By Katie Ellis
Floral by The Flower Market
Design by Forevermore Events
Photos by Gideon Photography
Brides today are using big and bold color to make their weddings pop. The days of choosing one accent color for a wedding of white are long gone. Now that color is taking more of a leading role, it’s important to not only pick the right tones and shades but also to know where and how to use the color.
The first thing to consider when choosing your colors is location. If your wedding is inside a reception hall with burgundy walls and forest green carpet covered in white fleur-de-lis designs, your dusty plum and peacock combination will definitely clash.
If it’s an outdoor wedding with Dixie’s beautiful red rock as the backdrop, consider using a cobalt blue. Colors opposite from one another on the color wheel like blue and orange, and purple and yellow, make each other seem more intense. If you’re not looking to be quite so bold, try picking two or three hues that lie next to each other on the color wheel. While the bolder colors add drama, soft colors can evoke a more romantic atmosphere.
Next, consider the season of your wedding. Colors for fall and winter weddings are generally darker while spring and summer weddings tend be lighter. A good idea is to seek inspiration from the flowers that will be in season during your wedding, since flowers will be one of the main elements in your wedding to demonstrate color.
While much of the color trends from past decades should be left in your Aunt Jane’s wedding album, don’t forget about the past altogether when choosing your color palette. Some of the trendy shades for spring and summer weddings come from yesteryear but think less 1980s and more 1890s. Just picture the depression glass in shades of olive green, azure and rose that are sitting on your great grandmother’s mantel or even her candles and candlesticks in rich shades of plum, fuchsia and platinum.
A great place to start looking for inspiration is at a fabric store. Get swatches of your favorite fabrics and set them side-by-side. See which combinations you like and go from there. Not only can you use some of your fabric choices for the bridesmaid gowns and table coverings, but some of the swatches could even cover your guest book or be incorporated into the favors for each of the guests to take home and remember forever.
Even though color will play an important part of the mood and feeling of your wedding, don’t cover every inch with your palette choice. It’s easy to get carried away and end up with a matchy-matchy look that leaves your guests thinking and dreaming only in fuchsia. Begin with the attire, invitations, flowers, cake and favors. Once those elements are covered, then you can consider adding colors elsewhere.
Whether you’re hoping your wedding celebration will be a casual and quaint country affair, a romantic Victorian reception, or a bold and boppin’ bash, color is the key to setting the right mood and theme. While choosing colors might not be an easy task, make it fun and enjoy making your wedding day the one you have dreamed of since you were a little girl.
