How to Pick A Color Scheme for Your Wedding or Party

     Just pick your favorite color, right? That's how most pick their color schemes. People ask what my favorite flower is quite often and I usually say roses, an easy choice given my last name, but you just can't beat a fragrant garden rose! But for an event, party or wedding, I'd choose a combination of colors that complement each other and give off the right vibe for the event, not just use your favorite flower. If you want all white roses for a lush, rich look, mix in cream with the white to give depth of color, but also realize the atmosphere that an all white event creates.

     There are some wonderful color combinations in flowers but I continually see color combinations that don't work so well together or combinations that aren't taken advantage of.  Colors can bring energy, calmness, sweetness or sexiness to a room. They can also evoke a reaction you may not want. For example, I recently attended a corporate party where the event planner (not me), used all dark red, including red curtains, red uplighting, red arrangements and wrought iron accents to give the room a 'Spanish' feel. The saturation was overwhelming for the guests and I heard one man comment that it looked like a strip club.  I felt bad for the event planners because I knew they'd worked hard on the event. But understanding that there can be too much of a good thing as far as saturation is concerned, is as important as understanding that the color palette may be too boring.

     If I had to pick a favorite single color, one that I might use in my house, for example, I'd probably pick blue. Light blue is calming as a color, and when combined with white, it gives off a very soft look. So, when planning your ceremony or party, always ask what atmosphere do I want for my event. This look might be beautiful at the ceremony, but for the reception party, a different look and feel might work better.

     Gorgeous flower color combinations can transform a room in a powerful way.  Dark reds with dark  purple can look very romantic, especially with greenery.  An all red floral arrangement can look romantic, but add some dark pink flowers and the overall look is softened and beautiful. But, add light pink with red and the effect could be reminiscent of a certain sweetheart holiday you may not want.

     

     I love the dark red and purple combination like the one above, and some other beautiful color combinations for flowers are pink and lime green which has a 'garden party' look.

    All purple flower arrangements can make a room look modern and energetic, but add some green, especially lime green and it looks stunning.

     Pink and orange together is modern, clean and fresh. This is another favorite of mine because it's just so pleasant and appealing.

     Want a classic look? White and pale pink are very lovely together. Ways to spice up this combo are to add a slightly darker shade of pink or fuchsia into the arrangement and the amount of greenery used can totally change the overall look.

     Color combinations can help transform a room and help express emotions, so as you consider your color scheme for your big event, talk to your florist and see if they recommend certain accent colors that are analogous or complementary to your main color preference and explain the atmosphere you want at your event. And don't be afraid to ask for their honest opinion on the colors you're considering.  

Some clients pick colors and flower types that are hard to find and just don't work that well together.  My least favorite combination are red and yellow mixed together. Sometimes it's what registers subconsciously.  Not that people notice the color combination on a conscious level per se, but what feeling they have when they leave your event.

If you have a question about your color combination, let me know and I'd be happy to weigh in and give some pointers or thumbs up/thumbs down.