Choosing Your Wedding Colors: A Guide for Designing Brides
- Sussing Out Your Style
- Destination: Home, Sweet Home
- Your Secret Romantic Style
- The Gown's the Guide
- Adjust for Geography, Venue and Season
- Essential Color-Choosing Tools
- Color Schemer
- Sherwin-Williams Color Generator
- Big Huge Labs Palette Generator
- Make a Mood Board
- Making the Most of Your Choices
- And They Lived Happily Ever After ...
- Chime In!
- Comments (3096)
And even if you're getting the cake from Ron Ben-Israel, he's not going to ask you whether your wedding theme draws elements from 14th century Venetian court dress ... he'll ask you about your colors.
A mere generation ago, planning the wedding was a lot easier. It expressed your social class, and your parents' tastes. Even if they had particular ideas, the market couldn't offer much in terms of individual design. But these days, your wedding expresses your personal style in a way it never has before. Translation? The pressure's on!
Sussing Out Your Style
Some brides can solve the color question without thinking too much about style. They might have a life-long love for purple. Or, their venue might have strong hues they need to coordinate with. Or, when they picture their wedding, they already see their bridesmaids awash in certain colors. Easiest of all: sometimes they already have a theme in mind.For others, it's not that simple. Still, you can quickly pin down the styles that get your heart beating almost as fast as your fiancé does. Does Martha Stewart's relaxed, preppy look command your undying devotion? Do you pray you can someday actually subscribe to H&M magazine? Did Vera Wang's modern, moody Bolshevik collections incite heavy breathing? This gives you some major clues.
Destination: Home, Sweet Home
Still, even if you don't consider yourself a fashionista or a Martha devotee, all's not lost. Instead, let's turn our eyes back to home and hearth.Many brides aren't just looking forward to a wedding, they're also buzzing with anticipation over the dream house they plan to share with their beloved. And in the process of hunting down this love nest, most spent lots time mulling over their personal style. What did you picture in your mind's eye as the right setting for your new life together? A rangy colonial with a gabled roof? A warm, log-sided farmhouse with a wood stove in the kitchen? Or did you dream of finding a downtown loft bursting with recessed lighting and monochromatics, and flip through the new IKEA catalog to pick out your cabinets?
Or consider: do you dream of filling your home with antiques you can pass down to your children? Look to seasonal-inspired color schemes and ballrooms. Plan to drape your bedroom ceiling in yards of mosquito netting? A fairytale wedding drenched in candelabras, gold braid and gauzy swags might fit the bill. Collect exotic objects from all over the planet? Try an art museum for your setting, and a sophisticated or daring palette.
And if you're one of those eclectic types who pairs Amish rocking chairs with aboriginal artifacts, use this old designer trick: think of the last bit of art or furniture you bought to spruce up your house. That tells you what's on your mind lately.
Your Secret Romantic Style
So, you know your domestic style is Eclectic Contemporary. Congratulations: that means you're holding a black-and-white wedding with chartreuse accents and ostrich feathers in a huge SoHo loft, right?Hold it: not so fast. Why? Because many brides have a special romantic style that exists in a universe by itself. You might be thrilled picking out Art Deco style spaceships for your pendant lighting. And yet, when it comes your wedding, you might picture something a lot more traditional.
So even if you're the most fashion-forward girl on the block, take a moment to consider whether your wedding vision doesn't actually go back in time by few hundred years. You might secretly harbor a special place in your heart for New England autumns, Victorian elegance, English cottage style, or even timeless fairy tales. And if that's true, rest assured you've got plenty of company.
The Gown's the Guide
But how do you tell if this stylistic gotcha's operating in your case? Here's the secret: go get your dress.For many brides, The Dress is a journey that starts with many preconceptions, but ends in the unexpected. Finding the dress is usually a case of recognizing it once you've tried it on, not knowing ahead of time what you'll wear.
And once you've found it, the dress will offer some big clues about your Romantic style. Captured by a demure ivory gown covered in Alençon lace, with a button-back closure? Start your search with pastels and neutrals that suit a 1930's vintage or feminine garden wedding. Fell hard for a sleek, diamond white v-neck that's all about the lines? Investigate the crisper, more playful palettes we see today, such as black and white, aqua, bright pinks, lime green and corals.
