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I Do, I Hue Somewhere between Will you marry me…? and Do you take…? lies a wedding’s third overwhelming question: What are your colors? 
Blame Martha Stewart, bridezillas or whoever it was who begot the idea of The Perfect Wedding. Choosing a color scheme for the big day has become a very big deal. A bride is now invited to contemplate the question of color coordination across a wide array of merchandise, from her save-the-date cards and invitations right through to color accents on her wedding dress and parting gifts for guests. Choosing a favorite hue or two can have big benefits: A color scheme can help bring cohesion and visual beauty to a special event. “This increase of using color intentionally when planning a wedding comes from a couple’s desire to have cohesiveness,” explains Stacy McCain of Alison Events in San Francisco. “Clients today want to create an experience for guests rather than just a wedding day.” But there’s clearly more to the color strategy than first meets the eye. Choosing a wedding’s colors helps impose a bit of order on what can be a complex, difficult-to-govern event. Using color can simplify virtually any question that pops up, from the matter of aisle runners to the cocktail of the day. What’s a bride to do? Resist the temptation to seize on your favorite color and let ’er rip. The season and the venue of a wedding reception are the best clues to selecting appropriate wedding colors, experts say. If a ceremony and reception fall at night in the autumn or winter seasons, look for something elegant, like chocolate brown or navy, in lieu of black. If a wedding will take place outside in the summer, stick with clean sages, ivories or whites. The No. 1 piece of advice when it comes to choosing a wedding’s tints and tones? Don’t fight with what the venue already offers – go with the color palette the location itself suggests. This might mean adjusting your dream of turquoise if your reception site is based in muted grays and purples. Using your choice of color strategically, your wedding package will light up the sky. Do Your Homework Choosing your color scheme means selecting from a sea of options, much as you might select a crayon from the big Crayola box. McCain advises brides to seek inspiration by looking beyond the obvious bridal magazines. Browsing through décor magazines you can see colors and textures in a true light. Take a step back from the wedding perspective and select tones that truly please your tastes. A sweater that catches your eye in a fashion magazine might just be the base of your wedding palette. Ellen Heisler, associate fashion editor of “Brides Magazine,” sees designers highlighting of-the-moment fashion colors, including deep purples, burnt oranges, cherry reds, smoky charcoal and nautical navy. Grassy greens remain popular for spring and summer affairs; yellow is a new hot spot for Spring 2008. Don’t Go Overboard A little color goes a long way. So stop and think before you decree that all six groomsmen must wear plum-colored tuxes to match your purple color palette. Success with a wedding color scheme is all about the little stuff. “Keep it clean and simple,” McCain warns. Heisler agrees: “Incorporate colors throughout as accents.” The goal is to please the eye. Don’t overwhelm your guests with a color statement; let them discover it on their own. Here are ways to add splashes of color with style: • Drink it: Add instant color infusion with a specialty cocktail. Is purple your choice of pigment? Think Pomegranate Champagne Sparkles. Give a nod to your green tones with Apple Martinis.• Taste it: Incorporate your colors in the wedding cake. McCain’s clients love to keep the look clean and white, serving all- white confections at the close of the reception.• Wear it: One of McCain’s brides wore a traditional white wedding dress but rocked raspberry red lace-up high heels to give a kick to her color choice.• Accessorize with it: Embellish your wedding hair with a flower or clip from your color family: an orange Canadian Lily or a vintage antique navy hairpin.• Sash it: A colored sash on the bride’s dress is a look that’s become common. Go for color cohesion by outfitting flower girls in traditional dresses tied with a colorful cloth.• Groom’s choice: Pass on the head-to-toe color for groomsmen; just a splash of color – in the groomsmen’s ties, for example – can look classy.• Hold it: Bundle your bouquets with your bold color accent.• Display it: Colorful napkins aren’t the only element of the table that can tell the color story. Adorn each napkin holder with a lavender sprig.• Print it: The easiest way to keep color cohesion is though print. Use your main color choice on the save-the-date, invitation, welcome cards for out of town guests, place setting and menu cards. |
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