What’s not to love about autumn? The air is crisp, falling leaves coat the ground in a carpet of gold and the weather is often delightfully sunny – which means it’s the perfect time for a party. Whether you’re getting married, turning 40 or throwing an office bash, here’s a look at party ideas that celebrate the season.

Autumn wedding

The colours of autumn are warm, inviting and truly romantic. If you’re planning an autumn wedding, use the palette to create an intimate setting, whether indoors or out. Metallics are a great way to infuse that rustic yet elegant atmosphere into your décor. Choose rose gold cutlery, copper cups and gold-rimmed dinnerware.

Gold-painted, old-fashioned tins give a country cottage feel and are a unique alternative to vases. Use sparkly, gold tablecloths for a touch of glamour and scatter dried flowers and leaves across the surface. Top a copper cake-stand with cupcakes dusted in metallic, edible sprinkles.

Autumn dinner party

For a dinner party with a difference, look to the USA for ideas and throw a ‘Fall Themed’ event. The main focus? Well, pumpkins of course! Make it humorous or elegant, by either carving the pumpkins or using them to create interesting table settings. Or, cut off the top and use them as serving bowls for nibbles.

To continue on with the produce theme, decorate the table with glass bowls filled with water, tea light candles and floating apples. Take advantage of the foliage in your own backyard and collect twisty twigs and pretty leaves to scatter across a gold table runner in the centre.

Autumn office event

With parks and gardens exploding in reds and oranges, autumn is the perfect season for an office event in the great outdoors. Pick your favourite location and organise team-building activities to suit the interests of your work colleagues.

For example, if everyone loves to get active, hold an office sports day. Games could include cricket, soccer or rugby. For a laugh, give the old egg and spoon race a go or jump in a sack and race your mates to the finish line. Catering is as simple as a hot dog cart with gourmet relishes, to keep everyone going.

Autumn children’s birthday party

There’s never a better time than autumn to find natural objects for arts and crafts. Children love to create and, with this party idea, they get to go on a treasure hunt to find their own materials. Choose a park, garden or backyard with an ample supply of fallen leaves, twigs and branches. Scatter other objects throughout for the treasure hunt, including small bottles of glitter, stickers, paints and tiny toys to be used in art projects.

You can set up a craft area in any space that’s large enough to hold the guests, without concern for making a mess. For example, spread butcher’s paper over outdoor tables in the backyard. Lay out all the necessary utensils, such as paint brushes and glue. Once the kids have collected their materials, simply let them loose on the paper to create their masterpieces!

No matter what you’re celebrating, take advantage of autumn’s magical colour palette and refreshing weather for a fantastic party.