With cozy sweaters, leaves falling, pumpkin spice and everything nice, it is no wonder that Autumn is America’s favorite season, according to a 2017 survey. So how do you encompass everything we love about fall into a Gala? Here are some theme ideas for your fall events that will reflect everyone’s favorite time of year.
Harvest Theme
This theme is perfect for a more sophisticated fundraising event or gala. Fall is the season of giving, so this theme lends itself to a fundraising event. With the Harvest theme, you can be as creative as you want. Use the leaves changing as inspiration for your color scheme, incorporating maroons, golds and oranges. Smells can create strong nostalgic and emotional connections for people. Scatter candles and/or wax warmers though out your venue. Use cinnamon, pumpkin, vanilla and other fall scents to create a welcoming and homey environment. This is the perfect theme to use pumpkins, leaves, fall flowers and brown wicker as décor or center pieces. Don’t forget to incorporate the food and drinks into your theme as well! Why not serve warm apple cider, or caramel apples? Have fun with this theme, and it will be sure to impress those Fall lovers out there.
Campfire Theme
When I think Fall, I so often think back to camping with my family, or bonfires with friends. So, let’s turn that into an event theme! This is your chance to bring the outdoorsy inside. Incorporate flannel as table clothes or other decorations to add to the camping vibe. Use candles and/or wax warmers to get an outdoor/campfire aroma. You could have scents like campfire, marshmallow, pine and cider. This theme lends itself perfectly to more rustic décor. You can have wood signs, pinecones, maps and lanterns as decorations. You can further incorporate this theme into the food as well. A make your own S’mores station or even some s’more flavored desserts would be the perfect addition to this Fall theme. This is the perfect theme for the “anti-gala”, a big informal event that is less pressure than a fancy gala. This theme fits right in to the casual feel, and would be a lot of fun for your guests with flannel blankets and hot chocolate everywhere.
Football Theme
Cheering for your favorite college or pro football team is one of the highlights of fall for football fans everywhere. So how do you translate a sports theme into a successful gala? Decorations are key. While you can decorate to favor a specific football team, general decorations can be used too. You can have green tablecloths with markings to make them look like a football field. Use goalposts, football helmets and footballs as centerpieces or other décor. Feel free to get creative with your food, like cupcakes or brownies that are decorated to look like footballs. This theme is great for a generally smaller and shorter event like a networking event. No better conversation starter than asking about your favorite sports team!