by Raj Desai | 1/24/21
The beginning of a new year is exciting! There’s hope for ushering in a COVID-free era. Untapped possibilities for the days that lie ahead. And the breathless anticipation from bloggers ’round the world for…*game announcer voice* Pantooooone’s colorrr of the yearrrr! (But really though, it’s like a race to see who can post it the fastest 🙄 Yes I’m salty, because I’m lazy).
In their infinite wisdom, Pantone saw it fit to give us 2 colors this year, Illuminating and Ultimate Gray. Which are yellow and, well, gray. The pairing means something special—strength coupled with optimism—and it’s a response to the tumult and chaos of 2020.
It’s a beautiful sentiment. But gray and yellow for a wedding? Not exactly the prettiest color combination. So I did a little digging. All of the color recommendations for 2021 (no, Pantone is NOT the be all and end all for color recs, just the most popular) are inspired by nature.
Natural colors make for the best color palettes. Orange and red during an early morning sunrise. Cotton candy pink and blue at sunset. Teal waters, sandy beaches, and saturated flowers from the tropics. White snow, brown branches, and Evergreen trees in the mountains.
We see color combinations whenever we set foot outside of our doors. It’s what draws our eyes in. Naturally (hehe).
So maybe your reception décor won’t boast yellow table linens with gray drapery. That’s a good thing! Take your color inspiration from these palettes instead.
Cherry blossom carousel
Season: Spring, summer
Recreate it: Turn to soft blue, cream, and cool neutral shades of brown for floral arrangements, linen choices, and outfits for the wedding party. Go for eucalyptus or olive trees for your greenery (boho jaimala FTW!).
Balance out the cool tones with pops of pink and peach, like in your wedding lehnga. And don’t forget to pair it with the 2021 bridal jewelry trend, a pastel meenakari set. Leave gold and silver metallic accents behind and go with black instead.
Garden affair
Season: Spring, summer
Recreate it: Turn to mauve and blush pink for your statement floral arrangements. Add texture and depth with purple edible flowers for cocktails and desserts.
Choose from vibrant and bold monochromes for your bridal wear. And let shades of green inspire a cost-effective natural mandap or a (pricier) stately boxwood.
Winter wonderland
Seasons: Fall, winter
Recreate it: Gray is a big player in this palette (hello, color of the year), and it finds it’s chic match in cool shades of brown. Play up this elegant palette with kundan and gold bridal jewelry. And finish off your décor with matte black accents and serving ware.
Moonlit magic
Seasons: Year-round
Recreate it: Blue and gray finally find their way together in this insanely romantic starry night palette. Stick with these primary colors for wedding wear. Get that otherworldly feel with lots and lots of lush, rich, green foliage. And make it magical with the warm amber glow from hanging lights.
Lush rainforest
Season: Year-round
Recreate it: The best thing about this palette is it’s versatility; use black as your primary color (SO elegant and unexpected) or any and every shade of green. Where you go from there is entirely up to you. Maybe it’s the ever-popular and always beautiful pastel route. Or neutrals (dried pampas grass and hanging cane wicker lights FTW) for the ultimate boho vibe.
Cascading florals
Season: Spring, summer, fall
How to recreate it: Root your décor in white and cream (baby’s breath, anyone?!) and baby pink. Add excitement with pops of bright pink. Round out the design with lots of greenery.
Crystal blue waves
Season: Summer, fall
How to recreate it: Blue’s back! Except this time it’s not a cool neutral, but a warm tropical blue instead. And it’s in this palette that we meet our color of the year yet again. No, no, not Ultimate Gray. Say hello to it’s optimistic counterpart, Illuminating yellow (or even citrine for those fall weddings).
Pink Chinoiserie
Season: Spring, summer
How to recreate it: Shades of pink are your primary colors (think statement flowers, jewelry, centerpieces). Scale back on the green if you choose this color combo; it’ll pack more of a punch. Accents of Prussian blue and gold will round it out.
Snowcapped mountains
Season: Fall, winter
How to recreate it: Deep teal or emerald, which do you prefer? Either will look gorgeous as the primary color for the palette below. Add some texture to this color scheme by choosing patterned tableware, drapery, or bridal and grooms wear.
Make your own
Do you have a favorite photo from your travels? Or are you obsessed with the color scheme of your interior décor?
If you have a picture of the colors that speak to you, upload it to palette generators like this one to come up with your own unique wedding color scheme.
Raj Desai
Wedding writer and researcher who’s been in the game for 5 years. Addicted to Netflix, dirty martinis, and naps.