grass, fruit, and gourds into their reception centerpieces. Pumpkins and squash are sometimes used to decorate placecard tables instead of traditional floral arrangements.
One of my weddings this month has a leaf motif throughout the entire day. The leaves from their wedding invitations appear on the programs, menu cards, and the wedding “well wisher” cards that guests will fill out instead of a guest book. We even have plans to adorn three canisters of branches with paper leaves as hanging placecards.
Food
Clients are being more creative in their food choices for their fall wedding celebrations. Instead of the traditional salad course before the entrée, we’re now seeing flavorful pumpkin and squash soups alongside a small salad topped with dried cherries and nuts. Terrines carrying mesclun greens and poached pears are also making their way to the dining tables. And, a few couples are serving hot apple cider, with rum for those over 21, during the cocktail hour or after dinner.
Gone is the day of the bland, white wedding cake. Couples are using different flavors like carrot cake and cheesecake for their weddings. I’ve also seen more requests for chocolate wedding cakes served with crème anglaise or a berry coulis. One of my fall couples is serving hot apple pie a la mode instead of the traditional wedding cake. Yummmmm.
Wedding Favors
Couples are really expressing themselves with their choice of favors. Some are setting up caramel apple stations so guests can dip their apples and roll them in a bowl of crushed nuts or different types of candies. Brides are giving away jellies, maple syrup and even family recipes of their favorite dishes. Another great favor could be candy corn or mixed nuts in clear vellum bags or baskets for guests as they depart your wedding.
Activities
Pre- and post-wedding activities are also becoming very popular for couples who want their guests to enjoy a “fall wedding weekend” in Chicago. Some couples are taking their guests on “ghost walks” around the Chicagoland area. Others are going apple-picking on the day before the wedding or as a post-wedding brunch the day after! A few couples are bringing their guests on the Chicago Architectural Cruise and then dining at the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building.
Fall is a big time for sports buffs in Chicago. One any given Saturday or Sunday you will see scores of wedding guests watching their favorite teams win in sports bars around the city. A few grooms are embracing the new chilly weather by organizing golf outings on the Friday or even the morning of the wedding day. Brides, on the other hand, are enjoying spa outings, and then following them up with an afternoon tea at The Drake, The Ritz or The Peninsula Hotel.
As you can see, summers aren’t the only time to get married in Chicago. The fall is bursting with so many exciting ideas to celebrate your wedding in our fair city. Have fun! Take advantage of what the season has to offer. And, be willing to try something new. Your guests will have a blast, no matter what!
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