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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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.
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!!
I am hosting an at home recommitment ceremony. I would like to get married in front of the fireplace. Any suggestions on how to decorate this area. I am not into flowers and am looking for a more modern feel in this area. thanks
zora,
i know you dont care for flwoers but here is a very nice pic, might give ideas…
*fireplace
*wow!!
candles would be my #1 choice. whether pillar candles or flaoting candles in cylinder vases marching across the mantel.
*example
Hi Ladies!
So if anyone has any ideas for me… also BM dresses and ties for the GM’s, that would be Awesome!! Thank You So Much & God Bless!
My hubby and I are renewing our vows in Feb 2011 for our 5 year anniversary. We were originally married by Justice of the Peace. Anywho, I am thinking our wedding colors may be a deep/dark purple and bronze. Can anyone please give me decor ideas… centerpiece ideas… Oh! And we would like to incorporate white doves into our wedding theme as well. Our budget is frugral, and I will be doing most of the crafts myself such as putting the centerpieces together. I looove crafts!!!
Jo,
are you still wanting to go with purple and bronze? what style is your anniversary? would love to help!!
Hi Stacy! We are now debating between pink and purple with the bronze. I love the way that dark puple looks with bronze, however, pink is truely my favorite color… bright pink to light pink. I’m not sure what you mean by style of our anniversary though.
Jo,
oops! i meant the formality and theme( if any). modern, romantic, minimalist? i do love the way pink looks with bronze. with pink you can use light or deeper pink and it will still look fantastic.
*i had to use pink and copper to get results, it is so similar
* this with the shades of pink to purples would be gorgeous with bronze ( isnt this bouquet stunning!!)
Help, I just got engaged and I’m trying to figure out some good colors to use. We haven’t set a date yet, but its going to be sometime next fall or winter. I was thinking about light colors like baby pink, lavender, and powder blue. but with it being so late in the year would those colors work? I also really like hot pink, black, and white…
raeann,
hi! it really depends on the look you are trying to create. also your venue will play a big role in this. i personally love the hot pink black and white color scheme. with the pastels will need to be carefully done cause of its tendency to be used in baby showers.
I am also having an issue with the dress color for the mother of the bride and groom. Wedding colors are marigold yellow, kelly green, and black. My bridesmaids are wearing black with yellow and geen accessories. What color do you think their dresses should be? Can they wear a color that is not in the color scheme?
Zora,
yes they can wear a color not in the color scheme, just make sure it does not clash with the overall color scheme though. your color scheme is on the bolder side ( sounds very nice) i also think a neutral or a shade of green could go nice here. just make sure they pick something they love and feel comfy in, goes with their skintone. a beautiful grey or a dark cream( as long as you dont care about her wearing a shade close to white with black accessories), would compliment or a yellow. if she wants to steer clear of the wedding colors stick to subdued but elegant colors. another color would be a bronze, brown, or a deep gold, or a champagne, any of these should work very well. unless you have no preference and decide to follow the road of todays bride that allows the bm to pick a dress and colro of their choosing. I love that! Really brings back the way things use to be. you could opt to have the mothers do that. i would limit them to certain colors, no white, black, or reds.
HI Zora! I had read below where you said that you didn’t want your BM’s to carry flowers… I was wondering what you used instead? Although I do LOVE flowers, I wanted to be a little creative and “differnt”.
Also, CONGRATS GIRLY!!! Your wedding is this month… YAY!! 
I need help figuring out what color dresses for my mother and mother-in-law at my wedding. The colors are davids bridal apple, ivory, gold and a hit of champagne. I have my sister, brother and brother in law wearing the champagne color dress and tie and vests. I am not sure what color that they should wear to match. Any help would be appreciated. thanks Frances
frances,
your mother and mother in law, could go with a shade of green or even wear a deep gold( as long as it flatters their skintone). have them pick a complimenting color for your color scheme. even brown or a dusty rose would look nice. as a rule the mother of the bride chooses her dress first and the mother of the groom picks a compliment color. if she is wearing burgundy for example, then the mog doesnt pick a shade of green. it wouldnt look good in pics. they shouldnt wear anything white or more formal than the bride or bridal party. there are many shades of green that would work so pretty with this, even if its a beige or gold and sage ensemble fo example. it depends on how well you want the colors to blend. neutrals are a wonderful place to start especially classic colors. it will make it easier with the bridal party in champagne and i am assuming the florals will be mostly apple and white or ivory. so if they chose to wear navy it would be beautiful.
