The Perfect Wedding Color Scheme: 10 Easy Tips To Help You Find It
One of the most exciting deliberations of the wedding planning process is the color scheme. Suddenly, inspiration is everywhere! From magazines to scatter cushions, your best friend’s new car to your grandmother’s tea set, there’s so much color to be had!
Our aim is to prevent our brides and couples from feeling overwhelmed and guide them through a simple process that ends with a beautifully executed, high quality and fitting result. Take a look at these handy hints on how to narrow down the options and choose a wedding color scheme that suits you and your couple!
Think beyond neutrals
Peaches, pinks, soft pastels and natural colors are the “go-to’s” for color schemes - but they don’t have to be. There are no hard and fast rules about the depth of color you can use as long as it suits your venue and theme.
For an Indian style wedding with ethnic influences, a baby pink chair sash would look out of place. Equally, an opulent medieval castle wedding wouldn’t pair well with a subtle lilac table runner.
Don’t be afraid to play with deep reds, murky blues or emerald greens. If neutrals aren’t for you, then they aren’t for your wedding day either.
What suits your skin tone
Think about what suits your skin tone and that of your bridesmaids. Redheads look striking in green, blondes clash with yellow, and brunettes look fabulous in purples and blues - there are loads of great pairings to be had. Start with your own wardrobe and take a look at what hues you find yourself gravitating to. Is it pastel? Is it bright? Could you choose a shade of your favorite color rather than the color itself?
Be inspired by the venue
As mentioned in the first point, your venue can help to influence your color scheme. If you’re getting married at a wedding venue, ask to see their portfolio, check out blogs of the venue online and comb through colors that they’ve used before. You might see something you love, but you’ll certainly find colors you can rule out.
Get inspired by fashion & home decor
Sometimes, the perfect color is staring right at you! The subtle lining of a suit jacket, the petal detail on a dress. Inspiration can come from anywhere and you can create a feature color from any aspect of your gorgeous day. Make sure you’re not just looking at the big picture and zoom in on the little details that you included because you love them. Perhaps that ‘something borrowed’ could inspire the entire day? Is ‘something blue’ the color for you?
Think about the season
When we suggest considering colors that are appropriate for the season, we don’t mean red for a festive wedding and orange tones in the autumn. The weather and the season can influence your color palette in different ways. For example, bright colors can help to spruce up a wintery wedding, or deep reds can create a stunning contrast to a summer woodland ceremony. In the autumn, sunsets turn red and pink—tones that could inspire a beautiful sunset shot in your pinkish cover-up. Similarly, if you’re having a summer beach wedding, golden hues and bright yellows might not show up against sun and sand - whereas sea green of sparkling turquoise would look striking.
Be florally inspired
Gorgeous blooms are a great source of inspiration for your wedding color scheme. Take a visit or two to the florist, garden stores and local public gardens to get a feel for the colors that stand out to you. Better yet, buy some of the flowers you think you like! Having them in your home and looking at them often will quickly let you know whether you love them enough have that tone on your special day.
Check out the professionals
Ever heard of the term "Pantone colors?” Pantone “provides a universal language of color that enables color-critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers.”
From color IQ tests to seasonal color trends and the annual unveiling of their "Pantone Color of the Year," Pantone has the “skinny” on what’s in fashion. The "It" color for the upcoming year is expected to be announced in December.
For the Fall/Winter 2021/2022 New York Fashion Week (NYFW) Color Palette, jewel tones and earthy hues stole the show. Rich emerald green, sapphire blue and ruby red, bright yellow, hot pink, romantic pink, dusty blue and earthy browns were all front and centre.
As for Spring/Summer 2022 NYFW, soft pastel pink and blue, teal, hot pink and statement purple made the grade.
Think about the mood
An intimate, close family nuptial will feel very different from a 200+ strong wedding party. Think about the vibe you want to achieve. If it’s a relaxed and charming aesthetic, look at romantic colors and warm tones. If you’re going for opulence and splendor, golds or silvers might be a better fit for the occasion. Think about color associations and what kind of mood they’ll set.
Do your research
A logistical point, but just as valid. It’s heartbreaking to discover that your chosen color is no longer in style or readily available. Before you set your heart on anything for your wedding, check that you can get your hands on it. Be sure to search around and start the process early, just in case you need to order items from overseas.
Go with your gut
To conclude, despite all the advice above, our biggest tip is this: Don’t overthink it. Sometimes, you like something just because you like it. If you and your partner are happy with your color scheme, don’t let the venue, family or fashion magazines sway you - it's your day and the choice is yours!
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