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)
hi Stacey, wedding’s cmn up in march. My husband is in d army and wil wear his army green ceremonial dress. D bryd n groom’s family will go with sky blue n royal blue. I nid ur advice on colors for bridemaids dress, decor, n bouquet. Tnx tnx tnx!!!
Zahrah,
If I understand correctly your wedding colors are sky and royal blue? Will green be a part of the color scheme? Could I see your venue link or pic? Here is a guide that helps with the right colors for bridesmaids, colors that will compliment their skintones. Check it out
yes my colors are sky n royal blue. Jst want to knw wat i can do to complement d army green my husband n d groomsmen will b wearing.
Zahrah,
Green and blue are very nice together. With military uniforms most brides try to compliment their uniform but it is not required. The uniform is meant to stand out. I would have the girls in a shade of blue that would compliment their skintone.
Look at this, what if you had the girls in a shade of champagne or gold…
Or this…
Hi Stacey!
Lost and frustrated here. I’m having a summer wedding July 14th. My favorite color is brown. I know it’s a rather dull color for a summer wedding but trying to see if i can pull it off! I was trying to look for a bridesmaids dress with a sash to accent the brown but my brides maids settled for this dress(in chocolate brown).
Do you have any ideas on how i can pull this off? Chocolate & Ivory? Chocolate & Dark coral? Chocolate dresses and green flowers?
Thanks so much for your help.
Penny,
Do you have a venue link? I can see which colors work best with the chocolate brown in your setting. Also what are your secondary fave colors? What about your future spouse’s fave colors? I may be able to find an accent color through those. Thanks!!
Thanks so much for your response Stacey! Here is a link of the ceremony site (then click on wedding locations). We are getting married at the worship center.http://bellevue.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=100567 . And here is a link with a couple of pics of the reception site. Brown is both my fiance and I’s fave color. Do you think Mocha would work better with the venues? The other color that i had considered for my wedding is victorian lilac but not sure how that would turn out. How about brown and champagne? Thanks so much for your advice!
Link to reception site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEANmtun2aQ
Reception site pics
Penny,I really love the reception pics with white flowers and flowing greenery and think that would be gorgeous.
Here are some ideas you may like:
Source one
This would be stunning, just a touch of green…
Love this….
Here are a couple boards from my polyvore…
Board 1
Board 2
Board 3
I love this, its romantic, has the right coloring…beautiful and would work very well in your venue….
hi stacey – i would love some recommendations on flower colors for my june 2012 wedding – i’m lost!!! here is the bridesmaid dress: http://watters.com/Product/WattersWatters/7541/#Colors:mediterranean
my venue: http://springlakebtc.com/weddings.htm
the ceremony is on the long deck overlooking the ocean, and the ballroom is very neutral.
i’m going to incorporate sea glass into the decor by scattering it on the tables or in the centerpiece vases, on the escort card table, etc. i really don’t want to go with all white/neutral flowers, i want some bright colors brought in but i don’t know the best way to do that. any advice you have would be great, thanks!!
Nicole,
This would be gorgeous! Let me know if you like this direction…
Hi Stacey,
I love the aqua and coral combo! but my bridesmaid dresses are darker than aqua, they’re more of a dark ocean blue (the color is called mediterranean) and i’m afraid coral would clash. do you have any other suggestions?
thanks so much!
Nicole,
Have you thought about green and white, or a pale pink? You could do the same style with paler floral colors.
Look at these pics with the coral, it looks amazing…
And take a look at this …
I think lime green and white would give the brightness your looking for and compliment the setting.
Just ran across this, its soft colors but so eyecatching…
Nicole,
You can bring color in with table linens. You could also use monochromatic color scheme using varying shades of blue…’
This would work well….
Let me know if this helps. If it is not the right direction, just let me know what colors pops out to you the most let me know and I can search for examples. I posted a previous board I had and I thought if you used the seaglass in bottom of glass containers and then float candles. Pink or oraange are always great compliments to shades of aqua light to dark. Coral actually looks amazing against the color you picked out and is a popular pairing. They also pair it with navy like here
One more for you to look at
I need help, my wedding is set for december 26th 2011, my colours were chocolate brown n orange but my boyfriend doesn’t like the brown too much i don’t mind keeping the orange but i will like a colour 2 compliment it with, any advice. Confused.
jenelle,
Can I get a look at your venue to see what would work? Why not use a classic champagne and orange. keep the orange more pale like a peach-orange. Or possibly a orange and shimmery grey. Have the guys in charcoal and the girls in a shade of orange or even grey themselves. Pull in some more shimmer and wintry things. Another option is green and orange.
Like this one. have the girls and guys in black, then pull in some orange petals with lots of white and green. This is super stunning.
jenelle,
* see this
I love love love the one pic withe the green and orange. Total wow.
Hi Nikki,
My wedding is set for mid may of 2012 and I’m so lost:( The groom is set on white and red with black accents, but we’re having an outdoor ceremony on the river and I dunno if that’s going to clash with all the green and muddy brown river lol. I don’t want to overdo the red and turn the wedding into a summer version of Santa’s workshop. What do you think about it?
Magan,
This is Stacey. I would love to help with any ideas!! If I could see a venue link, I owuld be happy to help you with your wedding!!
Hi, I am getting married in arch and have no clue what colors to choose. I like Silver as a neutral and am going towards darker colors, because I am getting married in a gothic style parish house with dark walls and lighting. Any suggestions?
Michele
Hi Stacey,
We are getting married on St Patty’s day 2012 and I am stumped on colors. I was thinking a lighter brown with a shade of green (can’t not have green on St Patty’s day) with maybe ivory and gold. But I want another color in there to make it pop and I’m just not sure what color to pick. Then I’m looking at different sites and browns are for fall so should I not go with the brown at all????? AHHHH….so confusing
Nikki,
Can I see your venue site first, if you have a link or pic so I can be sure of the color scheme. thanks!!
Nikki,
Just a thought, why not use black white and green? That is an amazing color scheme!! It has loads of pop! You could always do green/white/orange for the flag colors. The bridal party could wear a classic color like brown to set the vivid colors against.
* like this
* black/white/green
Hi Stacey,
Not a bad idea with black white and green, but was looking more for natural tones.
At the moment I have not found the location as of yet. Everywhere that I am even remotely interested in is either booked for that day or way out of my price range. I did look at the hampton inn conference center today and she has a courtesy hold on it for me. Pretty location but I don’t have pictures yet. Going there Thursday night to see a set up they have there. It’s the one in Daytona, FL.
Nikki,
Look forward to your reply!
One you get a location let me know and can go from there. Maybe narrow down some color schemes that will compliment the setting.