Wedding Colors By Season

Read up on tips for how to select the best wedding colors for your special day.

Browse Bouquets By Season Colors

You can use any color in any season for your bridesmaids, but you’ll get the best effect if you choose colors that are appropriate to the season of your wedding. A winter wedding will generally have a far different color scheme than a spring wedding, and with good reason. The changing seasons bring a wealth of color changes to nature, and reflecting the natural colors found in nature will help your wedding color scheme truly shine.

The four seasons can give you wonderful inspiration for your wedding; just look at the colors found in nature or take look at the typical decorations and popular colors for everyday clothes being worn. Each season has its own particular palette, although some colors do cross all of the seasons. One example of this is purple, which can look wonderful any time of year. The trick is to understand which shades of purple are appropriate for which season. In the spring, soft shades of purple like lavender or a blue tinged periwinkle can be lovely. In the autumn, you should go with a deeper, more intense shade with a reddish undertone, like a plum or eggplant.

Spring Colors

If you’re getting married in the spring, think of soft, clear shades. Everything is new and fresh in the spring and flowers are just beginning to bloom. New spring grass is a softer, paler shade than it is under the heat of the summer sun. Avoid dark colors are jewel tones, which can look too intense and heavy in the spring. The overall look for your wedding color scheme should be dewy and fresh.

Soft pinks, light purples tending toward lavender, greens, yellows and even oranges are wonderful for a spring wedding. The key is to keep it soft and crisp. A bright leaf green is wonderful if you pair it with white for a clean, fresh feel. A dark, emerald green would be a bit overpowering and isn’t your best choice.

The same goes for any colors in the spring – try to stick closer to the pastel shades and away from bright or primary colors. You can go with almost any shade of blue as long as it doesn’t get to bright. Even navy looks lovely for a wedding in the evening, when a darker shade is fine for a very formal affair. In general, navy and black are considered neutrals that can be used for almost any season.

A very popular blue in recent years has been Tiffany blue (called this because it is the signature color of Tiffany jewelry boxes). This is a cool aquamarine shade that goes beautifully with everything from creamy whites to soft apricots.

Do you love pink? It’s a perfect spring color when done with a soft focus, such as a powder pink or a rosy mauve. Bubble gum or hot pink should be reserved for the summer months, when bright, vivid shades will look best.

Summer Colors

Summer is the best season for a wedding if you love brilliant, bold colors and lots of pop. Think “tropical” when choosing colors for a summer wedding. Steer away from anything that is a dusty or muted hue; these should be reserved for cooler months.

Bold, neon bright shades like lime, hot pink, orange and royal blue are wonderful colors for a summer wedding. Bright, clear purples (think grape popsicle or amethyst, not pastels or red grapes) and teals are also very popular and will shimmer under a brilliant sun.

You can create a unique color scheme by putting one bright with another, such as orange and hot pink, but if you do this, make sure any other accents have minimal color. You want things to have some pop, but don’t want to overdo it. Neutral shoes and minimal accessories will keep it from looking like a rainbow threw up! Or stick with one important color like lime and accent it with a more subdued shade such as cream.

You can also go in a different direction if you prefer blues. If you love shades of blue and green, think about ocean beaches and choose a cool, beachy palette that reflects the sea and sand. Warm beiges or the paler shades of cream found in seashells pair well with deep ocean blues and greens for a breezy, soothing color palette that can play up tanned skin.

Fall Colors

Autumn shades are some of the richest and warmest colors for a wedding. You can simply take a look at the changing shades of the leaves for inspiration. Gold, deep reds, darker yellows, terra cotta and even darker shades such as plum are wonderful for fall. You’ll find a variety of shades from a bold pumpkin to warm apricots that can be wonderful for a fall wedding.

Don’t forget darker shades of green; instead of a light, springtime shade, consider forest or hunter green. These shades are reminiscent of pine trees and other evergreens. If you love red, stick to the dark red of cranberries or the russet shades you find on some maple leaves as they turn.

Brown is also a lovely color for a fall wedding if you pair it with another shade to lighten it up. Too much unrelieved brown can seem a bit too bland, but chocolate paired with peach or a light aqua can be lovely.

Winter Colors

A winter wedding can be all about the cool shades of snow, ice and frozen expanses, or you can go with warmer shades such as holly green with a touch of the dark red of winter berries. There is an incredible amount of versatility with a winter wedding.

If you want to go with icy shades, consider a soft blue with silver or a touch of a light celery green. Almost any pastel will work as long as it is on the cool side of the color spectrum rather than the warm side. If you love lavender, go with a shade that leans toward blue rather than red. Periwinkle is one such shade that can be paired with a creamy winter white or, for a bit of shimmer, either pale gold or silver.

If you’re having a Christmas wedding, think of the old –fashioned shades of deep reds matched with evergreen and pine shades. Don’t go with a more modern bright red, particularly if you’re pairing it with green; it can look to costumey. If you must have a bright red or emerald green, choose one or the other, not both so that you don’t end up with bridesmaids who look like elves! Consider burgundy paired with beige or a cinnamon shade for an unexpected touch.

Winter weddings give you more room for sparkle when choosing bridesmaids’ gowns. This is a naturally festive time of year, so metallics of any kind will be welcome. Silver, lighter shades of gold and even pewter grey all work well during the winter months.