frances, i posted before i finished my last sentence, with a universal floral and champgne dress colors, navy wouldnt look out of place. since champagne and green/white go with practically everything. so if this is the case then your inluck. it willopen up more colors for you. just keep them subdued or classic which is browns, greys, ( no red, cream, ivory, or white), navy blue, beige,etc. i think the neutrals will please them cause they are more wear again friendly. and pops of apple green in the corsage will be so pretty.
I need help with choosing colors for my wedding. We are getting married at our church and the church floor and pews are blue… pic attached…please help with determing colors to use.
Thanks.
I forgot to mention that the wedding will be in August.
courtney, you are in luck! there are several beautiful colors that would work. do you have some colors that you like versus ones you dont? that would be a great place to start, plus you can narrow ones down from there. also it depends on the type of look you are after. here is some results that will show you some beautiful colors that will go with blue, it also depends if you want to go bold, softer, do you prefer neutrals etc?
*blue wedding boards
also you can sign up at theknot.com once you login head over tothe wedding photos link ( in the wedding categories section) it will bring you to color galleries. the easiest way to see what jumps out at you is color galleries. also look in your closet to see what colors you gravitate to. i would love to help more if you could give me a few more details. cant wait to hear form ya!!
I want to have an elegant, classy wedding. I really like the champagne color and maybe some accent colors that would go with it to look elegant against the color of the church. I don’t want blue as one of the colors.
courtney,
no problem. have you thought about having champagne with accents of mocha? or gold?
*champagne wedding
*this is super elegant
*simple white and gold would be pretty
*white and gold wedding
The wedding is for October of this year. I am doing the Jamaican theme. Is October the wrong month to be doing a Jamaican themed wedding? The venue is indoors and we will transform the reception as much as possible. People are starting to say that it should be done in the Summer. What do you think. My husband and I are thrilled. The Jamaican theme fits our personalities.
zora,
i would do what made me and my fh happy. i love the theme ANY time of the year. there is not wrong month to have a destination themed wedding of a particular place that has special meaning to you both. i would keep and plan my wedding as intended. everyones ideas of planning a wedding would be different. that is why we have such a wonderful array of different weddings. we each each have our own tastes and interests. you will have more stress than you should in this happy time unless you go with your heart and not what should be expected. afterall this is about a day that reflects you and your honey’s personalities and a chance to give the guests a glimpse of that. so throw out the wedding “rule” book and enjoy one of the happiest milestones in your life! i wish you all the best!! remember Jamaica has october too! it just stays the same year through and that is what your wedding theme is based on; not a origin wedding theme of where you currently reside!!
i am hopeully gettin married in 2010 not yet set a date due till illness but am gettin things in order .. wud like to kno wat everybody thinks of the colours purple n ivory ?. n decor for the garden im avin init in!!!!!!
Depends on the shade of the purple. Do yu want dark purple or pastel purple? it would be better light purple with ivory.
ann,
hi!! i ran across this wedding and thought you might enjoy this.
*real wedding vow weddings
perfect for a garden wedding.
*style me pretty real wedding ( this has got to be the most beautiful wedding!!) i love they are using light to dark shades of purple instead of just one.
*purple and ivory wedding image results ( there are some beauties here!!)
happy hunting!!
I am having a Jamaican inspired wedding. My colors are red, green, yellow, and black. I am stuck on decorations. I am not into flowers and I can’t think of anything else where I can show my love for Jamaica. I do however like balloons. I have been told that balloons should not be used for weddings only for kid parties. Please help my wedding is less than 3 months away and I don’t have a clue. Also don’t want to do flowers for the BMs. Any other suggestions?
hi, i am planning to do my weddind God willing september 2010 which is my month of birth or early 2011 but my problem is as to which of my fovourate colours to use, help me. i really want something unique and it should be three colours. the colours are rose pink,lemon green,sea blue,gold,ash,purple & brown. i am very cute. you can also give me other colors combinations you have in mind.God bless you.
dicta,
i would need to see your venue and know the style of the wedding to go in the right direction. you could choose a color scheme and have a unique theme. what type wedding will it be casual or other? which of these are your more fave colors? also i could derive a color scheme from your hobbies too. even your fh. cant wait to hear from you!!
purple, sea blue and ash!!!!
