Festive Fall Party
A few weeks ago I hosted a fall couples shower for our two good friends. It turned out so cute and we all had a blast, so I had to share the details! We kept the food simple and on theme with the season. We had the party outside, which meant minimal decor was required - hello colorful leaves and bonfire pit! It was almost effortless to create the perfect fall evening. You must try it!
Read on so you can create your own fall party for your friends and family!
Fall Party Decor
As I mentioned, we kept the decor pretty minimal and let the fall foliage and bonfire really be the star of the show. Here is what I did to create the festive fall set up:
Outdoor Bar Station: I set up a table on our porch with all of the bar essentials. I actually brought our hallway console table outside and it made the perfect bar. I stocked it with wine, a drink bin with ice and beers, plus a few snacks (more on food & drinks later).
Bonfire Set Up: The bonfire was really the main attraction. We went with a good old fashioned wood bonfire and had it going the whole evening. Luckily, it was a bit chilly this day so we really used it for warmth, too! I made sure to have lots of extra wood bundles on hand - we went through a lot of wood. I also set up a few benches with throw blankets. We used the blankets once the sun set.
Twinkle Lights: We strung twinkle lights across the yard and it really set the mood. Plus, it added some good lighting for our cornhole game we had going!
Leaves: Ok, this may seem silly, but we made sure to NOT rake the leaves in the week leading up to the shower. That ensured we had a good leaf coverage on the ground and it really added to the fall vibe! We also tied up cornstalks onto our porch posts (not pictured).
Gold “Love” Balloon: I blew up a gold “love” balloon and hung it on our fence for a little photo opportunity. It was cute and reminded us all that we were here to celebrate love!
Letter Board: The easiest way to honor the couple - throw their names and wedding date on the letter board and set it on the bar!
Food & Drink
Because this was the easiest party to throw, I also kept the food and drink simple but festive for the season! Here is what I served:
Snacks: Always a good idea to have snacks out, even though I served dinner. I wanted to have some munchies available throughout the night. I put out bowls of popcorn, fall M&Ms, honey roasted peanuts, and pretzels. I placed these small bowls in a few spots - by the bar, down by the cornhole area, and inside while folks were waiting for dinner
Dinner: The couple loves BBQ, so in keeping things easy I ordered from a local BBQ spot and picked it up before the guests arrived. I went for a tray each of: pulled pork, pulled chicken, beef tips, mac and cheese, coleslaw, green beans. Plus buns and a variety of sauces to choose from.
Drinks: I like to offer a few options when there is a crowd or special occasion. I put out a variety of wine (mostly reds, since it was chilly outside). In the ice bucket I had a few fall beers and some regular light beer. Don’t forget a wine opener, bottle opener, and some cocktail napkins. I also made a spiked cider drink that I put in a crock pot to keep warm. I had a ladle for serving and to-go coffee cups. It smelled amazing, but after a cup or two, most people switched to wine and beer. I would only suggest making one serving of a spiked cider.
Dessert: For dessert, I just stuck to s’mores (more on that later)
See? Super simple and doable!
Shower Game
After dinner, we all huddled back around the fire for the couples shower game. I printed out cards with 15-20 questions about the bride and groom for friends to guess the answers. At the end of the game, whoever had the most right answers won a prize! We all had a lot of fun just chatting and learning more about how our friends met, got engaged, etc. This game is a great conversation starter - especially when guests may be from different friend circles. We did have to do a tie breaker question, since I only had one prize - so my advice is to keep a few questions for this reason or have extra prizes on hand!
S’mores Party Favors
While we were huddled around the fire, I passed out the party favors which were s’mores kits wrapped in cellophane bags. People could roast the marshmallows there or take some home. I had skewers ready to go and people definitely broke into the s’mores - it was the perfect ending to the fall party!
Guest Book
I kept the guest book simple - a framed photo of the bride and groom. Then I took the glass off so guests could sign the picture matting. I left a few permanent markers out (in bronze and gold) with a note reminding guests to sign the book! This felt like a cute way to remember the shower without taking up a ton of room at the bride and groom’s house.
All in all, the fall party was a huge success! Our friends had a great time and it was SO easy for me to put together in an afternoon. I highly recommend finding an excuse to throw your own fall soiree! Whether it’s a shower, a birthday party, or just a reason to get friends together and celebrate the fall season.
I’ve also linked all my fall party gear on my Like to Know It. Linked here —> http://liketk.it/3puMS
Happy hosting!
