Shades of…Gray? Blue? Gold?

Choosing Your Wedding Colors

Choosing wedding colors is one of the first and most important decisions a couple has to make. The colors define theme, mood, decor, flowers, and many other considerations that follow in planning a wedding. With only seven colors in the rainbow, but infinite variations of shades and combinations, couples can easily find themselves at a loss to decide. Here are a few tips and considerations to help narrow down your search and point in the right direction to decide what colors should frequent the wedding.

Colorful Suggestions – What Colors Mean

Homo sapiens are a very visual species, so colors in literature, flags, politics, and fashion have symbolic meanings that have been used for centuries. Reflection on the meaning and message of each color can help a couple decide what they do and don’t want communicated by their color choice.

Red – beauty, strength, passion
Light Blue – health, happiness, patience, calming, youth
Yellow – intellect, friendship, cooperation
Green – fertility, nature, peace, harmony.
Pink – love and friendship
Orange – stimulation, energy
Purple – royalty, mystery, spirituality, growth
White – peace, protection, purity and fairness.
Black – sexy, mysterious (also goes with every skin tone)
Brown – autumnal, warmth, honesty
Gold – wealth and glamour

Lighter pastels suggest gentility, lightheartedness, and youth. Brighter colors suggest vitality and vigor. Darker colors can be more somber, but also suggest eternal and lasting strength.

Other Considerations

Sometimes it is better to look at other wedding decisions before choosing your colors. For instance, if you already have a particular flower in mind, like roses or sunflowers, it might be best to pick colors that would match that flower. Getting flowers in exotic or unnatural colors is costly and difficult. Also, consider what sort of invitations you want to send. Many designs might feel like the perfect match for you, but only come in certain colors. Guests ‘read’ invitation colors for a hint of what the wedding will be like, so it would be odd to have hues on your invitations that differ from your wedding. Also, certain colors, such as gold, silver, and black, are more expensive to reproduce on invites. If your venue has already been chosen, look there for inspiration. What color is the carpeting? The drapes? The accents and molding? Pick colors that will fit in comfortably with these surroundings and won’t clash. Looking at bridesmaid’s dresses will can shed some light onwhat colors are popular, available, and don’t look hideous on your friends, sisters and cousins.

Commense Sense Advice

Still at a loss? Try narrowing down your list by considering a few “do’s and don’t’s”. Red and black are to formal and sensuous for a casual affair. Spring weddings are best with light pastels, summers with bright colors, winters with darker hues, and autumns with earthen shades. Mixing these up may not prove to be easy on the eyes. Look for inspiration in the common interests of you and your intended. Love a football team? Met at the stadium? Try the team colors for your wedding (softened or darkened to be more appropriate if need be). Met in college and still deeply devoted to your alma mater? Put your (thinking) cap on and imagine how your wedding would look with the dear old school colors. Are you Italian and is your intended Mexican? Did you meet in Algeria? Good news for you; all three flags have red, green and white in them. All of these ideas can lead to an easier decision when picking your wedding colors.

The most important consideration to always carry with you is to go with what you love! Who says you should have a yellow and green wedding just because its spring? Celebrate your flamboyance and lovable energy with oranges and baby blues. With this in mind, you can be sure that looking back at your wedding will always bring brightness to your eyes and your memory.