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.
Hey Stacey, I have talked to you before about my wedding colors. I thought that I had settled on harvest gold but after buying my dress and looking at the church venue I am undecided AGAIN!! I need to figure out the bridesmaids dresses soon as they have to order them next month. Will you take a look at a video I found on youtube that shows the Pretty Place Chapel in the peak fall season…there is a lot of gold and red. Also I am going to send you a picture of my wedding dress and see what you think. The wedding is Oct. 23. I just am wondering if the harvest gold will be lost in the scenery of the mountains and if it will look right next to my dress. Not sure what other color I should consider at the moment!! Any ideas would be great or if you think the harvest gold will look good then let me know…I just want the scenery to stand out as well my me and my girls…and of course my fiance!! haha!! here are the pics and the video….any suggestions would be great!! I plan on using colorful fall flowers if I do stay with the gold…
my dress
bridesmaids click on “color” then “harvest gold”
Youtube video of chapel
I know you had mentioned brown but I want to steer from that bc so many people use brown…and I know we discussed green but for some reason I just dont see it…Thank you so much for your help and advice!!
Jennifer,
Hi, I just looked at the harvest gold. It won’t get lost in the scenery with fall colored bouquets next to it. My only concern with this color is the bm’s skintones. This color can wash them out and that won’t look good in pictures. It can also have an effect on your skintone in the pic too. The key is to surround yourself with a color that you look great in. Burgundy is amazing on the bridesmaids skintones and you coudl go with a simple one color bouquet for each of them with or without fall foilage. The scenery is important but you do want to look great against it. If you choose a color scheme that blends in the background to much, the guest will notice the scenery and not you or the bridal party and you don’t want that. The green I was thinking of was more of a fall green like olive or sage green. It is gorgeous during fall and I think that color would give enough contrast with the scenery yet be elegant enough to stand on its own.
* like here
* or here
Jennifer,
*Eggplant/plum is another wonderful color for fall
* they used sage on the flowergirls sashes
* burgundy
* more sage
Jennifer,
* when in doubt use classic black, it just does soemthing for a wedding!
* love it
* sage
jennifer,
* this is beautiful!
Jennifer,
Sorry for all these posts! I looked through my favorites and found this, love, LOVE the soft autumn colors!
* WOW!!!!
Jennifer,
I found that cake again yet look at the chic grey pulled in…
* this is probably my fave.
and if i recall you wanted the city meets rustic right? this color scheme would work perfectly! When you have the right color scheme for the mood your wanting to set, less work really has to be done cause the color palette has begun the work already.
Hey Stacey, I love all the links you sent me. Burgundy is not a color I can go with simply bc one of my girlfriends is using that this year and same goes with the grey. I just dont want it to seem like I am taking those colors from them. I love black but I wanted to do a actual color for some odd reason. I really like the eggplant but my fiance seems to think that it is not a fall color and that I am crazy for considering it. As far as the green I do like it I think I like the eggplant better but green is what my fiance is leaning more towards!! With the harvest gold it is not your typical gold it is more of a latte color so I thought if the girls had somewhat of a tan it would be ok…my concern with that color is i feel like it may get lost with all the gold and red in the background and I am not sure that it will look right next to my dress bc of the platinum brotches that are on my gown and then the gold beside it??? Thank you for all your ideas….I guess my main question if it were you and you were gtting married at that chapel that time of year what color would you pick? What color stands out to you in that scenery? Thank you for all the help you have given me. Maybe if you think the gold will do the trick I should judt let it be???
Hey Stacey, ok after thinking about this all night I ran across another color that I thought may do the trick but I am not sure if it is to spring or summer. Here is the link to it and you you have to click on the color SUGAR PLUM
something about that color screamed old and vintage to me yet very classic….and I pictured it with gold and burgundy flowers. I may be really wrong about this and please feel free to tell me how you think it will look. After keeping my fiance up last night he has come to love the color black all of the sudden. He said that he thinks it will look gorgeous with the scenery and it will compliment everyone and he thinks fall flowers will be beautiful!! PLease help!! I dont know if I should do the harvesy gold, eggplant and sage green together, sugar plum or black?? I am stuck and just want it all to look gorgeous!! The view is very important to me as well as me and the bridal party standing out. If this were your wedding or your daughters and she was getting married at this venue what color would you choose for this time of year?? I have 3 weeks to make a decision and get these dresses ordered…no pressure…haha!! I am just really stuck and do not know which way to go…I want a color that will compliment my dress and the vintage feel it has…Thank you so much Stacey for all your help!!
Or Stacey how do you feel about a black dress with maybe a harvest gold or burnt orange sash and fall colors?? I dont know just throwing that out there…what ever color you think will do the trick is what I will use I love them all but you are the expert!!
THANK YOU!!
Jennifer,
If it were me I would have gone with emerald green or navy blue. I love classic neutral colors especially since when paired with bolder colors. For a color palette it is always key to have a neutral with bolder colors cause the eye flows over it well. I asked my daughter the other day for an idea for a wedding and she said emerald green hands down( she loves that color) or second pic.
* emerald green
* gorgeous color and it looks great on all the girls
If your FH doesn’t like eggplant then I would axe that but here are some pics just in case.
* here is the eggplant color
This is what I would do. I would ask my bridesmaids about the colors, what would they feel beautiful in. I would want them to feel themselves yet gorgeous that day! I would have them try on some colors and then narrow it down. it may be they want to wear classic black or another classic color cause it is so wear again friendly. and you can’t go wrong with a classic color. I know my daughter would pick either black or green cause she wears alot of those colors. I can’t stress enough the importance of having their input. because they are buying a dress and I would want them to be able to use it again. Green and orange or green and plum go awesome together so it is failproof.
jennifer,
* here is a great link that shows multiple colors with fall bouquets
I wanted to give this color cause the sugar plum would clash. I would deepen it to a plum.
* this is gorgeous!
* and here
* some bm pics
remember navy blue gives the same elegance as black just softer.
Jennifer,
* here is another fave of mine navy blue, look how the fall colors just pop against it!
* more pics
* very helpful article
Hey Stacey, after a very long talk with my fiance and alot of thinking of my own I think that I have decided to go with the classic black and a burnt orange sash. I just feel like the black will compliment the scenery and all of my bridesmaids and the sash will give it that fall look…what do you think? I feel like if I go with these colors it will look classic and vintage. I can have the groomsmen in black tuxes with burnt orange vests and ties and my fiance can be in all black?? what do you think about these colors?? I love the navy but at this point I just have to make a decision and start planning!! Thank you and I always look forward to your ideas….what should I do about invitations if I go with this color scheme?
jennifer,
I think that is going to be beautiful! What a classic choice. The sashes could be removable so the girls can wear the dress as a basic black dress, if she chooses. I think they will be thrilled!
* love this website, it is where I got the pics. You can change the colors of the trim.
For invites, since your wanting a vintage look. Simple and classic white or ivory with black writing.
or a burnt orange invite. Your invite will tell what style your wedding is.
Stacey, I am having the hardest time commiting to a color. After looking at the black with the burnt orange sash I feel like the colors are to dark together and almost give a halloween look…which is the last thig that I want. I like the navy but my fiance is not sure what him or his groomsmen would wear. After browsing on AA again I ran across this color and dress which is gorgous but I am not sure what other color I could put with it? In the color hunter!!
I love it but I am not sure how it would look with the fall background? Also what color tux and vests would my fiance and his men wear? I want to have some kind of an idea where to go with this color sheme before I tell him…I m driving him crazy not deciding on a color. Black is great but im not sure I should use a sash if I do it…I love the green but have no clue what to do with the color as far as tux’s and invites, flowers, or cake?? Thanks for all your ideas they are great and I like them all I just cant make a decision. I am looking for a wow factor and its not hit me!!! Again thank you!!
jennifer,
beautiful dress. Could you tell me how you want your wedding to look? rustic, modern, romantic, etc? I was wondering if you would like the burnt orange sash?!? I really feel like the black with the bolder colors of fall will give the result your after. Then the guys can wear classic black.
* like here
* reception
* more pics of the wedding. Is this crazy gorgeous or what!
