Picture courtesy of: purple wedding flowers
Perhaps one of most impactful ways to influence the atmosphere of a wedding is through use of color. Whether you envision an extravagant evening in red and gold or a beachside afternoon in bright floral hues, colors help set the overall tone for the event.
While weddings have traditionally showcased a bland blend of timid pastels, modern brides are breaking this mold by expressing their personal style through color. Bold color schemes and styles once viewed as gaudy are now received as avant garde. If she wants, the modern bride is free to wear black stilettos on the beach (although I would suggest a wedge heel as a safer alternative) or a pink princess-style dress to a barnyard wedding. Despite this freedom, or perhaps even because of it, each of the past few years has hosted particular color trends.
In 2008, Parisian runways showcased black as the new white for wedding fashion. Black was suddenly a focal color for both bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses along with browns, greens, whites and jewel-tones. Many high fashion wedding dresses displayed a combination of black and white. In 2009, royal purple, gray and chocolate were big hits along with an emergence of bright blue and green hues. 2009 wedding colors displayed a luminous quality and eye-catching sheen. 2010 was all about bright, exotic colors; orange made a big splash along with pink, turquoise, yellow, coral and aqua.
For the past few years I’ve envisioned my own wedding in a red, white and black color scheme. I’ve always thought this was such a glamorous and dramatic combination. I’m not sure why, but now that it’s come down to it I’m just not feeling these colors (for my wedding at least) anymore. Maybe all of the wedding magazines I’ve devoured lately have caused the newest color trends to seep into my subconscious, although this might not be a bad thing because the 2011 colors are going to be stunning! In my next post I’ll discuss the projected color trends for 2011 weddings. If you’re into the current vintage fashions, these rich hues are for you!
Sarah