Sep 10, 2021

COLOR TRENDS, DESIGN TRENDS

TOP WEDDING COLOR TRENDS for 2021-2022

“The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you – Coco Chanel”.

Taking inspiration from IB trend studies, I will cover 6 key trends that will rock the wedding colour scene for 2021-2022. These are colour schemes that are seeing a huge success in interior design applications, straight from Milan Design Week and that apply perfectly to wedding planning, helping any bride finding her perfect colour palette.

These combinations will last all the way into 2022, so not matter what month your have planned your wedding for, there will be something you can draw inspiration from!

I have put together a complete moodboard for each of the trends, which is usually how I like to work with my wedding stationery clients. I have been very lucky to be able to use some amazing photography from other wedding suppliers for these moodboards, and I have a link to their websites at the end of the article.

Hopefully you’ll find these contacts useful if you are in the process of wedding planning.

|| Shop my wedding stationery design at Velvet May Design.com

Top Wedding Color Trends for 2021

Wedding Color Trend 1 / Mint & forest green

Credits – From top left, clockwise: (1) focusdress.storenvy.com; (2) Butler and White planning and styling + Nataly J photography; (3) Pinterest;(4) Jenny Maden photography; (5) The Confetti Cakery; (6) Jenny Maden photography + Floral Dance floristry and styling.

A recent king of the design world is neo-mint. IB predicts this pastel shade of green to be a dominant influence in fashion and interiors in 2020. Gender-neutral but still soft and romantic, it will be a clear winner for the wedding colour schemes – not only it’s versatile yet elegant, but it offers lots of options on foliage (which is budget-friendly) for fabulous natural arrangements, including succulent plants which have seen a huge comeback in the last 12 months.

Green is obviously the colour most aligned with nature, representing growth and new beginnings, a nice significance for any wedding day. Add darker and richer shades like hunter green and forest green, which complement the neo-mint palette really well. Rich brown elements, dusty rose flowers and optional rose gold accents finish the look for a refined but still natural and relaxed colour scheme.

Stay updated with the latest trends in interiors and design: join our Trend Membership here

Wedding Color Trend 2 / Caramel and Lilac

From top left, clockwise: (1) Sorella Vita; (2) Jenny Maden photography + Floral Dance floristry and styling; (3) The Confetti Cakery;(4) The Rarified floral design; (5) Butler and White planning and styling + Elena Popa photography; (6) Five Star Logo.

Earthy tones have been very popular in both fashion and design lately. They remind me of the terracotta colours of Italian countryside villas. Orange shades are very vibrant and energetic, so perfect for spring and summer, but in muted forms they can work wonders for an autumnal wedding scheme. Leaves take on the prettiest shades of amber from October, which is why orange can also be a meaningful colour representing change and movement. It is also associated with creativity, like purple, making these two a perfect match.

Purple is a a colour recalling royalty and nobility, due to the prohibitive cost of the sea snails from which it used to be made when it was discovered in Victorian times. For this reason, it often represents luxury and opulence, and can have spiritual and meditative associations (in Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism). In lighter shades like lilac and lavender it gives a romantic and feminine look, and becomes an all-round colour for spring as well.

Be inspired by this wedding color trend: used as accents to the warm base undertones of this palette, you will have a wide variety of choice on the best purple flowers to use in your wedding bouquet.

Wedding Color Trend 3 / Champagne and Mustard

From top left, clockwise: (1) Darina Stoda photography; (2)&(3) Butler and White planning and styling + Nataly J photography; (4) Louise Anna photography + Beth Haxby cakes; (5) focusdress.storenvy.com; (6) Butler and White planning and styling + Nataly J photography.

Recently the high street has seen a big comeback of yellow in all its shades, from subtle mustards to bright canary or pineapple. We see it not only in a lot of accessories but also as main showstopper. Yellow is a perfect colour all year round; it equally recalls spring daffodils, summer sunflowers, and autumnal leaves.

Earlier this year IB explored the boom of yellow on the interior decorating scene, suggesting this has now become the “new millennial pink”. Taking this color trend to wedding decor, your weddings can benefit from a carefully chosen scheme with yellow tones: pale lemon shades add instantly vitality and positive energy, plus complemented with neutral tones they express poetic and long-lasting elegance.

Yellow is the brightest and most energising among warm colours, and it brings to mind happiness and sunshine (hands up who needs a bit of yellow in their lives). It can also symbolise mental clarity and intellect, and it’s a lucky colour for those born on a Monday like me (wear your birth day colours for an instant boost!). Lighter yellow shades have a calming and content feel, and with gold and mustard tones a design scheme can achieve an almost “antique” look, perfect for an occasion where photography wants to stand the test of memory and permanence.

