Traditionally fall wedding color schemes incorporate either rich jewel tones in traditional fall colors such as reds, oranges, browns and yellows. Fall flowers such as chrysanthemums and zinnias in theses rich hues are a great choice for your wedding bouquet, floral arrangements and reception table centerpieces.

For an elegant display, consider using either live or silk branches of colorful autumn leaves instead of flowers in your arrangements and centerpieces. One of the loveliest fall wedding bouquets I've seen consisted of small sprays of red and orange maple leaves tucked into a bouquet of gold chrysanthemums. Today's bride has a wonderful selection of fall theme wedding favors in traditional fall shades to choose from to complete her color scheme.

Some modern brides prefer to use chocolate brown with light-blue accents as the color scheme for a fall wedding. If you prefer this color scheme, consider having your florist dye some chrysanthemums blue and tuck a few bare dark brown branches in amidst the flowers for your floral arrangements and centerpieces.

As a unique touch for that trip down the aisle, have your flower girl scatter small autumn colored leaves or bright red, orange and yellow flower petals along your path instead of the traditional rose petals.

Halloween weddings are my favorite! They offer such a host of fantastic possibilities. To create a spectacular decor, scatter real or artificial leaves in fall colors over your reception tables. Place tea light or votive candles inside small pumpkins carved into Jack-o-Lanterns and sit them on top of small nests of colorful leaves for table centerpieces that will create a warm romantic glow throughout the room. For a sparkling finishing touch, place a few orange foil wrapped Chocolate Jack-o-Lantern wedding favors on each dinner plate or in a favor container or dessert dish at each table setting. The orange foil wrappers will shimmer and shine in the candle lights glow and your guest will love the delicious chocolate treat!

In lieu of standard floral arrangements, you may prefer to have your florist affix bouquets of red, gold and orange chrysanthemums to small straw broomsticks and hang them at the end of each row of seats along the aisle at your wedding and on the walls in your reception area for a festive Halloween touch.

For a more casual affair, consider sitting bride and groom scarecrows and pumpkins atop bales of hay in the corners of your reception room to create a whimsical touch for your festivities that is sure to make your guests smile.

If you want to present your guests with a truly unique fall wedding favor, ask your photographer or a talented friend or family member to take a few photos of you and your fiancé outside with a glorious background of fall foliage. Select your favorite and have enough copies made to tuck inside a small silver frame or photo album wedding favor for each of your guests. Your favors will reflect the color scheme of your wedding, and provide your guests with a truly thoughtful and much appreciated memento of your special day.

When making your decisions, always keep in mind that the perfect wedding is the one that best reflects the personalities and tastes of the bride and groom. If you or your fiancé do not feel comfortable with a choice you have made, it's probably not the right choice for you. There are no hard and fast rules you have to adhere to when planning the wedding of your dreams. For example, if you, your fiancé and family and friends feel more at home at an outdoor barbeque than a formal dinner, then it is perfectly okay to have a barbeque instead of a formal dinner reception after the nuptials.

The most important thing to remember is that this is your special day, so make sure the choices you make will allow you, your fiancé and your guests to be yourselves, have fun and enjoy it!