Hey Stacey, I am just really going for a simple, yet classic elegant look. I was doing some researsh on centerpieces and came across one that I loved and its something I can do myself. Its a tall glass cylinder vase with water in it and then inside was one orchid and then there were candles set up on the table around the bigger vase. I spoke with a florist and she said they have gorgeous fall orchids…some were a burgundy brown color, a orange color, and a gold color. So the centerpieces would be quiet simple yet elegant. At the church I honestly dont even know if I should decorate it as it is already gorgeous enough that time of year. AS for the black dresses I eally like them I just thought maybe that burnt orange was to dark and bold for black?? there is also a spice color that was nice against the black? DO you think the burnt orange is to dark? I do not want it to look halloween at all!! Another option could just be classis black but I have no clue what an accent coor would be? And if my fiance like the hunter green I have no idea what to use for a accent color?? My idea wedding will be classy, elegant but yet simple. I dont want to go over the top. I feel like my dress has a vintage look to it but yet is it classy. At this point I just want a color that will look great on my girls, look good with my dress and look amazing with fal leaves behind it. I hope this helps and maybe you can see more of what i envision. Thanks so much Stacey!!
Stacey, after looking at the black in different colored sash’s I cannot seem to find one that looks right? Me and my mom has been on the computer all morning trying to figure out a color and nothing is standing out to me. I guess if I choose black it will be just black with no sash. I loved the hunter green but nor sure if its fall enough? Also not sure what color to pair with hunter green or what flowers or tux’s to wear. Can you help me out with ideas for black dresses and the hunter green? If you invision another color by all means let me know. Navy seems to be out seeing that my fiance is not crazy about it. He liked the idea of black and then burnt orange sash’s but I am having a hard time for some reason. I am driving him and my mom crazy…but this is not a easy decision as the whole wedding will involve the color that I pick….PLease help!! Thank yoU!!
Stacey, I just thought of one more thing….the color of the chapel is a blue color… and the outside color …
not sure if that will make a difference of of the color I use? Ok i get to get out of this house before I lose…lol way to stressful!!
Jennifer,
What about the girls in very simple champagne and fall colored flowers? guys in black and champagne. This would be awesome with the simple “loft style” centerpieces. Your gonna have a blend of modern vintage from the sounds of it.
* ideas of modern vintage
* kinda like this maybe?
* modern vintage fall weddings
Hi Stacey, that sounds very pretty and not to be selfish I just wanted to stand out more than that. With my dress being ivory I just feel like the champagne will not compliment me as much. It sounds gorgeous just not sure thats what I am looking for. I keep going between the two colors of black and hunter green….and trying to keep the rest out of my mind. Does that make since? I dont know how you do this with all the bridezillas you have to deal with!! Your ideas all sound great I just have this certain image and even I cant pick the color that I think will give me the wedding I want. I do not want it to be too fancy…just classic with a fall touch ….yet somewhat simple…thats why I choose those centerpieces!!
ok I ran across 2 more colors…platinum and charcoal? not sure about either….I did find a navy dress and then looked at a grey tux with navy under it and I liked but not sure what the fiance will think…I have way to many options is the color…you would think that it would be easy to find a color that will look great on the mountain and will look good on my BM’s!! black, navy, hunter and charcoal is what is running in my mind…if I dont decide soon im gonna lose it!! Thanks again for all your help and your patience!!
Jennifer,
Ah, the linens are ivory and gold. That kinda steers the boat to classic navy blue( especially since the benches are a shade of blue that I didn’t see before; oops!) and have the guys in deep charcoal or deep classic navy. Navy and orange are actually across the color wheel from each other. Didn’t you mention all the girls were tan/olive skinned? I am light olive skinned. I can say that my skintone can wear black or navy with ease. Hunter green, I can wear but those other two colors look more classic with my skintone. Grey is difficult for me to pull off, unless I have the perfect shade.
* here is how the grey would look
Jennifer,
* here is a photo with a couple in the navy blue. Her skintone looks great with this color
I love the navy…I think I like the charcoal suits better than the navy ones….I am going to have to sleep on it!!! The green is just so pretty to me and I know that if I cant make a decision then black is always safe!! I think my girls would look great in them all….there is not a pic of my reception venue so I am going to call them tomorrow and make sure that I have the colors right in there. The wedding will be at 4 in the afternoon do you think that makes a difference on any of these colors? My fiance likes all 3 colors after I put the dresses next to the suits he loved them all. Not sure if the time of day will make a huge difference or not?
Jennifer,
I made a board using the navy. After looking through the green and other colors we mentioned. This looked more stunning and stood out more than the rest.
Jennifer,
Here are 3 more boards with different colors you liked just so you could see how it looked.
Stacey, the navy is stunning….I am waiting on the other boards to show up and im really excited about them. Where did you find the centerpieces for the navy board?? I love them! If we go with navy I think we will go grey suites so its not to much navy….do you think having the wedding at 4 will be ok with navy? and do you think the gray will look good with the fall foilage? Thank you for your ideas after seeing thenavy its gorgeous!! where is that navy dress from?
Hey stacey, I had my fiance call the country club and ask about the colors in the room. The linens will be ivory and the carpet color is coffee cream. There are windows arind the dining hall that look out onto a deck and the golf course. I dont have any pics so thats the best I can do!!
Jennifer,
Not a problem. A neutral background, that means you can go with pretty much anything.
* dress is from Jim Hjelm style jh5731
*cylinder vases from this wedding
The navy will be perfect for a wedding at 4. For the setting I am iffy on the grey unless you use a deep charcoal or black with grey vests/tie. Personally, I didn’t care for the grey too much with the fall colors. I thought it took away from the vibrancy. I will make a quick board to show the grey with the navy.
jennifer,
Here is the board with the grey tux. Wasn’t sure if this was the right grey?!?
ok Stacey, we are fairly sure that navy is the color that we want to use. What color tux’s should the guys wear if we do not do the grey? I know I wanted the groomsmen to wear the same color vests and ties as the BM’s but im not sure what to do. I do not like navy under brown and I think using navy tux’s would be to mych navy….what color tux would you pick if the girls wear navy? I love the orange colored flowers with the navy it gives it a very classic and fall look!!
or what color vests and ties should the guys wear….maybe they dont have to wear navy,….i just have no clue what to put them in with the navy dresses?
one more thing where did you find the navy wedding invitations. i looked at the navy under black tux’s and its just to dark…so i am not sure what to do about tux’s for the guys? I am sure you have a great solution!! Thank you!
Jennifer,
I don’t think the navy blue would be to dark for a simple classic wedding. You could do that and have alighter shade tie in under it. When you get all the flowers etc. It will be stunning. Plus an evening wedding calls for darker tux or suit. They do have tuxes that look more like suits but I was unsure of the formality of your wedding? informal, semi-formal, etc. Is it gonna be hot and humid then have lighter weight suits so the guys will be comfortable. For night weddings usually grey is not used. I think the classic navy is gonna work best in this situation unless you go with classic black. Due to the time of day your wedding is this the most proper choice.
* invitation site
Hey Stacey, maybe I just need to see the navy dresses with the navy suites. Can you make a board with that and maybe the color that you are thinking with the ties? For some reason I feel like its to much but maybe I just cant see it. When I though of gray I thought of a darker gray with navy under neath but I see what you mean about that not being as formal….our wedding will be formal but I still want it to be somewhat simple. The wedding is at 4 pm and it does not get dark until around 630 that time of year. We are hoping the weather will be around 70. I dont want the guests to feel like they have to wear suits or anything…khakis and a nice shirt would be fine for our guests….hope that makes since. I do want the groomsmen and my fiance in a tux or a very nice suit!! That is for sure. Maybe you can send a pic of what you are thinking the men should wear next to the girls in navy. I am very excited that I decided on a color!! What other color do you think that I should use…I am going to do orange colored flowers to keep it fall but what color napkins should I get with our names? Thank you for your help I honestly would be lost without your advice!!
Stacey, I was looking at some pics on davids bridal with the marine color dress….and they have the girls in the marine color with the guys in black tux’s with gold vests? Not sure about that. This wedding stuff will make you crazy…not that I have the girls color the guys are even harder to figure out. Not sure if I should do classic black with navy or a navy suit…let me know if you find any pics…or what you invision the men wearing? Still thinking of another color to add to the navy for decorations and napkins!
never mind not like the black and gold….some of her bridal party was in gold and then the other girls in navy
Jennifer,
here is the navy suit with board. I had a navy vest and tie with the first board. You could look at too.
Jennifer,
Here is a real wedding with dark grey and blue tie.
* you can see how it looks with the girls in blue.
