Franklin Dean
Choosing a wedding colour palette can be a fun but challenging part of wedding planning. The colours you choose will influence many other design choices, from the wedding party's outfits to the tablescape and floral arrangements. To get started, consider the season, setting, and mood of your wedding. Do you want your wedding to feel exciting, romantic, glamorous, fun, classic, or chic? Once you have an idea of the mood and aesthetic you want to create, you can start curating a palette of 3-5 colours that coordinate well together, including a primary colour, a complementary colour, and an accent colour. Remember to choose colours that you and your partner enjoy and that reflect your personal style.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of colours | 3-5 colours, including one neutral shade |
| Colour combinations | Complementary, analogous, monotone, or contrasting |
| Colour palettes | Seasonal, venue-based, mood-based, or theme-based |
| Colour inspiration | Wedding magazines, blogs, art books, flowers, colour wheels |
| Colour psychology | Colours that evoke moods and concepts, e.g. purple for luxury |
| Colour intensity | Avoid competing intensities, use neutrals to balance |
| Lighting | Consider how lighting choices will impact the colours |
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What You'll Learn
Choose a colour family
Choosing a colour family for your wedding is an important step in the wedding planning process. It can be a fun part of the process, but it can also be overwhelming due to the sheer number of options available.
A good place to start is by familiarising yourself with common wedding colours and classic colour pairings. Green and white, black and white, blush and white, and blue and white are all tried-and-true options. You can also draw inspiration from seasonal colours, such as soft colours like ivory, blush, rosy pink, peach, lilac and sage for spring, or jewel tones like emerald green, ruby red and mustard yellow for autumn. If you have a particular colour in mind, you can create a colour palette by pairing it with different shades of that colour and matching them with neutral tones.
You can also draw inspiration from your wedding venue. If your venue already has an existing colour palette, consider how your favourite hues will coordinate. For example, a romantic Halloween wedding at a venue with terracotta tiles might call for shades of orange, cream and gold. A Gatsby-themed wedding, on the other hand, might shine in gold, black and silver.
Another approach is to consider the mood you want to evoke. Navy blue, black, white, silver, gold and neutral shades exude timeless tradition, while bright colours and quirky shades evoke a fun and bold vibe. You can also draw inspiration from your favourite colours in your home and wardrobe, as these are colours you know you feel good about.
Finally, don't be afraid to mix and match. While it's important to have a cohesive colour palette, you don't want your wedding to look dull or disjointed. A good rule of thumb is to choose one or two main colours and then select one or two secondary colours, one of which should be neutral. To finish it off, choose a fun accent shade, such as gold or silver, to use sparingly throughout your event.
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Consider the season
The season you choose for your wedding will likely influence the colours you decide on. While you can choose whatever colours you like, certain colours are more commonly associated with different seasons and can complement the natural beauty of that time of year.
Spring is a season of new life, so a spring wedding colour palette could reflect the blooming flowers and greenery of the season. Think soft and sweet shades like blush pink, mint green, and lavender, or for a bolder look, try cornflower blue and sunny yellow. Pastels reign supreme in spring, but you can always add a pop of brightness like coral or seafoam green with gold accents.
Summer is a great time to consider colours that won't compete with nature. Soft peach, light blue, and sage green are perfect for keeping things cool and breezy. Lighter shades are ideal for daytime events, while you can transition to deeper hues as the sun sets.
Autumn paints the world in warm, rich hues. Embrace this cozy palette with deep burgundy, forest green, and burnt orange, or go for a softer approach with mauve, dusty blue, and warm taupe. Metallics like copper and gold add a touch of warmth and glamour to your decor.
Winter is the time for regal colours like jade or royal purple, or monochromatic colour palettes like all whites or whites and reds. If you're getting married around the holiday season, incorporate holly, pine, and other touches of nature to tie the look together. Jewel tones like navy, plum, emerald, and burgundy are also popular in the colder months, as are metallics like gold, silver, and bronze.
While these are common colour choices for each season, don't feel limited by them. You can make any colour work with a bit of creativity and consideration of the weather. For example, you might want to avoid dark colours in summer to keep your bridesmaids comfortable, or add pops of bright colour to a fall palette for a unique twist. Ultimately, your wedding colours should reflect you as a couple, so choose hues that make you smile.
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Think about the setting
When choosing a colour palette for your wedding, it is important to consider the setting. The location of your wedding will influence your chosen colours. You should consider the inherent colour palette of your venue and decide whether you want to match or contrast with it.
