How well your wedding comes together does not depend solely on the cake, invitations, centerpieces, where you choose to get married or even where you hold your reception. Instead, the general look relies on the theme you choose, your wedding colors and how well you incorporate the two. Here we will talk about selecting your wedding colors.
In previous years, brides traditionally worked within a white wedding theme. Brides now are working with a broader palette, with bold colors, accent colors and combination colors. Here follows a process for choosing your wedding colors.
The first step in selecting your colors is to coordinate with the wedding location. Decide on where the wedding will occur, then consider what colors may be appropriate for the venue. The type of location will also matter as to what colors may go along with the space. For example, a country club may be well suited for a nautical blue wedding while a more rustic setting will lend itself to earthy tones. A green colored venue may not go along well with a hot pink wedding motif.
Secondly, pick the colors that you like best. Try looking through art galleries, or scanning through wedding magazines. A country wedding style may be suitable with a brown and yellow theme. Green with cantaloupe may be chic on a riverside wedding. Nautical blue and red stripes can be perfect for a navy wedding. If there are many rooms in the wedding venue, try creating a theme for each room to have multiple ambiences.
Once you narrow your choices, you will then choose the precise shade of colors. You may decide on green as one of your wedding colors. What exact shade of green will you use; lime, blue-green, olive? If you cannot decide on one particular color, mix two or even three to five colors as wedding motif. Try a combination of your favorite colors. Make sure they blend really well, even if they collide and contrast. Take, for example, the pink and orange wedding. These colors may collide depending on the shades used or they may compliment each other beautifully. Hot pink and burnt orange wedding colors, for instance, clash while coral pink and tangerine complement.
Most every detail of the wedding will coordinate with the wedding color. Here are some specific elements that are greatly affected by the wedding color.
The attire, particularly the gown can be perfect white. If the bride decides to accentuate her gown, she can choose among her wedding colors.
The bridesmaid dresses should be in the wedding colors.
The wedding invitations should also reflect the wedding color, as it stages the event. The invitation sets the mood you want to evoke on you wedding day, as well. As you coordinate the color of the invitations to the wedding color, match the font, monogram and ribbons or buttons, to create uniformity.
The flowers will complement the color you pick for your wedding theme. One important note about flowers is that the availability and affordability of the flowers to use in coordination with the wedding color may become an issue. If the flowers you want are off-season, and thus are too costly, try using neutral shades for the flowers and accessorize centerpieces with color coordinated ribbons.
The colors for the wedding cake are an element that is the easiest to manipulate when it comes to colors.
The color or combination of your wedding affects the mood of the event. Thus, in creating the desired mood you want for you big day, try playing with the colors. What emotions do you want to express? Peaceful, relaxing and calm? Romantic? Active or vibrant? It's up to you.
Julie Carlson is a freelance writer and contributing author for Lovely Wedding Confetti, a site all about weddings and wedding planning.