Hey Stacey, Thanks!!! I showed the pics to my fiance and he actually liked the blue better than the gray…is that still the color you think we should go with? He does not mind to wear a suit rather than a tux either!! You did a great job with the board….for the first time since I have been engaged I can finally see my wedding coming together and I love the navy!! Is there another color that I should incorporate? I love the orange colored flowers and I do have my centerpices picked out they are very similiar to the one you have posted on the board…and I love them!! They are very simple yet classy and elegant!! I was thinking of doing a white cake with navy ribbon around it then flowers on top…do you think thats to much navy? Then I was going to have the napkins on the cake table with our names…not sure what color to do those? My fiance wanted me to ask you if the guys do the navy suits….what color ties should they do and how can he be different? He wants all the groomsmen in the same thing then he be a little different…would a navy suit and ivory vest and tie work for my fiance?? And should the guys wear vany suits with navy ties and vests or a different blue?? Thank you so much for all the help…you have no idea how much all of this has helped me out!!
Jennifer,
I would not incorporate any other colors than in the board. To many will overwhelm instead of compliment. I think your wedding is gonna have that “pop” your after especially if you use the bouquet colors in the board with the navy. For the cake not at all. I think it sounds beautiful. For napkins, I am a fan of the ones without the ink, due to it looks more timeless. I would actually keep those in ivory or the color of the cake table linen cause of the vibrancy of the cake. Very Simple. You could however, have them in a vintage wire basket for a bit of nostalgia. Then have a trailing ribbon spilling on the table from the handle, unless you used a basket without the handle. Search antique stores or flea markets.
There is a few ways you could do this. You could have a tie like in the board for the groomsmen and have a solid one on the groom or vice versa…
* wedding board
The shirts could be different: guys in blue tie lighter blue shirt and groom in white shirt.
You could change the color of the boutonniere. they wear say burnt orange and the groom wears ivory with all the guys in same suit.
* or this which yes I love for the groom with the guys in ivory shirts and navy vest/tie
Hey Stacey, I am meeting with the florist tomorrow and I am just wondering what color flowers I should go with since I am using the navy dresses. I am not sure if I should carry an all ivory bouquet and then have the girls carry fall colors. I am suppose to bring some pictures in of what i am looking for but have no idea what that is. I just want the colors to pop against the navy blue and look great with the fall scenery behind them. Any suggestions on what colors or flowers I should consider? And do you think that I should stick with the classic ivory boutique or add color to mine as well? Thank you for your help!
Jennifer,
For flowers if your on a budget that would depend on what is in season there. The florist can suggest come great flowers.
* something along these colors would be gorgeous
* or this cause shades of orange work pop against navy blue
* or something with the oranges, tinges of burgundy/yellow, plum
Jennifer,
I think the colors in the board would pop. If you stick with oranges, peaches, etc. Dont get the flowers to bright cause all you will see is the flowers and not the bridesmaid.
* this would be gorgeous
Jennifer,
It really depends on whether your bridal style is. If you love classic looks then carry a classic ivory rose bouquet with a navy or deep blue ribbon flowing( for your soemthing blue) even monogram the ribbon. For the bridesmaids have the fall bouquets. If you are a bold bride choose a mixed color fall bouquet while your bridesmaids carry a single type flower in a single color for their bouquets.
Hey Stacey, you will be happy to know that I decided on navy blue for my October wedding. The dresses are ordered so no turning back. I was looking for tux’s to match the girls and people keep telling me to have the men in black tux’s with navy vests and ties and then have my fiance in a black tux with a ivory vest and tie…what do you think about the groomsmen wearing black and navy together?
jennifer,
Here are some *pics it does look sharp together.
* your gonna love this just launch build a tux to see up close the black/navy. Looks great!
Hi Stacey:)
I am having a yellow and pink and white summer wedding but just noticed that the chairs in our reception venue have back padding on them that is a darker green with pattern. Do you think the colours I have chosen will clash? I can’t really afford chair covers and can’t think of any cheap ideas instead.
Thanks, Shannon
Shannon,
The chair shouldn’t be a problem at all, especially since there will be greenery in your florals, it will all tie in. I am not sure of the style of chair, so I am unsure if you could even use any decor on them. If you like, I could look at the chair at a link or pic you post, then I could tell you more about it!
Hi Stacey :)
Unfortunately I don’t have a picture and the venue has a website, but no pictures of the dining room. We are having centerpiece lanterns with tealights and coloured beads/rosepetals arond them. No florals on the tables. There will be two large floral arrangements on pillars near the head table. They were going to be behind the table, but instead we will all have a beautiful view of the golf course out of the full windowed wall. Another option would be to have florals on the head table instead of the lanterns. Or do you think each table should match?? I thought of having a floral arrangement on the sign in table, but there will already be a picture and seating chart and I don’t want to overload the table. Do you think the green will be a problem if we don’t have many (or any) florals?? I don’t see it being a problem. Thank you!
Shannon
Shannon,
The green shouldn’t be a problem at all. It will blend in very nicely. The colors you have chosen compliment green very much. The green should actually enchance the beauty of your color scheme, remember there will be a view of the gold course and the grass is usually a beautiful shade of green. If you are having two floral arrangements on pillars near the head table then you shouldnt need florals on the head table. But having a small floral arrangement on the sign in table would work well. I like that. If you can get me a pic I would be able to see the layout and the colors. Would they allow you to take one? or give me a website and i might luck up and find a pic somewhere through extended search. Thanks a bunch!!
Hi Stacey
I can try and get you a picture, but I’m not going out that way for a couple of weeks. Here is the link to their website, so hopefully through advanced search you can find a pic. Thanks
Shannon
Shannon,
I looked but could not find anything. I ran across some websites that held their weddings there but no pics. I am gonna keep looking. If I can’t then post a pic as soon as you can! thanks!!!!
Hi Stacey!
I am going to get my dad to take some pics sometime this weekend as he is a member of the golf course and goes there every week. In the meantime I have a pic of the ceremony site which is being held outdoors at a garden and horticulture site. The ceremony will take place in their cemented area and we may or may not have a tent (the picture is of the area with a tent). The picture will be attached to this message. We have bought an archway and will be decorating it ourselves to match our colour scheme. The chairs are just the plastic lawn chair type and we will be having toule hung and dipped from chair to chair on the aisle sides only and each end chair will have a bow. Do you recommend an isle runner so the cement doesn’t look so plain? Also I have hummed and hawed over pillars with floral arrangements on either side of the archway. Do you think it will look better with added flowers so it looks more decorative, or can we go with just the archway. Looking for your professional opinion as I want the ceremony to be more than plain, but not over the top. Thanks so much….Oh and my boquet has freesia’s (almost a purple pink), white calla’s, pink roses, white orchids, and white stephanotis’s with green ruscus throughout. My sister’s boquet is minus the calla’s and has some yellow roses as well. Would it be appropriate to decorate the archway to compliment those colours and using some of the same types of flowers? Or are there more simple, cost effective ways to decorate the arch so that it still blends nicely with everything?
Thanks!!
Shannon
Shannon,
I like the idea of a aisle runner and urns with flowers Ithink it would pull the decor together. I don’t think I would add the tent. I would add some lush rose petals along the aisle. beautiful setting. more greenery will cut down on $$$ while bringing in lushness that florals will give. you could even add crystal strands to arch. If you doll up the wedding arch, add a runner, use rose petals to line both sides of aisle. you could get away with no urns and columns.
*I had to share this with you cause I fell in love with it a while back.
Shannon,
* here is another one
you can use lemons to cut costs too.
* here are some wedding arch pics
* more pics
Stacey,
when you say columns, what do you mean? I really have my heart set on the rose petals lining the both sides of the isle and using a runner. We plan on dolling up the arch and I would still like the bows on the outside aisle chairs. So the more I think about it, the more I am leaning towards having no urns…No tent either. my parents just thought of having a tent if it rains or is really warm that day. I don’t like the looks of it though.
Shannon
Shannon,
* like these by the arch
If you don;t want urns then I wouldn’t have the columns either. Keep it simple and elegant with rose petals and aisle decor, arch( I would decorate this with this with at least greenery just dripping off of it, esepcially if you are decorating the aisle alot. make it lush without spending a fortune and greenery is the way to go. Also you could attach strands of crystal garland for oophm at low cost.
* another shot of columns, gorgeous
* how they did this, this is soooo pretty and clean looking. borrow ferns and have one simple floral on your arch then have billowy fabric attached and hanging down.
Hi Stacey!
I got 2 pictures of the venue…the best I could get as the room is almost always in use. So do you think the green in the chairs (the carpet is the same as the chairs for the most part) will be a problem with the colours (pink, yellow, and white)? We are having a floral on the head table as well as on the sign in table. On our guests tables we are having lanterns with tealights and rose petals. ( I have also attached a picture of what the lanterns will look like) Also, do you think we should have urns in the reception venue near the head table. We don’t really want them, but I feel that we may need more decorations.
