The Meanings of Colors in Weddings
When brides are struggling to pick colors at the beginning of the planning process, one thing they wonder is, what do the colors "mean?" What vibe do they give off? What traditions and sensiblities are they grouped with?
I'm going to try to answer that. Given, some colors stay pretty stable from year to year, while others shift along with the bigger fashion upheavals. And despite their close ties to the catwalk, some hues have a meaning and feeling all their own when it comes to weddings.
Diamond-White. When brides around the world think "Western wedding," they picture this. Ever since Queen Victoria, bright diamond-white has enjoyed strong associations with purity and the privileged, but these days, white may have (a lot) more to do with modernity. This is the same breeze that brings us minimalist Calla bouquets and lace-free-zone Vera gowns.
Ivory. Ivory is elegant, old-world and soft-spoken. Ivory speaks of hand-polished silver and ironed linen. Or in Economist-speak, ivory is New York's Brooke Astor to Leona Helmsley's scarlet.
Champagne. Refined and traditional, rich and conservative. A gentle look with a slightly vintage feel.
Lavender. Soft, dainty and ladylike, this color often appears in weddings that hark to the past, with traditional-looking cakes and florals.
Pale Pink: The lighter shades of pink speak to happiness, playfulness, and a sense of fun, not to mention a special fondness for love's super-sweet early years.
Hot Pink. Energized, "girl power" hue with an almost-punk edge. Think Gwen Stefani, and as possible accents, black, brown or vibrant green.
Red: Passionate, dramatic, and dripping with desire, this romantic hue hints at deep lows, higher highs, and a triumphant peak (which of course coincides with the wedding). Often paired with crisp white and black in gorgeous toiles or other classic patterns, and sure to show up in tandem with tons of rose petals. What else? 1) It's no coincidence that Longoria-Parker's red wedding took place in Paris. 2) You're a chocolates and champagne kind of gal. 3) When the wedding's over, he'd best not forget your anniversary.
Coral: In weddings, this color often has an indie vibe. It might have a Latino, East Indian or Caribbean feel, or just a strong designer foundation. You see it show up in fresh pairings like coral and rust or coral and teal, or more conventionally, with chocolate brown, pink or yellow.
Going to a coral wedding? Don't be surprised to see a bit of mendhi on the bride's hands, paisley patterns, custom stationery courtesy of a hotshot graphic designer, luscious linens with lots of shimmer and tassels, or cinnamon-chocolate truffles. Oh, and don't forget to bring me.
Yellow: Optimism, cheerfulness, a strong appreciation for friendship. Yellow is 100% angst-free. It's also Martha Stewart's signature color, so yellow often goes hand-in-hand with that clean, grounded New England look, with lots of buttery porcelain and handmade papers.
Gold: Lavishness, luxury, warmth, tradition. As platinum continues to make inroads in the jewelry world, "yellow gold" is more of a statement than ever. Think Louis XIV, "The Sun King," warm Italian weddings, and unstinting shows of abundance.
Aqua: Fun-loving, fresh and vibrant. A favorite of beach brides, especially tropical ones, and an anchor for poolside weddings. But aqua shows up in plenty of other places, too. It's a favorite paired with chocolate brown for brides who want a fun and modern palette, and aqua and pink aren't uncommon.
Royal Blue: Grand, traditional, and casting an eye toward an idealized past. Evokes ballrooms, Cinderella stories and happily-ever-after. Often combined with a paler blue, yellow or gold.
Navy: This ultra-classic color signals a preppy wedding. Often paired with mint green or dusty orange, and loads of crisp white, this color puts tradition first, and adds a certain masculine gravitas to the palette.
Purple: Purple has strong, historical associations with royalty, especially in sacred contexts (think: Lent's purple to mark the royal approach). But thanks to lots of shakeups in the fashion world, purple's taken on a whole new life, and become challenging and mysterious, glamorous and grown-up, and ever-so-slightly Euro star, especially when paired with other complex hues like charcoal or even black. Rock this latter look with feathers, brooding florals, and few Goth-Edwardian touches.
Silver: Restrained wealth and glamour, sophistication. Silver says, "I can afford it, but prefer not to flaunt it."
Gray: Modern, understated, retro-informed and sleek. Lately, gray has deposed champagne as one of the hottest neutrals in weddings. Bridesmaids in gray with deco-rhinestone buckled sashes look up-to-the-minute ... and stunning. Pair with wheat or heather for the ultimate urban, slightly Swedish palette.
Chocolate Brown: So everywhere, it's hard to pin down, but chocolate brown is the cornerstone to most of today's modern palettes: brown with pink or aqua, or increasingly, coral, mint green or purple.
