This article is edited by a professional wedding consultant.

Color and themes work together to define "style". The theme and colors permeate everything in your wedding: flowers, boutonnieres, the wedding party attire, favors, invitations, table décor, and so on.

You do not have to be a professional designer to make excellent color decisions or identify a theme that communicates your personal style and memorable day. Here are some common sense guidelines that will help you select your best colors and themes and use them well throughout your wedding.

Color

Color is a wondrous and pervasive emotional element that permeates your entire wedding. It is important you think about color in combination with the wedding and reception locations. You do not want the wedding colors to clash with the location background colors - this could create some horrid photographs, and possibly even vision headaches among the guests. For instance, if you select a hotel reception room with aqua green ocean carpets and sunshine yellow walls, then hot pink for your bridal party is not a good choice.

Identify your favorite Color(s) and variations (hues) - What color do you envision first when you think about your wedding? What color combinations do you like? What mood are you trying to create at your wedding - relaxed and meditative? - Wild and celebrative? - Soft and quiet? - Sophisticated and genteel?

If you are not sure what colors you would like in your wedding, then look at bridal web sites and stores, visit fabric stores, attend art galleries and art web sites, peruse fashion magazines, and explore graphic design and art design web sites. Get a Pantone color wheel or book to see a full range of colors - this is how graphic designers select colors. See this Color List page as a starting point for your research.

Wedding colors do not have to be limited to one or two. You can have multiple colors if they are chosen well. An autumn motif with the many colors of autumn trees - gold, brown, orange, red, and green - are pleasant and memorable.

Metals

Related to choosing your colors, you may also want to choose a metal that compliments everything else, for instance gold (yellow or white), silver / platinum, or copper / bronze. Eventually at some point in your planning you may need to address metallic objects and it is best if they match your colors and theme. For example, vases, dining utensils, candelabras, pens, and accent décor items generally tend to be metallic. Some couples select metallic colors based on their wedding rings or other significant items that are central to their engagement or wedding.

Themes

The theme is the unifying idea or motif that unites the colors and visuals in your wedding. Here are a few ideas for themes and colors combinations:

Classic Sophisticated - present yourself in timeless stylish elegance - silver, black, pearl white.

English garden - promenade in a genteel garden environment - green, yellow, pink, lavender, red, and brown.

Paris in the Spring - frolic among the Parisian spring romantic fragrances and flowers - rose red, lavender, pink, marigold, pearl white, sky blue.

New England Autumn - dance among the colors of autumn trees - gold, yellow, orange, red, and green.

Mid-Summer Nights Dream - relax in the cool of a comfortable summer evening - midnight blue, dark green, moonlight white.

Summer Beach Day - bask in a bright and reflective beach - vibrant summer yellow, ocean / aqua blue, and bright white.

Country-Chic - celebrate as if you were in the rolling hills of Italy or France - bright yellow, light chocolate, burgundy, gold.

Tropical Hula - leap through the lush and vibrant foliage - leaf green, cantaloupe, copper.

Ideas

Tables and Decor. Liven up your tables with elements that provide memories and discussion topics for your guests.

• Artists or artwork - Monet, Picasso, or Michelangelo would be great table companions. Place the artists name or a small framed piece of art as the table name or center piece.
• Travel locations - Focus on places you have been or want to go - the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, New England, Paris, Switzerland, Indonesia, China, and many others would be great dream destinations for you and your guests. Decorate the entire table with the destination theme. For each table name, place a collage of photos from that destination.
• Textures and lighting - Use ribbons, candles, mirrors, balloons, confetti, and other items that have textures or light elements to create an ambiance that is both touchable and visual.

May your wedding theme and wedding colors tell the story of your love and future together.

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