Please help i am getting married in June of 2011 and have not yet started picking out colors i know i want Clover green for a color does any one else have any ideas about another color that would look good with Clover thank you
deidre,
can you tell me what your venue looks like and what you want your wedding to look like?
*clover green wedding
*clover green wedding board
*clover green real wedding
Ok, I need help in deciding something. I am getting married in July of 2011. Yes, I know that is a long way away. But I need help choosing colors. I really want to have tiger lillies as my flowers for both me and the girls. So my only option I thought that would even go good with tiger lillies would be chocolate brown dresses. Please let me know if you have any other ideas for dress colors that would go good with those flowers. Just email me your responses. Thanks.
Jessica
jessica,
i have a page i want you to see. it is mainly white with tiger lilies and hot pink or fuschia roses.
*wedding flowers and ideas
there are alot of colors that go with orange tiger lilies. navy blue would be nice.
*wedding colors
*orange and navy
*orange wedding board( this will show different pairings)
i hope this helps, it is gonna be very difficult without your venue, so i could see the style and the colors. also it depends on what type wedding you like. i personally love the pink and orange combo above. bm could be in lighter pink so the bouquets would pop. i am partial to very clean streamlined looking settings though and this is very much clean and fresh looking. you could also put the bm in fuschia. that would be very nice.
Please help! I’m hoping to have an end of May 2010 wedding if I can get the planning process going but I’m soo stuck on choosing colors. Pink has always been a favorite and I was thinking a champagne and light pink wedding however my fiance has a very light complexion, very blonde hair, and his job requires him to spend a good amount of time outside daily; thus, causing him to usually have a red skin color (on his face and arms). So I have a few questions. First, are those colors spring almost summer appropriate? Should champagne be the primary color with pink accents or vice versa? Now if I do pink with champagne and the BM dresses are pink I’m afraid that in photos my fiances’ facial color will stand out more… Is that something that shouldn’t matter or wouldn’t stand out ya think? My other option is to do a dark purple and maybe silver or gold? I haven’t got very far in that thought process but are those spring almost summer appropriate colors as well? I want to do something that is classy yet fun… Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Deanne,
champagne and light pink are always appropriate for any time of year!! all you have to do is modify it to make it fit and flowers are the key tothat. example: winter wedding? use pink poinsettas.
i would go with pink and champagne cause purple will only pull out the red skin color more. the thing to do here is go straight to a fabric store and look at the colors and put them next to him to see which ones work better. i understand you wanting him to look less red in the pics. another is make sure your bm look good in champagne and have a pink sash or vice versa. another thing you can do is have some girls in pink some in champagne and have the alternate colors for the sashes or bouquet ribbon colors. like pink bridesmaid have champagne roses and ribbon. chamapagne? have pink flowers and ribbon. just make sure there is enough textures to make it stand out since the flowers and ribbons will be same tone on tone.
to counteract red…green is usually brought in. i would also consider a simple green and white with pink flowers. a main green would usually do the trick. i would still do the fabric swatches to see which works best.
Hi girls,
I recently got engaged and am planning my wedding, set for July 31, 2010. I’m at a loss for colors, although your site is giving me some ideas! While I know it’s summer, I sort of envison wine-inspired colors, like deep purples, blues, greens, etc. My reception is in a state park and my reception hall has exposed wood beams in the ceiling, which will be a cool rustic feel. Do you think I can pull off darker colors in the summer? What would work well as accents to lighten it up?
emily,
vineyard wedding sounds like it might be perfect for this!!
*vineyard themed wedding board
*vineyard real wedding
*vineyard wedding
i would use simple white linens to lighten things up. saveoncrafts.com has sorted colors of faux grapes. add them to your centerpieces. have beautiful grapevine touches with faux grape clusters. have your white wedding cake with a bed of assorted colored grape clusters around base. you could use a grapevine and grapes motif thruout from invites to napkins. i would surely use the darker colors and it will be perfect!! let me know!!