Green: In weddings, green reveals a modern sensibility, and often comes with inventive, non-traditional florals (think green button mums or wheatgrass). Thanks to the increasing volume of eco-talk, green's also a prominent hue at environmentally-conscious weddings. Lime green + hot pink says "pop princess." Olive or bright green combined with black & white looks downright regal, in that new-millenium way.
Black: Sophisticated, mysterious, assertive or even nostalgic, black shows up when couples have strong opinions about design. Black might lend a clean, graphic look to the wedding, or show up in evocative, Victorianesque forms, such as black Callas and rooster-feather collars.
Legions of black-draped bridesmaids continue to make a showing from summer to winter, with more attention to detail than in seasons past (contrasting sashes, more elaborate hemlines, or bouquets designed to pop against a black background).
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hi
my name is mayra and im getting married in october 2010 i was thinking of the color dark silky purple what do u think???
Mayra,
weddingwire.com click photos and search by category and color.
Purple is perfect!!
Mayra,
* more pics
* fall weddings
* here is deep purple
Mayra,
* this is super nice
hi, i am rose and in ghana, i will be having my wedding in december next year, i have started with the prepration and i choose the colours brown, pink and blue which my fiance agrees but my mum does not agree to the colours cos am drak and should choose amore bright colour. but here i ghana the colours red, and black are not used for weddings could you help me choose the right colours i would like to have a cocktail reception but dont know how to go about it can you pls help me out.
Rose,
Also what are the colors you and your fiance like? I would stick to the brown and maybe a hot pink as long as it goes with the venue. With just one color with brown, it tends to make more impact. brown and blue( think:blue hydrangeas) is very nice too.
Can I see a link/pic of your venue and reception area? I could see if the color scheme works.
* brown/pink
*brown/blue
Rose,
* here is a great website
* look at this
Rose,
* look at these colors
* and this beauty
* fuschia and brown
Rose,
* more brown and blue
*this is stunning!!!
* so is this
Rose,
* I am in love with this wedding. OMG!
* here is a board of that wedding
Hi,
I’ve just begun the process of planning a wedding and feel a bit overwhelmed as to where to begin etc. My wedding will not be until September 2011. I know the wedding colors my fiance and I would like to use for our wedding are blue, black and grey or is that silver like the girl in the dress in the picture above is wearing. Can you please give me ideas on how to incorporate these colors? I want to keep it simple yet sophisticated with a touch of chic. We have yet to find a location, but most likely it will be an indoor wedding reception.
Mary,
The dress looks like it would be either platinum or silver. You have a versatile wedding palette. I highly recommend finding a venue first because these colors may not work well. It is easier to work with the venue style and colors instead of vice versa. Some brides choose a color palette and try to make it fit in the venue only to find it was not gonna work, causing stress. For example, a old world ballroom would not look right with a “chic” style decor. I apologize if this is discouraging but once you get your venue I would be happy to find what works!!
Im getting married in October and have found my dress already which is white with a black band….I definately want to use purple in the wedding as its my fiances favorite color and I also like victorian lilac but not sure what purples would go better with my dress..my daughter had the idea of having the bridesmaids in purple blue and green or one in purple and the rest in black…so many Ideas PLEASE HELP!..also its going to be a fairly casual wedding if that helps…
Lori,
If it were me, I would use a black and white palette with purple bouquets. it will have a nice look and will be great in your pics. I wouldnt have the girls in different colors. Since your gonna have a casual wedding, have them wear very simple black dresses of their choice to give “personality” for each girl.
Lori,
Here is a board I made. Just to share the way the colors could go.
* also look at this GREAT wedding
( be sure to look at part 2 to this wedding)
Stacey,
Thank you so much! thats more like what I had in mind and will definately use it! I absolutelty love the wedding pics especially the flowers thank you again!
I have a different kind of question that I hope you can help me with. My husband and I will be celebrating our 7 yr. anniversary by renewing our vows this October. We never had an official wedding, so I am wondering, is it in bad taste to do a gift registery for this occassion? Thanks
Zora,
Unfortunately, a gift registry is not common with vow renewals.
* some links/tips
Does yellow gold go with coffe brown? and are they good colours for wedding?
Alexie,
Did you mean the color yellow-gold or yellow and gold?
* here is the yellow and brown
* here is more of a golden yellow and brown
* more golden yellow
Alexie,
* here is the gold and brown, some pics will have golden yellow bouquets.
