One of the first decisions a bride will make is to pick out her wedding accent colors.  Some brides know what colors they want from the day they start planning their weddings at age twelve, while other brides need to put a little thought into it.  I always remember the day my friend Ashlee saw the colors she always wanted for her wedding colors together.  She had envisioned baby blue, light pink, lilac, and mint green.  When she saw these colors of ribbon sitting in a basket together, she cried, “Oh, No!  It looks like Easter!  My wedding colors look like an Easter basket!”  From that day on she decided she needed to pick a different color scheme. 

Here are my top tips for finding colors you will love to compliment your wedding.

Look to Magazines for Inspiration
The first stop for many brides right after the ring and champagne is the local bookstore to pick up bridal magazines!  No matter what magazine you pick up, it is bound to be full of beautiful photographs, ads, and real wedding pictures.  Don’t think about anything specific, just tear out whatever strikes your fancy, anything you think looks good.  Pile everything together and sort it out by color.  You may find you naturally tend to pull out the same color.

Think about the Season
Once you have decided on a date for the wedding, let the season guide you.  Natural colors from the season can be a great guide.  Try pale oranges, reds, or yellows if you are getting married in the fall.  Bright colors tend to work best in the summer while cooler, richer tones work best in the late fall and winter.  But if you are getting married in the spring, almost anything will work, but pastels look fresh and beautiful.  Also think about the flowers that are in season, or you can’t live without.  If you have three of four flowers you love, work around that color palate.

Think about your Style
Certain colors tend to lend themselves naturally with different styles.  Are you a classic girl? A classic wedding color set will be perfect.  Opt for timeless black and white, or black and silver for a more updated twist.  Another standard set?  Red and white.  A mix that works regardless of the time of year.  Are you and your fiancée a bold, fun couple?  Colors like orange and purple or fuchsia pink and lime green will show off your fun, spunky side.  Care to be trendy?  Opt for a peacock scheme, or bold animal prints and their matching colors.  Can’t bear to pick just one or two colors?  Try the newest trend in wedding colors…Rainbow!  Pick a spectrum of 6 or 7 colors that compliment and have fun.  Think how pretty your wedding photos will be with your bridesmaids in a rainbow of colors.

Find Ideas from your Life
If you’re still not sure where to look for color inspiration, look to great moments in your life.  Did you meet your fiancé at college?  Use your school colors or just one color and a neutral accent.  Love the yellow but not the blue from your days at Michigan?  Pair that bold blue with a creamy taupe.  Other places to look for inspiration?  Check your house for inspiration, is there a color you use consistently?  How about your favorite color?  Or the color of your favorite colors? 

No matter what colors you pick, just make sure you are in love with them as you’ll be looking at your colors for a long time and quite a but during the planning process. And don’t forget the photos from your wedding, you’ll be sure to look at them for a long time!