Minty Fresh!

Everyone has been crazy over nude bridesmaids dresses.  But, mint is the freshest color!  Get it, fresh?   You can check out my Mint Bridesmaids Pinterest Board for more mint-speration!  (I'm on a roll with the puns today!)  Or take a look below at some of the dresses I've found...

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David's Bridal 

Donna Morgan at Nordstrom

J. Crew

Tonal Bridesmaids

Its been awhile!  I have been swamped with bridal season and haven't had much time to blog.  (But, I will show you all the loveliness I've been working on soon).  But, for now, wanted to leave you with some tonal bridesmaids inspiration.  I have been seeing a lot of bridesmaids wearing similar shades on pinterest, and I'm just loving it!

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For more bridesmaids inspiration, follow my bridesmaids board on pinterest.

Tangerine Tango Inspiration

So if you were inspired by my last post about Pantone's 2012 color of the year, "Tangerine Tango," here's some more ideas for how to incorporate a bold color into your wedding.  (Want more color help?  Check out Color Theory 101)

Consider Tangerine and Aqua!  

Red-orange and blue-green are complimentary colors.

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Tangerine, Hot Pink, and Fuchsia (analogous colors)

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Keep it simple (monochromatic)

Love those tangerine Chavari Chairs!  Photo Source

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Tangerine Tango Bridesmaids

Pantone's 2012 color of the year is "Tangerine Tango."  I love this hot reddish orange color!  According to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, Tangerine Tango is "sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive...reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.” 

Apparently this attention-getting color has risen in popularity among fashion designers.  So, I set out to find some bridesmaids dresses in this hot color.  Here are some of these lovelies I found:

Watters Bridesmaids

J Crew Bridesmaids Dresses

Dessy Group Bridesmaids Dresses

And to get you started...  Here is an inspiration board I posted in 2010:

Be Bold!

I have spent a lot of time looking at ideas for decorating my home.  I've been really inspired by Jonathan Adler.  In his "manifesto," Adler says, "we believe colors can't clash" and "minimalism is a bummer."  Many of his designs involve mixing bold patters and colors.  Adler also suggests mixing the "fancy with the frisky." Decor that is too formal will make you sad, however too much whimsy will leave you feeling less-than-chic.  Therefore you should "embrace a mix, pairing the chic classical foundation...with a layer of playful punctuation."  Here are some of examples of Adler's design:

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 After looking at Adler's work, have fallen in love with classic patterns in bold colors:

Imperial Trellis, Chevron Stripe, Greek Key, Damask

How can one incorporate these ideas into wedding design?  I went on a search to see what others have done before.  Check out some inspiring images:

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I love the bright yellow chevron table runner paired with pink chavari chairs!  Less keen on the denim "vases," but I do like the color and texture they bring to the table setting.

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I heart chevron!  This print can be incorporated into anything, the invitations, the table cloths, the cake, the napkins...  Just have to use your imagination.

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Damask is such a classic print.  But, when done in bold colors or mixed with modern elements, the formality is taken down a peg and it becomes more modern and fun.

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I love this wedding!  First, what a beautiful bold color pallet.  Bright orange, hot pink, vibrant teal...  Then throw in a bold pattern, black and white stripes and, hello, chic has arrived!  I adore the small elements of black and white stripes- the groom's bowtie and boutonniere, the brides bouquet and dress.  It's important to incorporate a theme through out the wedding without overdoing it.  They certainly kept it balanced!

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This decor is fabulous.  Mixing pink, orange and fuchsia with bright white and a Greek key pattern is fantastic.  Also a well balanced mix, repeating the white on the planter boxes keeps the decor cohesive.  This is an example of an analogous color scheme.  Remember to consult your color wheel (or read my blog post on color theory) when choosing a wedding color pallet.
 

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This wedding may be my favorite of them all!  I love how they used so many bold prints (stripes, trellis, dots) in different colors.  And they mesh perfectly together.  Although the prints are bold, they work well together because they all utilize white.  And, clear chavari chairs!  (Swoon!)  So much style in this wedding decor.

So what are some things we can take away from Mr. Adler and the inspiring photos?
1. Don't be afraid to use prints and stripes.
2. Use classic design elements in bold colors to keep a balance of formal and modernity. 
3. Use these prints and colors throughout the decor (and elements of the attire) to keep things cohesive.
4. Consult a color wheel to keep the color pallet harmonious.
5. The patterns don't all have to be the same scale.  Mix a bold wide stripe with a small dot, etc.
6. You're wedding should be your style, so if you want it to be bold and modern, go for it!

Happy Designing!

Shade of Grey

I recently posted about nude bridesmaids dresses, which lead to some conversations about wedding color trends.  Grey is certainly a popular color these days.  And a great choice- certainly a color your maids can wear again.  Here are some of my top picks for grey bridesmaids dresses:

J. Crew Grey Bridesmaids Dresses

Grey Bridesmaids Dresses from David's Bridal

Jenny Yoo Bridesmaids

Remember when searching for bridesmaids dresses there are many shades of grey.  And they are often called many different things: silver, pewter, charcoal, slate, metal, aluminum.

Go Nude!

Nude is very chic this year.  And as always, red carpet trends are influencing the aisle.  Nude bridesmaids dresses are becoming more popular.  I have become rather obsessed with pale champagne pink and nudes!  Some brides choose to let their maids pick their own style of dresses, as long as they are in the same nude color family.

 Keep it ultra chic by keeping the bouquets and accessories in nudes, pale pinks, and white.  Might I suggest some freshwater pearl chandelier earrings:

Alexandra Webb Chandelier Earrings

Now, where to find dresses in these fab colors?  Take a look:

Jenny Yoo Bridesmaids Dresses

J.Crew Bridesmaids Dresses

Ann Taylor Bridesmaids Dresses

Alfred Angelo Bridesmaids

Etsy Finds: Brown and Peach Wedding

Check out my treasury:

Color Theory 101

Trying to pick colors for your wedding?  Try thinking like an artist!  Artists and designers know basic color theory- pairing specific colors together make each color "pop."   It sounds more complicated than it is and you can certainly benefit from knowing some of the basic ideas.  First, take a look at a color wheel:

Colors across from each other on the wheel are the most harmonious, i.e. make each other "pop."  For example, violet and yellow are across from one another on the wheel and therefor would be a very harmonious pairing.  Another example, see how much more the red-orange "pops" when paired with blue-green:

Further more, to combine 3 colors in harmony, called a triadic color scheme, move across the color wheel to form a triangle.  For example, pairing red violet with yellow green and yellow orange would be a harmonious set.  Take a look:

A split complementary color scheme uses a combination of the schemes mentioned above.  Choose your primary color, for example, yellow.  Then go across the wheel, purple would be its complement.  However, using the colors on either side of the complementary color, in this case red-purple and blue-purple create a split complementary color scheme:

Another option is an analogous color scheme.  Three colors next to each other on the wheel. I am very drawn to this type of scheme, see my jewelry for examples!

Take a moment to review these concepts, they aren't too complicated and are sure to help you create a great color scheme for your wedding!  By the way, you can pick up a color wheel at your local arts and crafts store.  If you ever have any questions about color schemes, let me know, I'd love to help!  - Alexa