* like this one
* here is champagne-gold with yellow and brown
Ok! Stacey I am back with a location location location!!! Super excited about this! We found a spot in town that will work for both the ceremony and reception. It is an indoor/outdoor space that is just gorgeous. It is part of the estate for this historic mansion. It is the cottage and sits next to a pond with fountains. This will be in two parts since we can only post 3 pics per post.. first I will give you the outside area and view of the pond. These were all taken today with my cell phone so I apologize for the quality on some! Oh.. and just to mention.. we are not allowed to use any tape, nails, stickies, tacks, nothing when decorating…..
Here are some pictures of the inside of the cottage. I walked the floor and took casual relaxed steps.. I am 5′9″ tall if that helps figure how long the steps are! It is 22 steps long and 10 steps deep. We can use candles if they are contained or dripless. No open flames otherwise. There are 8- 60″ round tables and 64 chairs for us to use. The room accomodates 64. The closed door on the same wall as the kitchen doorway is the door that leads to one of the restrooms but there is access to it from the kitchen if we were to put something in that corner.
Also.. just a note about the outside doors.. the double doors on either end open but the center doors open but have plate glass windows filling all but the bottom 2 feet of the opening. So I can open them but we wont be able to go in/out there. I figured we could set up the bar and 4 or 5 small 2 person tables outside but I HAVE to set up a small DJ setup in the room. I thought maybe in the corner at the end away from the kitchen that way the music would be heard good outside also.
Ellioja,
beautiful venue. I have some ideas but I want to make sure I am going in the right direction. If it were me I would choose the bouquets to be calla lilies with rhinestone stem stuck in centers. I am thinking simply chic would work here. think large glass cylinders with floating candles if allowed.
* here is the style I am leaning toward( you may have to sign up or sign in at the knot to see this)
* here is another link
Another idea I had was floralytes instead of candles. It would uplight your centerpieces. The total look is amazing for such a budget friendly little submerged light.
* like here
Ellioja,
* actually floralytes is the way I would go to give that “glow” that candles do.
* more pics
* Here they are again, I love the feathers. When paired with the floralytes you get that modern vintage look, which actually goes well with your venue and party atmosphere your after.
Elliola,
* another pic
Another thing is it takes the stress out of putting in the blue accents. It looks amazing with the classic white line too, have white chair covers and your platinum sashes. Look for a more modern approach on the chair sash.
* like this
My husband & I are planning a recommitment ceremony in October of this year. I already have my colors and theme, but the venue is a little tricky. At the moment it is between 3 places. Because of our small, and I do mean small budget, I am leaning towards an outdoor ceremony and reception at a local park. The question is how do I decorate an outdoor gazebo that has tables and seating for a 100 guest. Also the tables are metal & the bench seat attached. You can’t move the tables because they are nailed into place. Our colors are blue and magenta and our theme is us as a couple with a splash of peacock feathers. We want it to be fun, chic, and comfortable. Thanks for your suggestions:)
Zora,
* gazebo pics
* peacock feather ideas
* more pics
Zora,
*I LOVE the use of ribbons on the gazebo for a touch of whimsy, add florals and insert peacock feathers.
Could you let me see a pic of the setting? Also, what color are the metal tables?
The tables are silver.
Zora,
Perfect. With the tables being silver you could use table linens or not. Depending on the type of wedding that your having. If it is very casual picnic style then axe the linens. Or put a matching color table linen then pull in blue and magenta, on silver linens would really pop. The silver would be pulled in through the silverware etc. ( it would actually be your metallic accent).
hi stacey,
am gettin married in africa july 2010. it rains in that time of the year in my country and as such it’s gong to be an indoor event. i also like a 3 colour combo-green,yellow and cream/gold. will it be a nice idea?
Claudia,
absolutely! beautiful combo!
* pics
* real weddings
Claudia,
*Paired with gold silky linens
Claudia,
* pic
* another pic
* real wedding
Hey there! Ok.. I am going to drive myself crazy with ideas! I need help with some focus here! My wedding (providing the military doesn’t for it to be sooner) will be April 16, 2011. Our colors are blue (royal or sapphire with a little navy and lt blue thrown in when needed), silver, and white. I know.. sounds like a lot but the navy and light blue really are just for accents to give it all a little contrast. Maybe.. heck I dont know! I think I’m putting way too much thought into it all. I want sparkly, fun, and different to be the feel of things. We are focus on our food, fun, and music (karaoke will be included since we run karaoke on the side). Very low budget but I am crafty and want to do everything I am capable of on my own. Which is why I am starting now! LOL Please help!!
Ellioja,
Could you tell me a bit about your venue? link or pic? I do like all the blues but paired with the brown it may be to many colors. Usually it is recommended to choose 2 colors, 3 at the most for a pleasing flow tothe eye.
