Every bride wants a wedding to remember. And to achieve just that, you need to choose the perfect color palette for your big day.
The colors you choose will shape many of the decisions you make for your wedding and will make choosing bridesmaid dresses, florals, linens, decorations, invitations and even your wedding cake significantly easier.
Choosing a wedding palette with two to three shades will ensure every aspect has a cohesive, themed look — as long as you choose complementary color combinations. Start by choosing one or two colors as your main hues and then choose one to two secondary colors that compliment them.
Selecting a color palette may not seem like a difficult task, but knowing what shades work together is no easy feat. Whether you’re seeking classic, romantic, boho, fun or elegant wedding color ideas for your ceremony and reception, you’re sure to find a color combo that you love on our list.
In This Article
Wedding Color Ideas And Palettes For Every Style Of Wedding
Every bride has her own personal style and vibe. To help you find a color palette that will not only suit you but help you rock your special day, we’ve put together a guide of classic and trendy color combos for every style of wedding.
Read on to find one that is the perfect fit for your ceremony and reception.
Popular Wedding Color Palettes
Color trends come and color trends go, but some shade combos can be seen year after year at every type and style of wedding. Here are some timeless color combinations that brides have been choosing for decades.
1. Lilac and lavender
If you like purple — and many brides do — this misty color combination could be right up your alley. Lilac, the lighter of the two hues, looks especially dreamy when paired with lavender. The blue undertones of lavender are the perfect foil for the pinkish undertones of lilac and look magnificent together in bouquets and floral arrangements.
This fabulous duo can be used at any time of year, but looks especially pretty at spring and summer weddings. To make this combo work for fall or winter, simply add in a dark purple or silver accent.
2. Jewel tones
The depth and richness of jewel-toned colors make them a natural choice for weddings at any time of year. Sapphire and aquamarine, for instance, are a stunning pairing for a beach wedding while amethyst and emerald are striking for spring nuptials.
The key with a jewel-toned palette is to choose only two hues. If you want an additional color, opt for a lighter, more neutral shade.
3. Black and white with gold or silver
Brides looking for a more neutral color scheme, more often than not, will opt for a classic black and white theme accented with their favorite metallic. If you’re a bride who prefers to keep things simple, black and white could work wonderfully for your big day.
Simply choose the metallic that matches your wedding rings or the season you’re in. Gold is an ideal accent for summer and fall weddings, while silver works well for winter and spring.
Classic Wedding Color Palettes
If you’re a bride with a penchant for timeless elegance, then a classic color palette is a great choice for your special day. Shades of blue, green and purple have long been the go-tos of many a bride.
Here are some great combinations for brides to achieve a classic look for a modern-day wedding.
1. Dusty blue and burgundy
The contrasting dusty blue and burgundy are both classic wedding hues but, together, they are made special and work particularly well for garden weddings. Choose one as your main color and the other to work as an accent.
Dusty blue bridesmaid dresses with burgundy bouquets will really pop as will dusty blue table cloths with burgundy napkins and accents and centerpieces that marry both colors together.
2. Navy, slate blue and golden yellow
Navy and slate are both from the same color family, making them easy to pair together. This combo alone is a lovely choice for any wedding. To make the pair really pop, however, adding golden yellow accents is the way to go.
Navy looks great on almost any skin tone, making it a flattering choice for your wedding party’s dresses and suits. Add some slate blue ties for the men and a mixture of dark blue, slate and golden yellow for the bridesmaid bouquets for pops of color that can carry over into your linens and centerpieces.
3. Sage, pale gold and ivory
A classic look for an outdoor wedding, this earthy color combo is especially beautiful for country nuptials. Whether you’re having a barn wedding or are planning a reception at another rustic venue, sage green is a lovely choice accented by pale gold and ivory.
This is also an ideal color palette for brides who prefer greenery over flowers. Whether you opt for an all-green bouquet, or a mixture of green and ivory, you can also go all out with swags of greenery, ivory candles and gold vases and candle holders.
Romantic Wedding Color Palettes
If you’ve always pictured a fairytale wedding complete with a beautiful ball gown and a fancy reception venue, a romantic color palette is just what you need. Here are three beautiful options for an idyllic day.
1. Mint, peach and pearl
If you’re planning summer nuptials, this soft and dreamy color palette is romantic yet unique, ensuring your wedding will stand out from the crowd. Perfect for brides who enjoy pastels, mint and peach are lovely hues for everything from your bridesmaids’ dresses to bouquets to linens to invitations.
While this color palette works well for beach and outdoor weddings, it can also look lovely in a quaint chapel or lend romance to a more rustic venue.
