My fiancé and I will be married next July and we are envisioning an outdoor wedding (either in a vineyard or on his parents’ property). We would like the wedding to be a little more informal but still very sophisticated and elegant. I would like to use a color palette of navy blue and white, with peach and golden (as in the color of wheat) accents. Is this color scheme too bland for a summer, outdoor wedding? We would like to incorporate wheat into our décor, however I’m not sure how to do this in an elegant (as opposed to country charming) way. Do you have any visions or ideas of how to execute this theme?
Here is what I envisioned for Lauren's event:
The Ceremony:
For the ceremony, I would keep things simple in terms of color. You want the focus to be on the bride and groom so keep everything else minimal. Since the ceremony will most likely take place outdoors, you can save money and time by using the surroundings for decoration. Again with keeping everything simple. A couple flower arrangements by the alter, or line the aisle with peach and white rose petals. Below are some tips for keeping the color simple on the wedding party.
Bridesmaids:
I envisioned the bridesmaids in navy, since Lauren (the bride) will be in white, and navy and white are Lauren's two base colors. Since you don't want the bridesmaids to be too flashy, I think simple white bouquets for them would be perfect. The bridesmaids could also carry little fans instead of flowers, such as the fan shown below from Olivia Oberlin. I know I recommend this a lot but I'm a big fan of the fan. =) Especially since it might be a little warm during July. For a little hint of gold, have the bridesmaids wear a gold bracelet or necklace; something delicate and not to flashy. I think short dresses for the bridesmaids would work best, and would make things a little more informal. If they do wear short dresses their shoes will show, and shoes are another great way to bring your color scheme into play! I love the cute ankle strap espadrille sandals shown below from Victoria's Secret. They are casual but still elegant and come in a vast array of colors. In Lauren's case, I would go for the white or natural suede color.
Bride (Lauren):
Lauren's white dress will help play up the color scheme as well. For her jewelry, she can opt for gold instead of silver to help play up the golden accents. If Lauren decides to wear gold jewelry, she will want to make sure its delicate and simple. (See examples below from Yanina Siani) Like I said before, you don't want to overwhelm your guests with color during the ceremony. Lauren's flowers can be white, peach, or a combo of the two. The bouquet stems could be wrapped in white or navy ribbon.
Groom and Groomsmen:
I would dress the groom and groomsmen in white or navy suites, as shown in the color palette. This would help the bride, groom and wedding party look really crisp and the peach and golden would really be accent colors, just as the bride intended. They could help bring the accent colors into the ceremony by wearing peach or golden color ties, and also their boutonnieres can help bring the accent color into play.
The Reception:
Here is where you can bring your accent colors out a little bit more. You still want the focus to be on the bride and groom, but there are lots of little places to play with color in the reception area.
The Tables:
I would stick with white table cloths to keep things cool and elegant. White china will also help bring the color of white into the reception. Navy color napkins will look great against the white table cloths. To bring the gold into the tables, you could tie the napkins with a pretty gold ribbon. If you want floral centerpieces, I would go for peach flowers in a navy bowl or vase, as shown below via khphillips on etsy and trpottery on etsy.
Table runners are also a great way to add a little color. I love the image below via Rebecca Thuss. If you are using rectangle tables, a table runner would be a great way to add a pop of the golden accent color.
Keeping the tables in mind, I envision golden color Chinese paper lanterns (such as the ones below from Luna Bazaar) hanging around the reception area, such as the picture below via The Bride's Cafe. If the celebration is to take place at night or in the evening, you can place candles on the tables. This will add a romantic and elegant ambiance to the area and, since the candles glow a sort of gold color, will help bring "gold" into the reception area as well.
Cake:
I love the cake shown in the color palette. Don't forget, you can incorporate your colors onto your cake and cake table. If the cake is white, play up the table with pops of peach and navy. If you opt for a golden cake, like the one in the color palette, keep the table decor simple so as not to detract from the cake.
Some other areas to keep in mind for introducing your color would be the escort card table, the bar should you have one, buffet also should you have one.
Here is the color palette I designed for Lauren.
I can totally envision this event and I hope that I was able to convey my ideas and what I am picturing in my head to Lauren and all my readers!
I hope my ideas can help Lauren design the wedding of her dreams!
Picture Credits:
top row: Jessamyn Harris, She Walks in Beauty, The Knot
middle row: Rebecca Thuss, Victoria's Secret, Brides.com
bottom row: Michelle Rago, Rebecca Thuss, The Knot
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