The Meanings of Colors in Weddings
When brides are struggling to pick colors at the beginning of the planning process, one thing they wonder is, what do the colors "mean?" What vibe do they give off? What traditions and sensiblities are they grouped with?
I'm going to try to answer that. Given, some colors stay pretty stable from year to year, while others shift along with the bigger fashion upheavals. And despite their close ties to the catwalk, some hues have a meaning and feeling all their own when it comes to weddings.
Diamond-White. When brides around the world think "Western wedding," they picture this. Ever since Queen Victoria, bright diamond-white has enjoyed strong associations with purity and the privileged, but these days, white may have (a lot) more to do with modernity. This is the same breeze that brings us minimalist Calla bouquets and lace-free-zone Vera gowns.
Ivory. Ivory is elegant, old-world and soft-spoken. Ivory speaks of hand-polished silver and ironed linen. Or in Economist-speak, ivory is New York's Brooke Astor to Leona Helmsley's scarlet.
Champagne. Refined and traditional, rich and conservative. A gentle look with a slightly vintage feel.
Lavender. Soft, dainty and ladylike, this color often appears in weddings that hark to the past, with traditional-looking cakes and florals.
Pale Pink: The lighter shades of pink speak to happiness, playfulness, and a sense of fun, not to mention a special fondness for love's super-sweet early years.
Hot Pink. Energized, "girl power" hue with an almost-punk edge. Think Gwen Stefani, and as possible accents, black, brown or vibrant green.
Red: Passionate, dramatic, and dripping with desire, this romantic hue hints at deep lows, higher highs, and a triumphant peak (which of course coincides with the wedding). Often paired with crisp white and black in gorgeous toiles or other classic patterns, and sure to show up in tandem with tons of rose petals. What else? 1) It's no coincidence that Longoria-Parker's red wedding took place in Paris. 2) You're a chocolates and champagne kind of gal. 3) When the wedding's over, he'd best not forget your anniversary.
Coral: In weddings, this color often has an indie vibe. It might have a Latino, East Indian or Caribbean feel, or just a strong designer foundation. You see it show up in fresh pairings like coral and rust or coral and teal, or more conventionally, with chocolate brown, pink or yellow.
Going to a coral wedding? Don't be surprised to see a bit of mendhi on the bride's hands, paisley patterns, custom stationery courtesy of a hotshot graphic designer, luscious linens with lots of shimmer and tassels, or cinnamon-chocolate truffles. Oh, and don't forget to bring me.
Yellow: Optimism, cheerfulness, a strong appreciation for friendship. Yellow is 100% angst-free. It's also Martha Stewart's signature color, so yellow often goes hand-in-hand with that clean, grounded New England look, with lots of buttery porcelain and handmade papers.
Gold: Lavishness, luxury, warmth, tradition. As platinum continues to make inroads in the jewelry world, "yellow gold" is more of a statement than ever. Think Louis XIV, "The Sun King," warm Italian weddings, and unstinting shows of abundance.
Aqua: Fun-loving, fresh and vibrant. A favorite of beach brides, especially tropical ones, and an anchor for poolside weddings. But aqua shows up in plenty of other places, too. It's a favorite paired with chocolate brown for brides who want a fun and modern palette, and aqua and pink aren't uncommon.
Royal Blue: Grand, traditional, and casting an eye toward an idealized past. Evokes ballrooms, Cinderella stories and happily-ever-after. Often combined with a paler blue, yellow or gold.
Navy: This ultra-classic color signals a preppy wedding. Often paired with mint green or dusty orange, and loads of crisp white, this color puts tradition first, and adds a certain masculine gravitas to the palette.
Purple: Purple has strong, historical associations with royalty, especially in sacred contexts (think: Lent's purple to mark the royal approach). But thanks to lots of shakeups in the fashion world, purple's taken on a whole new life, and become challenging and mysterious, glamorous and grown-up, and ever-so-slightly Euro star, especially when paired with other complex hues like charcoal or even black. Rock this latter look with feathers, brooding florals, and few Goth-Edwardian touches.
