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!

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 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 in 2008 and 2009, 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.

Article by Chloe Willis - creative designer and wedding consultant. Examples of Chloe's designs can be found on her websites Our Wedding Essentials and Wedding Table Plans