* i Had to throw this in there, it is sparkly and fun
I would most likely stick to one color blue with the brown then pull in the different color blues in the floral centerpieces, add stemware with floating candles ( with diamond confetti in bottoms of glasses and other floral containers).
* look how they did the decor here
Ellioja,
* check out this site and search by color
( under real weddings you can also look at whimsical or budget style weddings)
Thanks for responding! I’m so excited.. I do have one question… where did the brown come from? My colors are blue, silver, and white. I did mention dark blue and light blue but only as accents in the decor.
I have found a lot of things with the ‘two hearts’ theme from Oriental Trading and love those but also would love to be able to incorporate butterflies somehow… I’m just not sure if it is possible to combine the hearts & butterflies or if I need to decide one or the other. I thought maybe I could get some of OTC’s small butterflies and spray with adhesive and then sprinkle with glitter in my colors (a different color per butterfly) and hang from the ceiling over the dance floor so the lights will catch the glitter and put a little more sparkle in the room?!
Oh.. the venue.. so totally not sure. My fiance wants to have the reception at his grandparents church in the chapel with the hall (also in the church) for the reception. I love the idea of having it all in one place but we cannot have alcohol at the church and I really want a champagne toast and to be able to enjoy a few cocktails at the reception. The local Army National Guard armory is rented out often for these things and I think that would be a good thing because while it would take more decorating it would very likely be free since my fiance is a member of the Guard. I do need to go to both and get pictures just to have a visual. If the weather in Oklahoma wasn’t so unpredictable I would love to have a spring wedding outside in the gorgeous Cann Garden here in Ponca City, OK.
Oh please help reign me in a little!
Ellioja,
Oh my gosh! My apologies. I was looking at brown for another bride! LOL. I would choose either hearts or butterflies as a main motif. That sounds fun, love hanging the butterflies from the room. You could also have some on centerpieces. Wherever guests will be they could catch a glimpse of a butterfly. The color scheme might be a tad difficult without a venue due to unforeseen color clash. It is always best to have the venue so you can work your colors in. Let me know if you want the hearts or the butterflies and I can still pull some ideas.
Ok.. so we are doing to do hearts. They are so much easier to find and work with, in my opinion! LOL My fiance made his one and only executive decision and he used it for that! LOL So its hearts, brilliant blue, sparkly silver, and (as he puts it) stormtrooper white. LOL Did I mention that I vetoed his executive decision to have a Star Wars wedding?! We’ve been discussing the weather in Northern Oklahoma for April and it seems like it is usually pretty nice. We would both like the idea of an outdoor wedding for the free bounty of natures beauty. LOL I heard someone say that on tv this morning.. I digress. The reception options are the national guard armory which is this drab gray/green/browny color, the church hall which is a neutral light beigy color, or one of two halls that are white.. all big open spaces and very generic. Except the armory which looks like an armory with lockers lining the walls but a lot of people use it for things like this. I just want someplace I can serve cocktails. With his confusing (moms been married 5 times) family that doesn’t always get along I will definitely need a drink! Ok.. next step please? I can try to get some pictures!
Lizz
I am getting married in april and the colors I choose are rust & ivory do any one know anywhere i can get rust colored rose that are real.
Crystal,
You should be able to ask your florist for them.
* look at them here
* ask for rust leonida roses
also try fiftyflowers.com
Hi! we have decided to marry this november amist the beautiful fall scenery here in the south! middle november, i am thinking darker fall colors, particularly cranberry or hunter greens, with complements of golds??? any suggestions?
Jessica,
* fall weddings
* this is beautiful!
Are you wanting to include oranges and purples? I am thinking a color palette will look good( like this bouquet pic)
* or this
* scroll down for gorgeous autumn wedding
jessica,
* this is nice
* okay this is pretty ( add pears in the mix and bring in some great fall foliage)
* some nice ideas
Jessica,
Thought I was done! Then I found some things saved in my favorites that I forgot about.
* check this out!!!
* you could do something like this using cream, gold, and green and not compete with the scenery. Add some glitter covered pears or plain pears in a bed of diamond or crystal confetti.
hi, I love this page and all the information. Am from Ghana and am getting married in August 2010. I have chosen lemon green, gold and white. Do you think they are a good combination?
Queen,
Are you wanting the colors lemon, green, gold, and white or the lemon-green color with gold and white?
I’m gettin married in May of this year, and my fiance is in the Marines. So I chose the colors red and white. Does anyone think they would look good or should I change it? Please help with any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated since I am the only one planning my wedding
Melissa,
yes it will look very nice.
