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 this year 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 2012.
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”
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)
HOW CAN I COMBINE APPLE RED TO A SPRING/ROMANTIC THEME FOR A MARCH IN THE SOUTH WEDDING?
i love lime green and purple right now!
Mira B.,
I am also getting married in august, and my colors are blue brown and ivory. they look so beautiful together, and none can really be considered girly. email me- irishxemilie@aol.com if you have any questions or want to see any pix (dresses, etc. to get a better color idea).
I really need your help. I’m getting married in August and I choose pink, silver, and black as my colors. I am not sold on those totally. I will love to have bright colors but my soon to be husband doesn’t want to wear anything that is considered girly (thats where the black came in). Please help me
What are the best colors to use in a august wedding? I am getting married in august and i have no idea what colors to use.
what do you think of lime or olive green and lilac for wedding colours
hello.Im getting marrried in December:would like to know if burnt orange,brown and gold will be a good choice
Hi Amber, you can DEFINITELY do pink & blue without it looking at all babyish … it can look extraordinary.
Obviously, pink & blue balloons and streamers … not so good … but if you add a grown-up theme you really start to have something. I looked around the web and found two striking ideas for the pink/blue palette, which is 1) Asian, 2) Marie Antoinette style.
So for the first, add lots of exotic orchids and hints of purple or teal green or gold to deepen the palette. See the endlessly useful Snippet & Ink (board: Japanese Magnolia) for an example.
Or for the royal Antoinette look, add silk fans, crystal, parasols, Belle Epoque style prints, lush florals. Again, see Snippet & Ink (Versailles Garden Party), Wedsmack: Reviving Versailles, and this post from Onewed forums.
Oh, and three more for you … check out Flavia’s Blush, Blue & Gold board at Elizabeth Anne Designs for a subtle Southern feel, the Alice in Wonderland board posted at Beach Bound Bride (scroll down to board #2), or Enchanted Florist at Faye & Greer.
I hope that gets you started …
We want our wedding to be pink and blue it is our favorite colors….. but not sure iof it would look too much like a baby shower.
I have pick the colors terracota, yellow and ivory for my spring wedding. what do you think about those clolors?
Iphy,
I wouldnt mix greens and oranges, it would look like an irish flag. i think it would be really pretty to do totally summer—orangeish, yellow, and white– like the sun.
http://weddings.theknot.com/ODB/themes/realweddings/results.aspx?type=3&colors=orange
go there for some pictures of orange color combos
I need your help plsss…. my wedding comes up August this year and Iwould like aone to advice on a color to use. Meanwhile I have colors like mint green, gold, peach, orange in mind pls advice on which to use pls…….. Thanks as I awiat your response.
No Kerri, that would be gorgeous to use royal blue instead of light blue. That also makes alot of sense about the blending, although I have never seen it happen.
I NEED I HELP!!! I WAS TOLD THAT LIGHT BLUES BLEND IN TO MUCH WITH PHOTO’S.
SO SHOULD OR WOULD IT LOOK OK TO DO ROYAL BLUE WITH LIGHT BLUE AND SILVER AND WHITE…..????????
Colors for January?
without a doubt, ice blue silver and white are perfect for january!
what would be a pretty color for january
Good resource! Also comfort, there are many red/gold/green holiday wedding pics on this page:
winter favor and decor ideas … check it out, there are quite a few.
Red, gold and green wedding colours great for christmas
Check out that page. There are several images that can help you out!
could someone please help me:((:((.i am getting married at the end of this year or early next year.my colours are green(any shade of green)red and gold.pls help me with the combination of my groom(black suit)my bridesmaids,flower girls , cake,bouque…i need it urgently.pictures will be great!
i’m really at a lost now on what to choose for the wedding colors. getting married on march 2009. do i have to stick with pastels? my mom suggested periwinkle and old rose. but i’m really into the purple shade. thinking of plum. but i dunno what would go well with it. i’m planning to have diff. colors for the bridesmaids dresses but something that would really blend with each other. help?
Hi Yesi, lots of options here, but you don’t say what time of year you’re having it or what kind of feel you’re going for (evening/formal, daytime/casual).
Here’s a great red and yellow combination … very high-energy and exciting.
Try here for some great red & pink color ideas. Super-sweet, feminine look!
Red with patterned black and white (like damasks, paisleys) is a very hot, modern look, check our Black & White page for lots of takes on this.
A very crisp look I love for summer that is seeing a lot of play right now is white, green and red. Go here to see how fresh and crisp this can look, especially for an outdoor wedding.
One last idea that is great for a more ornate, winter-type wedding is red and gold, with textured gold brocade ribbon, fringe, etc., red velvets, and so on.
I hope that gets you started!
i’m planning my wedding can yall help me pick my color red, and i want to know what looks nice with red. Or similar to red. not aqua.
i know white but i’ll like something different
Hi Ada! Brown & burnt orange is very attractive and also quite a hit right now. If you check the polls on the chocolate brown wedding page you’ll see that orange is one of this season’s favorite colors to pair with brown.
Hi Cindy, welcome! Please see our new Chocolate brown wedding page as it has some nice pink & brown wedding pics, plus, a preview of a WONDERFUL pink & brown wedding the bride recently posted on Flickr. I think you’ll like it!
hi, my wedding is in september 12 2008, I need help in choing my coulors and theme. I am thinking of pink and brown but i am afraid that it won’t look nice.
Thanx cindy
hi,
im getting married in december and i am at a loss on what colors to pick.does anyone know if burnt orange and coffee brown is ok?
My best friends daughter is getting married in July. Her colors are coral and cream. The coral is more on the pink side than the orange however that all depends on what the swatch is put next too. I am having trouble finding “anything’ in this coral color. If anyone out there has please, please email me and let me know.
We would greatly appreciate any help!
hi my wedding is in December 27 2008. Ineed help chosin colours and the theme. HELP! please.
Thanks lisa
Lyndsey- I have seen some great weddings done with a light blue (almost Tiffany blue in some cases) with bright red accents. The color combination is incredibly fresh, not too overdone and would still allow you to use the rose red you would like. Nicely done accent pieces in the red would be beautiful.
I attend wedding and event planning conventions yearly, and the colors that were everywhere in January at the show were the colors mentioned above. There are tons of neutral browns, wheats, and golds with bright colored accents.
I feel the most important thing to consider when choosing your colors are the colors you feel you will still like when you look at your wedding album years from now. If lime green happens to be a fad, but you don’t like the color, don’t do it just because it is popular… choose colors that you tend to lean toward in your daily life.
I am getting married is May 2009 and I want one of my wedding colors to be a rose red. Is that okay for May since its not very a very springy color? Also, what colors can I put with it to lighten it up a little?