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When it was time to start planning our wedding and reception, I knew we wanted a classic yet modern vibe for our big day and for our guests to be comfortable and have fun. Somewhere along the planning line, we settled on an unexpected compromise of a rustic wedding. Finding the perfect venue to execute this dream wedding took a while. After exploring countless venues, we fell in love with The Falls Banquet space. It was the ideal combination of outdoor and indoor spaces and an excellent foundation for us to put our own special touch. With a fall wedding date, sometimes the weather can keep you on your toes, so we wanted a space that we could quickly transition to if the weather did not work out in our favor. 

Since we were getting married in the fall, we wanted to ensure we incorporated the season into our theme and decorations. The beautiful trees and foliage that surrounds the venue were a central feature we wanted to highlight. Having “built-in” decorations meant that we could easily bring in color and texture to make everything our own. This also allowed us to really focus on rustic wedding decor. We built out our whole mood and Pinterest boards to really craft our dream wedding. I shared this with the decor consultant at EventRoostr, who helped us design the event space at The Falls Banquet we were able to create a space that was cozy and welcoming for our guests. 

We made every effort to stay with wood tones to keep a natural feel. One way we did this was using wine barrel decor for our garden reception area. These were perfect cocktail tables for our guests to use while mingling before our reception dinner. They were a comfortable height and sturdy enough on the ground. My side of the family is from California, so it was also a sweet nod to our home state. In addition, half wine barrels served as drink coolers for bottled beer, sodas, and kid-friendly juice boxes.

For our first look and bridal photos, we decided on the outdoors. The sun and clouds were just right. The bright red and yellow leaves gave that special glow to our photos. To up the rustic feel of the images, our photographer suggested we use the grounds of The Falls Banquet and find different vantage points to highlight the natural beauty. EventRoostr even helped us find outdoor decor to stage our first look. The results are magical. 

The weather held out, and we were able to tie the knot outside. The beautiful grounds were postcard-perfect fall foliage. We set up chiavari chairs wedding on the lawn for our guests and incorporated love marquee letters and large wheat fronds as a capturable moment at the entrance to the reception area. We used dropped twigs and leaves along the aisle to really bring home that rustic autumn vibe and used autumn flowers such as mums to bring pops of color. Straw and hay completed our look, along with a rustic wooden arbor the team at EventRoostr secured for us. 

For our seated reception, we went for rustic elegance. Fortunately, the space already has many of these elements, so not much more was needed to bring our vision to life. We kept the table linens simple with natural flax-colored tablecloths and warm ivory napkins for our tables. Woven chargers served as the foundation for our table settings, adding extra texture. For our floral arrangements throughout the room, we used seasonal flowers, such as chrysanthemums, sunflowers, and marigolds. These were accented with fall foliage, grasses, and greenery. Maple and oak leaves with birch and moss gave it that earthy outdoor feel. Wheat and straw added length and dimension. We chose votive candles at the tables to provide the room a warm, romantic glow. Finally, we chose natural wood chiavari chairs to blend and complete the look. 

Our meal was rustic fall themed as well. We adapted the idea of an autumn harvest pig roast. The chef at The Falls Banquet created a custom menu that included fall fruits and vegetables and fall spices. As an appetizer, we had passed hors d’oeuvres consisting of pears and goat cheese in puff pastry, chicken-apple cocktail sausages, and beef short rib mini quiches. Next, we served spiced and spiked apple cider sourced and made locally with whole cloves and star anise to give it that extra special touch. Next, we had warm spiced apples layered over succulent pork and chicken. The chef paired that with whole baked squash, hollowed it out, and filled it with a pumpkin puree. This had notes of nutmeg and cloves and just a touch of sweetness. For vegan and vegetarian options, that squash dish was adapted to exclude animal-based ingredients. From what my guests told me, this version was delicious. EventRoostr even helped us with beverage pairings for our meal. Both beer and wine options that best complimented each offering were suggested. 

Our dessert and gift tables were draped in burlap and anchored by potted mums. Some of our favorite desserts are traditionally served in the fall. However, rather than having a cake, we wanted to offer our guests an assortment of options. Apple cider donuts, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and mini apple and pumpkin pies had our guests return for more. The donuts were placed on the wall and mounted on pegs. The pumpkin cupcakes were placed in six groupings of three individual three-tier cupcake stands. Each of the cupcakes was topped with a sugar maple leaf or a sugar sunflower. Our mini apple and pumpkin pies were each baked into small tins, complete with a lid just in case our guests had their fill. At the night’s end, we provided small dessert boxes for our guests to take home sweet treats.

We used reclaimed wood pieces to serve as the backdrop for our guest seating cards. The signs were on floor easels and lined the walkway into the reception area. Guest names and their table numbers were written on natural paper, which provided a beautiful contrast to the natural wood. EventRoostr staff was on hand to assist in making the guest seating organization as seamless as possible. I have been to so many weddings where this process is disorganized and results in the bridal party or family members being dragged into assisting guests in finding their seats. Each of the seats had a small burlap bag with wedding favors inside for our guests. Mini bottles of maple syrup from our favorite sugar farm, a dark chocolate morsel for those who needed their chocolate fix, and a forever stamp as an invitation to continue corresponding with us the old-fashioned way once we were a couple. The little touches can really lighten the load for you and your loved ones. 

Lighting is such an essential part of creating the ambiance of your event. We did not use any overhead or uplighting. Instead, we used Edison bulb string lights hung over our dance floor, giving our guests and us the feeling of being outside on a patio under the stars. They were the perfect amount of glow for our evening. For the entrance/exit, we used love marquee letters with the L and O on one side of the door and the V and E on the other. These were lit with red bulbs and gave a visual homage to the basis of all marriages as our guests departed. My aunts love antiquing, and they found vintage lamps that we used at the dessert and gift tables. These paired so well with the vintage marquee letters we rented from marqueelit.com. We later used these pieces in our home!

For our bridal party, I wanted a collected yet complimentary look. My bridesmaids choose their own dress styles in varying shades of autumn colors. The groomsmen wore corduroy suits with coordinating ties to complete the look. The bridesmaids and the groomsmen wore suede boots to bring home that autumn vibe. The bouquets pulled together all of the colors and textures of our day. I carried sunflowers in my bridal bouquet as a nod to my great grandparents, who passed away. In contrast, the rest of the bridal party held one sunflower to symbolize those I cherished with me on my special day. The groomsmen each had a maple leaf as part of their boutonniere, both for autumn but also for our love of the outdoors.  

We were thrilled that we could bring our vision to life for our big day. We wanted it to feel like a warm fall hug, and we did it! Our guests still talk about the venue and the atmosphere, and we could not be happier with how it all turned out! So why don’t you check out The Falls Banquet. I know they will help your dream of one big fast rustic wedding come true for you as they did for me.