How to Decide on Wedding Colors

So many of my couples come to me with the same question: “How do I choose a color scheme for a wedding?”

It can be an overwhelming task to accomplish, right? The colors you pick really do set the stage for your wedding; they help decide on the vibe and showcase your personality. They quite literally set the tone.

So, while it’s a great question, it really has no defined answer. Instead, here are some key pieces of advice meant to help you think about color schemes. 

Spoiler alert-: I will not tell you to look at other weddings and pick a color scheme you like.

Where to Start When Deciding on Wedding Colors

Pinterest for Wedding Colors

For most wedding couples, Pinterest is their go-to site, whether it’s for colors, themes or anything else. And if you’ve been following me or have hired me before, then you probably know that I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.

Pinterest can be a great tool. There is so much inspiration to be found on Pinterest. 

The problem, in my opinion, with Pinterest is that, if it is used too much, your wedding can easily become just like everyone else’s wedding. It can be difficult to find that fine line between getting inspiration/turning ideas into your own and just doing the same thing as everyone else.  

Which is not to say it is necessarily bad to do the same thing as everyone else. If that is what you truly want, then do it. But, I have found that most of my couples really do want something unique and personal to them. 

So, basically, when using Pinterest or any other inspiration board, try to draw lines between what you want to do with your wedding, what you feel obligated to do, and what you see on Pinterest. 

Start With What You Love

Instead of starting with Pinterest, might I suggest starting with what you love. 

Let me backup. I truly believe that your wedding should be an extension of your personality and your relationship. You want your wedding to be beautiful, yes, but you also want it to be a personal statement. 

So, instead of looking at other people’s weddings, why don’t you start by looking at your own lives. 

What is in your home that you love?  Is there a blanket in a stunning color that you are just obsessed with? Do you have a statement piece of decor that you love?  Or a piece of art work that you picked up in France?

Do you tend to gravitate towards neutrals and chic clothing or more of a boho, whimsical style?  Or are you bright and colorful all day, every day? 

When you buy flowers at the local market, what colors do you tend to pick?  What pieces are you most drawn to in a museum?  Start asking yourself these questions and you will start to get an idea of some colors to start with. 

And you don’t need to come up with an entire color palette. Even if you end up with one color in mind, I can use that as a starting spot to come up with contrasting and coordinating colors to create the most divine color palette. 

Decide on Your Vibe

Sometimes can you start working towards picking a color scheme by narrowing down the overall look of your wedding first. 

When you think of your dream wedding, what is its vibe? Is it classic or casual? Or is it rustic, boho or vintage?

And it doesn’t stop there. You can even blend vibes. 

Are you looking for an international wedding with a vintage flair?  Or a rustic luxe theme with dark woods and deep, elegant textures? 

And don’t feel like your overall feel has to match your venue or location.  Just because you are getting married in Montana, doesn’t mean you must have a rustic wedding. I’ve pulled off successful modern weddings, boho weddings, and even vintage weddings at similar Montana wedding venues.  Anything is possible.

So, once you have your theme, then what?  Here is where Pinterest can come in handy. You can search for an image that has a similar feel for what you are looking for and then look for a color or colors within that image. 

I beg of you, do not search color palette for vintage wedding or burgundy color palette or anything like that. Rather start with an image and decide if the color(s) would go well with your vision. 

By working in this manner, you will be MUCH more likely to come up with colors that are unique, fun, and interesting.

Be Unexpected

Guess what?  Your colors don’t have to match. They need to coordinate and they can’t clash but, for the most part, your colors can be whatever you want.

One wedding I worked on had navy, burgundy, blush, sage green, sand. These colors might not seem like they work together, but they did.  If you have a skilled wedding designer, they know where to put certain colors to make it all blend together and work well. 

The general rule is to pick a couple of bold colors and then a neutral (metallic and floral greens being considered neutrals as well).  But as we all know, rules are made to be broken so if you want all neutrals, do it.

How Not to Decide on a Color Palette

Do Not Search For Specific Trends or Color Palettes

Searching for specific color palettes – by trends or color – is the easiest way to create a wedding that looks exactly like what everyone else is doing. And this is fine if this is what you want; but you should know this is what you are doing. 

Stay Away from Holiday or Seasonal Colors

If you are looking for something truly unique, stay away from holiday colors and seasonal colors. It may seem like you need a green, red and white color scheme if you are having a Christmas wedding, but I promise you do not. You can still create a festive, holiday feel and have colors that are not expected. 

And, just because you are having a fall wedding, you don’t need fall colors. Spring doesn’t have to be pastels and summer doesn’t need to be light and airy. I promise.  You can do whatever you want. 

Don’t Follow the Trends

I’ve touched on this a few times but do not feel like you have to follow trends or pick the normal color schemes.  And again, if this is what you truly want, then by all means – go for it.  

The truth of it is, the couples that generally go for the trendy or typical colors are the ones that usually don’t really know how to start creating something personal and fun. You rarely hear someone say they want the same wedding as everyone else. But, they turn out that way because they don’t know anything different.

Having an experienced wedding planner is one way to create a fabulous palette. Starting with the suggestions I have outlined in this blog is another. 

So as you start working towards creating the perfect wedding palette – one that makes people walk in and truly FEEL your personality – think of these suggestions. Resist the urge to pick a pre-ordained color palette and create something that is personal to you.

Tell me, how do you think a site visit could be useful to your wedding planning? 

Can’t wait for your next newsletter? You’re in luck—there is so much wedding planning goodness already on the blog. Check out this post about creating the perfect wedding timeline.