Choosing colors

One of the first decisions to make after engagement is choosing your colors.  The colors you choose can make a HUGE difference to the end result of your occasion. 
There are many things to consider including (but not limited to);
*Personality of the wedding party,
*Desired formality of the reception/wedding
*Time of year
*Site of Wedding/reception

Your colors set the tone for your wedding

*PERSONALITIES-The first thing to address is the specific personalities of the wedding party.  Specifically of the Bride and Groom.  Often I will ask brides to choose a couple of words that would describe their vision of their wedding.  For example, a bride who would describe herself as edgy, modern and fun I would choose bright, contrasting colors.  For example hot pink and lime green, maybe with some tangerine and black to add drama.  Or someone who would describe themselves as simple, elegant and traditional I might suggest scarlet and black.  Or maybe a deep plum and champagne color.  So when considering your colors think about what colors you prefer as well as the colors that will best portray your personality.

   

Bright colors for a summer wedding

*Desired Formality of Occasion-  The next thing you need to decide is how formal you are wanting your wedding/reception to be.  This can greatly influence the colors you choose.  A very formal affair calls for darker colors, as well as fewer colors.  This isn't to say that you couldn't choose lime green, or teal blue, or even hot pink or tangerine.  But these choices should be balanced with a black, slate grey, or brown.  Choose highlight colors in the metallic tones, for example champagne, silver, gold, copper etc.  For a less formal affair more colors, as well as brighter colors can be combined.   

A formal arrangement in white and champagne

*Time of Year-  Another thing to consider is the time of year that you are getting married.  A couple reasons for this is the availability of flowers as well as fabrics in certain colors are more available at some times than others.  Springtime is abundant in pastels, summers have the brights, fall your browns, oranges and reds and winter your greens, reds, blacks, icy blues and silvers.  This is not a hard and fast rule, but something to consider.

Bright and vibrant

the final thing to address now is

*Site of occasion- This is something often overlooked but your choice of reception.wedding site should have a big influence on the colors you choose.  Outdoor sites tend to be less formal, than their counterparts.  Also lighting is different.  Usually outdoor receptions will need brighter/deeper colors in order to provide a contrast against their backgrounds.  Indoor receptions can get a little dark so lighter colors, or greater contrasts in the colors can be used very effectively.  Take care to make note of where you will be having your pictures taken for these same reasons.

muted tones

I will address this topic again later but until then hopefully you have some ideas to get started with!!! Happy Planning!