Thanks!!
Shannon
Shannon,
After looking at the venue. I am a little concerned about the decor. Instead of lots of decor I would look into chair covers or at least table runners. I think the chairs and the lanterns may not compliment each other. The lantern has a black base right? unless you can cover the base with the rose petals. Then it will be better.
You need some height in the room to balance the lanterns. Will they let you put up paper lanterns? That would fill out the room and then the centerpieces would be enough.
* here is the paper lanterns
Shannon,
* here
* look at this. If you had colored linens like a soft green( which I couldnt tell if it was dark green or more teal green in the chairs) see how it pops.
Shannon,
* this is very similar to your venue. Look how the green made the pink come to life here.
Let me know what exact color the chairs are and what color your flowers are. Also are you wanting a asian theme? Or more minimalist?
The more I look at the room, the more I can see adding green to your palette. Or playing on the green to make your pink and yellow come alive and use less decor. By adding more greenery or adding green somewhere else.
Stacey,
The exact colour of the chairs is a dark green with brown trim. My flowers are mostly different shades of pink with some white and yellows mixed in and greenery throughout.
We just can’t afford chair covers and we sort of have table runners…we have white table cloths with bright yellow napkins overlapping the tops of each table. I don’t remember them having green napkins, but I could find out. I’m not opposed to adding green to the pallette. I love the idea of hanging lanterns (we are allowed to do whatever as long as we don’t pin things to the walls) and I don’t have my heart totally set on the lantern centerpieces, they just seemed to be something different that I liked. We also thought of paper boxes that we would wrap and put flowers in.
Thanks, Shannon
Shannon,
Yes I would add green to the palette or in lush greenery. What type of style are you after? Thar would help me with the centerpieces. Have you ordered the lanterns yet? If not, you could always get a simple white then with your color scheme and adding the green with the paper lanterns it would be amazing. Have you thought about heading to your local dollar store or dollar tree and seeing if they have cylinder vases? Dollar trees sell these nice vases for a $1. You could float a simple candle and scatter rosepetals in your colors then have the ceiling full of paper lanterns.
Saveoncrafts.com is an amazing site. With the paper lanterns all you would need is a very simple candle centerpiece. it would be minimal and impact at the same time.
Shannon,
I found this and thought you might like it. Simple cylinders of green limes or apples with pink flowers at top and votives with scattered rose petals. if you look closely there is yellow petals in the mix.
Shannon I am gonna repost that it didn’t put the other pic. I think this would be amazing in the venue and very cost effective. You could axe the paper lanterns with this style and it would go in this room beautifully.
Stacey,
I haven’t ordered the lanterns yet. I don’t have a particular style that I’m after, I just didn’t want to go with the typical floral centerpieces and was looking for something a bit different. The green linens that the venue has to choose from are not appealing to me, so I am going to stick to the white tablecloth with bright yellow napkins that overlap in the center of the table with white and yellow napkins alternating at each place setting. I really like the cylinder vases with limes or apples and the pink flowers at the top. It’s a good way to add the green. If we did something like that, would they be appropriate on the head table as well? What about at the sign in table? I like the whole paper lanterns idea, but just don’t really see myself doing it. I also like the idea of a box with flowers in it. Do you think this pink favor might clash with things? Thanks!
Shannon
Those were just some other thoughts…i do quite like the cylinder vases too
Shannon
Shannon,
I would keep a floral swag or low votives with lush rose petals for your head table. You could consider a squatty cylinder vase though. I just wouldn’t put high centerpieces so all eyes can be on the bride and groom. Easier to see. No the favor will be fine. Just add that shade of pink in your florals. One more thing. by adding the the green if you keep shades of pink from pale to maybe a hot pink in the mix it will wow your table, like the bouquets I posted above. If you dont want to dress up the ceiling just have the pink yellow and “some” green in the florals like I suggested. You could just add lush greenery if you like. I just think some green would be beautiful. You know I didn’t even ask ( I don’t think) what shades of pink and yellow you wanted?
Shannon,
For the sign in table you could have framed pictures of the two of you with a simple vase of flowers. This kinds depends if you use floral centerpieces or not. Were you wanting floral centerpieces or were you trying to steer clear of that? If you were have you considered the cylinder vases with colored ribbon around them? elegantly of course. Then sprinkle rose petals. Keeping the ribbon in center with the top and base clear glass showing. Say have wide pink ribbon in middle of cylinder with small yellow in center of pink or vice versa. floating candles, rose petals, maybe even add some xtra votives to make larger centerpiece?!?
Shannon,
* check out this favor centerpiece
* yellow lemon centerpiece, it is beautiful and different.
* very simple floral centerpiece, minimal but impact
Shannon,
* this look could be copied to your table. instead of cylinders look for simple glass hurricane vases, float candle, rose petals and add lush rose petalsto table.
( see how the mix of light and dark pink with yellow looks against the green setting, Stunning!!! then add your favors at each setting, total wow factor)
Shannon,
)
Do you like modern, vintage, romantic, etc. I am thinking you like minimal and clean from not wanting alot of decor ( less is more = me too!
* here is one FANTASTIC approach that would work. sliced lemons with pinks florals. This would look amazing at your site. I reread your post. Your using fuschia pink right? You know fuschia and pale pinks, sliced lemons and those green chairs would look gorgeous together, LOADS of impact with a simple arrangement.
* for example
Okay the sliced lemons is my fave, fingers crossed I found your flower colors with the sliced lemon centerpiece
Shannon,
Oh yeah, With the bright centerpiece white ribbon might be best on the favors. If you want the color there too, then pick the lightest pink you are going to use so it wont overwhelm the room. Once I get the right shades your using I will be able to tell more about it. If you could post the colors. thanks!
Hi Stacey,
the colour my sister is wearing is called cherry blossom (it’s a taffeta dress) and it’s quite close to fuschia. there are bright pinks and light pinks as well as bright yellows and lighter yellows with white and greenery in our boquets. mine is more pink, and my sister’s is both. I love the lemons and flowers as well as the limes and bright pink. I still would like some votives and rose petals on the tables if it’s not too much. We are going with a floral centerpiece on the head table to match the boquets and for the sign in table we do have a framed picture but a simple vase would be nice to go with it. We would like a minimal clean look…less is more!! :) modern yet a bit romantic. I wanted to steer away from the typical florals on the tables, but love the combination when they are combined with other things like the lemons/limes. I hope this helps with your ideas. I wish I had exact colours, so i hope the descriptions help and make sense.
thanks so much!
Shannon
Shannon,
* look at this page, last picture. It is square vases ( for the modern vibe) with floating candles and rose petals in your colors.
Shannon,
*oops here is that site ( go to last pic)
* last pic here too
Shannon,
* look through these centerpieces and see if somethign stands out.
* I thought centerpiece style 603 was very neat
* And centerpiece style 752. I have never seen a centerpiece like this one. In a cylinder vase would be out of this world with simple glass votives and 1 shade of pink or yellow for the rose petals. It is already multicolored so you would want to use a single color rose petal. Well I just love it and it would stand out in your reception! Guests would find it unique.
Shannon,
* style 752 is on the centerpiece 7 page. It didn’t post right, so here it is again
Hi Stacey,
I have looked through those centerpiece pictures and 752 was really neat, but just not us. There were some that I did like. I will attach the pics. Do you see any of these working in my colours?
Thanks!
Shannon
Stacey,
I do like the floating candles centerpiece too…(pic attached) and I still really love the sliced lemons. I just can’t decide!! Oh man I never knew this could be so tough
Any thoughts of which would be best in the venue??
Thanks, Shannon
Shannon,
I LOVE the third pic you posted in the 12:47 p.m. post. That is jut beautiful! Something like that with the yellow on the table would be amazing. It would also be perfect to add a few limes too. it wouldnt be too much in the colors. Just a few lime slices mixed in with alot of the lemon slices.
Mychoice would be the 3rd pic of the first post or the first pic of the second post to work very well in the reception area.
Stacey
Thank you so much for your opinion…the 3rd pic in my first post is my favorite. Do you think I would need the pink underneath it, or would the yellow on the tabletops be enough? Do you think I can include this on the sign in table? What about the head table? Do you think it would be to much to have some toule draped from the head table with bows or lights?
