Refining Your Wedding Color Palette: The Key to Stunning Floral Arrangements
As you begin thinking about your wedding flowers, choosing the right color palette is an important first step. It’s easy to select colors we love that don’t quite harmonize, or to limit your colors to an overly narrow range. Let's explore how to create a cohesive and visually appealing color scheme for your wedding flowers, considering all elements of your celebration.
The Importance of a Curated Palette
I get it – you've fallen in love with a particular color set, and wouldn’t it be great to see it everywhere. But hear me out on why a carefully chosen palette can take your flowers from something that just takes up space to a jaw-dropping piece of art:
It adds depth: Complementary colors create a rich, layered look.
It creates harmony: The right combination makes everything "click."
It avoids the dreaded "polka-dot effect": Mis-matched colors can make arrangements look spotty or disjointed.
Creating Your Core Palette
Sometimes less really is more. While it might seem counterintuitive, I actually recommend building your entire palette around a single color. This ensures that your entire event feels cohesive and not all over the place. Here's how we do it:
Choose your main color: This should be the dominant shade in your wedding theme. Pick the color that speaks to you. Maybe it's the red from your grandmother’s garden, or the blush of your first-date roses.
Select a complementary color: Look for a color that contrasts with your main color but still harmonizes.
Embrace the spectrum: Within those colors, there's a whole world of shades. Think light, medium, and dark variations.
Add a neutral: This could be a softer version of your main color, which helps soften and blend the overall palette.
The Big Picture (Because Details Matter)
Remember, your flowers aren't floating in space. Consider how they'll play with:
Your wedding party's attire
Your table linens
Your venue's existing colors
The season and setting
Expanding Limited Palettes
If you have your heart set on a very narrow color range, such as blush and only blush, consider these options:
Vary the intensity of your chosen color — even a slight variation can have a big impact
Introduce textures to add visual interest
Use foliage in different shades to expand the palette subtly
Examples of Successful Color Palettes
Ok so I’ve talked a bit about the steps we take to build color palettes for our clients, now lets take a look at some examples to see how it actually works:
BLUSH PALETTE. Perfect for spring or summer weddings. If blush is your star color, lemon chiffon is the one that complements it. Since both colors are light, add depth with a slightly more saturated shade of the blush hue — mauve or peach would work well here.
AUTUMN PALETTE. Start with a rich burgundy, the color of a glass of wine. Add some warmth and sparkle with a soft yellow. And since burgundy is such a saturated color, we want to soften the whole palette with peach tones. This creates a really elegant, fall palette that brings the warmth of autumn into your venue.
RUBY RED PALETTE: This palette is great for creating a sophisticated design that’s classy, stylish, and definitely a standout. Use an adjacent color, like mauve, and pair it with a neutral sand-toned flower. The whole palette can elevate a wedding like a good red lip.
CITRUS PALETTE. We love a juicy, colorful palette more than anything. It always looks great, there’s a lot of variety of flowers to include, and it’s tons of fun! Think shades of peach, coral, and lemon, toned down with softer hues of nude, and you have the essence of a tropical paradise.
Remember, you want floral arrangements that are visually appealing and harmonious with your overall wedding aesthetic. So whether your floral palette influences the color of your bridesmaid dresses or it’s the other way around, the most important thing is that all your colors work well together.
We're here to help at any stage of your planning process. Whether you've chosen your main color or are still exploring options, we'd be happy to guide you in creating the perfect palette.
Ready to discuss your floral vision? Let's chat!