Real, Genuine, Actually Useful Advice on Picking Your Wedding Colors
Let’s talk about choosing wedding colors.
This is one item on the “to do” list that drives brides crazy. Even we tomboy brides who had no nine-year-old concept of the ultimate wedding — somehow, we instinctively know that nothing can be done until we choose. Those. Colors.
And the cake, wedding party attire, flowers — they’re all totally out of the question until we get it straight.
Let’s admit it, most of the advice on choosing wedding colors is awful. How many times can you read that red’s energizing and blue’s soothing without wanting to gouge out your eyes with a toothbrush? And didn’t simply picking your favorite colors lose some of its appeal around the time you stopped eating rubber cement?
Interestingly, there’s a trend afoot to pick the colors that make you look good. For example, if you’re an ash blonde, you’ll probably look fantastic against a backdrop of charcoal or navy blue, and not so great against canary yellow. But maybe you want to save that sort of Machiavellian planning for your first home instead.
Because when it comes to picking colors, you probably want one thing. You don’t necessarily want the colors you’ve loved since Bobby kissed Kimmy in the third grade, assigning Kimmy to your personal hit list forever.
And you probably don’t care about any 17th-century symbolism. You probably don’t need the colors you’d choose from Rorschach blots if Rorschach blots weren’t black. You simply want your colors to be hot. You know, like if Paris Hilton wandered into your reception, that’s what she’d say. Right?
Seeing’s Believing
To choose hot colors, most of us have to see them. Together. Fortunately, we live in an increasingly design-centric society that makes this dead simple — anyone can go to Target and pick up some sublimely designed stuff for under 30 bucks. Even better for we wired brides, we don’t even have to get out of our butt-cradling chairs.
Start from the top — think like a designer. Go to Pantone’s Trends section, and look over the color picks they’re predicting for this season and next.
For example, Pantone says 2007 shows a softening of the strong, bright colors that have dominated for seasons past, and what’s happening now is “surprising neutrals” with bright accents … really bright. Really high-energy. Tarragon and Cafe Creme for bases. Hollyhock Purple and Green Sheen (think Granny Smith apples on acid) as accents.
Tuck that in your brainpan, because now it’s time to go shopping for all these colors in action. Although what you’ll see in the catalogs are the ghosts of seasons past, it’s true. Because it takes time for colors to materialize into the flesh of draperies, slip covers and wall paint. That doesn’t matter — the colors you’ll find look fresh, and they’ll still look fresh for your wedding even if your big day’s in 2008.
Ready? Let’s go.
“In”-spiration
Highly designed cards and custom stationery are totally fun way to get a bird’s eye view of what’s hot. Designers have fun with cards. They give into whims. They’re not restricted by what people can stand on their couches. Get a quick color infusion by checking out stationary sites like the aptly-named Fabulous Stationery.
“Brown’s the New Black” — Even for 2007
You continue to hear that everywhere. Even in weddings — especially in weddings. Want instant confirmation? Let’s go shopping at the right kind of online home furnishings catalogs. Not the ones that are so out there, they’re selling you pink faux-fur cozies for your screwdrivers, and not the ones that are so generic that the only color scheme you can really pick out is red, white and blue.
You need to check out companies that are stylish but not freaky, like Pottery Barn and Chiasso. You’ll develop your own techniques, but I think the fastest way to see hot color combos in action is to look at the bedding. Comforters and duvets and quilts are huge canvases on which designers get bold, unlike curtains and couches which are usually safe, neutral and conservative. Let’s check out the brown and blue combo which is hot in any scene, most definitely including weddings.
See the similarities? Inhabit shows you a super-mod interpretation of the same scheme Domain has, only Domain is nostalgic and soft about it. Your wedding could lean one way or the other. You could doll up your cake with any one of these patterns. The colors would be similar, but the looks would be wildly different. You could steal those great op-art shapes from Inhabit and weave them into your invites, your plate chargers, your napkins.
Now let’s peek behind the door at some seasonal color swatches.
Pottery Barn shows a lot of bold reds paired with wheats and golds. Oh, and hey, there’s espresso and blue again.
Want something funkier? Let’s check out the fresh, fruity hues of West Elm. Hey! Brown and blue again! But you also see another hot color combo that isn’t quite as obvious: apple green and coral. (Or in West Elm’s playbook, “leek” and “copperplate.” Coral and apple are hot. And they’re hot in weddings, too.
Great. But Could You Just Spell it Out For Me?
Sure. Try this:
But I’m Having a Spring Wedding. What Now?
It’s simple: go for taupe. You want pastel version of the season’s full-strength brights.
Try taupe bridesmaid gowns with chartreuse or baby pink sashes for springtime sophistication. And consider adding some feminine, floral patterns.
Lift Up Those Wings, Little Sparrow
Okay, this could go on and on, but you get the point. So it’s time to set you free with some of our favorite spots to steal inspirations from.
When you’re done, come back here and report what color schemes stole your heart.
- Chiasso
- Pottery Barn
- Domain
- Room Service Home
- West Elm (to die for)
- Inhabit (ditto)
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:((:((:(( HELP!!!!!