Thanks, Shannon
Shannon,
the yellow on the tables should be enough. Absolutely! for the sign table. Actually it would be beautiful to have cylinders of flaoting lemons on the reception tables with the yellow cloths then carry the pink/yellow florals on the sign table and your head table. I think I might axe the tulle and just go for a beautiful pink and yellow floral garland draping across front of head table. Could you imagine how pretty that would be? For less expense on flowers use a greenery arch dotted with pink and yellow flowers. Also, if you use the lemon centerpieces that would cut cost drastically allowing you to put $$$ into a garland and sign table floral centerpiece. I would think about doing the vases with lemons and a floating candle on top. I can envision it in my mind. I think that would have a minimal elegance your after.
Shannon,
* look here for cylinders and votive holders. You cant beat a buck a piece!
you could easily do the cylinder bowls too.
Hi Stacey, does lavender purple, pink, ivory and lime/pastel green sound too much for wedding color theme? Not sure if they look good together. My favorite color is lavender purple. Any other suggestions for color combination? Thanks!
Diva,
* look at this
* this is stunning and simply elegant
* another real wedding
* this is beyond gorgeous!
When is your wedding and wht type of mood would you like to create? or what is your theme? personal style?
Stacey, my wedding is in December. I want it to be an intimate wedding, warm but still elegant with a bit of vintage touch. The place where I’m going to have it is actually a house and we’ll have to whole house to ourselves (including a small garden). The actual house has lots of chandeliers and antiques, if you can imagine it :)
Do you think those 4 colors are too much? Thanks heaps!
Diva,
It could be to much now that you mentioned it was a house with antiques. If I could get a pic of the house with interior shot I would be able to see.
Stacey,
Here are couple of photos for the venue. It has a touch of gold and red already. I would love to at least have lavender purple as my main theme color. Is it possible? Thanks
Diva,
Red and purple do compliment each other. I have been working with a few colors with the pics you gave me. The venue is very ornate and with the deep colors it has been difficult to put together an ideal color scheme using lavender.
* the colors here ( reception, bride, bridal party) will work
* as long as you have the reception centerpieces in the mix of colors like above wedding has, you can use this color linen. Although gold linens would blend better
Hi,
I’m getting married over Labor Day in the Outer Banks of North Carolina on the beach. I was leaning towards tiffany blue, coral, and maybe yellow. Are these to “bright” for a heading towards fall wedding? Any other ideas?
Thanks!
LL,
* here is a sorta modern/whimsical take on your colors. the orange/yellow is kept to a minimum
I also made a board, I left the orange and yellow, I just deepened the blue.
LL,
If you are stuck on the tiffany blue, then it will work I would just use monochromatic shades of oranges and yellows ranging from light to dark. This will work very nicely. Like the bouquet posted with the board, you could add ” few” yellows in dark to light shades. I would only add a touch though.
I’m definitely not stuck on the tiffany blue. I’m pretty open. I plan on using a starfish motif, so I was trying to think of colors that would play up the beach theme. So, I’m open to any ideas that would “go” with a starfish motif. Thanks for any ideas!
LL,
You have got to see this. It is serene just like the ocean. I don’t believe I have ever seen such simple elegance with colors and a starfish theme. Love it!
* gorgeous!
These colors would for sure work for late summer/early fall and mix in the look of the beach.
LL,
* tablescape
* a simple but elegant beige and white palette
* you could always do something like this
Let me know what your fave colors are and I will see what I can find. thanks!
My brother is getting married in Africa in August. His fiancee colour idea is green, purple and touch of blue. I dont fell this is right but since am not the expert, your views about the combination will be appreciated. Also what colour combo will you suggest for green. Thanks
Holly,
* here is a stunning wedding with those colors.
* you may have to sign up for free or login if you cant see this link but it is another link of same wedding
* here is one with aqua blue, love it!
* deeper shades of the color scheme
Holly,
The color scheme is perfect! The bride has chosen a color scheme that will really pop or be soothing depending on the shades chosen. It is her day so she should choose something she loves to make her day special.
Thanks Stacey.
What shades of green and purple do you suggest like I said ealier, you are the expect. I hands off…lol
Hi, I live in south florida and am getting married March 2011 on the beach at sunset. My fave color is purple but not the pinkish purple, more the bluish purples or grayish purples. My fiances fave color is blue. My dress is diamond white with a champagne color shash around the waist. see pic. So I’m thinking of having my colors as a dark purple with baby blue but I’m not sure how that would look if it would look well together. Does anyone have any ideas? Any photos would be nice especially of flowers. Thanks.
Misti,
* color scheme pics
* this is beautiful
Misti,
* very simple and beautiful with loads of impact
* this is one of my faves
* like this too. just use globes or containers to protect any candles from wind
* i have used this pic a few times to show the color scheme, nice isn’t it?!?
I am getting married July 17,2010 and still have not been able to set on colors for the wedding. I am a bright colored person and would love for that to show in my wedding, but still want to keep it romantic. Help anyone!
Lindsey,
Could you tell me which colors you lean to most? I usually ask what the venue looks like to find colors to compliment. What about your home or wardrobe? The colors in your wardrobe usually tell what you lean to the most. When using bold colors, pairing it against a neutral can really make it come to life. For example: red and champagne looks jawdropping when paired together.
Do you have some modern Victorian reception ideas?
Hi Tania,
* pics
* more pics
* lovin’ this real wedding! ( scroll down for modern victorian theme)
* this too.
Tania,
* here are some modern vintage weddings that might help
* WOW!!
Tania,
* this one is super nice
* look at all of these they are stunning but check out vintage fusion
Damask would be a great way to pull in victorian and use sleek square candles and more modern accessories on the table.
I need a little bit of help! I am in the process of planning and was wondering what you think about black, ivory and tiffany blue together. I’m not sure what the guys should do…I’m having my bridesmaids wear black dresses and the guys will be in black tuxes. Can I do the black, ivory and tiffany blue together?
cam,
Yes, it looks amazing together. the tiffany blue just pops!
* pics
* more pics
* with damask
* ideas/pics with black/white/aqua
* real wedding
Hi there,
I am in need of major help deciding a fall colour for my upcoming wedding (October 2010). After booking the venue it seems like not much can happen until you pick colours and that’s where I am stuck. I am not drawn to any of the typical fall colours (reds, oranges, browns). The wedding is on the water (but it could be a bit chilly in Canada in October) and the ceremony is at the same venue as the reception. First photo is lower level reception and second is upper level ceremony. I think the yellow is throwing me off as it is typically a summer/spring colour. Please help :)
Amanda,
You need bright colors to liven the room up. Could you tell me some colors you are drawn to and we will go from there. If the venue is by the water, were you wanting a theme? nautical maybe? Aqua is popping in my head over and over, or some sort of blue. Even blue and green. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Amanda,
Forgot to mention. I wouldn’t use the yellow cause of the wall color, it would blend to much making the room look stark or bland. Unless your gonna pair it with a bolder color.
* Here is navy blue and yellow, which is season and location appropriate
* this is nice!
* navy and pink another winner!
* this with that venue would be WOW!
* this is beautiful
Hi Stacey,
Thanks for the reply and ideas. Id rather stay away from a theme if possible, just because sometimes I think it limits your options, and even though its on the water it can be very cold in October. I too think its best to stay away from yellow, but just feel stuck when coming up with some colours that really go well and don’t look too much like spring. I love the simplicity of white and green, and it seems like silver (even in bridesmaid dresses) is quite popular right now. Just looking for something to throw in the mix that really pops and adds some wow.
Thanks again!
Amamnda,
Hi, okay white and green is perfect with grey it is out of this world!
* check these out
* real weddings
* more pics
Hey Stacey,
Just wanted to show you the colours we ended up going with..(its the first picture on the website) I just love them. The grey in the bridesmaid dresses really makes it a look that works in the fall. And this shade of green and fuchsia is exactly what I wanted. Any other ideas for using these colours together? I am really stuck on finding an invitation that pulls together the look :)
Thanks again!
Amanda
Amanda,
Love it! Those two colors will be amazing in your wedding.
* this would be nice
* or this
* this one is super!
Amanda,
* like this one alot
Brides,
The inspiration for this board came from soothing neutrals. Colors you didn’t see much of in the last few years that are making a comeback. My inspiration was the color vanilla white, taupe, lush greenery, bronze( metal accents). I thought how wonderful it would be to have simple color scheme outdoors in a garden overlooking the beach with a dreamy tangerine sunset ( let that be the pop of color in the wedding, with the candlelight flickering those same sunset tones). The bridesmaids could wear pretty much anything as far as color especially against this neutral background. I would keep it on the lighter to medium side, even classic colors. So here is my take on a wedding that looks like it was planned in a year but actually could be planned in 6 months or less.