* real military wedding in red and white
Melissa,
*reception ideas
* more ideas
Hi stacey,
I’m getting married this year and would like to know if the combination of baby pink and grey/silver would be a good match.
I need ideas for groomsmen and brides maids.
Was also thinking of incorporating a little red in the mix.
What do u think
Mo,
For lots of pop I would either go with the red/grey or pink/grey. To me, when mixing to many colors with grey it loses its wow factor. But pair grey with a color and you have got a winning color scheme!
* I personally love the pink and grey
* red and grey
What is your wedding date? And the venue colors?
Hi All,
I really need help and suggestions. Barely four months to my wedding, I am yet to make up my mind on the colour that goes best with burnt orange.
I haven’t been able to get the gowns for my bridesmaids because of this. I considered combining burnt orange and olive green but one of my friend’s thinks the combi isn’t nice. What do you think?
Please help a sister out.
Jess,
Greenand orange is a beautiful combo!
*pics
* more pics
* boards and ideas
I used red and burnt orange. Everyone (including my mother) thought that I was crazy until they saw it all come together. I think that it turned out absolutely beautiful! Good luck!
Have you thot bout Champagne and Burnt Orange? Burnt Orange goes with so many things. A Pale yellow would look nice also
I did burnt orange and red and in my opinion, it was absolutely beautiful! Good luck!!
my friend had a burnt orange and ivory wedding it was really nice if that gives you any ideas.
Hie,am planning my wedding for August 2010,and in my country Botswana it would be after winter.Am in love with the colours chocolate brown with yellow,or either with pink or blue….help with making a good combination.
nkamo, I love both. It depends on the shade of blue and pink your wanting. If it is hot pink/navy then I love that. And you venue which colors will work better.
* here is some yellow/brown
* pink and blue
* navy and hot pink
* this is nice too.
Hey Stacey thank you for your response,HELPED A LOT…. i have decided to go with chocolate brown and yellow as my theme colours,however we need help with what colour suits can the groomsmen wear if the bridesmaids are TO wear a yellow dress with a chocolate brown bow OR a chocolate brown dress with a yellow bow…..help
nkamo,
The guys can wear black with a brown tie and vest yellow boutonniere. Not to worry, alot of weddings use the brown dress/black suit/tux combo. If your not keen on that, you could always do khaki, for a more casual celebration. But see if the guys would wear brown cause if they did they could match the girls brown tux withy yellow tie/vest. groom in simple brown and white. you may also like the combo of guys in white. I prefer the brown or the black tux.
nkamo,
forgot to help with the girls! I would get them to try on these two colors and see if it suits their skintone. If not, then you could see if champagne with brown sash would then have guys in black or brown with champagne vest. then pull inthe yellow in the bouquets. then in the reception have white linens with champagne runners and your yellow centerpieces.
I am considering black and lavender as my theme colours. Any ideas how I can blend these two colours? Photos will help!
Kundai,
*lavender and black
* real wedding
* wedding board
* more pics
Someone mentioned the colors Black, Hot Pink, & White! I am LOVING these colors together!!! Maybe even with a little sparkle of silver or gold in there somewhere… I like sparkles! lOl. Anywho, I was thinking either pink or dark purple with bronze for my wedding colors, but I like the Black & Hot Pink look too. Does anyone have any photographs or ideas on any of these? Thank You! I change my mind sooo much… is this normal?? Maybe it’s becuase I have so much time to plan it that I change my mind so much? Our wedding (renewal of vows actually… we didnt have a wedding the first time) Feb 2011.
Jo, It is quite normal to change your mind. There is so many colors out there( and I know the more I look at colors the more I like…well…. tons of them)lol.
* black and hot pink
* really pretty
* diamond wedding
* more pics
* pink and bronze/copper
* pics/boards
I am in love with the black and hot pink. There was more emphasis on the black/white/hot pink than the other color scheme. I am thinking that is the one you should go with.
I have decided on using canary as my main color for my wedding. Can you provide me with some help on decorations/flowers. I am getting married August 2010 and going for the classy/elegant look. Right now we are looking at green as an accent or orange/peach.
courtney,
have you thought about grey? it is gorgeous.
*wedding board
*yellow and peach
*yellow and orange
*yellow and green
*yellow real wedding
*great decor ideas here, even though not your colors
*beautiful
*elegant yellow
* i love this!
*type in color combo and look at pics
courtney,
couldnt resist this one…
* i would choose this it, it has all 3 colors and has that summer/early fall look
classy/elegant and jawdropping!!