Is Orange & Fuchsia Too Loud for a Wedding?

Dear Kristina:

Fuchsia and Orange together can be absolutely wonderful. How you pull it off will depend a lot on the overall look you want to create.

Softer Spring Hues

If you're going for a romantic, soft look, then you'll need to tone it down a bit. A bouquet with a variety of colors: pale pinks, white, pale yellow, and just a few hints of orange and fuchsia will bring in those colors softly.

One of the bouquets shown here is done in different color roses. If you decide to go this route, make sure to follow suit in your decor: soft colors, and a few strong accents. Another thing to consider is a softer bridesmaid color. Sashes are very popular right now, and a bridesmaid dress in a softer color with a nice bright sash would look stunning. Perhaps pale pink with alternating orange and fuschia sashes?

Be Bold, Be Bright

On the other hand, if you've got a flair for the dramatic, these two colors can be used to create a beautiful and yet unique statement at your wedding as well!

Start with the bright-colored gowns, and use bright colors for the flowers as well. A brighter bouquet shown here uses fuchsia, oranges and purples for a beautiful and elegant look.

This look's a little more exotic, so look for flowers with an exotic style: birds of paradise, calla lilies, and so on. (You may want to consider going with silk, as these flowers tend to get costly.)

Then carry the color throughout your wedding. Use bold colors for your centerpieces, wedding cake, napkins, etc. Make sure you also use a bold color for the men's vests and flowers so that it blends together well.

Up-to-the-Minute and Modern

For a cool, contemporary modern look, consider combining your pinks and oranges with bright lime.

For the flowers, pick a simple, streamlined bouquet made with long-stem fuchsia and orange calla lilies, or gerbera daisies.

Then for your decor, use white clean lines everywhere, with just a few vibrant accents.

For example, your tables could be crisp, stark white with clean glass containers filled with limes and water, each tied with orange or fuchsia ribbon, holding a bright colored gerbera as the centerpiece. Go with an all-white cake with a few pops of orange, fuchsia and lime.

Feeling spunky? You could even dress your bridesmaids in white tea-length gowns (an ultra-modern look that's super-fresh for summer) with orange, fuchsia and lime sashes if you wanted to go all the way.