We all remember Julia Roberts’ declaration in Steel Magnolias that her wedding colors would be “blush and bashful.” Today choosing a wedding color theme is a much more complicated task. Deciding on the perfect colors for your wedding is one of the first and most important jobs for a bride-to-be. There are many questions to take into consideration about shade choice. What mood do you want to create? Vibrant colors add drama, while soft colors evoke a more romantic atmosphere. What time of year will you marry? The season in which you marry can greatly influence your color scheme. Spring and summer colors themes tend to be lighter, while fall and winter colors are generally richer and darker. There are some tools that can help you determine how to answer the many questions that come with choosing colors. Here are some fun and easy ways to select the cornerstone for your décor.

The 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. There are three different ways to use the color wheel to choose combinations.

Monochromatic Scheme

The monochromatic scheme uses many shades of a single color. Each bridesmaid could wear different shade of blue for her dress, and the bouquets include irises, lilies, and delphinium. This scheme looks clean and elegant. Monochromatic colors go well together, producing a soothing effect. The monochromatic scheme is very easy on the eyes, especially with blue or green hues.

Related Scheme

Consider having related tones; ones adjacent to each other on the color wheel. An example of this would be green bridesmaid’s dresses with blue sashes. Related colors may also include maroon and plum, pink and lavender, or lemon and sage. These colors make decorating a breeze.

Complementary Scheme

Complementary shades are located opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, lavender and pale yellow, or forest green and burgundy. If you really love one hue in particular, you might want to highlight it among neutrals. So, bridesmaid dresses might be cream with purple sashes, groomsmen might wear off-white tuxedos with purple boutonnieres, and bouquets might be stephanotis, white roses, and lavender sweet pea. Complementary colors are very popular choices for weddings because they add vibrancy and contrast. Examples include pale yellow and lilac, pink and mint green, or salmon and powder blue.



Flowers

Take a hue cue from your favorite flower. If you are planning to use specific flowers for your arrangements, coordinate your color scheme around them. Rich jewel-tones are very popular right now, including deep purple, bold blues, and vibrant reds and pinks.

Dahlias- Lush and stylish, dahlias are perfect fall blossoms since they come in autumnal tones like red, burgundy, orange and plum.

Roses- Roses are the most traditional wedding flower. A color scheme such as pink, red, brick and plum is very popular for summer and fall. A structured, densely packed and dome-shaped bouquet is a nice way to use this flower.

Orchids- Orchids speak the language of love and beauty and have throughout history. You can find orchids in color variations of white, yellow, orange, green, purple, pink and red.

Tulips- Many find the tulip to be the most popular wedding flower. A red tulip conveys “a declaration of love”, cream color tulip means “love forever” and a yellow tulip means “hopelessly in love.”

Calla Lilies- Beautiful, resilient, versatile, and full of meaning, calla lilies are among the most popular flowers for weddings. Although white is the most popular color, there are many other options including varying shades of pink, white with pink tips, green, burgundy, yellow and orange.

Season

Because people often choose flowers that are seasonal, the time of year in which you choose to marry can offer a good starting place for selecting colors. Wintry tones are deep and rich, such as burgundy, hunter green and midnight blue. You can accent these shades with sparkling gold, silver or metallic’s to add a festive touch. Fall hues are warm reds, oranges, and yellows. Spring and summer yield pastels and bright colors, respectively. This is certainly the right way to go if you are planning a seasonally themed wedding.

2009 Colors For Each Season

Fall colors

~ Burgundy, Dark Green, Navy Blue, Silver, Gold, Creams, Burnt Orange, Taupe, Brown and Plum.

Winter colors

~ Red, Silver, White, Cream, Burgundy, Sky Blue, Navy Blue, Purple, Plum and Gold.

Spring colors

~ Pink, Tangerine, Periwinkle, Fuchsia, Tiffany Blue, Lime, Yellow, Champagne Soft Violet.

Summer colors

~ Red, Yellow, Orange, Coral, Fuchsia, Hot Pink Blue, Light Aqua, Lime, Lilac and Lavender.

Setting

The setting of your wedding is a great way to help decide what colors to choose. What type the venue is it? A barn or lodge? A city museum? A garden or beach? A ballroom? What you chose will have a big say in the colors you use to decorate it. Look at the colors used in your venue’s carpeting, drapery and decorations. If the site has strong colors, you’ll need to select a color scheme that complements. If you already have your heart set on a certain color, you may need to select a more neutrally decorated site. If the location is outside the scenery can also help dictate color choice. For example, if you are having a beach wedding, you would want to choose colors that complement the color of the sand, sky, and ocean. These can be silver, bright tones of yellow, green, purple, pink, and red. Garden weddings already would already provide you with a dominantly green background, so you would probably want to opt for soft shades of blue, pink, purple, yellow, red, and orange.

Every detail of your wedding should reflect your favorites, from gown to shoes, flowers to food. By choosing a color scheme right from the start, your wedding decor will reflect your own personal taste and look beautiful in every detail. No matter what you choose for your wedding colors, remember that this is a detail that will stick out the most with your guests. It will be the center and focal point of flowers, dresses and decorations. So, be sure when you choose a color, you choose carefully and be sure it is something that compliments your wedding party and the atmosphere that you want to set for your wedding.