Choosing the colour palette for your big day is so tough it’s enough to make a grown woman weep. A wedding is the party to launch your new life together so it’s normal (not neurotic) to want perfection for every element of your celebration. You’ll find yourself fussing over co-ordinating everything from flowers and napkins to cake icing, and even if you fancy yourself a colour aficionado, the prospect of making so many different elements look great together is still a tad intimidating.
The Colour Conundrum
One of the questions Weddingbells is asked most by brides-to-be is “How do I pick a colour scheme?” Jen Chambers, from Oakville, Ontario, understands how it feels to be troubled by tones, tinges and tints. The 29-year-old was married in Mexico last spring, and says that if it hadn’t been for the sand and sky, she wouldn’t have had any idea what colours to choose.
“I knew I wanted something tropical and I wanted it to go with the sand,” she says. Chambers ended up selecting her colour scheme after she chose her pink bridesmaids’ dresses. Her beach ceremony was small and casual so she chose groomsmen’s shirts subtly striped with khaki, beige and pink. She tied pink tulle on the chairs, chose pink flowers and let nature do the rest. “If I had to think about the reception venue too, it would’ve been scary,” Chambers admits.
A Different Shade of Love
Edgardo Zamora is a wedding planner to the stars and he makes it his business to stay on top of colour trends. The former fashion designer from Argentina has made a name for himself as one of the hottest event planners in Hollywood. Zamora’s event design company, Revelry, has been involved in many major celebrity weddings, from Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston to Shaquille O’Neal and even Gwen Stefani.
Zamora cites baby pink and fuchsia as the hottest colour trend, used alone or together. For a sophisticated and contemporary look, another of his favourite trends is chocolate brown accented with either Ceylon green, blue or lavender.
If you’re feeling troubled by tones, tinges and tints, don’t fret. Zamora says there are no real tricks to picking colour. “The most important thing is to reflect your personality in the decor. People should leave remembering something about you.”
What’s cooling off style-wise? The all-white wedding is bordering on passé. While white flowers mixed with white linen, china and chair covers is definitely a classic look, it’s been done! “White is very stark and traditional,” Zamora admits. “But it looks much warmer and romantic if you bring in amber lighting and use lots of candles.”
Advice from the pros
Whether we’re talking wardrobe, home decorating or decor for a wedding, the idea of mixing and matching shades, tones and textures can be mind-boggling. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night with technicolour dreams, seek expert advice. Zamora encourages you to pick up some magazines, flip through and mark any pages that strike your fancy. Keep all your ideas together in a binder and take them to your wedding professionals. Quiz your caterer, your florist or your wedding planner—they are experts in colour co-ordination and can provide inside insight.
Bonny Fraser owns My Secret Garden, a floral design company in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She says she’s currently seeing a trend towards more casual, colourful weddings—whether monochromatic or a vibrant mix. (Think light and dark pink, or hot pink mixed with lime green and orange.) Fraser encourages brides to latch onto their favourite colours and run with them. Is there a colour that dominates your wardrobe? What colour is your favourite room? These details will help you to zero in on the perfect shades for your big day. Pick your favourite shade from our chart, learn what shades complement it, then start your colour scheming!
Fraser warns there is one consideration that shouldn’t be ignored—don’t fight with the decor of your reception venue. “Sometimes it’s just better to go with it,” she says. If your room has a startling feature that you absolutely abhor, don’t draw attention to it by playing it safe with white linens just because you’re positive they match. Just as a turquoise highlighter draws your attention to an important section on a white page, those awful turquoise drapes you hate so much will be the first thing you look at in an all-white room! Play with colours and look to your colour wheel. Turquoise would look fabulous with green, yellow or peach, too.
Be a Natural Woman
If isolating colour trends are a foreign concept to you, it may be easier to focus on a theme, and then choose shades accordingly. Leatrice Eisman, director of the Pantone Colour Institute, based in New Jersey, recommends visualizing a scene from nature and combining any of the colours you see in your mind’s eye. If you’re having a winter wedding, think about all the colours you’d see while walking through the forest on a beautiful, crisp, winter afternoon. “Let your imagination soar,” Eisman suggests. “You’d see more than just white. Think of an icicle when the light shines on it—you see blue, green and aqua colours through it. Imagine beautiful fir trees against the snow and marine blue water. Times are changing and there’s no reason to be restrained by typical colour combinations.”
In weddings, as in life, there are no colours to stay away from. When choosing your colour scheme, think about your favourite colours, then look around to see what colours are currently in style and fashionable. In the end, trust your inner voice. Staying current will always look fresh and modern, but ultimately your wedding should be a reflection of you.
The Wonderful World of Colour
Don’t let Billy Idol be your idol—bypass the all-white wedding with these five fabulous ways to incorporate colour into your wedding celebration.
- Linens. Renting colourful tablecloths, napkins and overlays are a relatively inexpensive way to add a lot of impact to your decor.
- Signature Cocktails. Use brightly coloured cocktails as a wall of colour. Display them on a bar or present them on a white Lucite cube or silver tray.
- Stationery. From invitations and programs at the church to place cards on the table—pretty paper is a bride’s best friend.
- Lighting. Use votive candles, Chinese lanterns and non-white light bulbs to create colourful impact.
- A new hue. Accent your bridesmaids’ frocks with a second colour and tie that hue into your decor, too. A ribbon around their waists, colourful crinolines under their dresses or colourful chunky jewellery are all great ways to make your best maids look great!
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