Silver: Restrained wealth and glamour, sophistication. Silver says, "I can afford it, but prefer not to flaunt it."
Gray: Modern, understated, retro-informed and sleek. Lately, gray has deposed champagne as one of the hottest neutrals in weddings. Bridesmaids in gray with deco-rhinestone buckled sashes look up-to-the-minute ... and stunning. Pair with wheat or heather for the ultimate urban, slightly Swedish palette.
Chocolate Brown: So everywhere, it's hard to pin down, but chocolate brown is the cornerstone to most of today's modern palettes: brown with pink or aqua, or increasingly, coral, mint green or purple.
Green: In weddings, green reveals a modern sensibility, and often comes with inventive, non-traditional florals (think green button mums or wheatgrass). Thanks to the increasing volume of eco-talk, green's also a prominent hue at environmentally-conscious weddings. Lime green + hot pink says "pop princess." Olive or bright green combined with black & white looks downright regal, in that new-millenium way.
Black: Sophisticated, mysterious, assertive or even nostalgic, black shows up when couples have strong opinions about design. Black might lend a clean, graphic look to the wedding, or show up in evocative, Victorianesque forms, such as black Callas and rooster-feather collars.
Legions of black-draped bridesmaids continue to make a showing from summer to winter, with more attention to detail than in seasons past (contrasting sashes, more elaborate hemlines, or bouquets designed to pop against a black background).
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this is my second marriage (Nov 9,2009) and I havent even pick out colors yet. Im 31 and he is 28 . I rtying to find colors that wont make us look to old or to young. Can any body help me?
hi! and congrats on your wedding!! i personally think yellow or green would be fab!! both are fresh and like a new beginning. yellow is a happy color. pink gives a wonderful glow to skintones etc. its just a great color. http://kylesdailydesign.blogspot.com/2007/08/lakeside-union.html ( look at the reception isnt this great!!) yes it will be great for november even indoors!)
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2007/09/board-15-pumpkins-and-wheat.html ( love this!) i sure hope all this helps! will give you lots of ideas. for more ideas just google image say….. yellow wedding then yellow wedding board.
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2008/03/board-170-nasturtium-lime.html (love this too)
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2008/02/board-145-kellys-vivacious-wedding.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2007/11/board-55-greenery-scenery.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2008/04/board-195-rust-and-navy.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2008/04/board-180-bright-orange-brunch.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2008/04/board-182-sophisticated-yellow.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2007/11/board-85-emilys-green-and-gray-wedding.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2007/09/board-17-when-life-gives-you-lemons.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2008/05/board-201-white-lime.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2007/09/board-5-autumn-air.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2007/11/board-75-rustic-cranberry-and-orange.html
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2008/03/board-159-diy-green-and-yellow.html
http://abackyardwedding.blogspot.com/2008/01/inspired.html
http://tastefullyentertaining.blogspot.com/2008/04/striking-purple-orange-wedding.html (pretty amazing)
I have a dress picked out that is champagne with bronze and gold. I wanted to use red roses but i am not sure how it would look. Here is a link to the dress so you can see. Thanks for any help.
http://www.bridalonlinestore.com/Collection/product-page.asp?SKU=Caroline&i=79350368464
Frances, red roses with that gold-inlayed gown would be extremely romantic! You have a traditional, rich, fairytale look when you combine them. Take a look at this board: Board #72: Romantic Red
Some red velvet in the form of ribbon or table runners would be lovely. Best of luck! Write back if you want to chat more.
which shows a bit how these two hues go together, esp. if you go softly on the red. You could let a little pink sneak into the florals. Be sure to use lots of sparkle to coordinate with the gown. Try crystal pins in a red rose bouquet, glass gems around your centerpieces. Wear a tiara like the model.
