22 Ways to Decorate Your Fall Wedding With Pumpkins

Adorn Your Ceremony Altar

If you and your soon-to-be spouse love all things fall and Halloween, this is the ceremony backdrop for you. Paired with colorful fall flowers, piles of pumpkins can add some fall drama to your altar or archway.

Accentuate the Setting

While there are plenty of chic faux pumpkins available for purchase in the fall, Lee prefers to utilize real ones whenever possible. “The environmentalist in me knows they can go straight to compost versus 40 plastic pumpkins that will be in landfills forever,” she says. Paired with bistro chairs and an arrangement of pampas grass at an outdoor reception, fresh gourds play up the autumnal aesthetic without overshadowing the rest of the setup.

Play Up the Season

“Did you know pumpkins come in all sorts of colors? White, yellow, blue, green, variegated. A mix of these can be a great cornucopia fall harvest look without getting anywhere near Halloween-theme,” says Lee. Mix your pumpkins with other seasonal fruits and vegetables for a bountiful centerpiece that speaks to the season without reading like a Halloween event.

Create a Staircase Installation

Your reception entrance is one of the first details guests see, so go all out. For a fall-themed event, you can't go wrong with lining a staircase with a mix of different colored gourds, greenery, and taper candles.

Sprinkle Pumpkins Down the Table

If you're looking to fill empty space between floral centerpieces, miniature pumpkins are a great option. We love how much color and texture this variegated variety lends to the display.

Turn Mini Gourds Into Escort Cards

Any miniature pumpkin can work as an escort card, but white gourds are especially versatile as they suit just about any aesthetic. Attach calligraphed seating assignments to each stem and guide guests to their seats in seasonal fashion.

Use Them to Decorate the Bar

If you're setting up a thematic bar (who doesn't like spiked apple cider in the fall?), make sure the associated décor fits the vibe. This rustic display featured pumpkins in a few different shapes and sizes as well as in-season mums.

Build a Statement Photo Backdrop

Everyone loves a wedding photo booth, but your guests will be even more inclined to pose for photos in front of yours when it's been uniquely tied back to the season. A pumpkin backdrop is a great way to do just that. Here, simple shelves were decorated with classic orange gourds, but you could also use a mix of different colored pumpkins for a more eclectic display.

Line the Aisle

Each fall, it's a common practice to line your home's entryway with fresh pumpkins, so why not bring that practice into your wedding and decorate the ends of your ceremony aisle with a variety of different gourds? This is a simple way to bring some color and detail to one of the first space's guests will see without spending a ton of additional money.

Create a Lush Aisle

Make your fall wedding decor the center of attention (literally) by lining the ceremony aisle with pumpkins in various shapes and sizes. “Displaying pumpkins in a variety of sizes and colors mixed with hurricane candles on a few steps is a great warm fall greeting,” says Lee. The seasonal favorite—shown here in shades of green, white, and orange—can add a rustic touch to any setting and frame the aisle.

Decorate Long Reception Tables

If you've selected long tables for your wedding reception, we love the idea of scattering mini gourds along the length of the tablescape. Pairing petite white pumpkins with candles, greenery, and small citrus fruits creates an abundant autumnal vibe without overwhelming the space—guests can still chat freely with one another but that classic fall vibe is put on full display.

Pair Pumpkins With Other Seasonal Produce

If you're looking for affordable ways to dress up spaces throughout your wedding reception, know that pairing mini pumpkins with seasonal produce is an inexpensive, eye-catching way to add color and texture to any area. Case in point? This creative bar, which featured a bushel basket full of autumnal bounty.

Build a Favor Installation

Make your favor display fun and interactive for guests by attaching their names to mini pumpkins that they can take home. To recreate this display for your own wedding, simply tie ribbon (in any color) to individual white pumpkins, then arrange them on a vertical structure like a cabinet or bookshelf to show each one off.

Pair Them With Darker Colors for a Moody Dessert Station

Make your cake table pop by adding a few different pumpkins to the display. We like the idea of using both classic orange gourds and miniature varieties to add visual interest and dimension.

Use Them as a Ceremony Backdrop

While pumpkins look great along a ceremony aisle, they work surprisingly well as a backdrop, too. This indoor setup featured a variety of white and green pumpkins as well as neutral-colored flowers for a subtly seasonal statement.

Work Them Into Your Paper Goods and Signage

“I love when couples aren't afraid to take risks with their stationery and do what feels true to them because that's when the paper pieces really start to shine,” says Miller. Watercolor details are elegant and subtle and can add a touch of color without being oversaturated, especially when it comes to bright colors like orange. Lee suggests incorporating a pumpkin as a small icon on your stationery. 

Just be sure to also include a pumpkin element on the wedding day, too. “The rule of thumb is always to make the invitation match the reception décor,” says Lee. “So yes, if there are pumpkins on the invitation, they should also make an appearance at the reception.”

Create Gilded Gourds

If you're going for a more elevated autumnal vibe, spray paint might quickly become your new best friend. Pumpkins can be painted any color you'd like, but we're partial to a metallic hue if you're looking for a more elevated take on a rustic look. Paired with hand-torn paper and gold calligraphy, these mini gourds make beautiful, eye-catching escort cards.

Set the Mood

If you're open to a Halloween theme, Lee says it still might be best to ditch the jack-o-lanterns and plan a chic, elevated holiday-inspired event instead. She likes the idea of utilizing a color scheme of black, orange, and gold with plenty of creamy white pumpkins thrown into the mix.

Add Color

If you're looking for a really unexpected way to decorate the table, copy Casa de Perrin and create fresh works of art. It's a great option for anyone looking to tackle a statement-making DIY project in the weeks leading up to the big day.

Highlight the Head Table

Mark your distinguished seats with an extra-special display of pumpkins. Here, we love how their warm tones are repeated in the table candles and blooms up above.

Play With Different Styles

A fall wedding often conjures up images of a rustic venue, but pumpkins can absolutely suit a more contemporary aesthetic, too. Paired with pampas grass centerpieces and plenty of gold accents, this look is decidedly modern.

Mark Each Seat

While a beautifully scripted place card will certainly suffice on its own, we love the idea of punching up your place settings by attaching said cards onto mini pumpkins. White ones are perfect for a wedding, or get creative with some paint. Plus, they'll keep menu cards in place at an open-air wedding and can serve as a favor at the end of the night.