Splashes of Summer Color

Summer’s just around the corner, which means one thing when it comes to weddings.  Okay, actually it means a lot of things when it comes to weddings: Beach ceremonies, outdoor evening receptions, tea-length wedding dresses and lots and lots of honeymooners hitting the Caribbean.

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But it also means bright color!  Who wants a black and white wedding in flower-filled June?  Or pale pastels in fireworks-filled July?  Or neutrals during the dog days of August?  Bridesmaids dresses come in a bouquet of beautiful shades these days, so don’t settle for anything less than a shade you love.  To help with your . . . shall we say “research” . . . here’s a roundup of the 50 of the brightest, coolest and freshest colors and patterns for a hot summer wedding.

~ Laura

New Colors for Christmas

If you're working with a black and sugar plum color scheme, keep the colors simple and muted, such as this rose and calla lily bouquet from Kim and Company.

Planning a holiday wedding?  Think beyond the typical red and green color scheme for a chic soiree.

Eggplant & Chartreuse

Think luxurious, royal velvets and satiny charmeuse in elegant shades of deep purple paired with explosive modern green accents — fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme.

Cranberry, Sherbet Pink & Ivory

Think frothy, delicious holiday punch: chiffon, irredescent taffeta, feathers.  Add pops of expected color with unexpected details in bouquets and centerpieces — cherries, rock candy, pearls.

Black & Sugar Plum

Think sophisticated understatement with matte taffeta, silk satin or even jersey knit.  Keep the colors simple and muted, such as light plum table cloths topped with sheer “sugary” linens and adding dusty miller to bouquets.

Deck your bridesmaids out in festive (but un-Santa-y) dresses, such as this teal gown from Belsoie.

Champagne, Chocolate & Bronze

Think rich, warm metals and sleek textures, like silk shantung and charmeuse, and infuse color with seasonal flair: cinnamon sticks, Christmas ornaments, ivory poinsettias and plenty of pillar candles.

Teal & Cobalt

Think high shine with satin and charmeuse, and bring your colors together with peacock feathers.  Keep the color coming with ribbons, enameled jewelry, and colored or stained glass.

Soft Blue & Silver

Think soft, wintery textures like chiffon, matte satin, lace and even fur.  Infuse wintery wonder with glittery ribbons, glass jewels, faux fur, and delicate baby’s breath.

Add stylish but homey touches, such as wreaths strung with dried orange slices and rich greenery.

Hunter Green & Copper

Think cozy sophistication, like thick satin and fine tissue taffeta, with classic Christmas details adding bursts of vivid color: oranges, pears, cinnamon sticks, pine cones, and evergreen boughs.

Planning your color scheme is one of the first steps to a beautifully designed wedding, so choose carefully — but choose boldly!  When your guests get their first glimpse of your wedding, you want them to be breathless.  Going with the safe options won’t necessarily elicit that response; instead, it might get a “ho-hum.”  Wow your guests by pulling off an unexpected color scheme that you’ll be proud of for years to come (and that you’ll love showing off in your pictures for the rest of your life).

~ Laura

The Color-Full Wedding

Who says your 'maids have to match? Infuse your wedding with mouth-watering color, like these sweet Monique Lhuillier confections.

The days of the all-white wedding aren’t entirely gone, but an all-white or even all-pastels wedding is definitely the exception rather than the rule these days.  Consider just my friends’ weddings from the past few years.  The colors have gone something like this:

8 green weddings
7 red weddings
5 black weddings
4 purple weddings
3 Tiffany blue weddings
3 navy weddings
3 yellow weddings
3 pink weddings
2 teal weddings
1 coral wedding

Come to think of it . . . I have never once attended a pastel wedding.  My friends are into bold color statements and chic  pairings — like sage and chocolate, canary and plum, black and raspberry.  After all, you want your wedding to be a party — why not set the tone with your color scheme?

But, advised Mark Kingsdorf from Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants in Philadelphia, “Make sure the colors you want are appropriate for the space you pick.”  He offered this example: if you’re set on using a vivid purple for your wedding color, but you want to hold your reception in a venue that’s decorated with hunter green, you end up with two competing, non-complimentary colors on a collision course.  So, before you completely decide on your color scheme, consider your locations.  Or perhaps let your locations serve as inspiration.

One thing that sold me on LPGA International for my reception was that the decor would add to the maroon and chartreuse color palette I wanted to use.  On the flipside, our church’s teal sanctuary doesn’t quite match, which has led to a lot of extra work as we make custom-fitted chair covers to camouflage the rows and rows of teal chairs.  Short of expecting my ‘maids to change dresses between the ceremony and reception, there was no way to match wedding colors to both venues.  So I chose to clash with the one that would be less expensive to transform.

If your budget allows, go all out and transform your wedding venue into a riot of color.

That said, there’s plenty a bride can do to add pops of color without overshooting a budget.  Consider these options:

• Drape a colorful chair sash across each table as a runner, rather than splurging on custom-colored linens.
• Use colored napkins or china.
• Make tall, dramatic, colorful floral arrangements the focal point as guests enter the room.
• Have your DJ flood the room with colored mood lighting.
• Instead of a plain white cake, ask your baker to show you samples of brightly hued frosting or cake decorations.

Happy color-scheming!

~ Laura