How to
add colour to your wedding
Adding colour to your wedding day isn’t about following rules or chasing trends. It’s about choosing what feels right and using it with intention.
If you’re planning a colourful wedding, this guide is here to help you move past the obvious ideas and focus on how to make colour actually work. Not louder. Not trendier. Just right for you.
This is an advice-led guide for couples in the middle of wedding planning, built around real experience from wedding suppliers who work with colour every day.
Planning A colourful wedding
What Adding Colour Actually Means
A colour wedding doesn’t have to be loud. It doesn’t have to be everywhere. And it definitely doesn’t have to look like a Pinterest board exploded.
Adding colour is about mood, energy, and feeling. It can be bold or subtle. Structured or playful. One strong colour, used well, often has more impact than ten used at once.
This is where colour becomes part of wedding planning, not just decoration. It’s a choice that shapes how the day feels, not just how it looks.
Start With One Colour You Love
If you’re unsure where to begin, don’t start with trends. Start with yourself.
“If you’re stuck on where to start with colour – have a look around your home and in your wardrobe for inspiration, to find the colours you’ve already chosen before and know you like. Having a colour that you absolutely LOVE is a perfect starting point – to use as your ‘North Star’ – then keep checking back, to see if new ideas you explore work alongside it!” Louise Brooke
When planning a colour wedding, having one anchor colour makes decisions easier. You can test ideas against it and quickly see what belongs and what doesn’t.
Choosing colours you genuinely love also helps your wedding age well.
“Go with your favourite colours, rather than whatever’s in at the moment! That way you should still love the look years later… Like I do.” Claire at CRZyBest
Decide Where Colour works hardest
You don’t need to add colour everywhere. It’s often more effective to choose a few high-impact moments and let them shine.
“Decor is a great way to add colour to your wedding. A bespoke velvet banner can introduce a statement colour to a scheme without overwhelming, and the reflective qualities of velvet provide a depth of colour that catches the light. Traditional deep red or green shades add a flourish of theatrical drama, whilst velvet in softer shades like dusky pink or olive green complement a natural or neutral palette.” Louise Brooke
Coloured wedding dresses, or subtle colour within outfits, can also be a beautiful way to introduce colour early in the day, without needing to carry it through every element.
When planning a colourful wedding, it helps to think about where guests will notice colour most. Ceremony backdrops. Confetti moments. Floral installations. These are areas where colour can do a lot of work without needing to be repeated everywhere else.
“There are so many easy ways to incorporate colour into your wedding day that can provide that high impact photo such as your confetti shot (biodegradable paper discs work best for this), your floral arrangements throughout your venue or an aisle centrepiece like an arch or backdrop.” Carmel McCabe
Check out our Ultimate guide to coloured wedding dresses
Finding Balance with colour
Bold colour needs space around it. Neutrals, natural textures, and repetition help everything feel intentional rather than busy.
When mixing colours, it helps to think about their energy as well as the shade itself. Pastels, brights, and deeper tones all behave differently. Keeping a similar level of vibrancy across your palette often creates a more cohesive feel, even when you’re using several colours.
Rather than adding more shades, try repeating the same colour in different ways. Fabric, paper, florals, or glass can all carry colour without competing for attention.
Good wedding planning is as much about editing as it is about expression. If something starts to feel like too much, it’s usually a sign that it’s time to pause, not add.
Think about light, season & photography
Colour doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It changes depending on light, venue, and how your day is captured.
“If you have colour, make sure your photographer can capture the colour. No point in gorgeous brights if the photographer adds a sepia tone or moody editing that doesn’t show the colours at their best.” Linsey at The Tractory Barn – Stone Sidings Events
Light matters too.
“Of course colours are at the mercy of light (did you know the colour red disappears in water from at little as 15 feet deep?!). So, on that example, if you’re using a lot of red tones on your wedding day, a super dark venue could really mute that red pop. The same goes for seasonal changes, winter light is a lot cooler where as summer gives a new meaning to yellows and oranges!” Carmel McCabe
These are details worth considering early in wedding planning, not as an afterthought.
How to use colour
Spread Colour Across People, Not Just Decor
Colour doesn’t have to only be used in the room styling. It can be worn, carried, and shared.
“Colour can be a gentle way of coordinating the special people in your wedding party. They don’t all need to wear the same outfit or matching accessories but by using colour thoughtfully it allows everyone’s personality and individuality to shine through, while still creating a sense of cohesion across them.” Janie – The Lucky Sixpence
Encouraging guests to wear colour, patterns, or tonal shades can also create a cohesive look without forcing everyone to match. It takes pressure off styling everything yourself.
“Giving your guests a jazzy dress code, let them put some of the work in!” Carmel Mccabe
Use Colour in Unexpected Ways
If you want your colour wedding to feel personal, look beyond the obvious.
Small details can have a big impact. Ribbons tied to chairs or bouquets. Colour inside envelopes or menus. Drinks garnished to match your palette.
“Ribbons – the D.I.Y wedding’ers best friend! Easy additional decor, non expensive and available in every colour under the sun.” Carmel Mccabe
For couples who love a playful edge, colour can also move.
“For the brave amongst us – smoke grenades! Spice up those portraits with your fave colours in true festival style.” Carmel Mccabe
These moments work best when they reflect your personalities, not because you feel you “should” include them.
Know when to (and trust yourself)
Not every good idea needs to make it into your wedding.
When planning a colourful wedding, clarity is often more powerful than quantity. If something doesn’t fit your North Star colour, your venue, or the feeling you want for the day, it’s okay to let it go.
There are no universal rules for a colour wedding.
“The best part about colour in my opinion is that there are no rules! ‘Blue and green should not be seen’?! No way, they’re a match made in heaven!! Let your personalities show through your colour choices, be confident in it, embrace it and if it brings you joy – just say yes!” Carmel Mccabe
Start with what you love. Choose where colour matters most. Trust experienced suppliers. And remember that wedding planning should feel exciting, not overwhelming.
Colour is allowed to be joyful.
If you want visual examples of colour in real weddings, see How to Nail a Colourful Wedding.
