Ask Abby
Today is all about color palettes. Color palette dilemmas are by far the most popular dear abby questions that I get, so I thought we needed a day devoted to finding and settling on the right color palette. Since SMP readers are so creative and many of them are in the same boat, I thought we could tackle these questions together.
Our first question comes from Elissa…
Q: I am having a really hard time finding anything (pictures of real weddings, pictures from magazines, invitations, etc) in the color scheme I have envisioned and I’m beginning to think it’s because I did not pick colors that work together. My ceremony is in a Tuscan Garden (under a bronze gazebo with fireplace) and the reception is being held in an all white room with large windows (taking place in November 2009). I have picked Wine as the primary color (and even found great BM dresses in the perfect shade) but I wanted to brighten everything up and keep it a fun/more casual atmosphere with apple green, burnt orange, and maybe some raspberry accents. Again I can’t find anything even similar to this palette – I am in the very beginning stages of planning and can change the colors. Can this palette be done?
What do you guys think? Is this palette too difficult to achieve or is she on the right track? Here are my thoughts…I think that a deep wine color as a foundation is PERFECT for a fall wedding in a Tuscan Garden. I played around with a lot of different accent colors and this is the board that I was most drawn to…
Dress by Jenny Yoo, Orange Accents by Fiore Designs, Flowers by Fiore Deigns, Boutonniere by Crimson and Clover, Box of Greens by Vesou and photographed by Trever Hoehne
I love the muted raspberry boutonniere, paired with touches of orange, peach and a brighter green. I also envision gold or bronze lanterns of various sizes and heights accenting the area. Filing the vases with cranberries or deep colored beans, as one commenter mentioned, would be a lovely way to bring the palette back to that gorgeous wine color. The entire palette seems really rich, warm and elegant to me….everything that a Fall inspired wedding should be!
Sounds like the color scheme of the fall leaves to me - and it works out ok for them!
I would extract the orange and maybe keep everything in berry tones. Substitute a light blue or periwinkle shade instead of the orange, that color bounces off wine well.
Extracting the orange is an option - but I think I might keep it - just use it sparingly. It can really ad vibrant pops of color. I think it sounds like a beautiful fall palette. Nothing clashing or bizarre about it. I think you arent seeing pictures of the colors you want because its springtime. Look back in the blogs or magazines to late summer or fall issues. Only thing that might concern me would be the raspberry. Dont get me wrong - i love it - and i think keep it in your palette, just be sure to keep an eye on the shade so it looks like raspberry, and not just an offshade of your wine color.
Ohh! I like it. Sounds very jewel tone to me. Have you tried looking at fashion mags or home decor books? Maybe even some jewelry websites. Good luck!
the white and the apple green sound great however I think you need to choose between the orange and the raspberry. If you are envisioning a fall color scheme then orange would be great, if you want a jewel toned color scheme then raspberry works.
I like the other posters think your color palette sounds perfect for a Fall wedding. I love the contrast of wine and apple green, it's so chic and cheerful. I too would consider eliminiating the orange and keeping your colors to wine, assorted raspberry colors and apple green BUT if you envision the palette including orange, then by all means, go for it. It's your day!! Check out the link below...I know it's not quite "wine" but it may give you some inspiration.
http://bp2.blogger.com/_oZuFDni50Qs/SDX---pMQjI/AAAAAAAABiY/JeROmhG9QoU/s1600-h/213.jpg " rel="nofollow">http://bp2.blogger.com/_oZuFDni50Qs/SDX---pMQjI/AAAAAAAABiY/JeROmhG9QoU/s1600-h/213.jpg
Here's another inspiration board that you may be interested in:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_oZuFDni50Qs/R_jzR2v0RaI/AAAAAAAABIg/sU6-GlCDV2E/s1600-h/Board+%23179.jpg " rel="nofollow">http://bp1.blogger.com/_oZuFDni50Qs/R_jzR2v0RaI/AAAAAAAABIg/sU6-GlCDV2E/s1600-h/Board+%23179.jpg
Oh, I love these boards! Gorgeous! What's the website?
I found the inspiration boards on Snippet & Ink's website http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/ ." rel="nofollow">http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/. > They feature a daily inspiration board with different color palettes and styles. It's great inspiration for those of us who are unsure about our color scheme. Enjoy!
I think texture might be a real key here. If your budget allows orchids and calla lilies come in some amazing colors, and add great texture. Dalhias are great option, as well, and come in many shades of orange and wine. I think it's all about the tones of the color pallet you choose. You can combine alomost any colors as long as they are in the same tone. For example jewel tones: saphire blue, emerald green and ruby red will all work together, becasue they are in the same color family. Deep purple and orange will work togehter because they are directly opposite each other on the color wheel.