Brides,
I couldn’t resist making one with this gorgeous rust color. This is part 2 of similar board.
Hi Stacey,
I’m so glad to find this website. We’re having a church wedding on December 30, 2010 but still can’t decide on the wedding theme. The ceremony will take place in the morning on below
http://www.dominicans.ph/caleruega/wedding/wedding.htm
while the reception is outdoor on below venue
http://www.josephinerestaurant.com/parasol.htm
I would like something that would complement the venues but I’m completely clueless. I’m planning to wear an ivory wedding gown while my husband will wear a black tux. My husband is suggesting choosing from ROY colors (red, orange, yellow). My favorite color is green. It’s really torturing my little brain. I really need help from a professional like you. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Sheryll,
Hi, If it were me, I would choose a simple palette for the church. After looking at a few pics of the beautiful setting, it is very ornate( requiring less). I would stick with a simple color palette. I wouldnt add so many colors to this venue or the reception area. I would use the green and white or ivory, then pull in only one to 2 shades of the bold colors at most. I prefer the yellow with the venue, it will look stunning. Ask your husband which of these colors does he like the most ( from the red yellow or orange). When you carry the yellow ( for example) with the vanilla or ivory white then add cream colored candles against that lush greenery in the reception area it will look like pure magic!
* here are some some real weddings photographed there
* this is what I am thinking if he wants all the colors
Thank you so much, Stacey! Your ideas are so brilliant! Now, I know where to start and what to do.
Hi Stacey,
See below pictures for the theme I came up with. Do you think this will work? Thanks!
I hope I can attach it now.
I’m having a hard time trying to come up with the appropriate color scheme for my wedding…which is going to be an evening, outdoor wedding on September 25th. I really like black, white and red, with black tablecloths and damask runners, with red floral centerpieces, but I don’t know if that’d be too much for an outdoor wedding?! The look I am hoping to create is a very romantic, classy weddding. Another idea was to do like an eggplant purple, with a nice lighter, brighter green and white. Any sort of advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Ashley,
Either would be very nice. For an outdoor wedding in the fall I love the eggplant, green, white. To me, it would really give way to the natural colors of fall in the outdoors, unlike red which can compete with it.
* here are some ideas
* eggplant wedding
* here is the red color scheme
* black and red fall weddings
Thank you for the quick response. So I looked through those ideas that you gave me and I like both….but I wonder if there are other colors that would be even better to go with. What do you think? What are the perfect colors for the look I’m trying to convey?! While also fitting in with the venue, time of day and time of year? I want a very romantic, classic, yet somewhat modern wedding. I have two girl bms and two boy bms, the girls have perfect olive skin so I feel like any color I put them in won’t be a problem. I guess I’m just asking for several different color scheme ideas, that way I can think outside of the two ideas I have!! Thanks so much.
Ashley,
Could you tell me some of your fave colors. That is usually a great place to start, also the colors you tend to buy in clothing or home decor. The closet is an excellent place to go to for color inspiration.
*some modern fall ideas
* more ideas
* modern wedding colors
* even though it is outdoors here are some loft wedding colors, that might help
* look how romantically modern this is
* here is another link if above one dont work
My favorite color is blue, that’s probably the most predominant color in my closet. I really want my wedding to have a cool, romantic, classic vibe about it. I think my biggest problem is that I am trying to decide what colors work in an outdoor wedding. I have also been told that you want to use darker colors for evening weddings. I am getting a little frantic because I need to decide on my colors that way I can talk with my florist and start getting the bms dresses. For some reason the idea of incorporating the black and white damask into the table decor seems really appealing, but what colors would work well with that and be best to achieve my overall look?!
Ashley,
Then I would stick with black and white combo. It has that vibe your after. Actually lighter colors are better for an evening wedding because they show up best. But with the black/white there is enough light color added( white) that it wont be a problem. See, dark colors tend to fade into a evening wedding and are very difficult to see even in pics, unless you have proper lighting.
* pics
I think I might have something you might like….
* black white green ( green goes with everything, it is a natural color in every outdoor surrounding. Green can be adjusted to any shade you prefer.
* purple is another color, yet with enough light it would be stunning
* is this gorgeous or what!
* a gorgeous color pairing that gets overlooked
Ashley,
* here it is with blue
* here is an article that just might help with your accent color, it is for bm dresses and skin/hair tones
It says red, hunter green, and navy are best for her, burgundy, peach, fuschia, charcoal, brown, and cobalt will work too. aqua and light yellow doesn’t work very well.
Wow! Could you imagine peach with black and white! How gorgeous for a wedding! Especially that time of year! ( maybe add a touch of burgundy in the mix)
Ashley,
More pics…
* wedding
* wedding board
* more green
Ashley, I- LOVE- LOVE- THIS!!!
* real wedding
Ashley,
Here is a black/white/peach board I put together just in case.
Hey Stacey,
Thanks for all of your help thus far. I looked through the ideas you posted and I loved the green with the black and white damask. A question for you though…my reception will be in a grassy area, in the evening…do you think that having the green tablecloths will be too much? Meaning, will the tables blend in with the surroundings? I love love love the green though, I like how bright it looks and the damask table runners look great with it. Would pairing those damask table runners with a deep purple be too much for an outdoor, evening reception? Do you think that keeping the green tablecloths would work?? Let me know what you think! Thanks!
Ashley,
actually the green in an outdoor setting is quite beautiful!
* it is difficult to see but here is a pic
These are the best pics I could find. See how gorgeous the green is with the outdoors.
ok i need help me and my hubby are renewing our vows for our 5 yr ann we had a very small plain backyard wedding the time with fall colors it was sweet and pretty but not exactly what we wanted so now i am having problems figuring otu exactly what color scheme to use i like purple he likes red but we still want them to be in fall tones what would be the best colors to useim also undeciced on a white dress or ivory , my first dress was a short ivory bussiness looking suit dress, i want an actual wedding gown this time if you have any ideas please let me know our renewal ceremony is October 22 2010 in eureka springs ar
Gina,
I would go with eggplant or plum with red or burgundy.
* here are purple/red pics to look at
* wedding board
* check this out
Gina,
* Look at this!
Here is a board I threw together with your color scheme.
stacey i should some of theburgundy aqnd purple boquets to my hubby he loves them the colors are perfect thank you ive have been trying to picture them together thank you so much for the board with the sample and ideas
Brides,
Anyone having an Easter theme? Kids and “Big” Kids could enjoy a easter egg hunt! How fun! Don’t forget that prize egg!
Hi Ladies,
I have picked out my colors but I am scared that it might not come together exactly how I hope. I made a color board to try and figure it out.
I have some nice vases I might spray painting a pale yellow almost ivory color and having orange flowers in them as center pieces. I was thinking of have a grey table runner and white napkins. Or should I skip the table runner and have a silver-grey napkins instead?
Please let me know what you think…
Cornelia,
Were you planning on having table linens? What color? I love your colors! They do go great together, could you describe the room to me that way I could see what would compliment best? Then I could see what color table runners or linens would work for the setting. Thanks!!
Hi Stacey
The room is on the second floor over looking a golf course with floor to celling windows for most of the walls. The back and side wall is a light neutral brownish color. I was thinking about having white table cloths. The chair covers will be white with a silver gray sash.
Cornelia,
That board is gorgeous! I love the colors and the way it is layed out. I love the runner idea it will work perfectly with the neutral colors of the room.
Please could you help…i am getting married in October and am wearing an ivory dress and having sunflowers for my bouqet. The bridesmaids are wearing Gold (2 of them) and Mocha (2 of them). What flowers would you suggest for them and also for the groom and his party??
mairead32,
It would be so beautiful to go with sunflowers as the sole flower throughout. If your not keen on that idea then I would choose smaller sunflowers with some roses. If you do love the simplicity of a single floral theme then have the bm carry a one or three sunflower bouquet. ( for best look always keep the flowers in odd numbers).
* more pics
* pics
Thanks for that Stacy, the pics are a great help.