I have finally decided on my colors, they are dark purple, magenta, and black. I have not yet decided on a theme. I want it too be simple and sexy. Problem is I don’t know what kind of decor, invitations, or favors to go with. Please help. Our wedding is in October.
chelly,
what color is your bm dresses?
*purple and magenta wedding
*wedidng board
* wedding board style me pretty ( i know this is not the exact colors but it is simple and sexy and could easily work with your colors)
to get a sexy feel have deep linens then have magenta and flowers in black vases, accent with black napkins, even a black and white damask printed napkin would work(better), have tons of simple votives on the tables. feather centerpieces are all the rage, simple, and SEXY!!
*weding centerpiece
*ostrich feather wedding centerpiece
saveoncrafts.com is where you wanna go for feathers and eiffel tower vases. i just quoted another bride…12 for $5.99 each.
let me know whattcha think.
My bm dresses are magenta. I really like the black vases and flowers. What do you think of peacock feathers with this color scheme? Would that go with the damask look or will that look too busy?
chelly,
i like the peacock feathers but if you use these, have subtle touches of them. or place a peacock feather on each place setting. i wouldnt go with damask if you use peacock feathers, after looking at some pics i would go with one or the other. go here to take a look at feathers…
*assorted feathers
DO BURGUNDY,NAVY BLUE,SILVER, AND BLACK GO TOGETHER AS A WEDDING COLOR
Fee,
could you tell me a little about your wedding idea? what color are you wanting your bridal party to wear? i will be able to go from there. also what does your venue look like? i am thinking it might look to busy.
I need help getting married dec 6,2009. I have my wedding colors as burgundy and gold but people are telling me those are too dark colors. Any ideas of what other color would go with burgundy?
i need help time is running out
glendy,
burgundy and gold are actually perfect for a december wedding. it depends on the look you are going for.
*burgundy and gold image search
*burgundy and gold wedding board
*burgundy red and gold wedding
*red and gold wedding
i am hoping all these help.i have included red and gold searches cause usually burgundy is listed under red. i would have a main palette of gold and white and then pull in the burgundy. if your not using white then use gold linens with the burgundy centerpieces. have winter greenery mixed in for a more romantic garden look or axe the greenery for a more modern streamlined look. i would go with what i love cause it is your wedding vision!!
someone else may not have the same vision as you. so go for it!! i think it would be amazing! why not include winter berries etc. in your floral decor. have the bm in champagne gold or light gold. as long as it suits their skintone. also dont overlook the option of having them in classic black or brown. it would work perfect with this palette. i wish you the best!
Hell no the colors are perfect!!!!!!!!!
My Fiance and I met in grade school so we have decided to get married in the gymnasium we are going to use the school colors which are Royal Blue and Gold (yellow).I need some kind od ideas for flowers and ways to decorate. seems like when i decide i like something, i change my mind
kasey,
here are a few links….
*royal blue and yellow wedding
*wedding pics
*blue and yellow gold wedding board
*2008
Blue & Yellow Preppy Wedding ( i really love this one)
*gym wedding
*gymnasium wedding
*navy blue and yellow wedding
the key here is to keep it looking promish. you could go many ways in the linens from white to yellow to blue. depending on the type of mood you want. if you want more romantic use a pale blue linen with deeper blue and yellow centerpieces or white with the same centerpieces. i think a lemon theme would be perfect with this from the invites to the centerpieces. it would give a low key but beautiful vibe. i wouldnt do gold linens. i am thinking it may give off a less wedding look. i marked a link above i thought was perfect. i listed navy with yellow cause it gave more results yet gave off the same idea. i love the streamlined look and i think this would be so perfect for the gym; with lots of candlelight. i didnt know if you were using any lighting or draping effects in the decor. however, i think i would axe the draping and pull in tons of assorted sized white paper lanterns strung from overhead. unless you plan to use alot of draping. it would close in the space of the gym for a more intimate feeling. i know it may be a long shot asking someone to go to the ceiling to tie paper lanterns but i think if it can be done i would!!
let me knowif this is the idea you were thinking! if you need more help let me know!! 