2. Cinnamon rose and dusty rose
Cinnamon rose is the newest ‘it’ color for brides who want a pink color scheme that is sophisticated and romantic. This deep, dusky pink is warm and lustrous and looks especially rich when accented with small pops of dusty rose. It also looks great on most skin tones, making it a fabulous choice for your bridesmaids.
Brides wanting additional accent colors for bouquets and centerpieces could opt for cream with pale sage greenery.
3. Mauve, plum and forest green
Purple and green go together as well as love and marriage do and is a lovely color palette for a romantic ceremony and reception. Not only will your bouquets and floral arrangements be stunning, but you can have your bridesmaids wear a mixture of mauve, plum and forest green for a truly unique bridal lineup.
If that doesn’t appeal to you, you can have your maid of honor stand out from the rest of the group or choose just one hue for the whole party with accents like jewelry and shoes in the other colors of the palette.
Elegant Wedding Color Palettes
If you favor styles that are equal parts sleek and sophisticated, an elegant color palette is just what you need to achieve your vision for your big day. These tasteful color pairings are perfect for practically any venue.
1. Dusky pink, sage, ivory and gold
Who says pink is too girly to be sophisticated? Dusty pink is soft and dreamy and, when paired with sage, a silvery green, with accents of ivory and gold, this is a palette to die for. Not only does this color combo lend itself to stunning bouquets and floral centerpieces, you can find a variety of gorgeous wedding stationary and linens for your venue.
While the ivory and gold should be used sparingly, it adds that extra hint of glamor that you’ll need for an elegant wedding day.
2. Copper, blush and rose gold
Copper is an unusual yet striking choice for your wedding color palette. While not commonly chosen for weddings, its lustrous sheen is perfect for everything from wedding attire to decor.
Choosing silky or velvety, copper-hued gowns for your wedding party and pairing the dresses with blush and rose gold bouquets will look amazingly rich in your wedding photos. This metallic threesome will also look rich and elegant no matter what type of venue you have.
3. Lemon, steel gray and silver
Lemon yellow may be seen as a lively and cheerful color but, when paired with steel gray and silver, it offers a sophisticated color palette for your big day. You can choose either lemon or steel to be your main color depending on the season. Lemon is perfect for spring and summer while steel is better for cooler-weather weddings.
For the bouquets and other florals, mix varying shades of yellow with a touch of ivory and finish it with silver accents.
Boho Wedding Color Palettes
Boho chic has long been a popular fashion statement and, in more recent years, is being translated over into weddings too. If you want a wedding with a carefree vibe and an artistic twist, these are the color palettes for you.
1. Aqua, turquoise and teal
Layering varied shades of the same color can bring a lot of visual interest and depth to your wedding decor. For a beach or boho wedding, choosing various ocean shades is a natural fit.
It would look lovely to have your bridal party in a mixture of aqua, turquoise and teal dresses.
While there may not be a lot of florals in this color family, you can opt for artificial blooms for your tables or forgo floral centerpieces altogether in favor of candles or votives filled with ocean-hued beads.
2. Sage, rust and cream
Layering sage and rust with a soft neutral like cream is perfect for brides who favor earthy tones. Perfect for barns and other rustic venues, this color palette is lovely in the spring or fall.
Sage bridesmaid dresses with rust and cream bouquets look positively gorgeous. Sage greenery can be used liberally to decorate the venue with touches of rust and cream accents. If you prefer to use rust as your signature color, simply cut back a bit on the greenery and use plenty of rust-hued flowers and candles.
3. Chocolate, mustard and champagne
If you want to capture the warmth and natural elements that come to mind when you think of a boho wedding, then this color palette of rich and neutral colors is a great choice. You can make either chocolate or mustard your signature color, depending on your preference and use champagne accents to tie it all together.
Just keep in mind that mustard, champagne and chocolate may not suit every skin tone. With this palette, allowing your bridal party to choose the color that looks best on them is not only considerate but will benefit your wedding photos as well.
Modern Wedding Color Palettes
Modern weddings are all about sleek styles, geometric lines, and minimal but trendy florals. The venue itself is often the focus, so subtle color schemes and clean and simple décor are typically preferred. Here are some simple and sophisticated palettes for a modern wedding.
1. Monochromatic
A monochromatic color palette focuses on just one hue that is used for your venue, florals, decor, food and invitations. If you’re worried this might be boring, don’t. You can choose a variety of tones within the same color and still pull off a monochromatic wedding.
If you want an all white wedding, for instance, you can layer white with cream, ivory, beige and champagne for a sophisticated look. Or you can choose one signature color, such as green and use varying shades of it from pistachio to jade to forest.
2. Black, gold and shimmery gold
If you choose black as your main focal point, pairing it with varying shades of gold will bring some much needed brightness to your wedding decor. This sophisticated palette is stunning with black linens and gold napkins, candles and wine glasses.
