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

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Some Popular Wedding Color Schemes

Wedding color schemes change over the years. What may have been popular a decade ago may seem dated today. A few generations ago, wedding colors were restricted to very feminine, “girlish” colors, usually pastels. Bold and bright shades were considered vulgar, and muted or dark shades were sometimes considered to depressing or somber.

Today’s bride has far more choices for her wedding day. Neutrals and darker shades are considered elegant and refined, while bolds or brights are seen as festive and fun. You can use almost any combination of colors you can imagine. That may seem wonderful, but it can also be overwhelming. With literally hundreds of combinations to choose from, which one will work for you?

To get you started, we’ve put together examples of some of the most popular color palettes for today’s brides. You don’t have to use any of these, but they are an excellent jumping-off point to get you started on your own search for the perfect wedding day colors. Armed with this, your color wheel and a few close friends, you will soon have a lovely color scheme that will make your special day truly breathtaking.

Black and white wedding themes are wonderfully contemporary and elegant. They are ideal for evening weddings any time of year, but be sure to add a touch of color to break up the severity of so much black and white. You could add red roses or mixed bouquets with lots or bright colors to give some depth to the black and white. You could also consider simple sashes for the bridesmaids’ gowns in another color for an unexpected pop of color.

Any other color with black wedding color schemes are quite popular for their combination of classic style and a more feminine feel. Many brides are even wearing gowns in soft, dreamy pastels instead of classic white. The key to making this look work for you is getting the right balance of color with the black and white. For an interesting contrast, try putting your bridesmaids in black gowns with a colored sash (for instance, a bold aqua), then put your maid of honor in an aqua dress with a black sash.

Chocolate has become very popular as a wedding color these days. It is considered a new neutral that is warmer and not as harsh as black. This is a particularly lovely shade for fall and mixes well with all kinds of fall floral shades, from yellow mums to peach roses. Mint, aqua and pale blue are three shades that also look amazing with chocolate if you want to add some cool color to your wedding palette.

Orange wedding themes have gained popularity in recent years for weddings because they are surprisingly versatile. A warm, pumpkin orange is fabulous for fall mixed with greens, browns or burgundies. If you want a bright, tropical feel, match orange with accents of fuchsia or aqua. Lighter, peachy shades of orange look wonderful with lots of colors, including deep greens and navies.

Blues are wonderful for their depth and the wide variety of color matches that look wonderful with them. Try deep, rich blues with silver for a wonderful effect, or match a softer blue with the freshness of white and bright yellow for a summer look that is breezy and beautiful. Navy is very sophisticated and looks terrific with something bold like lime green or something soft like a pale lavender.

Purple is incredibly versatile. It is one of the few colors that works well across all for seasons. Simply keep the shade and depth of the color in keeping with the time of year. Deep, plum or eggplant shades are wonderful for fall, a bright, primary purple sizzles in the summertime, and a soft pastel is great for spring. In the winter you can either go soft with a silvery lavender or bold and deep for holiday warmth. Purples look particularly rich when paired with soft greens.