Autumn decorations

If you thought my 2 week pause was a sign that I am getting tired of blogging you were wrong. :-) I was simply enjoying a vacation to the warm and wonderful Egypt with Robert. Sadly I caught the Curse of the Pharaoh and got really sick half of the time we were there. But I still got to see the pyramids and dive with exotic rainbow-colored fish.

When I got home I saw that many of the trees had turned yellow and red and I thought an autumn decoration entry would be fitting. As I have told you before I have found no cold hard evidence that they did have centerpieces and the likes in medieval times. But women will be women and I like to believe that they wanted their home to be beautiful and inviting for the occasion. So when fall comes it's a nice touch to bring in the vibrant colors of the fading nature.

It's a tradition today to bring in pumpkins as a part of the fall holidays but you should be aware that pumpkins came from the 'New world' in the Middle Ages along with potatoes. The pumpkin quickly became an integrated part of the gardens though. Probably because it's very similar to other vegetables that the Europeans already had. So if you are hoisting a late medieval wedding it's acceptable to use these deliciously looking pumpkins in your decorations. With some of the fallen leaves in dramatic colors and maybe lots of candles or lanterns it will make a beautiful setting.

You can also use the pretty leaves for things like place cards, especially if you can do a little calligraphy.

Yet another option is to make wreaths of the leaves and hang them along the walls of the venue. This might take a lot of time and people to accomplish. Particularly the gathering of so many leaves. But if you have a forest nearby and a couple of helpful family members it can be a fun DIY project. You can also throw in some pinecones like in the picture.

The last of the juicy apples will also be harvested these weeks and post another possibility for sweet decor. You can make caramel apples (they did not use sugar as such in medieval times, but they can look really tasty):

They can also simply be scattered all over the table and combined with candles. If you want to go into detail you will find out the history of the apples you are using, because many of the apple breeds we eat today are quite young, while others can be traced back through a long period in history.

I hope you find these pictures and thoughts inspirational :-) And you can start to look forward to one of the upcoming entries, because a wonderful medieval bride has decided to let me share some of her pictures with you.

 All the best - The Medieval Bride