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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I am getting married may of 09 and i am trying to figure out colors already. I really dont like the pastels but love fall colors! Can I do anything with those colors in May! I also love greens and my fiance love orange. can those two go together? Oh also the guys will most likely in brown suits or tuxes! Please help!
Silver and lavender sounds beautiful. Lately alot of groomsmen have been opting for the dress shirt untucked with dress pants very summery. But they could wear their jackets for the ceremony and photos then shed their jackets at the reception. We have to suffer to be beautiful so why shouldn’t they.
I am getting married during the summer of 08. I don’t quite know what colors are going to be in season. I thought of silver and lavender, but not sure what the guys are going to wear because black tux will be to hot. Then I thought of baby blue and chocolate ,but as before not sure what the guys will wear I need help with the colors Like Now because i don’t have much time left as quick as these months are going:-?:-?
My fiance are trying to pick our colors for our wedding. My favorite color is yellow and we were both born in May so Emerald is our birthstone. I wanted yellow and black to be our colors and have my brides maids wear black dresses with a yellow sash or work yellow into the dresses somehow, but I’m not a big fan of traditional bridesmaid dresses and a black dress could be worn over and over again. However, we just found out that we have to have a morning ceremony so I’m guessing black dresses won’t work. What do you think about yellow and green together?
:DHonestly Mindy if you like it then go for it, after all it is your wedding day. if it is done tastefully any colour scheme can look fantastic,But dont let any one else tell you what looks good you know what will work just dont let it look dated or multicoloured.
The secret to having a beautiful wedding is timelessness ( not knowing what decade you were married in by fashion trends) Take it from me I have planned so many weddings in the last five years that will be dated disasters in even 10 years Keep it sjmple you wont regret it :D>-
WELL I AM GETTING MARRIED JULY 5, 2008 AND I AM NOT SURE WHAT I WANT MY COLORS TO BE. AT FIRST I PICK SALMON, MOCHA, AND CRANBERRY. BUT I DON’T LIKE PINK. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE COLORS:OLIVE,MOCHA, AND CRANBERRY.
okay so im going to have my wedding [in 2009] and i want my colors to reflect my youth and my personality. I really really want to use hot pink. i want my brides maides to wear it and i want my wedding dressed dipped in it [gwen stefani inspired]. However. i don’t know what month to have it in. What month is it “acceptable” to use those colors??? not to hot… but not cold either… gosh im complicated… LOL
Could soembody please help me? I am getting married in April 2008 and cant decide on my colors. At first I thought lime green and white. Then I thought lime and light pink, and now I have added chocolate brown. Do you think that is too many colors? do you think it will all flow?
Hi, IM GETTING MARRIED IN MARCH 2008 AND I DECIDED IN CRANBERRY AND SILVER WHAT OTHER COLORS WILL GO WELL PLEASE HELP….???????? THANKS
Ladies, Davids Bridal has a neat section on their website where you can put together your wedding/bridal party and see how the colors look. Works wonderfully well - especially if they have your shade.
Shawn McCalla: My wedding will be in April 2008. My colors are cornflower and clover (shade of green). They look beautiful together especially when matched with my diamond white dress. The guys will be wearing a light grey tux with white shirt and matching (clover/cornflower) vests. The groom will be in full white. I put the colors together on Davids Bridal site and it’s awesome.
I am currently deployed to Iraq and I am trying to plan my wedding while I am here. I will be getting married in miami fl on march the 5th 2009. I came up the colors burnt orange cranberry red gold and white. I just wanted to know if those colors would cordinate well. :-w
I’m getting married September 29th and my 3 bridesmaids are wearing alfred angleo dresses. The dresses are color mix which are pastel blue and expresso and they look great! And even my flower girl dress is pastel blue and expresso.
My wedding is next August (2008) and I’m struggling with color choices. I definitely want my bridesmaids in Sage w/ivory accents but I don’t know what other accent color I want. My wedding will be in the Colorado mountains so I would like something bright to pop with the Sage and Ivory. I don’t want lavender because that’s so common. I was thinking a Chianti/Burgandy. Would that look too Christmasy? Any other suggestions? I’m mainly concerned about flowers.
My wedding is November 10 my major color is cornflower blue. The hall is putting it with yellow I’m not very happy with the color can you give me a list of other colors that would look good with my cornflower. Thank You
/:D I like the whole Chocolate theme everyone is talking about, I think it would accent a lot of different colors, and it is in style these days too….I just don’t like the brown suits on the guys thing…I guess you would have to do that to make it work though. You could do Chocolate brown, with a pool blue color, or light pink, and instead of the white wedding gown and white accesories…you could do ivory. I think it would flow a lot better. I am struggling myself. I want white, and I want pink, like the darker pink that is on the back ground of this page…..I need help deciding a color to go with it. Help!!!!! :((
I’m getting married next November, so it’s a summer wedding. It’s an outside wedding I was thinking of a rainbow theme maybe pink,blue,green and yellow as I have 4 bridesmaids. Although it’s not going to be easy fabric wise they will have to be made. Is this idea old or should I just stick to a normal theme wedding eg. 1 or 2 different colours. I’m totally confused.
I need help. My wedding is not till next year, hopefully in June, but my fiance won’t help me plan anything. I have no idea what colors to choose. I told him I wouldn’t mind black, and he agreed, but we can’t agree with a color to go with it. I said pink and he freaked out. He said red and then I freaked out. So what should I do? Should I do maybe a Chocolate brown with another color? I want to keep my wedding looking happy and inviting but still make him happy. HELP!:((
I would try matching the seafoam green from his shirt for the girls dresses. Seafoam/ Celadon is a light pastel color and would go with a ” Princess” Theme if you wanted to match his uniform.
I would defently ask your maids. They are there to help you and give you ideas for your wedding. Hope this helps.