Autumn
Photo Credit: Angel Canary Photography
The planner: David Tutera, author of The Party Planner (Bulfinch) and host of the Discovery Channel's Party Planner with David Tutera.
A Cornucopia of Color: "A traditional autumn color scheme includes harvest-inspired hues like gold, rust and peach," says Tutera. "If you want more drama, go with vibrant reds and oranges. Other wonderful combinations that suit this time of year are coral, burgundy and khaki and—my favorite—chocolate brown, dark beige and sky blue."
Fall Foliage: "If your color scheme falls in the gold and rust family, consider using copper-colored roses and rust- or red-colored poppies in your centerpieces—include some fair-hued calla lilies to lighten up the arrangements. For a more vibrant look, opt for dahlias in rich, bright colors like gold, orange and eggplant. Whatever palette you choose, ask your florist also to incorporate leaves, berries and sprigs of wheat, which are plentiful at this time of year."
Details, Details: "Look to Mother Nature for decorative inspiration. Gourds, pumpkins, apples, pomegranates and even asparagus can be used to adorn cocktail or buffet tables and add whimsy to centerpieces. Miniature pumpkins make festive place-card holders—just make a half-inch-deep cut in the top of each one and insert the card. Or, set a small tree on the escort card table and tie the cards to the branches. An even simpler idea would be to write each guest's name on one side of a vibrantly hued leaf, and the table number on the back. For an ultraopulent look, set the tables with gold chargers and gold-rimmed glasses and plates. And, line the outdoor path to your reception area with lighted jack-o'-lanterns."
Harvest Feast: "For the first course, consider offering small portions of three soups—tomato, pumpkin and potato are perfect for fall—served in hollowed-out gourds. Creamy risotto is also a good choice. For the main course, opt for hearty entrées like beef tenderloin or filet mignon in a Bordeaux wine sauce, or turkey with cranberry sauce."
Sweet Treats: "For dessert, serve your guests a traditional fall favorite: carrot cake. Ask your baker to decorate the confection with berries and acorns made of fondant. You could also allow your guests to choose their own toppings from a station stocked with treats like warm caramel and hot fudge sauces. After dessert, you might direct guests to a separate lounge area, where they can relax with a glass of sweet wine or a chocolate martini—just the thing to cap off a brisk fall evening."
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Winter
Photo Credit: Rebekah Westover Photography
The planner: Francesca C. Abbracciamento, president of Francesca Events, Inc., a New York City-based party-planning firm.
Color Key: "A white and gunmetal-gray combination works beautifully in both traditional and contemporary spaces," says Abbracciamento. "Feel free to mix whites that are frosted, shiny, matte or textured for interest. If you want a warmer, romantic look, use red as the tone for the tablecloths and flowers and toss in gold, plaid or lace accents. Have the venue's white lightbulbs temporarily removed and replaced with pink- or amber-toned ones, to enhance the romantic red atmosphere."
Bloomin' Gorgeous: "For your centerpieces, combine winter-white flowers like paperwhites, magnolias and gardenias with pinecones, holly sprigs and other seasonal flora. For more drama, arrange to have faux-snow-covered white branches placed in large urns—the branches will ‘soar' over the tables. You can also affix flowers to the branches, to make it look like they're blossoming. If you want to create a holiday feel, hang swags of fresh pine garland studded with white roses and berries on mantles and doorways. They will look and smell sensational."
All in the Details: "For decorative touches, choose a symbol of the season, like a snowflake, a bow or holly berries, to grace printed materials like menus and place cards. You could continue that theme by asking your baker to incorporate it into the design of your cake. Wherever you can, use other materials with winter significance, like mistletoe greens, strands of pearls, crystals and even feathers. Add them to centerpieces, tuck them into napkin holders, wherever. And, cast a cozy glow over the room by placing votive candles in red glass holders or arranging gold pillar candles of varying heights on the tables."
A Taste of Winter: "Have fun with your hors d'oeuvres by giving them seasonally inspired names, which waiters can share while serving. For instance, you might want to call phyllo nests filled with rosemary-herbed goat cheese and cracked pink peppercorns ‘Holiday Pine Wreaths.' For dinner, serve hot, hearty entrées like warm medallions of brie on a bed of winter greens, followed by filet mignon and sautéed root vegetables."
Cake Magic: "Choose cold-weather-inspired flavors like Swiss chocolate, espresso or vanilla mint. For fillings, think blood-orange or gooseberry preserves. And take advantage of the cool climate to top your cake with buttercream frosting, which is a lot less expensive than fondant and is hard to work with in warmer temperatures."
