National statistics rank October next to June as the most popular months for weddings with 10 and 11 percent, respectively, according to TheKnot.com Web site.

According to the number of couples who submit their engagements to be published in this newspaper, May was the most popular month this year, followed closely by June, September and October.

These figures may not be accurate, however, because many of the fall weddings are encore brides who don’t always publish their second and third weddings.

“It seems to be an older bride for the fall weddings,” says Ouida Davis of Ruby’s Bridal Shop at 108 S. Main St. “We hear, ‘It’s my second, his first, his second, my first.’ We try to just take them through whatever point they’re at and help them with all this.”

With more brides choosing to get married outdoors, the spring and fall months offer more favorable weather for ceremonies, according to Karen Freeze of Celebrations by Karen in Rockwell and Mooresville.

Even then, it’s hard to predict. “I had a wedding the first Sunday in April,” she says, “and we got sunburned.”

The colorful leaves add to the beauty of fall ceremonies. Hurley Park and the Bell Tower gazebo are both pretty places to hold small weddings this time of year, Davis says.

Some of the brides who have purchased dresses at Ruby’s this fall have gone out of town to get married. One came in and bought a dress to get married in Jamaica, Davis says. “And we see them going to Gatlinburg, the Pigeon Forge area, Charleston, more resort areas.”

Others get married around their work schedulesand come in and buy dresses off the rack, she says. “We dye shoes overnight for people this time of year.” One reason for more fall weddings, Freeze says, could be that more and more couples are going to islands or across the country on their honeymoons instead of the traditional Myrtle Beach trip. “Maybe the fall months or the winter months are more economical,” she says.

The latest trend in wedding dresses, regardless of the season, is simple but elegant, according to wedding professionals.

“A lot of them are doing a pearl-top bodice with a sheer bottom with no train or a sheer train,” Freeze says. “A lot of them have gone away from the big veils.”

Even though the weather is cooler, she says fall brides continue to wear sleeveless and T-strapped dresses.

“I guess I haven’t seen one long-sleeved bridal dress this year,” Freeze says. “In the winter months, you see the long gloves on the bridesmaids or maybe the bride.”

Stacey Rogers, who operates Wedding Attractions in Kannapolis with her husband, Todd, says many of the brides for which she has coordinated weddings have chosen long, straight dresses instead of the fuller skirts.

Davis says Ruby’s, owned by her mother, Ruby Goodman, sells a lot of cream-colored wedding gowns this time of year.

As for bridesmaids’ dresses, Freeze says she encourages brides to pick something simple that doesn’t upstage their own dresses. “You need to be number one of the day in your bridal wear.”

More and more brides are also looking for inexpensive dresses for bridesmaids. “It used to be,‘Who cares what you pay for the bridesmaids dresses, that’s what she wants,’ ” Freeze says. “Now the brides are really concerned, ‘Hey, my bridesmaids are spending a lot of money.’ ”

Davis says navy, hunter green and eggplant, a grapish color, are currently popular colors for bridesmaids’ dresses.

Freeze says she did a pretty wedding in August for which the bride chose periwinkle bridesmaids’ dresses.

Burgundy has also been real popular the last couple of years, according to Rogers.

As for fall brides, they don’t necessarily choose fall flowers, according to Bonnie Parker, designer for The Flower Basket in Rockwell. “We do a lot of peach and lavender,” she says.

What does seem to be a trend in flowers is the more natural look, Freeze says.

“Brides used to carry the hand bouquets,” she says. “Now they’re going with the raw stems sticking out the bottom, no bows.”

Freeze says many brides choose to carry a bouquet of live flowers with an identical silk one made up as a keepsake.

“A lot of people have gone to all silk flowers for economical reasons,” she says, “but not as much that as it’s an everlasting bouquet.”

As for cakes, Rogers says brides are tending to go with solid-colored white or butter cream icing with silk or live flowers as decorations. Todd’s mother, Sandra Rogers, does the cakes for Wedding Attractions.

The Rogerses and Freeze are among the growing number of wedding consultants/coordinators who work with specialized retailers to handle all of the details of the ceremony.

“We do everything,” says Stacey Rogers, who has been in the business with her husband for six years. “They can get more stuff for less money through us. A lot of them are on budgets and have to watch out for what they can pick out.”

Freeze describes Celebrations by Karen as “a mom’s best friend.”