Wedding colour scheme - top tips for choosing accent colours
for your wedding theme
An accent colour defines your wedding day colour scheme,
it is bold and vivid and will be highlighted throughout the wedding day,
generally alongside a more subtle colour. It does not have to be
a bright accent color, you could for instance go for a chocolate brown
or even black to personalise your wedding!
Choosing your wedding theme accent colour tips:
- Think about the setting you are going to have the wedding in, and where
your photographs are likely to be taken. You do not want to choose
a light green colour for example if you find your venue has green wall
paper, or if you plan to have lots of photographs taken outside on a
lawn area, as this will negate having an accent colour.
Take
a good look around your wedding venue, would you need to make a lot of changes
to get your accent color scheme to work? Think of small things such
as the colour of the seats, will they clash with your colour scheme?
Would you need to hire seat covers? Or would it be more economical to
choose a colour scheme to fit around the venue? What options do you have
for table cover cloths in the reception? Are there ways you could add
your accent colour to these, for instance using table confetti made in
your accent colour? - Think about your accent colour when choosing your bridesmaid dresses,
generally the accent colour will be used for the bridesmaid dresses or
in the floral bouquet. You may also want to think about the
bridesmaids hair colour when deciding your accent colour, for instance
blonde hair and a bright yellow accent colour, may not be the way forward.
- Think about what flowers are in season at
the time of your wedding when choosing your accent colour, there maybe
some that are more difficult to get hold of. There are ways around this,
for instance you could choose another color flower, which is more neutral
such as cream or white, and add in some decoration or foliage to the
bouquet based on your accent colour. Giving the bouquet a subtle highlight
of your accent colour without being overpowering, this is especially
effective if you have chosen your bridesmaid dresses to be made in your
accent colour, so the posy or bouquet stands out against the dress.
- Making an accent colour work, is to compliment it with a colour
that is not so vivid. The more simple, the more effective. Small
finishing touches of the accent colour can have a large impact, right from
the start from your wedding invitations, through to the button holes, corsages,
the decoration on your wedding cake,
seat covers, wedding table
plan, all items that make your wedding day.
- An accent colour, is exactly what it implies for your wedding, it is
an accent, therefore by adding small details of the colour to your wedding
day you create a high impact. They should be noticed, you have gone
too far if everything blends in. They are not there to be subtle,
nor are they there to be overpowering. Adding accents can really
produce stunning photographs, and surroundings for your wedding day. If
you have the bridesmaids dresses made in your accent colour, try to have
a more subtle complimentary colour for the ushers, groom and best man.
Perhaps highlight the accent colour in the cravat and button hole as opposed
to the suit itself. If you decide to have an accent coloured wedding
dress such as red, choose more neutral colours for the bridesmaids.
An
accent colour creates a focal point, but it works in two ways, you either
have a few pieces of accent colours, such as your bridesmaids and then
a contrasting usually more neutral colour such as your bridal dress, therefore
making the bridal dress stand out. Or you have a more neutral colour
with flickers of the accent colour, for instance your cake maybe ivory
coloured with decoration in your accent colour, therefore drawing a focus
on the detailing of the cake, and creating a stunning photograph when the
bride and groom cut the cake. But if your cake was all in your accent
colour you have lost the impact. Keep it simple.
- I find when designing
wedding invitations, which I make in any colour
scheme for couples, that most commonly there is one accent colour, which
is complimented with ivory or white. Ivory and white are popular as it
compliments one of the most important focal points on the day aside from
the vows – the wedding dress, which is more often than not ivory
or white. It is possible to create an effect with a couple of accent colours,
you can get a dramatic effect with red and black, or you can go for a softer
approach and take a lilac or silver and a dark purple to give some contrast
and team it up with white to break it up a little.
Again the key
is keeping it simple, the more accent colours you have, the more you lose
the striking effect. It’s there to make your guests look twice. Think
of the impact black and white can have, the 60’s really played on
this idea of contrasting colours, especially Mary Quant who created stunning
clothing using black and white material.
- For more traditional weddings you would be looking at some of the more
subtler and softer accent colours, such as burgundy with ivory or lilac
and white. Many couples seem to be influenced by silver accents teamed
up with lilacs or pinks, or gold accents teamed up with burgundy or red
in their wedding day colour scheme. This creates a very affluent
effect. Whilst only adding flickers of sparkling accent colour it
creates a dramatic effect in the more traditional colour schemes.
- More contemporary weddings tend to take a more defined accent colour.
Turquoise and aqua colours are especially popular teamed
up with white and some added sparkle, such as diamante gems which can be
added to the bouquets, invitations, table plan and detailing on the bridesmaid
dresses. Silver, Black and White are a popular choice this year, especially
with a butterfly theme, representing the bride and groom.
- If looking for an in-between colour scheme to suit both contemporary and
traditional weddings, chocolate brown and cream seem to be a popular choice,
whilst it is a classy combination of warm colours, it is also quite eye-catching
and bold.
- My one tip as I have mentioned throughout would
be keep it simple. Less
is definitely more, by picking a neutral colour and an accent colour you
can create a stunning effect. By adding diamante gems you add a flicker
of sparkle in your colour scheme, which can be very effective if not over
used.