Mairead
Dear Stacey,
Please help – you really saved me from going bonkers last time, so I’ve come back to the “master” :). As described before, we are having a formal September wedding in Mallorca (so soon!), classic elegant glamour, Grace Kelly, whites/champagne/pale pink… I am desperate about 1) BM’s dresses: fabric/colours and 2) flowers… In the case of BM dresses, they want to have different colours, so we are looking for 3 complimentary colours, and so far our attempts resemble a collection of M&Ms
. In dessy, we have tried sapphire/merlot/oasis, or sapphire/merlot/tulip, but against the backdrop of venue/church, the dresses just don’t seem that special, and also if you see my photos above, the venue tones are more champagne/white/gold… I didn’t want to go too black-tie crazy, since it is Mallorca (not Madrid or NY), yet it is an evening wedding, so pastels like yellow or mint or baby blue are also inappropriate.Tutti-frutti is not Grace Kelly classic glamour; colours like black/african violet/red are too dark and sombre (purple is actually Easter colour of mourning in Spain) yet just dressing them in beige is too boring. How to make them beautiful? better long or knee-length (in-between looks bad)? In terms of fabric, I am even more lost – Grace Kelly-like means elegant and feminine, full skirts, tulle… The ones I’ve seen look flat or stiff. HELP, please?! In regards to flowers, I was thinking a white/some pale pink bouquet of stephanotis, orchids, and roses for myself… Creamy roses for groomsmen (they will be wearing black morning suits – how to match their tie to BMs?!), stephanotis+rose or Stephanotis+orchid for the groom (which one in your opinion looks better?), and for the BMs – originally thinking roses.. then saw a GORGEOUS white and fusia peonies bouquet, but a) maybe too overwhelming for other flowers… b) not sure it matches their dresses, unless we go with navy/tulip/merlot c) at a complete loss for the best way to make the reception room “pop”, yet keep a lot of whites and tie everything together….. I know it’s a lot, but please PLEASE help?! I don’t have a single BM or female relative within 3000 miles, and it’s really difficult to get any help with such distances, and I can’t afford to go 5K over budget for someone to do it for me… :(… Thank you so much in advance!!! P.S. I am attaching a couple of photos that originally inspired my BM dresses… The idea was to exactly knee-length, so my shorter BMs don’t look chubby/stubby with skirt between half-way down below the knee (also so they can wear it again!)… We could do floor-length, but it’s hot in Mallorca… We are considering getting them custom-made, but that doesn’t change that I need to figure out fabric and colours, for them to match GM’s tie, flowers match boutonnieres, reception decor etc! 
Hi Mary,
I would actually have them try on their shade of pink. Everyone skintone has a shade of pink that works best for their coloring. Another is a shade of red or burgundy( which btw is flattering on most skintones). It is an elegant classy color that would pull in your venue, the classy your after, and that would flatter all the way around. Keep guys in classic black and pair your florals against it. You could have the guys in classic black and white with a tad of burgundy in the tie. Florals, I would stick to classic rose combos, It will tie into your venue and style best.I wouldn’t go with the peonies( although breathtaking) the rose combo would be best. To make the reception room pop I would add lots of candlelight, candelabras, and things associated with the setting and time period. I didn’t get the photos, could you repost them? Including the venue link.
* you might like this
* more of wedding
* even more pics
I thought this was just perfect for your wedding style. Just scour dollar stores and flea markets for stemmed glassware to use as votive holders and containers, fill with simple blooms and scatter more on tables. This can be very reasonable in cost if you look for thrift containers. Then check out fiftyflowers.com to get great bulk rates on flowers. Not wanting to spend that much on flowers then use less flowers and more greenery for the lush look in the pic. Will give same effects as mounds of flowers.
Hi Stacey,
Ok, trying to respond in parts… Again, thank you so much for bearing with me!!! … Per your request, the venue is http://www.eventoclick.com/eventos/espacios/unicos/cases-sa-font-seca.html
PART 2: (oy, sry, can you see the 1st “part” below? – sorry!). Venue hall photo attached.
For the style of the BM dress, I was inspired by a January Jones/Mad Men photo shoot and photo attached..
“Navy, knee-length” BM dress attached… All different shades, fabrics, lengths, styles…
The girls live in 5 different countries, so I am not convinced on doing different shades of the same colour (attaching a photo of the horrible results for one bride), especially pink – since 3 girls are super pale, two Spanish (tanned!), and one Black. … I tried this board (the dresses WILL all be same style, unlike on this board) http://www.dessy.com/shareboard/?user=moodboardguest&password=10549, but having imagined the day, I think it’s too “smart date”, and not “elegant glamour” enough (black-tie)… I love champagne and chiffon or silk fabric, but difficult to find two more complimentary colours that fit the scene (girls ruled out yellow, green, red, black, orange, anything too heavy, or too Barbie, or too “flamenco” (e.g. red and frills)…) … What do you think?
Ok, so sorry about all the parts… Last bit :)… For the flowers, I agree about roses, though on their own, they might not have such a lush “omph!” effect as peonies… My idea was to tie it all together, by having my bouquet with 3 flowers (rose, orchid, stephanotis), have my fiance wear 2 of those (orchid, stephanotis), the GM roses, and the BMs also roses… but maybe that’s too boring?.. Also, compared to my white/pale pink bouquet, I was thinking of giving BMs a bit more colours (so mix creamy roses that GMs will also wear, with something more exciting… what do you recommend?). For the centerpieces, I was thinking tall pieces with candles – but looking at the venue, black iron candelabra, silver-looking, or glass?.. Also, only roses, or mix roses with other less expensive flowers? Whites, or give more life with colour? I have to be strictly conservative, yet really trying to give it “life” – I love using example of Grace Kelly, b/c no matter how simple her outfit, or flowers, there was always a special touch that just made it all alive and glamorous at the same time (classic debutante, yet luxurious and glamorous, without going blonde and bright like a Barbie!)… Can’t wait to know what you think and thank you again!!!
Mary,
Have you thought about garden roses or hydrangeas with their lushness? Though I would check the availabilty of flowers on hand in Spain. They could lead you in a wonderful direction of what is best as far as blooms for the right season. The bm should try on dresses in the colors that suit their skintone. I would stick with a classic color, if possible. It tends to flatter each member of the bridal party.
* here is a wonderful article on dress colors for skintone/hair color
brown is also a gorgeous alternate choice for the bm. It goes so beautifully with your chosen color scheme. pinks pop against it! For centerpieces add different shades from light to a medium light pink, maybe with a few deeper pink ( not to dark though) into your florals for that pop of color your after. brown, pink, champagne, is a very elegant look. Sometimes the color schemes you pick can be easier to decorate with and this is one of them. For example: It is like pairing black with white or aqua with white. The colors make the statement without a ton of decor. It is striking on its on its own!
*like these pics
* look through these and see if something catches your eye
let me know if you like the brown!
Hi Stacey,
Oh, I love Tara Guerard gallery – every single one is beautiful
! And I am definitely going to use hydrangeas to “glamour up” the centerpieces :)… As for the BM dresses, honestly – I love pink and brown combination, but it just doesn’t fit with our wedding, since it’s black-tie, so the GMs will be wearing black morning suits – and I am really not crazy about the way brown would go against them. Plus, the brown-pink is more “Greenwich, CT” as opposed to “European Grace Kelly ball”, if you know what I mean – beautiful, but just not the right fit. I’m beginning to give up, I just can’t seem to find the perfect trifecta of colours, what would be both black-tie and Grace Kelly evening, yet Mallorca and summery at the same time?? 
Mary,
Have you thought about rust or copper? That is such a beautiful color to use! It would be amazing with the venue and an array of pinks, white, champagne. Guys in black.
* like here
* isn’t this breathtaking!
*more pics
I LOVE the copper and cream look
– really nice, not brown, not red, not orange… beautiful 
!!! For complimentary colours, though, what do you think are the best two – i like the beige/golden colour, but not sure if pink would fit…. Also, my dress is ivory, so if we go with light beige, on photos it looks almost the same… What fabric were you thinking? (I am now decided on getting them custom made – my girlfriends deserve that – so I’m cutting favours and splitting the money to help with the dresses instead!). I’m having a hard time visualizing copper+golden champagne + ?, and the fabric that wouldn’t be too bulky for a full-skirt 50′s dress… What do you think? I love the Diane Kruger dress above (50′s but also modern), yet, I don’t think it would look good in colour (blue, or copper, for example..). Golden might be nice…. I love the “feeling” of this one … but the skirt is flat in reality, and wouldn’t really work with a petticoat.. I think chiffon would be lovely over tulle skirt, but my dress is satin… should we match? P.S. I’m in awe of your patience with my OCD on details…LOL!
Also – do you think, copper+pink+medium violet is a crazy combo? Having trouble finding photos that match together, you are way better at this… I haven’t discussed this one with the girls, but I am worried about them thinking it’s too “yellowish” of a palette… they prefer electric blue, or bright blue, and fusia in Spain… the German and American girls prefer beiges, champagne, and blacks.. Not sure how my BFF from Panama will feel about this against her much darker skin… I should have just picked my brother to be my MoH, LOL, and that’s it! Oyy….
