Ask Britta - Wedding Wisdom

Wedding Tips: Colors

Wedding Dress Colors
Kind of like Christmas, most girls dream of a white wedding, or at least a white wedding dress. Yet while a white dress is always a classic, today’s brides aren’t afraid to mix it up with a bit of color, whether it’s an accent on the dress or the whole dress itself. Here are some color considerations to keep in mind.

What looks good on you: Pure white looks good on few people (if you’re anything like us, put on head-to-toe white and you’d need to hand out sunglasses to all the guests). Luckily shades like ivory, eggshell and other off-whites flatter a variety of skin tones and look basically like the real deal.

To figure out what shade is best on you, think about what sorts of colors you look good in. Do you glow in pinks? Are you better in gold? burgundy? Use these colors as guides for determining your shade of ‘white.’ If gold makes you glow, ivory or another yellow-white will work for you, but if soft pink is more your color you might want to pick a more rosy shade of off-white. If you can’t tell oyster from ecru (and face it, if you’re not a color consultant, who can?) ask the shop assistant to explain the colors in plain English. Take notes so you can sound like an expert at the next place you go. Alternatively, make a quick jaunt to the local paint store where they can tell you in scientific detail all you need to know about a color (it’s also a great place to pick up paint chips for picking your wedding colors.) If you do have dark skin you’re one of the lucky ones who can flaunt off your beautiful coloring in a dramatic true white gown.

Personal Style:   Let’s be honest. If it weren’t for convention, who would choose to dress in all white? Definitely not us. So why should you be forced into dressing like your wedding cake on the one day that’s all about you? (Not to mention white’s well-known effects on a girl trying to look her slimmest). Now that weddings are about celebrating a couple’s love and not about your dad giving him a piece of property, feel free to pick traditions that you like and ditch what you don’t. If you’re not ready to say goodbye to the white dress (or you don’t think you’re grandmother’s pacemaker could hold up to the shock), why not accent you dress with some color? A black sash around the middle is a dramatic, elegant statement, not to mention tres vogue this season. Likewise, chocolate brown, one of today’s hottest colors, gives a contemporary and stylish touch.

In the other direction, pairing your white gown with a pastel pink or green can give a touch of whimsy and looks great in a garden or for a spring wedding. A sash or a tulle underslip is a great way to show off your favorite color or match your bridesmaids. Another option would be colored decorative embroidery, beads, or a patterned fabric. Just remember: a deep or intense color looks bold, contemporary, or sophisticated, while a soft or pastel color can look romantic and pretty.

But if you’re like this modern girl, white is soo last century. You have a chocolate ganache wedding cake, so why not a chocolate strapless gown? If baby blue is your favorite color? Why not a baby blue satin gown—with white elbow-length gloves. Or if everyone tells you you’re drop dead gorgeous in red, make your guests gasp with a ruby off-the-shoulder gown (though leave the slippers at home, Dorothy). Of course keep in mind that a non-traditional color looks best with a more contemporary style—think sleek, not poofy, lest you like you’re getting married in your prom dress. Also, make sure you’re not dressed like your bridesmaids. Nothing’s more embarrassing for the guests not to know which one of you is getting married up there. But if you’re in a golden halter dress and they’re all in little black cocktail dresses, it’s still going to be your day.  

If you’re going the nonwhite dress route, keep in mind the setting and time of day—it becomes just that much more important in creating a tasteful and integrated look. If you’re getting married in a garden, look to your natural surroundings, especially your flowers, for inspiration. Burgundy or black could look inappropriate with at your tea-time wedding, but really shine at an evening wedding in a chic hotel. One great way to break away from white, white, and more white is to look to other cultures for inspiration. 
In our jet-setting age cultures routinely commingle, so why not bring a little multiculturalism to your wedding? In China and other East Asian cultures, red is the traditional color worn by brides because it symbolizes good luck.  In some parts of India brides wear green, the color of fertility. Many African-American brides might want to recognize their African heritage with brightly colored cloths like Kente cloths or incorporate reds, blacks, greens and yellows into their weddings.   

Picking your wedding colors

One tasteful and timeless way to pick your wedding colors is to choose your favorite color—purple, moss green, or baby blue, and then choose its tints and shades for a monochromatic themed wedding. Think your wedding cake in pale lavender, flowers in a bright lilac and bridesmaids in a rich purple. Also, adjacent colors—that is, those next to each other on the color wheel can be subtle or bold and either dress up or down your wedding. This season think pink, so try pairing a baby pink with fuchsia or deep rose for a feminine but elegant wedding.  

If your tastes run bolder, remember that opposite colors definitely attract. Pick colors directly across the color wheel for a dramatic look. To vary it up though, try experimenting with various shades and intensity. You might like red and green together, but if you’re not getting married in December, try pale spring with deep cranberry, or light pink with forest green. White and black are timeless and classy, but they instantly take your wedding up a notch in formality. Especially trendy this season is tangerine and turquoise, which would look great for a summer or beach-themed wedding. Other great contrasting pairs are lemon and plum, ruby and lime green.

More color ideas: this season, brown is the new black, so the fashion- forward bride can try incorporating this shade into her wedding. Chocolate browns look great with pastels like pale blue (another ‘in’ color) or green. Chocolate paired with cream or another lighter neutral is sophisticated and classy. For a dramatic statement, match brown with a deep gold or orange. Metallics are also trendy and versatile. Silver and black are traditional black tie, whereas silver and pink are charmingly retro. Try copper and brown for an Autumn wedding, or gold and green for and Easter wedding.

Color can also be a great way to incorporate your groom’s input. Why not use his favorite color as a start-off point? (Olive green, anyone?) This is a great way to make the wedding both of your day. Also, you can soften his ultra-masculine choice with a more feminine color of your own, like pair his navy with a light peach or his gray with lavender. Finally, there’s no hard and fast rule that says you only should use two colors. Instead, try picking a range of colors that complement each other, or use your theme for inspiration. An autumn harvest wedding could incorporate reds, oranges, and golds as well as moss green and brown. Just try to keep it coherent so it doesn’t end up looking like a box of crayons exploded at your reception.  

Color basics:

Hue – the color you perceive. E.g. red, green and yellow are all different hues.

Tint – lighter versions of a color made by adding white.

Shade – darker versions of a color made by adding black.  

Primary Colors - colors that can’t be made by mixing two other colors together: red, blue, yellow (you know, the ones you loved in preschool)

Secondary Colors - made by mixing primary colors: orange, purple, green.