Fall Alternatives to Flowers

Fall is a time of abundance throughout the Northern hemisphere, and having your wedding in fall is great time of year to celebrate. Although they are beautiful, many people are allergic to flowers and choose not to use them as part of their wedding day, among many other reasons. If you choose not to have flowers in your wedding, here are some great alternatives that will still complement your wedding.

Many brides dream of carrying a huge bouquet of flowers, but for those with allergies, this is just not possible. Instead of flowers, carrying a bouquet of ripe wheat or other grain may just by pass the sneezing. Wrap the grasses with colored ribbon to match your wedding colors and your guests will ooh and ah over your original choice of bouquet as you make your grand entrance down the aisle.

Feathers make wonderful bouquets and many can be dyed to match the colors you envision donning your wedding day. Large fluffy ostrich feathers work best for this since they actually mimic flowers when placed in a bouquet. Add fun elements like artificial butterflies, hearts, or simply add ribbons for a complete look.

Just because you choose not to use flowers for your wedding does not mean that your tables have to be bare. Gourds make excellent centerpieces. Have your florist order gourds in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and mound them in the middle of all your tables. Be careful not to mound them too high; you still want your guests to see each other and chat as dinner is being served.

For decorations along the walls or in front of a raised main table at the dinner, you can use bundles of dried corn stalks. Tied together with coordinating ribbons or cording, they are certainly going to help convey the feeling of fall throughout your wedding venue. To have complementing centerpieces use dried corn, and comes in great fall colors like dark red, orange, and almost chocolate brown.

There are a lot of alternatives to flowers. Just ask your florist for some creative suggestions and then let your imagination soar.

Written By: Rev. Kelly Hunt

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