Champagne or ivory colours are your perfect neutral companions in this colour scheme inspired by the latest color trends. They often evoke a sense of historical charm, and are more warming than pure white. They infuse the overall feel of the scheme with earthy tones, perfect for summer and autumn, and for a look aimed at rustic sophistication.

Wedding Color Trend 4 / Powder blue and aqua

From top left, clockwise: (1) Wedtrendy.com; (2) Dessy; (3) Velvet May designs wedding stationery;(4) Jenny Maden photography; (5) Natasha Coustol floral design; (6) Jenny Maden photography + Poppy Pickering cakes + Floral Dance floristry and styling; (7) Pinterest.

The Pantone Colour Institute is very important in driving colour trends in fashion and design when it announces its colour winner for the upcoming year. Despite making a prediction is extremely difficult, its Vice President Laurie Pressman hinted at a Vegas trade show that the Pantone Colours of the Year for 2020 are inspired by the sea.

Blue has been always a popular and timeless choice in wedding colour schemes and of course works very well with white. But to give it an extra edge consider “glitter” grey (a very light shade of grey) or alabaster for your neutrals; add contrast with some darker aqua and steel grey tones for a contemporary effect.

Wedding Color Trend 5 / Teal, orange, gold

From top left, clockwise: (1) Butler and White planning and styling + Elena Popa photography; (2) Alyssa Joy photography + Enchanted Florist; (3) The Confetti Cakery;(4) Pinterest; (5) Stylemepretty.com; (6) Pinterest.

As a different variation to the blue trend, teal is your best friend if you are looking for an alternative to classic Burgundy in the October to March wedding scene.

You might not think of teal as a very “natural” colour, but nature plays a great part in this popular colour combination. It’s actually a duck, the Eurasian Teal, that lends the name to this hue of greeny-blue, and the plumage of this bird also displays dark orange shades and greys, which go really well in this wedding palette.

Teal marries the calm of blues with the regenerative qualities of greens. It is a colour of rejuvenation and represents open communication and clarity – a great essence in all marriages, so why not start with this nice symbolism on your wedding day!

It is a sophisticated and elegant colour for brides looking for something different to stand out. In this palette inspired by the latest color trends, I have paired it with Persian orange and almond (a warm rosey white), and it works beautifully with hints of gold, whether on a cake or for the tableware

Stay updated with the latest trends in interiors and design: join our Trend Membership here

Wedding Color Trend 6 / Red, coral, black

From top left, clockwise: (1) Slim Lukka photography on Unsplash; (2) lovebridaldress.storenvy.com; (3) Amilia James photography + Enchanted Florist;(4) The Confetti Cakery + Darina Stoda photography; (5) Amilia James photography + Enchanted Florist; (6) Five Star Logo.

A final trend explored by IB is the return of the primary colours (red + blue in particular). A great winter wedding adaptation to this palette takes the punchy red and coral shades, with dark backgrounds and white elements.

Dark stationery has been a lasting trend of the past year, whether full black or charcoal grey, and I love white ink calligraphy for a classy contrast. This colour scheme recalls the opulence of Dutch masters paintings.

Red shades are the perfect accent colour, and they are very versatile – use lighter shades including coral (Pantone Living Coral is 2019 Colour of the Year) for passion and energy, darker ones for power and elegance. Symbolising the colour of love, in eastern cultures, red is often worn by brides, and is thought to bring prosperity and good luck.

Black is a strong ally to this trend for its sophistication and mystery, and definitely adds an edge to any design. Which is why this scheme can work well for both traditional and modern weddings. Finally, little accents of white keep the scheme clean and simple, therefore adapting to both winter or summer (choose lighter red shades for warmer months – including burnt sienna and salmon).

I hope you have found inspiration from this article, and that any brides out there can turn their wedding colour scheme ideas into reality with my hints.

Feel free to drop me an email at hello@velvetmaydesigns.co.uk and be inspired by my handmade wedding stationery here.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Velvet May

Link to suppliers’ websites (from A to Z):

Alyssa Joy photography (US) – alyssajoyphoto.com

Amilia photography (US) – weddings.amiliaphotography.com

Beth Haxby cakes – bethhaxbycakes.com

Butler and White planning and styling – butlerandwhite.com

The Confetti Cakery – theconfetticakery.co.uk

Darina Stoda photography – darinastodaphotography.co.uk

Dessy bridesmaid dresses – dessy.com/bridesmaid-dresses/

Elena Popa photography – elenapopa.com