Hello My name is marieli, my wedding is on december and i am on my own with the planning. And i Have always been a dorky. So i need a color for a december wed help me please!
haha, welcome to the “do it yourself” club. I’m a member too
do you have a favorite color or a color that keeps popping into your head? White, subtle aqua blue, tables dripping in crystals? That would be really pretty for December. And then maybe another pop of color as an accent.
PLEASE HELP!!! I’m getting married next June and we still can’t decide on colors!! Now we are thinking of a black and white and pink vintage theme. Can anyone suggest ideas?
Also my father can’t afford a new suit for our wedding is it okay if he doesn’t wear the same color suit as the groomsmen?
And also can anyone give me some good color schemes and pictures for colors that would work with a June wedding? Please help anyone!! thanks!!!!
i’m not sure if you already found colors or not, but june is all about newness, and bright colors. however, i am a rich, deep color type of girl (it seems more anchored to me, more traditional)…so if i were to get married in june, i would use a medium green or light coral and a neutral.
I WOULD LIKE TO CHOOSE ROYAL BLUE COMBINED WITH WHITE AND SILVER AS MY WEDDING COLOURS.
WHAT’S YOUR VIEW
Help!!! I need help on my wedding colors…our theme is Precious Moments, and my dress and veil have apple in them (this color can be located at Davids Bridal). I have no idea and cant find anything that goes with this red from Precious Moments. Can you give an idea at this point anything will help. Thanks Dawn
Hi Dawn, some ideas for you! I found lots of weddings using a similar theme/color scheme, so hopefully this will get you started.
First of all, I don’t think you necessarily need much color beyond the red & white. Those two stand on their own. Very classic. Add a little greenery with your flowers and you have balanced, attractive colors.
That said, I found some PM/red & white weddings that add a bit more. For example, some black & white pattern. Or silver accents. Or if you want more of a pastel, girly look, try colors that are near red on the color wheel: reddish orange, pink, maroon.
As for flowers, you tend to see classic (roses, hydrangea) or modern (gerbers) with this look.
This (Shella) is a really sweet wedding. She’s bold with her colors, bringing in salmon, pink, orange … all those gerber hues. It really works. Her bridesmaids wear pastel pink, which I didn’t show here since you’re using strong reds, but this wedding is really fun to browse.
This one (John & Lea) is ultra-cool! Gorgeous reception, tons of creative, fun touches. In addition to red she brings in a dark maroon (look at those lucious "black" callas) which adds sophistication. That bouquet is to die for … and the stripes on the cake are adorable. The clean white satin-wrapped bouquets the bridesmaids are carrying look lovely too, especially with that bit of rhinestone detailing on their gowns.
Here is a very simple wedding (lights) with a lovely cake, and a few touches of pink, black & white. I think this wedding shows how well red & white stands on its own without too much fuss.
I love the black & white scroll pattern and gerbers with this PM-topped cake (left, Jim & Karen), and the right two pics (Lori Barbley) show how lovely silver, rose petals and a bit of bling can look with these colors.
I hope that helps, Dawn … I think you’re not going to have too much trouble making your wedding look great!
hi, i’m planning my wedding year november and i choose wine red and ivory for my main colors. Ivory for my wedding dress with a silver lining and wine red for my evening gown. I dont know what colors to use for my MOH or brides maid. My flowers girl is gonna be in a mini wedding dress similar to mine. Any ideas for the wine red and ivory and also for my brides maid and MOH.
i’m getting married in November of ‘09, my colors are navy blue, periwinkle and silver….my bridesmaids are going to wear the dark blue, while my sister (junior bridesmaid) is going to wear the periwinkle and their accents will be silver. everyone is telling me i need to stick with white or cream flowers, but i like the bold rich colors of orange and red. since it’s autumn, i think those color flowers would look sharp against my colors. what do you all think?
oh wow, definitely lovin the idea of the orange flowers idea!!! you could mix a bold orange with cream as an accent.
