Autumn weddings have the richest palette of the year: wine-dark burgundy, burnished gold, rust, copper, and the last green of the season. This place card captures that warmth. Clusters of gold, rust, and pale gold maple leaves gather in two corners of a deep burgundy front, the guest’s name glows in cream script, and the back of the card is a pale cream field of falling leaves. It is made for October and November weddings, harvest-themed receptions, and any celebration held among changing trees.
Leaves, Wine and Cream
The card measures 3.5 x 4 inches flat and 3.5 x 2 inches when folded. Its front is a deep burgundy. In the upper left, three maple leaves in gold, rust and pale gold overlap at different angles; a matching trio sits in the lower right, turned the other way, so the leaves seem to drift across the card. The name, Amelia Turner, is set in Alex Brush, a brush script with lively strokes, in warm cream. Table Eight follows in gold spaced capitals. Two parallel gold lines run along the fold. The back is cream, scattered with fourteen maple leaves in rust, gold, burgundy and amber, each turned a different way, like leaves on a path.
Why Burgundy Works in Autumn
Burgundy is the colour of red wine and late-season dahlias. It looks luxurious under warm lighting, flatters gold accents, and photographs beautifully against autumn foliage. It also hides small printing imperfections better than pale colours. Paired with cream text, it gives excellent contrast for reading names in candlelight, which matters because autumn evenings get dark early.
The Leaf Clusters and How to Adjust Them
Each corner cluster is a small group of three editable maple leaf vectors. You can drag a cluster to a new position, enlarge it, or rotate it. To change one leaf’s colour, ungroup the cluster, select the leaf, and use its colour swatch. For a more subtle card, delete the lower cluster and keep only the upper one; for a fuller look, copy a cluster and paste it into the remaining corners.
Writing the Card
- Type the guest’s name in place of Amelia Turner; Alex Brush suits full names well.
- Write the table in words, as on the sample, or use a table name like Maple, Oak, or Birch.
- For couples sharing a card, use two lines and reduce the size slightly.
- Download each card after typing the name, then move on to the next.
Autumn Palette Alternatives
| Front colour | Leaf colours | Name colour |
|---|---|---|
| Burgundy (as designed) | Gold, rust, pale gold | Cream |
| Deep forest green | Copper, mustard, rust | Cream |
| Navy | Burnt orange, gold | Ivory |
| Chocolate brown | Amber, cinnamon, gold | Champagne |
| Cream (reversed) | Burgundy, rust, gold | Burgundy |
Printing Burgundy Accurately
Deep reds can shift on home printers, sometimes toward brown and sometimes toward purple. Print one test card and hold it next to your bridesmaid fabric or napkins. If it looks too brown, select the background and choose a slightly cooler burgundy; if it looks too purple, choose a slightly warmer one. Matte cardstock gives the most even colour. Allow the cards to dry flat before folding.
Cutting and Folding
Trim the card to 3.5 x 4 inches. Score along the double gold lines between the burgundy front and the cream back. Fold with the burgundy side outward, so the cream field of falling leaves faces across the table.
Dressing the Table for Fall
Place each card on a cream napkin folded on a gold charger. Mini pumpkins in white or copper, pears, pomegranates, candles in amber glass, and a runner of real autumn leaves make a seasonal table that complements the card. Real maple leaves can be pressed flat in a heavy book a week before and laid beside each card.
Harvest Celebrations Beyond Weddings
This card also suits Thanksgiving dinners, Friendsgiving, rehearsal dinners in the autumn, 40th or 50th birthday dinners in October, wine-harvest parties and autumn charity galas. For Thanksgiving, change Table Eight to Thanksgiving 2027 or Give Thanks.
Timing for Autumn Weddings
Autumn is a peak wedding season, so venues and caterers are busy. Lock your guest list early, print place cards about two weeks before, and store them flat in a dry place. Humidity can make heavy ink cards curl slightly; a night under a stack of books before the wedding flattens them again.
Small Touches Guests Notice
Add a one-word personal note under the table line for close family, such as Grandma or Best Man, in small gold italic. It costs nothing and makes the card a keepsake. You can also print the couple’s initials on the cream back in burgundy, rotated so they read correctly from across the table.
Making the Cards Do Double Duty as Favours
Many autumn couples give small edible favours: a jar of local honey, a cinnamon-spiced cookie, a mini bottle of maple syrup or a bag of spiced nuts. A place card can sit on top of or beside the favour so that each guest’s gift is clearly theirs. Punch a small hole in the top corner of the back panel after printing, thread twine through it and tie the card to the jar’s neck; the card still stands if you fold it before tying. Alternatively, rest the card against the favour box so the leaves on the back face the centre of the table. Either way, guests leave with their name, the date, and a taste of the season.
Printing a Large Batch Efficiently
For a wedding of 150 guests, plan an evening for printing. Enter names in order from your seating chart, download each card, and keep the files in a folder named by table. Print a test page first, then print in batches of twenty so you can spot any colour drift as ink runs low. Trim and fold in front of a film; it goes faster than you expect.
Fall Place Card FAQs
Are the leaves editable?
Yes, every leaf is an editable vector shape with its own colour.
Can I use this design for a November birthday?
Certainly. Replace the table line with the occasion.
What size is the folded card?
It stands 3.5 inches wide and 2 inches high.