Adjust for Geography, Venue and Season
Now that you've unearthed your personal style, it's time to look outward. If your style's traditional, for example, start with a hotel ballroom. If you want a strong seasonal feel for fall, try a rustic barn. Cultivated gardens go well with traditional, Martha-esque tints. Tents weddings are a blank slate: you can make them as classic or brazenly modern as your heart desires.Geography, too, plays a role in your colors. Tropical affairs in the blinding sun are often showcases for the brightest hues of all: coral and orchid, for example, or aqua and orange. Evening white-tie affairs in New York City? Not so much.
Many brides are in the middle, and want to weave in at least a seasonal hint. Fortunately for them, most seasons have palettes both traditional and modern. For example, a classic summer wedding might feature cornflower blue or sage, where a modern one draws on fuchsia and lime green, or orange, pink and black.
Even flowers help set the style. For example, a profusion of pinks in a bouquet of roses and peonies says English cottage. Mini-sunflowers and chrysanthemums says New England country. On the other hand, the color blocking in a hand-tied bouquet of purple callas is strongly modern.
Essential Color-Choosing Tools
Now you've got a style in mind, let's get to the art of actually picking colors. Here are a few can't-miss tools.Color Schemer
You'll need to create a free account, but this wonderful site has user-created palettes aplenty that you can search by keyword. Once you've registered, hit the "search schemes" button and enter words that fit your vision, like "fall,""garden," "sunset," "winter." Or free-associate with adjectives like "nautical," "peaceful," "modern," "preppy" or even "trendy." We promise, you'll be hooked.Sherwin-Williams Color Generator
Hit their site, and choose "FIND COLOR." Click on any color that draws you, and you'll automatically pull up two accent colors that complement it. Cool.Big Huge Labs Palette Generator
Have a photo on your hard drive that seems to capture your wedding's heart and soul? Upload it to a palette generator, which will kick out most of the main hues involved. Unless you're on the beach, use one of the more neutral, calming colors as a primary (e.g., use it for bridesmaids or table linens), and the more nervous, high-energy colors as accents (use these in table napkins, chair sashes, ribbons, and some of your flowers.)Make a Mood Board
Once you've narrowed down some favorites, start grabbing photos (for your own personal use, of course). Make a special folder on your hard drive, and save photos that seem to fit the colors, setting and season you're going for. If you've got any photo editing software, start putting them together in one big image. This will tell you more than thousands of words how your look will play out.
Making the Most of Your Choices
Now that you've got your colors, how can you really make them shine? A problem that plagues some brides is an oversized fear of chaos. Although it's simple, most weddings aren't at their best when the groomsmen's vests and ties exactly match the bridesmaids' gowns, which in turn match the bride's sash.So, choose your colors wisely and stick with them, but strive for designing more than matching. Brown and ivory are neutrals when chosen thoughtfully, so use their many shades for a sophisticated, monochromatic look. If the bridesmaids wear mocha or persimmon, the men will look great in chocolate brown. And even if the flowers call for a palette of orange and yellow, let a little green or cream sneak in for dimension. Check for too much of a good thing: when the entire wedding party wears matching brown or black, the effect can be overpowering.
And They Lived Happily Ever After ...
When all's said and done, you're sure to have a great feeling about your colors, and how they fit your personal style. Even if the scheme you hit on isn't "I've loved that all my life!", it might be "I never would have thought of that, but I love these together!"Picking your colors is a journey, just like finding the dress, or knocking all those planning items off your checklist. But hitting on the right colors, theme and setting for the ultimate expression of your own Romantic style? That can be the pleasure of a lifetime.
Queen,
I’m having an outside wedding in 09 and I’m using Fuschia, Orange, and Brown. LOL thats the only colors that looked good together.
Thanks for the ideas Blake!
Hi Sophy:
I’m still looking on lilac & cream, but thought you might love these shots from a gorgeous outdoor African wedding in blue and silver.
I love how they used those tall milk jugs to add a BIG dose of ‘silver’ along with the pretty silver ribbon and organza. Genius! The alternating silver & blue napkins also pull the two together. And I like how they used pinks, yellows and bright whites in the flowers to warm up what otherwise could be a very cool color scheme. HTH!
Hi Queen, some ideas:
> fuchsia, green & orange — some pics
> fuchsia, pink & red, some pics
> some awesome pink, fuchsia & black pics … very summery, very french!
Hope that gets you started … it’s hard to go wrong with fuchsia. Don’t be afraid to play with it! I can’t think of a color it definitely wouldn’t work with.
