Taste the Rainbow: Choosing Your Wedding Colors


Some brides have an easy time picking their wedding colors. After all, there are a lot of reasons a person can pick one or two colors out of all creation.

You may have a favorite color that’s become something of a signature in your life. It doesn’t matter whether that color is sunshine yellow, inky indigo, or bright fuchsia: everybody will know it’s from you when your invitation arrives in the mail, because it’s in ‘your’ color.

Or you may choose a color because it’s culturally significant. Many a Japanese or Indian bride has chosen red because it’s as standard in their cultures as bridal white is in ours. And there are brides who decide that if red, white, and blue is good enough for Old Glory, well, it’s good enough for them.

You may choose the colors of your favorite sports team, or just go with the color scheme of the church or hall where you’re having your wedding. Then again, you may decide to go with what’s currently fashionable. That one’s easy. After all, you know that everything you need will be readily available in the colors you want! And if you already like those colors, so much the better.

You may even decide to pay tribute to someone you loved who has passed on by using their favorite color in your wedding. It’s a happy, subtle way to honor someone who has been important in your life, after all.

Or you may find yourself utterly flummoxed and hunt online for sites that will allow you to play with color until you find a combination that makes you smile.

You can put together an inspiration board and see what colors keep jumping out at you.

(I found this one at Wedding Aces)

Or you can even do what I did: not bother to pick. That’s right, I never picked specific wedding colors. I just found things I liked and put them together. I dressed the bridesmaids in the same shade of white I wore, added tartan arisaides all around, tossed in some pretty flowers and ribbons… and voila! A ridiculously attractive wedding. Red did seem to keep popping up, which worked just fine. I like red, Mr. Twistie’s mother was from Japan, and my late mother was particularly fond of the color. It wasn’t something I had particularly planned on, but it turned out nicely. All those tartans meant that the cheerful mix of flowers all co-ordinated with something else. And overall, since the day was a picnic in the woods, a bit of randomness and informality really fit the situation nicely.

Whatever colors you choose, it’s fine. Whatever the reason you choose them is fine. Color can – and should – be one of the fun bits of the planning, because it’s just pretty. So have fun with it. Choose something that makes you and your intended smile, and just take it to eleven… or whatever number will make you happy.

3 Responses to “Taste the Rainbow: Choosing Your Wedding Colors”

  1. Good for you! Originality is a huge part of ‘The Day.’ I especially liked one of your last phrases: “Color can – and should – be one of the fun bits of the planning, because it’s just pretty.” Every wedding is different, simply because there are just so many options -and so many personalities! I particularly liked the ‘inspiration board’ idea you included. Thanks for sharing!

  2. Inspiration boards are a great way to see what you like most, it’s so hard to choose when you just keep seeing beautiful wedding color schemes one after the other. I would love a rainbow wedding, because I am so indecisive but I also need quite a bit of formality and so it might not fit together so well.

  3. Erin says:

    I feel that it is important to be original, this is your day and if you want to wear a pink dress or a blue dress it is your choice. No one should criticize your style and if they do have something to say about it , it should be kept to the inner self, you don’t want to ruin your friends/ relatives or someone special to you’s day. Some people do have a big imagination and do go all out and believe that it is a beautiful dress in their eyes which others may think that it is too big or extravagant. Like I said before it is your day make the best of it this is your dream to come true.