Color Your World: From flowers to favors

COLOR YOUR WORLD: From flowers to favors

Three wildly creative wedding palettes filled with bright ideas:

Something Blue – When considering color, go for it! If you’re only focused on using it for big things, like the bridesmaids’ dresses or the flowers and cake, it will look like random pops of color thrown in. It won’t look cohesive. Case in point with one recent NJ wedding which featured an abundance of turquoise and emerald – colors chosen because they so perfectly matched the historic grounds of the local museum and gardens where the intimate ceremony took place. Upon arrival, guests were greeted with vibrant splashes of turquoise – a nod to the nearby water – which popped out as table settings, the three tier cake color and the seat cushion hues. The bridal party also wore vivid turquoise dresses. And while the color grabbed guests’ attention, what held it was the layering of soft greens everywhere else. Tucked inside the centerpieces were green apples grapes, baby artichokes, and cabbages. The stemware and table settings were a shimmering mix of blues and greens – a detail that was unexpectedly highlighted by the setting sun as guests made their way from the ceremony to the reception.

Citrus chic: One recent NJ bride had three must-haves for her wedding. She wanted the ceremony to take place in a lush setting. She wanted every detail to reflect her love of all things vintage. And she wanted to pull it all together with one bold color. Her choice of marigolds came easily as it was her favorite happy color. To stay on budget, the bride scoured her own home (and those of close friends and family) for several of the accent pieces, like the heirloom dishes that graced the custom candy bar. Other repurposed antiques included wire bird cages that covered several small centerpieces and reclaimed picture frames that had been painted a uniform gold and placed down the center of the tables. Stylish suitcases and trunks form various eras were strategically used to help put the 250 guests in a Great Gatsby type of party mood, as well as to mark different areas of the reception. She also used her own vintage costume jewels and baubles to artfully accent table arrangements, including flowers and stacks of old books that she’s tied together. What the bride couldn’t borrow she made. Table runners, for example, were cut from rolls of basic burlap, which she hand stenciled and topped with a narrower piece of marigold striped silk. Layering gold and crisp white into the details along with touches of black allowed the vibrant marigold to be the star. She enjoyed using her favorite color very strategically by putting a lot of thought into when and where to use it. This also lent a real French charm to the day which is exactly what she wanted.

Coral Crush – Red may be known as the color of romance, but there’s a strong case to be made for coral, which gives off its own romantic vibe with an added burst of happy and playful that red just can’t compete with. Finding the right accent colors also made the coral really stand out. Mint green table linens served as a quiet, neutral background while gold leafed vases and candlesticks added a shimmery, elegant touch. Guests got a hint of what was to come seeing the coral- befrocked bridesmaids, but the big reveal was saved for the reception itself: coral, mint and gold cushions, votives wrapped in coral paper, and lavish floral arrangements in every iteration of coral from spicy toned dahlias to almost pink garden roses to pale peach astilbe. The bride and groom used color to their advantage by picking key elements and focusing their attention to color there. The coral suited their romance, their style, the setting, and set a happy, relaxed mood for their guests. It became the perfect theme for the day.