Im having a fuchia wedding in late july. its outdoors during the day i dont know what colours go with fuchia besides orange or brown PLS HELP ME!
Hi Wanda, for traditional fall colors I think of orange, rust, cream, a range of reds, yellow-gold, copper metallics (shiny copper ribbon, pintuck linen threads, twisted wire accents in the boutonnieres and bouquets) — all the dramatic colors you find in mini-calla lilies!
You can make these colors more cottage-style and romantic by blending in a dusty rose, or more evening-elegant with black, which really makes all the traditional fall colors pop.
Another possibility is royal purple, a great cool-season color. I’m seeing more purple with red lately, and loving it!
See Fall wedding flowers for some pics and maybe more ideas.
Anne, I love those colors! They look fresh, and great together.
Hi, the color that I have picked out for my bridesmaid dresses and also in my dress is claret red, I was wondering what other colours should I go with for everything else in my wedding. We are getting married in the fall, so I would like to stick to fall colours if possible.
Any suggestions???
hi, i have been following this thread and i have learnt a lot.
my wedding is coming up june in Nigeria.
the venue is painted light green and orange-yellow on the outside
however i am thinking of settling for 4 colors – clover or spring green ( which is basically just green)/citrus green and brick red/ gold. what do u think
please i will like to contact the maker of the brides gown.do u know about or how to get it.
hi all,
am sophy and am in africa. i have my wedding coming up in summer and i am confused with regards to the colours to use. am a dark-skinned african. am thinking about lilac and cream or blue and silver. anyone got any ideas. please help. pleaseeeeee
Hi Jessi! Have you found our aqua blue wedding page yet? Lots of ideas. A great nighttime, formal combo is tiff blue and black with lots of crystal. Tiff blue and pink is very popular for more casual/afternoon looks. Martha Stewart posted some pics from an elaborate Tiff blue & pink wedding in a recent magazine; they were adorable. Tiff blue and yellow and/or orange looks shockingly good at beach weddings. Aqua and red is a very striking combo you see more and more.
Definitely check out The Aqua Blue wedding, there are lots of ideas there. Welcome!
Hi Im jessi and Im freaking out!! I picked the color tiffany blue for my main color in the wedding. I am having a problem cause i have no other color besides white. Does anyone know of any colors that might look okay? I know brown would look okay but I kind of want to keep it bright and at the same time keep it formal.Plus I have yet to see a brown flower=)
Hi Heather …
Tiger lilies, YEAH! They’re so nostalgic and beautiful.
Making them a focal point doesn’t limit your color palette much. I looked around and I found tiger lilies in white, cream, pink, salmon and fuchsia, butter yellow and gold, ‘Creamsicle’ and deep orange, rust and copper, eggplant and bright red.
So you could weave them into almost any scheme. But even if you wanted to do something COMPLETELY different from the natural tiger lily palette, like blue and kelly green, you could just use the cream or ivory lilies and be just fine.
Here are some pics of some of the (many!) tiger lily colors. And then, a fuchsia and green cake that shows a favorite tiger lily scheme. It is very easy — almost too easy! — to create a strongly exotic, tropical look with tiger lilies, esp. if combined with orchids, calla lilies, modern flowers & colors like chartreuse roses.
Finally, here is a more delicate tiger lily design focusing on ivories and pale orange by a very talented cake artist.
If you want something more vintage and cottage garden, you will have to be careful and combine with very traditional flowers, like tea roses and ivy, like the last photo’s designer did so well.
I know your wedding will be beautiful; good luck!
Hi everyone –
This thread is getting really long, so I’m going to delete some of the posts that just say “I DON’T KNOW WHAT COLOR TO CHOOSE, PLEASE HELP”!
No one is going to be able to help you if that’s all you post. There are some really great minds here who could assist, but you need to give more information.
If you’re tempted to write a “IDON’TKNOWWHATCOLORTOCHOOSEHELP!” post, step back and reflect on what thinking you’ve already done.
Tell us about your theme, if you have one. Or a favorite, must-have flower.
You probably need to pick a venue before you worry about colors. Some venues have strong color schemes and you’ll want to work with them, not against them.
What time of year are you marrying, and what’s the season like there? November in Maine is not like November in Florida. Toronto isn’t like Kenya.
Are you drawn to trendier color schemes, or more classic ones? Do you and your fiance have favorite colors you’re trying to knock together? Are you thinking formal evening, or casual daytime? Indoor or outdoor?
