This summer you may be attending weddings of your friends and family – and you may be planning your own. If you’re trying to determine the colors for your wedding, here are a few tips that can help.
First of all – take pictures. If you’re at another wedding that you like – take a picture. If you’re shopping and see the perfect color of a dress that you love – take a picture. If you’re inspired by nature and love the flowers that come out during summer or spring, take pictures. If you’re planning your wedding more than a year out, make sure that you take pictures of the same time of year your wedding will be – even better if you can get pictures at the same venue.
Use your pictures to make an idea board – collage together your photos and magazine clippings, etc. to see what colors you are drawn to and what color combinations you like. Chances are you’ll start to notice a trend in the colors you are drawn to.
If you find one particular photo that you are drawn to and want to develop your wedding colors around that inspiration – check out this great tool. You can upload one photo and it will automatically create a color palette from your photo. Click here to create your custom color palette.
Consider standard colors for weddings during the time of year for your wedding. For instance, summer weddings will typically use bright and bold colors (torquoise, fuschia, violet) while a spring wedding will tend to be more pastels. Typically, “traditional” wedding colors take their cues from nature – look at what colors the plants and flowers are displaying during the time of year for your wedding. Of course, this is only a guideline. Your wedding colors should be a reflection of yourself and your personality.
If you’ve settled on one color but aren’t sure how to use it – consider using a color wheel.
- Complimentary colors – are those that are opposite each other on the color wheel. These colors will provide a “pop” – as when you pair together blue and orange. This color scheme can tend to add a traditional feel to your wedding.
- Analagous colors – are those colors that lie next to each other on the color wheel. Using analagous colors will help to give you a range of colors while still maintaining a similar “hue” or color feeling through your decor. This color scheme can add a personal and casual touch to your wedding.
- Monochromatic colors – are those that are in the same “wedge” on the color wheel. Using monochromatic colors allows you to highlight the properties of the color you have chosen, all the way from a very vibrant deep saturated color to a grayish-black version of the color and very light pastel-white version of the color. This color scheme can help to lend a modern touch to your wedding.
Refer to the color chart below to help you determine your wedding colors.
