Perfect Fall Wedding With Sentimental Touches

Fall Wedding Ideas

This lovely fall wedding was a long time coming in more ways than one. This couple met long before they tied the knot and fate (and the internet) brought them back together again. But one important detail for this wedding the bride's mom had been working on since Emily was a little girl, you need to hear about this beautiful idea for your ceremony so you can start it with your own children one day! And this wedding is just as pretty as it is sentimental. The rustic touches and deep burgundy color palette make it the perfect inspo for your fall or winter wedding.

Jon and Emily already had a ton of great ideas when it came time to plan their wedding and they trusted Satori Events Co. to make sure all of those ideas came together seamlessly. Rose of Sharon Floral Design Studio went above and beyond to secure magnolias (which were out of season) for these epic floral arrangements to honor the bride's grandmother and we must say...it was so worth it! The warm stone and wood construction of Sassafras Springs Vineyard coordinated beautifully with the rest of this fall color palette. These photos by Gene + Tara Photography capture all of the details that went into making this day so memorable and all of the love that came with it. Keep reading to hear more about Jon and Emily's love story and all of the ways they customized their big day.

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What Do When Your Flowers Are Out Season

Another interesting fact is that Jon and Emily were officiated by Santa Claus! Not literally, but rather a family friend who used to pose as Santa Claus on phone calls when Emily was a child and even dressed up one year to surprise her. Emily grew up thinking she had her very own Santa Claus who would call every year and make her feel like the most special kid in the whole world. It became a tradition for her brothers and cousins once Emily had grown out of the magic. When deciding who should officiate their wedding, her mother suggested Mr. Watkins and it just seemed right.

The man who brought magic to so many Christmases past would also bring magic to her wedding day. Even the unity ceremony had significant meaning. Both Jon and Emily’s parents brought soil from their childhood homes and the couple joined the soil in a jar. The jar of soil is meant to plant a tree at their new home. This tree is destined to grow as their marriage grows, creating a foundation symbolizing their parents' marriages having set a foundation for their own.

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Some Sentimental Touches

Those petals from different moments of her life became the petals that were dropped down the wedding ceremony aisle, lining the way to her husband. Emily is thankful her mother had the forethought to start this tradition.

wedding arch

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Some Sentimental Touches

So many sweet sentiments were present on the wedding day. Emily’s mom saved and dried petals from any flowers that Emily received from the time she was born. As an adult, Emily decided to continue this tradition. Every time she received flowers, she would pluck the petals from each stem, carefully pulling them apart to then spread them on a baking sheet to dry, just the way her mother taught her. Those petals from different moments of her life became the petals that were dropped down the wedding ceremony aisle, lining the way to her husband. Emily is thankful her mother had the forethought to start this tradition.

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How To Chose Your Officiant

Another special familial sentiment came in the form of the couple’s florist special ordering magnolias for Emily’s bouquet, which were not in season at the time. Magnolias represented her grandmother’s roots as the state flower of Mississippi. Emily elaborates on the floral design process, “Picking wedding flowers was the hurdle I didn't expect. I know very little about plants, but Althea Wiles from Rose of Sharon Floral Design Studio made it so easy.

She captured exactly what I wanted by incorporating the colors of our wedding while still keeping a natural fall feel. She went so far as to special order Magnolias for my bouquet because they are the state flower of Mississippi, where my grandmother is from. The arch piece that she made for the ceremony was the final touch and we enjoyed the sweet-smelling bouquets around our home for weeks after our nuptials.”

fall wedding inspiration

How They Met

Jon and Emily were wed on a beautiful autumn day at Sassafras Springs Vineyard in northwest Arkansas among the burgundy and red tones of their color palette. The couple met during church activities in their area when Emily was thirteen and Jon was sixteen. They knew of one another through the years growing up but didn't talk or know each other very well. Fast-forward eight years and they met the way many modern couples meet these days…on a dating app. Emily explains more, “Neither of us had used a dating app before and we were each other's first match. You could call it fate. We sure do!”

fall wedding ceremony

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fall wedding inspiration

The wedding day ended up exactly how the couple had imagined. From the beginning, they wanted an elegant ceremony that was both reverent and symbolic. When it came to the reception, they knew the only way to celebrate their true form as a couple was to throw a lively party, complete with karaoke and an open bar. Jon and Emily expressed how thankful they are to have enjoyed the day of their dreams surrounded by friends and family at a picture-perfect local vineyard.

fall wedding inspiration