I am having a late spring, outdoor, evening wedding. It will be semi-formal. I think I have finally decided on a color scheme which includes browns, blues, ivory and sage green.  I would like to have bridesmaid dresses that my friends like, so I was going to go with brown dresses in their choice of style from jcrew. My problem is my finance has said on more than one occasion he does not like brown, so I am almost positive I will not be getting him to wear brown. Will brown bridesmaid dresses clash with black suits or tuxes? Should I go with black dresses instead, and if so, how do I incorporate that into my color scheme?

Thank you for any advice!

I, for one, enjoy a brown and black color combination if it is done purposely and with foresight. If your husband-to-be is dead set against brown, though, I think your color scheme could still work. Silk bands of fabric tied around the waist of the bridesmaids dresses could be lovely. If you chose blue or sage green for the dress, you could have a brown or black tie. Even black bridesmaids dresses with the colored ties- blue, sage, or even brown- could provide the balance between all of the colors of your palette without overwhelming them or looking messy.

You could also introduce colors within the jewelry worn by your bridesmaids. A splash of color in a necklace or earring could interplay with the bouquet/other décor colors.

I also suggest creating story boards for the looks to see how the colors will mesh together. I hope this helps. Good luck!