How to decide wedding colors?
Let’s talk through it! There are a number of things to consider when you’re thinking about a wedding color palette.
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The simplest: what’s your favorite color?
Just like Buddy the Elf likes to ask, really, what IS your favorite color? Are you always a “blue person” or are you a maximalist, color explosion kind of person? Are neutrals the name of your game? While you don’t have to stick with your go-to colors, it’s probably wise not to go too off the wall, too. Your wedding should feel like you, so if you are always a neutral person and you go for all out color, it may not feel right for you in the end. So first thing’s first, start by getting to know yourself a little bit.
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The venue
Many venues are blank slates, and in that case, go whatever direction you want. However, some venues are going to bring their own color and flavor in, in which case you really don’t want to be fighting that. For example, one of the prettiest venues in Charleston is the William Aiken House, the exterior of which is a deep beautiful golden yellow. Many colors pair well with it, but it would probably be a little intense to use something like a red in that setting (ketchup and mustard?).
So before you decide wedding colors, lock down your venue to be sure there is no conflict there.
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Talk with a wedding invitation designer
The invitations are the ONLY thing you get before your wedding. Everything else has to wait to be enjoyed until the actual day – the flowers, the food, the attire – all of it. So since you get to work on and complete them in advance, looping in a solid wedding invitation designer on your color considerations isn’t a bad idea.
Many of our clients come to us with a “shades of green” concept or a wide color palette, and we help to narrow that down a bit so that the invitation sets the tone without being wild and crazy (unless that’s what you’re going for, of course). By contrast, the florist would take that palette and expand it most likely, because florals across a whole venue are a much bigger canvas than the invitation.
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Vibe Check
Along with the wedding color palette, many couples have buzzwords of a sort to help guide the design process. “Romantic” / “moody” / “light and airy” are just some of the ones we’ve heard over the years. If you can identify what the vibe is you’re going for, you can probably develop a color palette that supports it.
For example, if you are going for calm, elegant, light and airy, red and orange probably aren’t the colors for you. So before you settle on the colors, make sure they also pass the vibe check!
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Use technology to your advantage
If you’re still struggling with how to decide wedding colors, lean into the all the available technology. Websites like Coolors and ColorKit can help with generating a color palette quickly and easily. Often, when you see the right thing, you know immediately!
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Trust the professionals
It’s pretty difficult to put a wedding together these days without the help of a professional planner, and honestly we highly recommend you don’t even try it 😉 They are worth their weight in gold, especially on the actual day. You don’t want to be putting chairs out or collecting dishes! But that said, besides the actual “boots on the ground” element, a professional planner can help you refine your vision and develop your wedding colors from the very beginning. He or she can communicate with your invitation designer, florist, and more to make sure that everything comes together in a cohesive manner.
In Conclusion
Whether you’re at the very beginning or already midway into your planning process, deciding on a wedding color palette will really help with all the design decisions you’ll be making. At Dodeline, we’ve been designing and producing wedding invitations for 15+ years, and we would love to see what palettes you’re dreaming up! Reach out to us anytime.
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