Do you have it narrowed down to a handful of color schemes?
Post this kind of info and people are MUCH more able to make suggestions.
I really want to have tiger lilies in my wedding in memory of my grandmother. But i am not sure of the color HELP ME PLEASE:(
Heather, check out this Marie-Antoinette style wedding article:
http://www.wedsmack.com/2007/07/reviving-versailles-getting-some.html
Loved the movie, costumes, setting … love the idea for weddings — yours is going to be gorgeous!
I am getting married May of 09′ and I am doing a “Marie Antoinette” inspired theme. (Think the Kirsten Dunst movie.) The colors are gonna be a mixture of aqua, pink, cream, with lots of pearls, gold and feathers. If anyone has any pictures of this kind of theme PLEASE post them or the website they are on. I am also looking to have a traditional French crouquembouche. Does anyone know roughly how much these run?
Hi i am getting married in the end of june. Like everyone else I am trying to pick my wedding colors. I really like lavendar and yellow. My soon to be husband likes light blue i was wondering if these three colors would look good together i also like the bright pink and orange. If you would please help me i would truly appreciate it.
I am having a hard time trying to find the right colors for my wedding in May. Please help! It is really closing in. :-? I like the red and my finance likes the mint green. HELP.
What about combining mint green and red into one wedding?
I’m having a hard time trying to figure out my colors for a sunset beach wedding for June 21st in Destin, FL. We have already ordered the BM dresses in black. I thought about doing fushia and orange as accents, but I have recently seen in a magazine a wedding done in lime green, white, and black. Also, a wedding in lime green and pink. I want my wedding to be trendy. I’m so confused, can someone help me decide?? Thanks!
Thank you Roli. I am loving the mint green. Thank you so much.. Now I feel like I am getting somewhere.
hello kay, my suggestions for a colour that will blend with the wine and gold in your venue are any of pastel/rose pink, lime/mint/emerald green, celadon, baby blue, apricot, beige, burnt sienna, and possibly a not too deep/bright/sharp yellow like buttercup yellow.
Thanks so so much Blake. Believe it or not though, my pal just came up today with a new colour theme she wishes to consider as an alternative to the previous one I told you about. now she is thinking burnt orange, chocolate brown and gold. I will send her the pics below. I totally love the pink, green and brown combo and her use of so many shades of pink and green. Its awesome. Will keep you posted.
My wedding is in Sept. 2008. My reception venue has burgundy and gold accents (carpets, walls, chairs, trims etc). I am wondering what colors will work in such a room besides burgundy and gold.
Thank you.
:-? Roli, I’ve been thinking hard if I’ve seen your color scheme in photos somewhere. I just came across this COOL event design by MB Weddings & Events in fuchsia, green and chocolate brown. Not the same, but close … in fact with the low lighting, the brown actually looks pretty wine-y in these pics.
This is some super-creative decor, what with the kermit mums and mini green apples popping against the grapes and dahlias and ribbon treatments. And as you see she uses a range of greens, from olive to lime to chartreuse, and pinks that range from medium to dark. What do you think?
I have a huge problem. I was always partial to bronze and satin pearl as my colors. Unfortunately, I want a winter wedding so I desperately need color advice!!!!:((
hi, am so confussed and down. my wedding is coming up in november dis year in nigeria, west africa and i don’t have a wedding colour in mind. i do need help in choosing my wedding colour, and that of my bm’s and gm’s. i would also want to see pics as well. plzzzzzzzzzzz can someone come to my rescue:((
I’m helping a close friend out with her May wedding colour theme. We seem to have settled for a pink, wine and green combination and have tons of ideas about what the BMs should wear, and the GMs too. I’d like some thots on what shades to use of the pink and green, tips for dressing the bridal party, and pics too, if any. The groom wants to wear a black suit, with silver or grey cravat/tie and waistcoat and I hope a white shirt. He hasn’t said yet. lol…..Blake, trust you will provide your expert advise too…..tx a mil
I’m getting Married next year in May and I want Fuschia as one of my main colors in the wedding, but I need another color. What’s another color that goes good with Fuschia and spring?
I like this color of green as my main color, any suggestion on what colors go with it (didn’t like what Sherwin-Williams told me
) The only venue picture I have is the outside of my reception hall, and my wedding is in October (2009), please help!!