Choosing Wedding Colors

One of the first decisions that need to be made regarding your wedding is what colors to use. The choice will affect everything from the flower arrangements to the stationery to the centerpieces and everything in between. Unless you have a clear favorite color, selecting the color scheme for your wedding day can be a daunting task. Here are some simple ideas to make the task easier:

1. Seasonal Inspiration: What time of year are you getting married? Deep colors like brown, rust, and burgundy are natural choices for a fall wedding, while breezy pastels work great in spring and summer. Let the natural colors of the season determine your wedding colors. As an added bonus, outdoor photos will look fabulous when you take your cue from nature.

2. Venue Accent: If you have your heart set on a particular location for the ceremony or reception, allow it to direct your color choices. Consider the space where your nuptials or celebration will be held and select hues that accent. If a color is prevalent in wall décor, flooring, or surroundings, be careful not to choose a color palette that will clash.

3. Trust Your Instincts: If the wedding date or location hasn’t been set yet and your wedding is essentially a blank canvas, trust your own instincts or tastes. Are there one or two colors that keep coming to mind? When you envision your big day, what do you see? Go with your gut. In the end, when you look back on your wedding day, you’ll be happy that you selected a color that you love and represents who you are, rather than the current trend of the day.

4. Trust Others’ Instincts: If you’re at a total loss of what you want, browse wedding magazines, websites, and photos to gather ideas. Bookmark web pages or tear out photos from magazines of anything that catches your eye. Once you’ve collected several images, compare them and see if a clear theme or color scheme is present.

5. Flower Power: Flowers are a great way to determine the color scheme of your wedding. If you have your heart set on using a specific bud, let it be the color inspiration. A lot of flowers come in various shades, but stop by the local florist or flip through a floral book and see what draws you in. You might be surprised to find yourself pulled towards sunny wildflowers or dramatic orchids.

6. Create a Theme: Maybe you feel like colors are irrelevant but that a theme is incredibly important. What is it? Do you want an ultra-modern wedding or something romantic? Whimsical or preppy? Once you determine the overall theme, it’ll be easier to select colors to support it.

Wedding Colors 2011