Expert Advice on Creating the Perfect Wedding Color Palette
Okay, so you just got engaged (congrats!!) and are getting started on planning your big day. Before selecting a breathtaking wedding venue or picking out some jaw-dropping bridesmaid dresses, you have to make sure that your nuptials have a cohesive feel that is also as unique as the two of you. Enter Nicole Yang, art director at Southern Weddings magazine. Besides designing all of their products, she is also a big believer that colors and design can tell a story, and she has some fab advice for recently engaged couples.
Today, she’s sharing expert advice with us on how you and your partner-in-crime can create the wedding color palette of your dreams. She covers everything from how soon to choose your colors, where to grab inspiration from and how many colors is too many. Read on to ensure your wedding color palette is the perfect combination of you and your S.O.’s personalities.
How soon after getting engaged should couples pick out their wedding colors?
“Engaged couples should pick out their wedding colors early in the process. While the first thing you should do is celebrate (hooray!!), after the bubbly has been popped, begin thinking through what you want your wedding day to look and feel like. It’s not crucial to have all the details and final color palette decided on right away, but deciding on a general aesthetic for your wedding will help you determine the type of venue that’s best for you, what photography style you gravitate toward and what your dress might look like. After that, it’s time to get specific. You should decide on your color palette before you place any orders for flowers, stationery or bridesmaid dresses, and before you confirm decor.”
What is the best way to find inspiration for your wedding color palette?
“The best source of wedding inspiration is you and your fiancé! Your color palette could be inspired by any part of your story, whether it’s influenced by your favorite season, the style of your home, a favorite place you visited together or just colors you both love and will love for years to come!
If you’re in a pickle, try thinking of words or images that describe you and your fiancé. Are you both carefree and fun-loving? Maybe your wedding colors are bright and vibrant. Do you both love the outdoors? Maybe your wedding colors include soft neutrals and varied greens.”
What should couples keep in mind when trying to narrow down their color choices?
“As our editor Emily likes to say, ‘This is not the only party you will ever throw.’ It’s okay to get specific and to save other color palettes you love for future events! There are no rules for picking your wedding colors, but if you’re not sure how to narrow down a multitude of options that you love, try mulling over these ideas:
1. Your wedding should be a reflection of you and your fiancé as a couple. Are the colors you picked ones that your boo loves too? Are they flattering to you both?
2. Images from your wedding day will be printed and hanging on your walls for years to come! Choose colors that you love and think you’ll continue to love.
3. If you both are stuck because you just love ALL the colors, that’s wonderful too! Opt for a multicolored palette, but be sure your overall style is consistent to keep the wedding looking unified, and pick colors that all complement each other.”
How many colors should couples usually include?
“The number of colors in your wedding palette could be anywhere from three to 10! It all depends on what your overall style is, and what’s inspiring your color selection. Keep in mind that it can get a little tricky balancing larger color palettes and calculating how all the colors will be distributed throughout your wedding day. Whether your selection is big or small, it can be helpful to separate your colors into primary and accent colors. This can help you make color-related decisions throughout your wedding-planning process. Primary colors will be used more and on larger pieces (perhaps your bridesmaid dresses, paper goods or table linens, for example). Accent colors will be used less and on smaller pieces (such as bouquet ribbons, in the floral arrangements, as a calligraphy ink color, etc.).”
Do you have any other advice for couples choosing their wedding colors?
“Thankfully, wedding planning is not an exact science, and there are no hard and fast rules (as long as you’re married at the end of the day)! My advice is to always follow your gut and do what feels authentic to you and your future spouse. And if you’re strapped for ideas, start filing away (or pinning) any images that you gravitate toward and love. Once you have a good number of images built up, you’ll begin to see patterns emerge — whether it’s a color you didn’t know you loved, or a style that you admire but haven’t defined yet. If you need more help pulling together inspiration, we have plenty of tips, tricks and activities in the Southern Weddings Planner that will help!”
Your Big Day is just starting! Check out all things Brit + Co Weddings, and follow us on Pinterest for more beautiful + creative wedding inspo.
(Photos via Nicole Yang / Southern Weddings Magazine)