Mary,
Here is a board I put together to show the idea I had in my head.
Mary,
I would talk to my seamstress to see which fabrics are best for the style pattern you choose. I am thinking pink/purple/copper might not work very well. it may be to harsh for the wedding look your after. Grace kelly and other brides “in the day” would have chosen light colors, pastels, etc. due to white was big then. It was tradition and that is what they went with.
* here is a pink( more of a mix really between lavender and pink = mauveish) that would be stunning with copper
Mary,
* The second mood board I made features this dress in this pic, the girls have a bow and white shoes added
* this is gorgeous and could be very vintage and your style
* especially if you use above wedding with this style dress ( since you mentioned purple)
* for the board I made I thought how pretty it would be with blue colored water added to centerpieces
Mary,
* here is the second board
* here is a upclose shot of the tablescape, also you could add the blue glass accents, with blue beaded napkin rings, or colored water
Hi there,
I have found my dress and some bridesmaid dresses i liked so I made a color board and wanted some advice, what do you think? It will be an outdoor summer wedding (july)
does the blue fit?
future mrs,
Very nice! The blue adds a splash of fun to the color scheme, perfect for a summer wedding.
Brides,
If I have posted this board previously please overlook it. Thank you!
Brides,
I made a fun theme board.
Ok so I’m getting married in October of 2010 do you think that its rude that I want to dress up the mother and stepfather of the groom? They don’t have that much money and i want them to look nice. Do you think that it would hurt their feeling if I did?
Brandi,
I would ask them first to see if it is okay.
Hi Stacey,
I’m getting married this spring and am having a lot of trouble deciding on linens! My sister insists that white is a bad idea because my dress is champagne colored. We’ve been thinking about having a big antique gold overlay with a runner of moss-green satin and antique gold chair covers. Does this sound like too much? Thanks!
Jenn80,
Not at all. White linens with a champagne colored dress is common. The dress color is more for your skintone and using the white may compliment your venue better. It all sounds beautiful. If youwant I could look at your venue and see how this would look though. It may turn out best to use moss green linens with gold chair covers.
Hello!
I am getting married July 25/2010 and my sister’s bridesmaid dress is the colour ‘cherry blossom’ in a taffeta material. Our ceremony is outdoors and reception indoors in a neutral coloured hall. I’m stumped for accent colours. I would love my sister to have yellow flowers, and me pink ones to match her dress, otherwise I don’t know what to choose for invitations/decor/linens etc. Please help!!
Thank you, Shannon
My sister’s dress is below
Shannon,
Why not go with a beautiful pink and yellow color scheme with lots of white? It is absolutely stunning combo.
* pics
* more
* real weddings
* look thru these to see how pretty
Thank you Stacey,
the pics do look very stunning and now I can finalize my colours! thank you so so much!
Shannon
So my fiance and I picked some colors originally but then I got this invitation and became totally inspired to change the colors. I picked Robin’s egg blue, Tangerine and African Violet. How do you think those colors will mesh together? Can I get a color board example please!!!!
Christiane,
Could I get a pic of your venue to see what it looks like?
Hi Stacey:
Here are a couple of photos of my venue. If there are issues viewing the place is called the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, MI.
http://www.maah-detroit.org/images/facility_little_pictures/rotunda_smallPic_framework1.jpg
http://www.maah-detroit.org/images/facility_little_pictures/rotunda_smallPic_framework2.jpg
Thanks,
Christiane
Christiane,
With this color scheme what color was your bm wearing? The colors would look wonderful. I would keep the bm in blue with the colored bouquets against it.
* here is one example
Christiane,
* you might enjoy browsing these by color
Hi Stacey!
I’m getting married next fall and am having issues with wedding colors. I originally wanted a deep burgundy or eggplant with gold or champagne. However, now that I have my wedding dress decided upon, I’m not feeling the burgundy color with the gold anymore. My dress is very modern with a vintage flair. I have now come up with either cinnamon and champagne. Or, I’m really liking charcoal gray bridesmaid dresses. Could charcoal gray and champagne work? I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. Do you have any other ideas for charcoal gray?
Thanks!
Lee,
Hi!
Charcoal and champagne would be stunning. Have you thought about the richness of red and grey? It is perfect for that modern look with a vintage flair.
* pics
* here are some color combos to browse
* red and grey
* I LOVE THIS!
Hi, Stacey!
Thanks for the pointers! Why is this so difficult? LOL. I like your ideas. My problem has been that I’ve always envisioned a fall wedding with traditional fall colors and chocolate brown bridesmaid dresses. However, our wedding has ended up taking a totally different direction. We are now getting married at night, which means tuxes and I don’t like brown next to black…so this color thing has really thrown me for a loop.
Lee,
Are the grooms willing to wear chocolate brown? You could have all the party in brown with red flowers. Complete knockout!Or even have the bridal party in black, very classy.
*like here
* real wedding
Stacey,
Thanks for getting back to me again! You’re going to hate how “particular” I am. I, personally, am not a fan of brown tuxes. I’ve had so many friends suggest the same solution, but I just am not into it, so the chocolate brown is out for a wedding color
As far as black, I agree with you-it is very classy, but I’ve had four friends within that last year use black as their colors and I’d like to do something different. It’s just in my personality to not have something “usual”. LOL This is probably why the colors have been such a hard decision for me.
Lee,
What about using black, champagne, red? Have the girls in chamapagne and the guys in black with champagne vests. Could I see your venue? Also what colors do you lean to most? The grey would be amazing!!!
Hi Stacey…sorry for the delay, but I’ve been super busy! Well, I originally wanted champagne on the girls, but one of the reasons I started to look at other colors is because a BM is extremely, extremely fair skinned and the champagne wouldn’t be very flattering on her.
Here is a link to the venue: http://www.ventanasatlanta.com/photos.htm
A darker red is nice, but I’m not a bright red type of girl. I’ve always leaned toward champagne, but I am really, really liking the sleek look of the charcoal gray and I think it’s more flattering for all body types and skin tones. I have a BM that is a size 0 and one that is a size 20 and I also have a very light skinned BM and one that is super tan, so I’m just trying to find a good dress color that will be flattering on everyone involved, but yet I’m happy with too. Who would of thought this could be so complicated?
Lee,
I made you a mood board and I also have a link you might like, for the bridesmaid dress colors.
*tips
Thanks, Stacey! I really like your mood board. I’m also going to post one that I made so you can take a look at it.
im getting married in july and i love red so i was thinking of red with a
pink color my braids maid would be red and jr braidsmaid pink do you think that well look right and if so wht color should i decorate the hall the linens etc.,.. or wht color do u suggest for me thanks
Sonia,
Your decor depends on the type of feeling yo wish to create. You have a basic setting that will allow you to create anything. I could see tons of multi sized paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the soft glow of candlelight and pink with red florals on red linens, keep it with that romantic but hip vibe. You could even add a shade of orange or green to the palette.
* ideas
* more pics
* if you choose the deeper pink linens then use only pops of the red
* gorgeous paper lanterns
For you a color that compliments your skintone.
* tips
I’m having a beach destination (Dominican Republic) wedding in July 2010. I want to have a dark blue for the bridesmaids dresses, perhaps a marine blue or navy blue. I’m trying to figure out what accent colors to use. Should I have the groomsmen wear lighter blue shirts? Please help with some accent colors! also, I’m trying to figure out what color flowers to use.
Liz,
Shades of blue would be amazing.
*check this out
* more pics
* look at these
* lovin how hip this looks
My sister is getting married Aug. 2010 and was wondering if you had photo ideas of how to decorate fireplace mantle/area–this is where the ceremony will take place. So far her only color chosen for the wedding is dark green, what would be a great accent color?
Sandy,
* ideas
* look at this mantle decor
* more mantles
It depends on the interior colors. Look to a color already existing in the room or just go with white. It looks gorgeous especially with candles.
My sister and I got together to brainstorm!! Her main wedding color isn’t dark green but an olive green. We thought about popping it with bright pink. Do you have an pic ideas for these colors? Thanks, Sandy
Sandy,
* look how gorgeous!
* real wedding
* more pics
ok so i think im just doing a color theme. i changed it a little. im thinking of a blood red,pumpkin orange, and an off white. i really dont have anything planned yet. i like unquie things and kinda funky. if that helps at all. i really dont even know where to start.????? sry that im so confussing and dont know what i want yet.