Can you please tell me the meanings of the colours pumpkin, emerald and peach. We are trying to decide on a colour for the theme of our wedding.
Hi im getting married in august my colours are red & black my dress is red my flowers are red roses with a flash of black to pick up the colour from the bridesmaides who have black dresses and thay have red wrist flowers with red earrings & necklace my partners in a black suit with red waistcoat and cravat all my decoration is black and red including my cake everyone thinks im mad.
I want the navy, grey, and white colors for my wedding but I am wondering if those colors will go good for a end of summer/beginning of fall fall wedding? We want it to fall in between our birthdays which are somewhere around 8/28 and 9/10.
I getting married in August for the second time and at first we chose peach and white. But peach anything was so difficult to find from flowers to a peach evening gown(which is what I want, no a wedding dress). So now we’ve chose periwinkle and white. I have found several periwinkle colored dress so that is out of the way. But now it’s the others things like flowers etc. Any suggestions on wear I can find periwinkle colored items for decorations, favors etc. I was wonder should I add an accent color like silver. Helpless Bride
i am having an indoor summer wedding, the wall are covered with wood and floor wooden with very huge and elegant lighting, its a big place for 350 people am inviting 200 only.the chairs have ivory and golden covers.and table with ivory cloth .
my centerpiece is a candle with flowers around it am not sure which colours should i use and what colour should my bouquet be.
please help
My wedding date is June 13 of this year and I have chosen bronze for the girls dresses. It is a more appropriate color for a fall wedding but I loved the color.
What colors can I add (eg for centerpieces)that will brighten things up for a spring wedding?
My 2nd wedding…. my dress is ’sunshine’ yellow - spaguetti straps, in the back the length is to ankle but in front is open around the knees down.. my question, what color(s) would you recommend for maid of honor and 2 bridesmaids (my daughters) I’m not looking for them to match their dresses but matching coordinating colors?? Help…then would be able to know flowers and centre pieces for table…
Hi everyone! My husband and I got married at a court house and we are going to renew our vowson our 5th anniversary February 27th 2009. I would like to do the colors coral and teal (aqua) and dont know exactly how to use the colors. like which one i want to be the main color or if I want to mix it up. I am open to all ideas.Throw them at me, I’m so excited!
I am wanting to have a summer wedding but am leaning towards a red, white, and black color scheme. How would I incorporate black callas and red roses?
Chioma,
Olive green and ivory are great with together. When I pictured a third color with that combination, I thought of coral. It would be festive and bright.
Brittany,
I think that although not typically summer colors, your combination would be very classic and elegant. I would try to incorporate white calla lilies as well as the black in order to make it a little less formal for summer.
My fiancee and I were planning our wedding when I realised that I haven’t picked out any colour for my family. In Nigeria, the families of the groom and bride usually wear seperate colours and it really makes the ceremony colourful.
I finally picked olive green and cream or ivory for my family. However, i need to know what other colours can go with olive green.
Secondly, we want my fiancee’s family to choose a colour that will compliment olive green so our wedding ceremony doesn’t look like a carnival.Any suggestions please?
i was just wondering if many brides choose to ware a color other than white. im not sure what color i would like but i am leaning tword a darker color…….i dont want the traditional white. i want a dark color like red, blue, or black.
Sam, why not go with a color other than white. It is your day, your allowed. I work in the industry and I have seen quite a few brides going with other colors besides the traditional white. Go for it, look fabulous in a color that makes you feel wonderful!
my daughter wants a halloween wedding but im really not crazy about the idea any suggestions to make it somewhat elegant but give her what she wants?
Dolly,
I attended a beautiful Halloween wedding that was very tasteful and elegant. Don’t think orange plastic pumpkins or ghosts made of sheets. Instead think about haunted Victorian houses. Try using candelabras and plush black and red velvet. Use jeweled goblets and dark roses. Also try to remember that it may seem unusual it is what your daughter wants