When choosing bridal party attire, having the men in black suits and your bridesmaids in gold dresses looks stunning. If you are wearing a gold wedding dress, however, having your bridesmaids wear a black dress with gold beading or lace accents will enhance your bridal gown in photographs.
3. Dusty blue, navy and ivory
Using the same color in varying shades can add visual interest without being overwhelming, especially when paired with a neutral accent color. Navy always looks crisp and modern, but is softened when paired with dusty blue. Ivory is a lovely accent for these beautiful blue shades and keeps your theme light without being overly bright.
From navy and dusty blue wedding invitations to bouquets accented with ivory you really can’t go wrong with this modern color palette.
Bold Wedding Color Palettes
A bold color palette works especially well for an outdoor wedding where the shades are softened by natural lighting. Vibrant colors can also work indoors, but look best in large, airy spaces that are well lit.
Here are some bold color palettes to inspire your wedding decor.
1. Royal blue, raspberry and blush
Blue may be a classic choice for a wedding, but when you choose rich royal blue with vibrant raspberry, you’ll definitely make a statement. These bold colors can easily be tied together with blush, which takes on the role of a neutral.
Royal blue bridesmaid dresses with bouquets in raspberry and blush are lovely, especially if the bride’s bouquet adds some royal blue blooms to the mix. You can use the same multi-hued approach for your reception venue or choose one predominant color with the others used sparingly.
2. Lilac, lemon, lime and vanilla
This color palette is perfect for brides who aren’t afraid to make a statement with soft, yet saturated colors. This creative color combo is perfect for spring and summer weddings as well as for tropical destination nuptials.
Ideal for outdoor weddings, we recommend making lilac your primary color. Think lilac bridesmaid dresses with bouquets of lemon yellow and vanilla blooms accented by lime-hued greenery. You can also use lilac as the main color for venue decor with pops of lemon, lime and vanilla.
3. Shades of pink and red
If you love bright colors, why not choose more than one? Choosing varying shades of red and pink makes for a lively and vibrant ceremony and reception and, if you choose to wear a white wedding gown, will really make your dress pop in pictures.
You can have your bridesmaids wear varying shades of the hues you choose or opt for a more uniform look with a multi-hued bouquet. Tables can be decorated with red linens and florals in shades of pink and red. While you can choose a bright red like crimson, our favorite shade of red with pink is merlot, a rich purple-red.
Winter Wedding Color Palettes
Winter weddings bring to mind visions of cool weather and, of course, Christmas. Whether you’re tying the knot around the holidays or not, we have three fantastic color schemes for your special day.
1. Red, green and gold
Christmas brides can’t go wrong with traditional yuletide colors. If you’re planning a Christmas-themed wedding, a red, green and gold palette is a natural choice. Whether you choose a dark garnet red and forest green or opt for a ruby and emerald palette, gold is the perfect neutral to tie them together.
Red or green attire for your bridesmaid party will look lovely while the red and green decor with gold accents will make your venue cheerful and festive. Don’t be afraid to use white as well if you’re planning to use a lot of flowers. It will make the red blooms and greenery really pop.
2. Ice blue, silver and white
Whether you’re a fan of Disney’s ‘Frozen’ or not, brides can certainly take inspiration from lead character Elsa for a charmingly frosty color palette. Ice blue is the perfect lead color at a cold weather wedding especially when paired with sparkly silver and white.
If you’re not a traditional bride, you can wear a show-stopping ice blue wedding dress paired with a white bouquet. Why not get creative when decorating your wedding venue as well? Enhance pale blue linens with sparkly silver or iridescent crystal accents to mimic winter’s ice.
3. Hunter green, black and gold or silver
If you like bold colors, but want to stick with a wintery theme, pairing hunter green and black with your favorite metallic is a great choice. This elegant color scheme lends itself well to a lot of winter greenery such as cedar or pine boughs enhanced by gold or silver pinecones atop black linens.
Hunter green is a lovely color for bridesmaid dresses while brides who want something different from traditional white can rock a gown featuring gold or silver.
Spring Wedding Color Palettes
Pastels have long been heralded as the perfect choice for a spring wedding, but choosing all pastels can be a bit predictable. To shake things up, we recommend choosing one darker color to add depth to your wedding’s color palette.
These three color schemes are great examples of how to make your spring nuptials look amazing.
1. Emerald, pistachio and ivory
Nothing says spring quite like the color green. It’s not only reminiscent of new beginnings, but adds a freshness to any color scheme, especially when paired with ivory. If you want to stay true to the more traditional pastel color palette, then you can have your bridesmaid wear pistachio gowns but, if you want to shake things up a bit, why not go for a rich emerald? Whichever you choose, both will be a perfect foil for an ivory wedding dress.