If you are getting married outdoors, you might want to play up the existing natural features such as flowers, foliage, gardens, or outdoor spaces like courtyards. For example, a spring wedding looks lovely with a palette of purple, peach, green, and pink in varying tones and textures. A summer beach wedding calls for brighter colours, while a summer wedding in a ballroom might feature cream and gold.
If you are getting married inside, you might have more flexibility with your colour choices. If your venue has a particular colour or feature, you might want your palette to complement it. For example, a venue with terracotta tiles might suit a warm palette of burnt orange and cranberry, while a historic locale with an elegant white interior might inspire a monochromatic palette.
The time of year will also influence your colour choices. For example, jewel tones are popular for fall weddings, while pastel colours are more common in spring.
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Look at wedding photos
Looking at wedding photos is a great way to start thinking about your wedding colours. You can use sites like Pinterest to search for real wedding photos and colour palettes that appeal to you. It can be helpful to keep a notebook and pen handy to jot down your thoughts and document what you like and dislike about each colour combination.
When looking at wedding photos, pay attention to the colours used in the bridal party attire, invitations, table linens, flowers, decorations, and cake. You can also consider the venue and how the colours of the walls, carpet, drapery, and table linens might coordinate with your chosen colours. For example, a historic venue with elegant white interiors might inspire a monochromatic palette, while a Spanish Revival venue with terracotta tiles might call for warm shades of burnt orange and cranberry.
You can also look beyond just wedding photos and consider the "vibes" that appeal to you, such as travel, garden, or landscape images. Think about the colours that make you happy and that you're drawn to in your daily life. What colours do you see in your closet or home decor?
When deciding on your wedding colours, it's important to consider the mood and aesthetic you want to create. Do you want a relaxed beachy vibe with tropical colours, or a bold and quirky atmosphere with bright shades? Are you going for a regal feel with purple or a cheerful vibe with hot pink?
Don't be afraid to mix and match colours to create a unique palette that represents you as a couple. You can use a colour wheel to help you choose shades that complement each other and add depth to your chosen hero colour. Remember, the goal is to create a cohesive look throughout the entire event, so choose a few colours that you can repeat in different elements of the wedding.
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Pick a balanced number of colours
Choosing a wedding colour palette can be a daunting task, but it's important to remember that there is no "right way" to do it. It's all about intuition and emotion, and reflecting the season, venue, and your personal style.
A good rule of thumb is to choose a balanced number of colours, typically between two and five designated colours. While you can certainly go beyond this range, having too many colours may feel overwhelming and chaotic, while too few may seem sparse and lacking. The goal is to create a cohesive look where your main shades stand out with the support of complementary and accent colours.
Start by selecting your primary colour, which will be the star of the show and the dominant hue in your palette. This can be your favourite colour or a shade that you feel drawn to. Then, choose one or two complementary colours that work well with your primary colour. These complementary colours can be shades that are opposite your primary colour on a colour chart or colours that are in the same colour family. For example, if you choose blue as your primary colour, you might select a complementary soft blue and then accent with a pop of yellow.
Finally, add in one or two accent colours to give your palette some extra flair. These could be metallic shades like gold or silver, or any other colours that you feel inspired by. Remember, your accent colours should be used sparingly throughout your event to add a touch of surprise and delight.
While it's important to consider colour combinations and what looks good together, ultimately, you should choose colours that you and your partner enjoy. Fill your wedding day décor with colours that reflect your personal style as a couple, and don't be afraid to incorporate different shades of the same colour to create a cohesive and refined look.
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Frequently asked questions
Choosing your wedding colours is a very personal decision and there are a few things to consider. First, think about the season and setting of your wedding. For example, if you're getting married in spring, you might want to opt for pastel colours, while summer weddings tend to embrace brighter colours. Second, consider the mood you want to evoke. For example, bright colours will evoke a bold and quirky vibe, while dark shades add drama. Finally, choose colours that you like and that you think reflect you as a couple.
A good rule of thumb is to choose a combination of 3-5 colours that coordinate well with each other. Choose one or two main colours, then select one or two secondary colours (one of which should be neutral), and finish with an accent colour, such as gold or silver.
There are many places you can find inspiration for your wedding colours. Wedding magazines, blogs, art books, and real weddings are a great place to start. You can also look at seasonal fruit for colour inspiration, or turn to a colour wheel to see which colours pair well together.
