Orange
"Tangerine Tango" has been named Pantone's Color of the Year for 2012. Don't get scared by one of fashion's chicest shades, rather use it as a starting point to play with complementary tones of amber, peach, and watermelon. San Francisco-based planner Laurie Arons immediately knew a peachy scheme would be best after visiting the venue and noting its gold-and-coral carpet. "It was serendipity!" laughs Arons. But choosing these colors wasn't just based on the venue: "Amber is very flattering to the skin" and helps create romantic photographs.
The bridesmaids carried bouquets packed with tulips, while the flower girls carried sweet baskets accented with green. A mini lounge inside featured several comfy couches in a lustrous deep peach gabric. French tulips in glass cylinders towered over rows of escort cards. The three-tiered wedding cake was accented with pale green ribbons and topped with flowers for a fresh look. In the reception room, pale peach dupioni table cloths were illuminated from above by amber spotlights. And each guest received a box of gourmet chocolates as the favor.
Photo Credit: Angie Silvy
Blue
When wedding planner Tara Guerard of Soiree helmed up a Martha's Vineyard affair, the bride wanted the wedding to mimic the colors of sea glass, the ocean, and the sky: blue. Guerard's idea was to slowly and thematically introduce blue throughout the affair, starting with the lighest touches and ending with full-out saturation. "Over the years, I've had many brides who love the color," notes Guerard. And we're not surprised: Blue symbolizes love and fidelity, the ideal shade to color your wedding.
Centerpieces were filled with hydrangeas and blue bonnets, all from neighbors' gardens. The bride's blue-toned bouquet pops against wedding wire. Words of wisdom for every bride—and a ring to make it real. Patterned lanterns stayed true to the color scheme. Local wildflowers couldn't be simpler—or prettier. The cake had one adornment: a dramatic frilly band in three tones of hydrangea blue. A gorgeous blue lounge, with rustic tree-trunk tables and wildflowers, was the after-dinner setting.
Photo Credit: Adrienne Page
Next: Yellow >>
Yellow
A Manhattan-based bride had only one request of wedding planner Jung Lee of Fete: "[Lemon yellow} is her favorite color!" In designing the tablescapes, Lee wanted "people to feel as if they were dining underneath fragrant citrus trees" while saturating the setting in a soft, buttery hue. But, it's important to note that "if you overuse color, it loses its potency," says Lee. "Pretty soon people don't even see it. If there was yellow everywhere, you don't get the punch. Color itself does not make an event amazing," she adds. "it's what you do with it."
Phalaenopsis orchids cascaded from the bride's bouquet, and the bridesmaids' flowers offered pops of color. Guests were welcomed in the foyer by a refreshing, lemony garden. Inside, flickering pillar candle picked up the yellow-orange centers of frilly cattelya orchids. The tablescape, filled with lemon tree branches, was designed to create the feeling of dining in a fragrant citrus orchard. The cake's lacy pattern echoed the bride's dress.
Photo Credit: Shawn Connell for Christian Oth