5 Things to Consider When Selecting Your Wedding’s Color Scheme

Wedding planning isn’t all about selecting the right venue and vendors. In fact, most of those choices are the easiest for couples to make. The planning hiccups often occur when it comes to deciding on the smaller details. Today, let’s talk about choosing your wedding’s color scheme.


I was surprised at how many of the brides I worked with had no idea where to start when it came to choosing their color scheme. This was one of the reasons I created the Susan Southerland Color Selection Wheel. I wanted couples to see color options within a monotone color scheme (different shades of the same color), a complementary color scheme (colors on opposite sides of the color wheel), or an analogous color scheme (colors that border each other on the wheel). I also designed the wheel to easily fit in any bride’s planning binder so she could bring it along to all of her appointments.

While using a tool like this one can be invaluable in making your color choices, there are a few other things you’ll want to keep in mind:

1. The season. One of the easiest ways to narrow down your color choices is to consider the season of your wedding date. Spring weddings are a great time to choose lighter tones like pale yellow, dusky pink, or sky blue. Summer ushers in vibrant tones like turquoise, rose, or ivy green. In the autumn, richer earth tones are more popular, such as russet, burnt gold, plum, or copper. Neutral tones with touches of cool colors dominate a winter color scheme…whites and ivories, winter blue, or various shades of purple are most popular.

2. The mood. Are you trying to introduce drama into your wedding design? Consider a bold red or deep tangerine scheme. Prefer to keep things soft and romantic? Opt for pastels like mint green or lilac. If you’re more of a classic or vintage bride, neutral tones like ivory and champagne would work for you.

3. The location. Is your venue already going to be decorated due to its overall design or an approaching holiday? Consider building your color scheme off of what will already be there. Odds are, the décor will coordinate well with things like the carpet and wall hangings. This could make your choices really easy, and save you money on décor!

4. The inspiration. Do you have a favorite flower that you want to incorporate in your wedding? Maybe your color scheme should be based off of that. Do you and your future spouse love the outdoors? You could consider a color palette based off nature. Allow yourself to be inspired by what speaks to you!

5. Your personal taste. What really matters in the end is what appeals to you. Don’t hesitate to have navy blue as a color choice in the summer just because it’s a darker tone. You can always choose a more summery accent, like buttery yellow, to tie in the season. Choose what makes you happy!
Whatever ends up helping you choose your colors, keep them limited to no more than two or three to keep your look clean and cohesive. Have fun with figuring out how to bring in your colors in ways that will wow your guests. Whether your colors are trendy or timeless, they’ll help make your wedding a truly memorable experience!