White wedding dresses aren’t the only choice when it comes to modern bridalwear! More and more brides are choosing coloured and patterned wedding gowns to show their individuality and colour-theme their wedding. Choosing a coloured wedding gown can add an extra dimension to your wedding look, and each different colour has different meanings and significances that you might want to take into account when making your decision.
Blue
Light blue is a calming and serene colour, reflecting the colour of the ocean and the sky, whereas deep and dark blues are sumptuous and give the appearance of quality and wealth. Electric and bright blues are dynamic and make a real statement, but beware of overusing blues as they can also create a cold atmosphere.
Yellow
Yellow brings to mind the brightness of summer, flowers and sunshine, and is uplifting and full of youthful optimism. For a more mature look, use golden yellows to create a glamorous atmosphere for your wedding. Yellow is a stimulating and creative colour and is perfect for an energetic, outdoor summer wedding. Recent wedding trends pair yellow with grey for beautiful, understated wedding gowns.
Green
Green is the colour of spring and new beginnings as well as the natural world and, more recently, anything ‘eco’ themed. Great for an outdoor wedding, green is a tranquil, peaceful and refreshing tone. Green is a popular colour for bridesmaid’s dresses, too.
Orange
Orange is a strong, autumnal colour, which can be bold or earthy, depending on the tone. A warming colour, orange is becoming more popular in its muted shades, for example peach or terracotta, both of which add a subtle interest to a wedding outfit. Bright oranges are fun and flamboyant and are sure to raise a smile on your wedding day!
Purple
Purple has a regal history, and gives a sense of luxury and elegance to a wedding dress. Use dark shades sparingly, however, to avoid overwhelming with such a strong tone. Lighter tones of purple are uplifting, and are often chosen by creative people.
Red
Red is traditionally the colour of love, and it is has a warming, romantic effect. The use of red for your wedding dress will make you the centre of attention, either as a block colour or used as an accent on a predominantly white dress. Dark reds are a perfect choice for an intimate winter wedding.
Brown
Browns and beiges are becoming more popular as wedding dress colours, especially when choosing a vintage wedding dress. Brown is an earthy, traditional and organic colour, giving a feeling of wholesomeness and stability. Vintage wedding gowns are often made in subtle, delicate tones of brown, beige and peach, and you can accessories wonderfully with this colour by using lace, pearls and wooden beads.
Black
Don’t be afraid of a black wedding dress! Black is a sophisticated and classic colour for a dress, especially if you are having a clean-cut, contemporary wedding, or a black tie affair. Black is a strong, authoritative colour, and of course pairs excellently with white for a twist on the traditional.
You can experiment with colour when choosing your wedding gown in many ways:
- Some wedding dresses are all one colour, with detailing in lace, beadwork or different textures and structure.
- You might want to stick to a white or pale wedding gown and use touches and accents of colour in the form of a sash or buttons, shoes or a bolero.
- Think about accessorising with colour, from shoes to headwear, jewellery or an umbrella!
- Match your wedding dress’s colour to your groom’s outfit, or your bridesmaids, bouquet or even your venue’s decor.
- Why not go for a pattern or print rather than a plain colour?
- Ombre shading is a very popular trend right now, as seen in Gwen Stefani’s pink wedding dress, which grew darker from top to bottom.
- Find two colours which complement each other and work your wedding theme around them, perhaps one for your wedding dress and one for your groom!