October is one of the busiest wedding months of the year, and a fall wedding has one big lighting difference from a June wedding: the dark comes early. In mid-October the sun sets somewhere between about 6:15 and 6:45 in most of the country. For a 5 o'clock ceremony, the lanterns are the main light by the time salads come out.

This guide gives exact counts and real costs for three reception sizes (50, 100 and 150 guests), plus the palette that suits fall. Every product named below is in stock as of today.

Three things that change in the fall

The lights are on for most of the reception. In summer, lanterns are decoration until the last hour. In fall they do the lighting from dinner onward. Put a light in every lantern, not just the big ones, and use warm white. Cool white makes white paper look grey, and it fights with candlelight on the tables.

The palette gets warmer. Keep white as the base, about two out of every three lanterns, then add one warm color. Gold is the safest choice. Lit warm, it glows like candlelight and fits a barn, a vineyard or a hotel ballroom. If you want something more seasonal, swap the gold for persimmon orange for a harvest look, or plum purple for a jewel-toned one. Pick one accent, not three.

Weather matters more. Paper lanterns belong under a roof or a tent, not in the open. If rain is possible, plan for it. In an open-sided tent, hang the clusters toward the center, away from the sides where the wind comes through.

The setup: one cluster over every table

Every count below uses the same repeating unit: a cluster of three lanterns over each guest table of eight.

Per table: one 24" white ($8.95), one 16" white ($1.87) and one 12" gold ($2.08). Hang them at three heights, with the lowest one's bottom edge about 7 feet off the floor so servers and tall guests clear it. That's $12.90 in lanterns per table.

Over the dance floor or head table: three 30" white jumbo lanterns at $45.00 each. Three big lanterns in a row read as the center of the room, and they give the photographer a clear focal point for the first dance.

Lights: one warm white battery LED light in every lantern. The 6-pack with a remote is $35.56. With a remote, whoever is running the reception can turn the whole room on at once when the sun goes down, instead of switching on 40 lights by hand. The lights are most of the budget, and they're the part you keep. They work in any paper lantern after the wedding.

Real counts and costs by guest count

50 guests (7 tables): seven 24" white, seven 16" white, seven 12" gold, three 30" jumbos. That's 24 lanterns and four 6-packs of lights (24 lights). Lanterns $225.30, lights $142.24. Total: $367.54.

100 guests (13 tables): for the 24", buy a 12-pack ($78.00) plus one single. For the 16", a 12-pack ($22.04) plus one single. For the gold, a 12-pack ($24.95) plus one single. Add the three jumbos. That's 42 lanterns and seven 6-packs of lights. Lanterns $272.89, lights $248.92. Total: $521.81.

150 guests (19 tables): one 12-pack plus seven singles in each of the three table sizes, and the three jumbos. That's 60 lanterns and ten 6-packs of lights. Lanterns $350.29, lights $355.60. Total: $705.89.

Every tier ships free, since it's over our $99 threshold. Paper lanterns ship flat and open in seconds, but give yourself an evening to open, hang-test and light a full set before the rehearsal. It's the step people most often leave to the morning of.

Changing the accent color

The 12" gold is the only lantern that changes. For a harvest palette, swap it for a 12" persimmon orange at $1.53. For a jewel-toned palette, use a 12" plum purple, also $1.53. Both bring each tier down slightly. For a bolder look, move the accent to the middle lantern with a 16" plum ($1.87) or a 20" gold ($4.90) in place of the 16" white.

Whatever you choose, light it warm white. Warm light is what makes colored paper look rich rather than flat.

If the ceremony is outdoors

An October afternoon ceremony can still be in full sun, especially in the South and West. Parasols handle that and make a good photo on the way out. A 10-pack of 32" white paper parasols is $87.50. If there's any chance of drizzle, the 32" white nylon parasol ($13.50) is the sturdier option. For how many to order by guest count and ceremony length, see our parasol counts guide.

For the rest of the reception, including entrances, centerpieces and ceiling layouts, our complete guide to decorating a wedding with paper lanterns covers it. For fall color ideas beyond the wedding, see 3 warm-tone fall setups.

Quick answers

What color paper lanterns work best for a fall wedding?
Use white as the base, about two-thirds of the lanterns, with one warm accent. Gold is the most versatile. Persimmon orange gives a harvest look, and plum purple a jewel-toned one. Light everything warm white.

How many paper lanterns do I need per table?
A cluster of three over each table of eight works in most rooms: one 24", one 16" and one 12" at staggered heights. A 100-guest reception with 13 tables takes 39 table lanterns, plus a few jumbos over the dance floor.

Do lanterns at a fall wedding need lights?
Yes, all of them. In October the sun sets around 6:15 to 6:45 in most of the country, so for an evening reception the lanterns are the main light from dinner on. An unlit paper lantern reads as a dark shape against the ceiling.

Can paper lanterns be used outdoors at a fall wedding?
Only under cover. Paper isn't waterproof, so keep lanterns inside a tent, barn or pavilion. In an open-sided tent, hang them toward the center, away from the wind.

Can I reuse the lanterns after the wedding?
Yes. Paper lanterns collapse flat for storage, and the battery LED lights work in any paper lantern, so a cluster can go straight up at home.

For 24 years, Paper Lantern Store has carried the world's largest selection of paper lanterns, parasols and lights, inspected and shipped from our Union City, California warehouse.