The use of colour in your wedding is a really simple way to personalize your wedding and make it stand out. I have already given you my first 5 tips in Part 1 of 10 Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Colours, so now is the time to move onto Part 2. Let’s go!

6.  Don’t forget your linens.

Choosing colourful linens are an easy way to add some life to your wedding reception. Because your guest tables take up the most space in a venue, consider how you can use your linens to maximize your wedding colour design. Nowadays, there is no limit to the colours for chair covers, chair pads, table linens, heck, even glass and stemware! Think beyond “white” or even “black” and go for that colourful choice.

Photo credit: The Knot

Colourful? No thanks, you prefer a clean, classic palette of whites and creams. Fantastic! However, this does not mean that suddenly your colour palette has to be plain and, I’ll be honest, boring. Which brings me to my next tip…

7. Layer.

For me, successful use of colour comes from layering. This means layering in forms of colour, texture and pattern. If you are dreaming of an all white, elegant wedding, please do not think that simply choosing “white” for everything will be enough — this looks clinical and cold! Instead, think about using sparkly chair covers, shimmery white table linens, and layer, layer, layer.

Photo credit: Estera Events

8.  Be aware of colour combinations.

This color wheel is a great tool for learning how colours relate to one another without going too much into colour theory. If you have ever studied art in any way, you probably know that complementary colours (the ones directly across the wheel from each other) are a combination of colours that look the most vibrant when paired together — blue will look the bluest when paired with orange, and vice versa. If you pick a complementary colour scheme, make sure the tones you pick are not both too vibrant: choose royal purple but pair it with a deeper, mustard yellow instead of canary yellow so that these colours together are not too much for the eyes.

Also, take note of what certain colour combinations can represent or imply. Red, blue and yellow are primary colours and can make your event look rather child-like, but dusty pink, navy and gold exude pure elegance.

9.  Work backwards.

Many brides will think of a colour combination, then use it to choose the linens, bouquets, and all the other wedding details accordingly. I encourage you to work backwards instead. Wedding bouquets are a great source for colour inspiration, so start browsing through those photos and see if any colours jump out at you. Bonus? You will already know that your wedding flowers are guaranteed to coordinate with your overall wedding colour design. Stye Me Pretty has a great tool for this!

Photo credit: Mr. Haack via Style Me Pretty

10.  Use lighting.

Good lighting can bring your wedding to new heights and give you an interesting way to incorporate colour. If you find your design story is not as strong as you would like, I strongly encourage you to consult a lighting professional to see what some lighting can do to really personalize your wedding and drive home your colour theme.

Please do your research and look into quality lighting though as some of the more inexpensive lighting equipment does not cast as strong of light or cover as much range. If there is someone offering you lights for a too-good-to-be-true price, then it probably is. You may have saved on costs by renting inexpensive lighting, but what is the point if they cast a puny amount of light and it isn’t what you want?

On another note, be warned that lighting should be used as an enhancer, not as a “fix-all” solution. If you are not happy with your overall wedding details, then adding some uplighting is not going to magically make everything better.

Photo credit: Wedding by Color

I hope these tips will help you in your wedding planning process. Wedding planning is a very exciting adventure in your life, but it is also easy to get overwhelmed with details once the excitement dies down. Don’t feel defeated — there is nothing wrong with asking for help. If you are in the Calgary area and are looking for a wedding planner or help with wedding design, please do not hesitate to contact Sweet Stylings for a complimentary initial meeting — we would love to hear about your wedding!

Happy planning and colour scheming,

Calgary Wedding Planner and Designer
Calgary Dessert Table Designer