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Spring
Photo Credit: David Schwartz Photography
The planner: Susan L. Allen, co-owner of Elizabeth K. Allen, Inc., a New York City- and Boston-based event-planning firm.
Brights of Spring: "For your color scheme, try a combo of warm pink, soft yellow and coral. It's a unique twist on the traditional pastel palette," says Allen. "You could also mix grass green, white and cream for a timeless look. If you've a passion for purple, use the whole spectrum, from violet to aubergine. Whatever colors you choose, up the impact by using a mix of textured fabrics."
Garden Delights: "In spring, everything is in bloom, so pay special attention to your flowers. For an early spring wedding, opt for readily available blossoms like tulips, daffodils, forsythia and muscari. One of my favorite combinations for a late spring wedding is peonies, lilacs and viburnum. To reflect the lushness of the season, fill centerpieces near-to-bursting, so that blooms actually spill over the sides of the containers. Also, think about filling large floor urns with blossoming dogwood, quince or cherry branches and placing them about the room."
Décor Dos: "Use linens in lightweight fabrics like organdy, which will lend a feeling of airiness. Other simple but seasonally appropriate touches include placing generous groupings of votive candles around the centerpieces, and tucking a single bloom—one that also appears in your centerpieces—into each guest's napkin ring."
Food for Thought: "First courses that say ‘spring' include watercress salad with blood oranges and Vidalia onions, watercress and oyster soup and spring pea risotto. For the main course, serve lamb, which is a quintessential spring dish. Side dishes could include seasonal vegetables like asparagus and fiddleheads—a trumpet-shaped vegetable that's only available for a short time each spring but makes a delicious, unusual addition to a sautéed vegetable medley."
Confection Perfection: "For a true taste of spring, go with a lemon- or berry-flavored cake. Another classic option is a coconut cake with lime curd filling and buttercream frosting, sprinkled with fresh coconut. If you like, you could build a cake around the kumquat, which is an early spring fruit—say, a lemon-scented cake with kumquat curd and white chocolate-Cointreau buttercream. Or, try this update on the classic Lady Baltimore cake: a white cake with a filling of almonds and fresh and dried cherries, topped with Amaretto buttercream frosting."
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Summer
Photo Credit: Meg Baisden Photography
The planner: Karen Bussen, author of Simple Stunning Weddings and the Simple Stunning Wedding Organizer (Stewart, Tabori and Chang).
Hot Colors: "Summer is the perfect time to break out bold, spicy color combinations, like bright red and tangerine or apple green and hot pink," says Bussen. "A nice twist is to use an unusual shade of your favorite color. If you like pink, for instance, you might choose coral; blue lovers should consider turquoise. To create a softer look, select a muted shade of your favorite hue, and pair it with crisp white or herbal green. Whatever colors you choose, remember that less is more. Limit your palette to no more than three colors for the most striking effect."
Flower Power: "Peonies, which look lush and gorgeous when grouped tightly together, come out in late spring/early summer, so they're a great choice for a June wedding. Toward the end of the season, sunflowers, dahlias and cosmos are readily available. To create simple, yet stunning, centerpieces for long tables, line up cylindrical vases or bottles, each one holding a single fabulous cosmos or calla lily. For a fragrant touch, create miniature herb gardens by filling small clay pots with rosemary, thyme, sage and chervil or parsley. Use them as centerpieces, to decorate the guest book or escort card table, or as guest favors."
Easygoing Elegance: "For your tablecloths, choose fabrics like linen, silk and cotton, which are more summery choices than weightier damask and taffeta. For centerpieces, opt against antique silver or dark metal containers in favor of lighter-looking glass or crystal vases, or earthy-looking baskets or vessels made of terra-cotta or ceramic. Have clusters of paper or nylon lanterns in all shapes and sizes hung from the ceiling—it's a romantic and inexpensive touch. And, make sure to incorporate some iconic summer materials in your décor: Grass makes a great base for centerpieces, for instance, and you can tuck sprigs of fragrant herbs into napkins or incorporate them into centerpieces. You could also write guests' names on stones and use them as place cards."
Cool Food: "One of my favorite ideas is to have a Latin-inspired cocktail hour, which is perfect for a sizzling summer night. Guests can munch on ceviche, tostadas and empanadas while they sip mojitos and sangria. For dinner, avoid heavy entrées like braised meats and stews or dishes with rich cream sauces. ‘Light' dishes—like chilled soups, salads and grilled meat, fish or chicken—are ideal."
Happy Endings: "Take advantage of summer's sweet, simple flavors. Consider a peach angel food cake drizzled with herb-infused honey, a chocolate cake layered with fruit filling or a strawberry shortcake."