How to Choose Your Wedding Colours

Have you chosen your bridesmaids dresses yet? Have you chosen your wedding bouquet? If you have, then choosing your wedding colours will be easier. The over all wedding colours must compliment the bride's wedding dress and her bridesmaids dresses.

Look at the wedding pictures (right) and you will see how easy it can be to blend and match colours.

• Notice the bridesmaids dresses are slightly different shades of blue. Thus creating a wonderful Summer sky line effect.
• Observe the deep purples and lilac colours in the bouquets; delightfully coordinated with pale sunshine yellow and pure white blossoms. A rich yet fresh creation.
• The isle is very dramatic. A stage: the beautiful bride will sail up the isle to greet her ship mate at the alter.

The reason I chose these pictures, is to show you how drama can mix with simplicity. The colours you choose must add a drama, but not steel the show.

Facts To Contemplate When Choosing Your Wedding Colours:

• The Season:

Winter requires rich, warm colours; velvet purples, deep reds, ebony greens.

Spring loves fresh colours; shades of lush evergreen, bright delicate yellows, pastel shades.

Summer seems to hold her own with pale colours; shades of pink, lilac and blues.

Autumn cries out for deep amber yellows, burnt orange and rich creamy chocolate.

Every season has her favorite colours. Use this knowledge to your advantage. Tweak it a little and make it your own.

• Wedding Flowers:

Are you using a favorite flower in your bouquets, flower displays and button holes? Your wedding colours will need to reflect the colour of the flowers and enhance your choice.

• Favorite Colour:

Perhaps you already have a favorite colour; simply build from this and introduce other colours. For example: Peach, yellow and pale green are wonderfully understated together. However red and white create a beautiful dramatic effect with the colour peach.

• Decor:

What is the decor of the wedding ceremony location? Are there fixed carpets, drapes, furniture? Is there a strong colour scheme or do you have a blank canvas?

• The Wedding Reception:

What colours if any decorate this area? How can you compliment exsiting colours?

• Bridal Accessories:

What colours if any will you and your bridesmaids wear in your hair?

Are you wearing a coloured sash or train?

Do you have a wrap or shawl?

• Theme:

Do you have a theme or perhaps an emotion you would like to express through your day? See colours and their meaning list below.

• The Wedding Cake:

Is your wedding cake a white tower or are you planning to have hundreds of coloured sugar decorations and bright shiny ribbons?

• Wedding Invitations:

Will your wedding invitations be on coloured paper. Have coloured lettering and/or ribbons.

Below I have listed colours and their meanings to help you get into the mood of colours and expression.

You might like to choose colours based on their individual message and symbolism to enhance a theme or emotion you would like to include in your special day.

• Red:

A truly romantic colour bringing passion and love to your wedding day. Red delivers a strong message of confidence and vitality.

• Pink:

Lovers of all things beautiful love the delicate colour pink. This tender, loving colour brings universal love and is wonderfully associated with the delightful blush of a young girls cheek.

• Orange:

A warm, sincere colour stimulating enthusiasm and a burning desire to be creative. A ray of summer sunshine and one of Tuesdays colours.

• Gold:

Optimistic people are said to like the colour gold. Perhaps it is the symbol of wealth and riches or the message of success that travels with the colour gold that encourages their positive affections. The colour gold is also associated with good health.

• Yellow:

Joy and happiness ooze from this colour as does positive energy and good future prospects. Yellow carries a solid message of wisdom and clarity. The colour yellow is the favored colour of Sunday.

• Green:

A wonderful earth colour expressing fertility and life, self awareness and well being. Green is tranquil and fresh; the force of life. A peaceful colour of strength and growth. Fridays colour.

• Blue:

The colour of the ocean and the sea. A constant in our lives; a calming, comfortable colour always in our vision. A pure colour symbolizing sincerity and spirituality.

• Purple:

Magic and mystery engulf this colour. Creative people love the colour purple. This colour also represents peace of mind and is one of Thursdays colours.

• Brown:

An earth colour that blends with many other colours. A solid colour symbolizing warmth and nature. A natural colour.

• White:

A pure colour that reflects so many others. A prism of white light; of new beginnings. A colour that brings a message of purity, kindness and truth.

Choosing your wedding colours is a very important part of your wedding. The colours will set the stage and encourage emotions through the day. Your colours need to flow from your invitations, ceremony, reception, to you the bride, your bridesmaids, the wedding party and carry through to the wedding photos and the cutting of your wedding cake.

I hope the sample pictures provided give you an idea how easily colours blend. If you don't like too much colour think of using many shades of just one or two colours. Visit your local DIY store and check out the paint section for colour palettes or visit a fabric shop and compare colour schemes to help plant an idea in your mind. Wallpaper samples, bedroom or living room show rooms are great for kick starting your creative side, as are bathroom tiles.

Whatever you choose, know a little of what your colours have to say, after all they bring a wonderful message to a very special day.

Copyright© 2010 by Gabriel Wilson: All rights reserved