Wedding Colors

Choosing Your Wedding Color Scheme

The colors that you choose for your wedding day set the style and tone for your entire day. You can use color in your bridesmaids' dresses, decorations, cake, favors, flowers, accessories, table linens and even the invitations! Choose colors you love and that you'll be happy with for the entire time leading up to the big day, but also consider the following:

1. Where is the wedding and reception? Choose colors that complement the setting. Consider the carpeting, drapery and decor, etc.
2. What mood do you want to create? Vibrant colors add drama, while soft colors evoke a more romantic atmosphere. Red and cream for instance creates a very romantic atmosphere, and soft blues and sands create more of a beach relaxed feel.
3. What time of year will you marry? The season may influence your color scheme. Spring and summer colors tend to be lighter, while fall and winter colors are generally darker.

Although much has been written on how colors effect our moods and emotions, colors mean different things in different cultures, so avoid focusing too much on them. The following two tools can help you choose a coordinated color scheme.

1. Color Wheel - A color wheel helps you choose coordinating colors. It is made out of three primary colors: red, blue and yellow, plus a blend of in-between colors. Below are three color-choosing strategies that will ensure you pick a well coordinated color scheme. Read more about color theory if this is something that interests you.
   
   • "Complementary" colors means choosing colors that are opposite each other on the wheel, such as red and green.
   • "Analogous" means the colors lie next to each other on the wheel, such as red, red-orange, and orange.
   • "Monochromatic" means variations of the same tone, such as bright red, dark red, etc.
   
   
   

Tips: Try to limit your main colors to two or three so as not to look too jumbled and stay consistent with your colors throughout the wedding site. Use a few subdued colors for an elegant look. Enjoy your planning, because it all goes so fast!