Autumnal Tones for a Sailcloth Wedding

An autumn wedding offers a stunning palette of rich, warm tones and cosy textures. Making it a perfect season for a romantic celebration. This year we asked Lesley from the Rustic Wedding Company to style the Sailcloth Tent to showcase cosy Autumnal Tones for a Sailcloth Wedding. Something Lesley and her Team always love to do!

The Styling

Lesley from The Rustic Wedding Company loves the blank canvas of The Sailcloth, it allows for any colour scheme to work in the space. Her approach is simple; “We definitely say the more the colour the better”. She chose an Autumnal colour scheme for the Sailcloth, using burnt orange, with a white and nude theme on the tables. The florals were a mixture of artificial greenery and coloured flowers.

The Focal Point

As you walked into the Sailcloth Tent, the large wooden poles framed what we call “The Special Table”. Not everyone wants that traditional long top table, where they feel like they are on show, but instead choose to have a “special table” that is a focal point whilst also being less eyes on you as the couple.

This was created using an oversized table, in essence, it was 6 trestle tables doing the job of what 3 would normally do. Overhead hung the focal ladder light which looked incredible from day to night. The ladder light was dressed with fresh stems by Lesley and created immediate impact.

An oversized feature table, complete with autumn tones for styling the space

Lesley talks us through what she used to create this look: “For the oversized table, we used a double-width nude table runner. This was laid up using gold candlesticks and tall Ester and Erik dinner candles in muted autumnal tones. Contrasting the taller candles with low-level clear cylinder vases and crystal-cut tea lights, creating a beautiful candlelight look.

We used different-sized bud vases for fresh florals. Using a variety of autumnal blooms and beaded glass charger plates with ceramic hand-written pumpkins as place names.

Guest Tables

Around the outside of the Sailcloth we had the Round Guest Tables. Over to Lesley to describe the looks she created on these tables:

On the round tables, we had four different types of centre pieces to reflect different styles and budgets. This is a package we offer called the Essentials Style package. These include a low level three candle sticks and three bud vases centrepiece with tea lights. We then had two Ryder stand centre pieces, one with just greenery and the other with coloured flowers.

The fourth centre piece was a trio of cylinder vases with fresh greenery around them. These were all teamed with gold charger plates and knotted nude napkins. There was also a variety of different place names, provided by Vicky from Inviting Writing.

The Treat Table

Why have one cake when you can have three!! Lucy of Lucy Claire Bakes created a stunning trio of cakes that perfectly represented the seasonal shift to autumn. The simple white cakes were brought to life with beautiful pops of autumnal colours, intricate sugar flowers, and hand-painted florals. This elegant setup perfectly complemented the rustic outdoor setting, adding to the seasonal charm.

Welcome Sign

Vicky, from Inviting Writing, created unique stationery and signage for the shoot. She showcased two place-setting options: ceramic white pumpkins and rust-coloured oak leaf-shaped cards, both complementing the autumnal styling. With a “less waste” approach, she crafted a hand-painted fabric sign featuring First Dance song lyrics, offering a beautiful alternative to a traditional welcome sign that can be cherished as artwork long after the wedding day.

Ceremony Set up

Priory Meadows provides an abundance of outdoor space, making it easy to choose your ceremony spot. For this shoot, we chose an old oak tree as the backdrop to the outdoor wedding ceremony.

Lesley created an aisle look with massive impact but is part of her “essentials budget package”. This look showcased side-tied chair drapes and artificial arrangements down the aisle. She also used the artificial moon gate at the top of the aisle with a selection of gold lanterns. The bonus of having all of these is that they can be relocated after the ceremony into the Sailcloth.

The Rustic Wedding Company lined the walkway with oversized lanterns and added soft white drapes to the chairs along the aisle, enhancing the natural setting with simple, elegant touches.

Dress, Hair & Makeup

Donna of Alice Rose Bridal chose the “Lavender” gown by Dando London for the shoot. Featuring a striking square neckline, a gentle A-line silhouette, and beautiful lace with 3D flower detailing, the gown offers a modern twist on a timeless look. Its captivating lace and exquisite fabric made it the perfect choice to complement the elegance of the Sailcloth Tents.