I HAVE BEEEN TRYING TO PLAN MY WEDDING AND I HAVE HIT A MAJOR SPEEDBUMP. MY FIANCE IS IN THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD AND I AM HAVING TROUBLE COORDINATING BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES WITH HIS CLASS A UNIFORM. CAN ANYONE HELP ME. HIS UNIFORM IS A HUNTER GREEN WITH A SEAFOAM GREEN SHIRT UNDER THE DRESS JACKET. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I CAN PUT MY MAIDS IN BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT A DARK WEDDING. I WANT A ” PRINCESS WEDDING” VERY ELEGANT AND BEAUTIFUL. CAN ANYONE HELP!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
alot of people are using brown in their weddings? so what color are the guys tuxes? brown?
I have a question I am planning to get married next year and I am having a hard time with the color. I like purple or Burgundy and I don’t know what will go well with it. I don’t want to much dark colors involed. Colors for my bride grooms and maid of honor and flower girl.. Help me please thanks
i am having my wedding in august 2008 and i have been searching the net until my eyes hurt to find the right colors for my wedding i thought about pool blue and chocolate or orange or chocolate so could someone HELP!!!!!
I am having my wedding next June and I am very girlie-girl, just on a tight budget. I am having the hardest time picking colors!!!! I know I want pink…I thought about blue, but won’t that look like a bubble-gum wedding? Then I thought Pink and Purple…that is too girlie for the guys! So what do I do…I need help! :-w
I am having a May wedding but I don’t like the Spring color suggestions. My dress is ivory and I was thinking of a wine color for the bridemaids dresses. Will this work for a Spring wedding.
We are having a May 2008 wedding and are having trouble picking colors. The ceremony will be on the beach with the guys in white button up shirts, khakis and no shoes… the reception is right now going to be outside in a country setting. We thought about Wine or Burgandy but a friend just used it. I would seriously love some ideas. My dress is pale pink or champagne ( I havent decided on the color, just the dress) and no shoes for me or my girls until the reception.
HELP needed please! I’m from the Caribbean, Trinidad to be exact. recently i fell in love with burnt orange and chocolate/coco brown for my wedding scheme. Usually these colors are not common to use in the Caribbean. Can anyone suggest ideas for the following: bridesmaid dresses,floral bouquet, reception decorating and favors. I will also appreciate any ideas as to what other colors can be matched with the brown. Any photos or advice please send them to my email address sa.cooper@yahoo.com
Hi! I’m trying to do something different for my wedding. The colors I’m tring to use are red, gold, ivory and I don’t know whatelse. My bridesmaids are wearing the color red.(www.landadesigns.com/index.php?main_page=home style #M651) My cake is going to be gold.
HEY IM GETTING MARRIED ON IN 20 MONTHS VALENTINE DAY 2009 MY ME AND MY FIANCE DO NOT WANT TO USE RED AND PINK, BUT WE DO WANT ROSES. WHAT COLORS DO YOU THINK WOULD LOOK NICE BUT STILL HAVE THAT VALENTINE FEELING?
Orange doesn’t always have to be “pumpkin” orange. Think tangerine or the orange of a cremesicle if you want fresh colors. You could team it with other sherbet colors like a lime or a raspberry. Or if you want something more earthy, look at photos of old brick, desert rock formations, adobe colors like in Santa Fe, or a Hawaiian sunset. Look at the beautiful colors that surround those oranges, and choose your color palette from them. Nobody will think Halloween.
At first we were planning to have our wedding in December, and I was really excited because I really wanted red and ivory as wedding colors anyway (with a few touches of black maybe). But It’s been pushed back to june. Is it tacky to still do red and ivory? And what if someone stole my wedding colors and will be using them six months earlier?
Do you think its silly to have the bridesmaids wear all black with a variety of pastels for the flowers? I am having an August wedding and I think it would look sharp. Or should I just stick to one? Again, all black for the dresses, and the flowers would be a variety of pastels such as pink, baby blue, butter yellow, lilac, etc.
I am having a December 29th wedding. Right btw the holidays. I decided on truffle brown and Sky blue for my color scheme. My wedding is small and intimate and my 2 bridesmaids look wonderful in the brown hue. They plan on wearing the dresses again for a cruise they are going on the First of 2008.
I am getting married next April by the bay in San Diego and need to decide on colors- I was thinking of a pale yellow with baby blue, or pale yellow and light sage green, any input?
Im having some difficulties in choosing the color for my wedding. anyway Is orange too loud for a wedding?
I’m getting married in November, but didn’t want “Fall-FALL” colors.. I’m thinking a really rich, dark burgundy and a pale, bright yellow… I actually chose my colors from a cute pair of undies I have, which are the burgundy with pale yellow trim. I just can’t wear any of the yellow myself… I’m thinking an ivory dress with the burgundy trim.. does this sound pretty?
As a web/graphic designer on the side, I chose colors all the time. But when it comes to picking them for myself, I’m at a loss! I use Color Scheme Generator to come up with color schemes for clients. Click all the buttons to see what you get.
If you’re handy in Photoshop, take some pictures of your wedding venue, open them in Photoshop and use the eye dropper tool to pull a color scheme that will surely match your location. Or pull one color you really like from the photo and use the color scheme generator to see what others would go with it.
Thanks so much. I loved the colors together but i didnt want to get reactions like the woman gave me at the bridal shop but i know its my wedding and i can do whatever i want. thank you for the website..
:-? Kierra,
I recently looked through a JEAN M catalog…they have alot of bright colors and they do have you pink and orange combination…If my color wasn’t purple….I would have gone with those two.