Fall into 30

The assignment:

An intimate fall-themed birthday gathering

The goal:

Keep it warm and cozy

Tricks to pulling off this look:

1. Use accents like gold, rose gold, and wood

2. Keep the menu and dress code on-theme

3. Fill in with pumpkins and flowers

Keeping it warm while making it pop

Metals and wood can really warm up party decor, but if there is too much of a good thing the look can go astray. Using a complimentary color for the tablecloth was key for making the warm tones pop.  Using green seems counterintuitive for a fall-themed gathering, but the decor would have been lost against a traditional red, orange, or yellow tone. Even the beautiful wood tone of the table was too much for this look.

Choosing the menu and attire

The menu was important to creating the “feel” of the gathering. Warm pretzels, pecan pie bars, spice cake, caramelized white chocolate macarons, and candy corn were just a few items that set the cozy mood.  Encouraging guests to wear something in a particular color palette turns the festivity up a notch and helps everyone feel included in the celebration.

Adding pumpkins and flowers

What’s a fall-themed party without pumpkins?  Filling every nook and cranny with pumpkins is my favorite thing to do.  I try to avoid plastic decor whenever possible, so glass pumpkins were used for this look. I was thrilled to incorporate real pumpkins into the decor by setting up a decorating table. This was an easy fall activity that brought everyone together. A celebration is incomplete without flowers.  The arrangements were my opportunity to incorporate the deep reds, oranges, and purples of fall. Including pale peach tones helped to bring the look together and maintain the contrast with the green table covering.