You might want to go to a paint store and look at some color samples.This is a great way to get your color pallet down. Find the primary color first. A good paint store should have at least 3 colors in a lighter shade, and 3 in a darker shade. You can bring this to your florist as a starting point.
Your color palette is beautiful, and with your ceremony location I am sure it will be amazing. Just because you can't find “anything” that shows these colors together, doesn't mean it is wrong or you can't do it. It means you are lucky…you have the unique opportunity to inspire another bride with your color selections. Make it your own and I know you can make it special.
If “wine” is your main color, simply utilize the other colors as a “tease” a delectable little accent! Think of the complimentary tones the orange will have with the bronze gazebo. Think of how ideal a fresh green apple looks sitting next to a glass of deep rich wine. Think of how tempting the color raspberry will be against an outdoor natural setting. Wonderful!
You are on the right track, don’t look back and find your own unique ways of inspiring your color choices. Tall and wide glass hurricanes filled to the brim with green apples, floor length table linens of satin in deep wine, floral arrangements of dark purple calla lilies, burnt orange ranunculus, black beauty roses, and green spider mum. Use the “Tuscany Garden” ceremony location to inspire your reception. Tuscany is beautiful and you could really adorn your tables with the spirit of the Tuscany countryside.
Love it! I am so excited for you! Best of luck!
I think that sounds beautiful. And the fact that the fabric designer Amy Butler used almost that exact scheme in her collection proves it! Check it out:
http://image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.27533314.jpg " rel="nofollow">http://image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.27533314.jpg
Tie it all together in the details. Beautiful wine bridesmaid dresses with green and resberry flowers would be stunning. Use favors and other little details to pull all the colors together. This combo could look so rich!
I love the fabric that Lindsey posted - gorgeous! Although that fabric proves that all of the colors proposed could work together, I personally would stick to no more than three. Wine, green, and raspberry would be really beautiful, I think. Alternatively, using two color and a metallic would be stunning - such as wine, green, and copper. Once you start looking, metallic accents are everywhere - I could imagine copper ribbon, copper chargers, copper candlesticks or votive-holders, etc. Gold would also be a nice - and perhaps easier-to-find - choice. Good luck!
funny. I have envisioned the same color scheme for my wedding and have had the same dilemmas as you.......let me show you where I got my inspiration and why I feel that the wine, apple green and orange work so beautifully together.....especially with these cute brown birds tying it all together..... />
http://acaciacatalog.com/product.asp?pn=51363&bhcd2=1212597515 " rel="nofollow">http://acaciacatalog.com/product.asp?pn=51363&bhcd2=1212597515
If it works in nature, it will work as a wedding colour palette! :)
I love the colour palette! I would keep it and choose one or two of the accent colours that will be used more than the others. I have seen some beautiful fabrics and vintage china and fabrics that use exactly these colours. It sounds so rich and vibrant -- I am sure it will be beautiful.
It can be done! This was the palet of my October wedding. We used Dahlias. You'll find much more to pull inspiration from when fall weddings hit the magazines. Instead of marbles/stone, etc, we used mixed dried beans as our strata to hold our candles and flowers, you'll find that the beans come in the exact colors you're looking for! good luck!
Why don't you bring in the bronze accents? You could use a more shimmery bronze to just bring some brightness to the color palette. I agree that you should choose between orange and raspberry. I would personally go with whichever one goes best with your venue.
This palette is fantastic and I encourage you to move forward with it. You haven't found pictures showing this combination because it's not an over-used palette which is a great thing! Pull inspiration from multiple areas outside of weddings: food, home decorations, fashion, and other cultures that tend to use more vibrant color combinations. Also, if you see objects and styles you like pull them out as something you want and know you can change the color. If you are worried about the colors being too overwhelming together you might want to consider isolating the colors to certain elements or utilize the white that suits the space you have chosen so well.
OMG! I love the fabric lindsey posted! Use that as your runner on long wooden tables!
This was my question and I just want to thank everyone for their ideas and encouragement!!! I feel like it can be done and I just need to put more work into it. I'm looking forward to more comments! Thanks again!
These are the EXACT same colors I am planning to use for my fall wedding next year! It's so nice to see an inspiration board in those tones -- I love it! Thanks so much for the great ideas! :)
~Kayla
Elissa - if you need any bronze colored vessels you should check out jamaligarden.com... i got a lot of my silver vessels and urns there!
I am planning a November 1 wedding and I am using wine/cranberry with tangerine accents. We are also using apples in our flowers and other decorations. I have found some lovely photos on snippetandink blg and on theknot.com.
There are tons of options. We are very excited about our wedding using these beautiful fall colors!!
Hey Abby.
I am getting married next year december and i dont have an idea what colours to use! I like bronze and copper but i know its a fall colour! WOuld it work for a summer wedding?