When it comes to the venue, ivory blooms look fresh and lovely against varying shades of greenery. You can do traditional centerpieces or garlands for your tables. If you’re using a lot of greenery, you may want to opt for a pale green pistachio or ivory linens for the perfect contrast.
2. Orchid, violet and pale yellow
Orchids and violets, both of which bloom in the spring, are the perfect color combo for your spring wedding. Accented by pale yellow, both shades of purple really pop.
Whether you chose the paler, softer orchid as your primary color or the deeper hued violet is really a matter of personal preference. If you like the idea of your bridesmaids’ dresses being a gentle foil for your gown, then pale orchid is ideal. However, if you like a contrast, then you can’t go wrong surrounding yourself with violet. For your venue, we like the idea of pale orchid linens enhanced by violet and pale yellow blooms.
3. Teal, apricot and mint
Warm apricot and cool mint are the perfect pairing for pastel lovers but, if you really want to make this dreamy duo pop, then try adding deep teal into the mix. The depth of teal sets the two lighter shades off perfectly, adding an extra touch of sophistication to your color palette.
Any one of these three gorgeous hues could be your lead color. If you do choose apricot or mint, be sure to use teal as your main accent color with smaller hints of the remaining pastel.
Summer Wedding Color Palettes
Whether you want a bold and bright wedding or a ceremony and venue that are romantic and soft, the perfect summer wedding can be yours with the right color combination. Here are three sweet summer color schemes you’re sure to love.
1. Pale lemon, peach and coral
This bright and luscious color palette brings to mind the refreshing tang of citrus on a hot summer’s day. One of the best palettes for mix-and-matching bridesmaid dress colors, it looks especially gorgeous paired with vibrant bouquets featuring a variety of summer blooms in citrus colors.
If, for instance, you have a bridesmaid in a lemon yellow dress, her bouquet should be peach and coral, while a bridesmaid in a coral dress would rock a lemon and peach bouquet. Your larger bridal bouquet should incorporate all three colors equally to make it the most eye-catching.
As an added nod to your citrusy color scheme, why not use fruit to decorate your venue? Bowls of lemons and oranges would make unique and memorable centerpieces.
2. Cornflower blue, cobalt blue and raspberry
A beautiful combination of blues is always chic for a summer wedding, especially whenwe pops of vibrant raspberry add some pizazz. Similar to baby blue, cornflower has slight lavender undertones and pairs well with its deeper, darker cousin cobalt.
Having your bridal team don dreamy cornflower-hued gowns and carrying cobalt and raspberry bouquets will look spectacular in your wedding photos. Your larger bridal bouquet could boast a mixture of all three shades for that extra wow factor.
3. Turquoise, navy and white
Still in the blue family, this trio is perfect for a seaside ceremony. White is the perfect accent to make turquoise or navy pop. Once you decide on which shade to use as your signature color — look for simple ways to use your accent colors, like this modernly-dressed venue.
Turquoise and navy could also be used equally as your focal point with groomsmen in navy suits and turquoise ties and bridesmaids in a mixture of the two colors.
Fall Wedding Color Palettes
If you’re planning to have your wedding during one of the autumn months, why not let the outdoors serve as your inspiration? From fiery reds and oranges to bright yellow and golds to earthy browns and greens, you’re sure to find a palette you love straight out of nature.
Here are some of our favorite fall-inspired color schemes.
1. Pumpkin, olive and cinnamon
This color palette mixes earth tones cinnamon and olive green with bright orange for a traditional fall wedding look. Pumpkins make perfect decorations for country or rustic weddings, especially paired with olive-colored foliage and cinnamon accents. They can be used in varying sizes to decorate the ceremony space and reception venue. You can even place mini pumpkins at each place setting if you really want to lean into the harvest theme.
As for your wedding party, you may want to let them choose from your three signature colors based on which hue best flatters their skin tone.
2. Pine green, chocolate and cream
Thanksgiving brides who want something different from the traditional hues of orange and yellow will love this earthy trio. Using pine green as your signature color is as easy as pairing darker-hued foliage with wood lanterns and cream colored candles to give your venue a rustic look. If you want something more modern, use creamy linens on tables decorated with brown and green candles or green vases decorated with chocolate-colored ribbons filled with creamy blooms.
Whether you opt for pine green or chocolate brown bridesmaid dresses, your gal pals can carry bouquets of cream-colored blooms and greenery enhanced with dark brown ribbon.
3. Maroon, rust and marigold
If you love warm colors, then this fall line-up is perfect for your wedding. While more muted than bright, the depth and richness of maroon makes it the perfect signature color for autumn nuptials, especially paired with the brighter shades of rust and marigold.
We love the idea of bridesmaids in maroon dresses carrying warmly-hued bouquets or even a single sunflower. Using sunflowers, marigolds or pots of mums on tables covered in maroon linens is another attractive way to show off your color scheme.
