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

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Wedding Color Schemes and the Décor

It would be lovely if every bride could choose a color scheme and then find a wedding and reception venue that both coordinate beautifully with those colors. The reality is that you can’t do much about the color of the reception hall, but you can find ways to work with the décor of the room or garden so that you aren’t clashing so loudly that guests are too busy focusing on the garishness of the colors to appreciate the beauty of the gowns.

Some quick tips to help you avoid color disaster:

Check out the venue. If it’s relatively neutral, you’re fortunate. It will be a stunning background for any wedding color scheme.

Ask if the venue will be remodeling or changing its color scheme before your wedding. One bride had contracted for a dining room that was done in pale, creamy whites with gold accents. She chose a rich, jewel toned green for her bridesmaids, only to discover the week before her wedding that the reception hall had been redecorated with an oriental theme featuring bold reds. Unfortunately, her fall wedding ended up looking distinctly Christmassy, which wasn’t the look she was after..

If the décor is bold and bright, don’t try to compete. Try going with neutrals or softer shades so that you don’t overpower the guests’ senses. A softer, less saturated color scheme will be restful to the eye.

If, however, the room is done in pale pastels and soft shades, bolder color choices will stand out beautifully.

Don’t try to exactly match the décor of the room. You will end up with colors that are slightly off, which just looks like a near miss.

Discuss decorating options that will tie your color scheme into the room. Options might include white or cream linen tablecloths and chair covers that are accented with touches of your main wedding color. Cream linens and chair covers tied with satin bows done in a rich gold will tie in beautifully with your autumn wedding colors.

Take the lighting into account! Don’t do a garden wedding in the evening with dark floral arrangements at the ends of the aisles. The colors will be difficult to see and could lead to an accident if someone trips over the vases.

Work with the colors in the room instead of against them. You’ve chosen blue and silver for your wedding colors, but the reception hall is decorated in mauve. You don’t have to add mauve to your bridesmaids’ gowns, but it can really tie things together if your centerpieces feature cream, navy and silver with just a touch of mauve to bring all of the elements together.

You have a bit more elbow room for the decorations and even the bouquets. While the gowns should not use more than one or two main colors, with one or two accent shades, wedding bouquets can feature a few more colors for a vivid burst of color that ties the room and the wedding party together beautifully.

Be realistic. If you have your heart set on a beach wedding, go with either beach colors or bold, tropical shades. Forest green and pumpkin will look jarring on a sandy shore no matter how lovely those shades are.

Keep not only your colors but your theme in mind. If you’re going for a country garden wedding theme, complete with wild flowers in bright, clear colors, look for a traditional reception hall. A medieval dining hall or stark, ultra-modern restaurant just don’t work as well.