Wedding color palettes set the mood for your affair.
Brides typically have an idea of their aesthetic when they begin touring venues and choosing the season in which to marry. Regardless of when or where, everything from your wedding dress and bridesmaid to the tuxedos and mother attire, the color palette you choose will be uniquely yours. Your florals, tablescapes, and decor items will also be in complementary colors.
If you’re looking for some inspiration pairing your dream dress with the right suits or tuxedos, mothers of the bride or groom dresses, and overall venue style, we’re here to help. We are in the experts in dressing your party for all wedding color palettes!
Wedding Color Palettes For A Spring Garden Affair
Imagine saying “I do” surrounded by a stunning garden filled with lush greenery and blooming flowers. The sun is shining, the air is warm, and the colors are bursting back to life.
For a garden wedding, look for a light and airy bridal gown in tulle or organza with floral lace mirroring the newly budding blooms. Blue suits are perfect for the guys, think French blue, Oxford, or cobalt:.
For moms, consider dusty rose or sky blue as these coordinate lovely alongside the blue suits, and pair with light pinks for the bridesmaids.
Summer Weddings Seaside
Summer weddings seaside or on the beach take on a mood all their own. Just thinking about a summer or beach wedding draws to mind romantic, soft pastels with a lightness to these wedding color palettes.
A perfect summer wedding dress is a lightweight tulle or chiffon fabric. These will keep you cool and maintain a lovely shape. If it is your style, a dress with subtle sparkle will catch the sunlight with a glorious shimmer. For the men, tan and light gray suits are the ones to look at. If the event is formal indoors, have them wear the vest for a formal three-piece look. However if it is more casual and outdoor, swap the vest for suspenders for a fun and fresh look.
Tan and gray look very nice paired with Mom in sage green, lavender and blush. The dress above is outstanding for a wedding near water as the fabric has a liquid like finish!
Autumn: Golden Hour Wedding Color Palettes
Nothing says beauty like Autumn in the Philadelphia region, and specifically Bucks County. How fortunate we are to live in such a spectacular area. It’s no wonder that October weddings are the most popular of the year.
For the perfect autumn wedding theme, choose a two-in-one dress that has detachable sleeves. This is perfect for your ceremony, where you will also wear a veil. For the reception, remove the veil and the sleeves for the party! Crepe and lace are great fabrics for this season.
Fall is the best season to have your guys in earthy colors like olive green and brown. Very seasonal and traditional and as formal as you need. This is also a great season to tie in metallics for the moms in gold, copper, and brass. Our new Montage dresses incorporate these colors and a print pattern that tie all of these together:
Together, these are perfectly suited for your golden hour wedding photos. Additional bridesmaid color choices for autumn weddings are jewel tones like sapphire and emerald, and fall foliage colors like marigold and pumpkin.
Icy Winter Wedding Color Palettes
There are many venues to host winter weddings. Whether you are looking for a cozy restaurant, mountain cottage with a fireplace, or a modern venue like an art museum, you can’t go wrong with a winter wedding. Choose a palette of icy and dark blues and purples, or go for deep jewel tones and sparkles that mimic the snowfall.
Satin, Mikado, and layered lace are great fabric choices for winter bridal gowns. Look for one with a matching jacket topper as the perfect accessory piece if walking outdoors. This season is the perfect time for classic black and dark charcoal. Additionally, navy blue is another option for the colder months.
Moms will look lovely and appropriate in deep purple, ruby red, and emerald green. Not only are these seasonal colors, they match beautifully with black and charcoal.
Many winter weddings are black tie events. An important factor to remember when the dress code is black tie: women must wear a floor-length gown, and men wear a tuxedo with a bow tie. Unless the wedding color scheme is specified, you do not have to wear the color black. Black tie simply describes the formality of the event. When there is a question, be sure to ask the couple if the color dress you are thinking is acceptable.
There are so many wedding color palettes. There is no wrong or right color, it is your personal style that dictates the colors. Some brides choose one neutral shade – such as a camel color or latte. This has a very rich look to it. Other brides choose a bold jewel tone palette with pops of different colors throughout. Others are sports fans and go with team colors. At the end of the day, this is about you and your partner. The choices you select is one of the best ways to illustrate your love story.
The Right Wedding Dress For Your Venue & Season
There are thousands of wedding dresses and the options can be completely overwhelming. If you need help in narrowing down before you head out on the hunt for your perfect dress, we have some tips:
Chances are you have already booked your venue and therefore have a date. You can refer above for seasonality and also refer to our blog titled “How To Match Your Venue With The Perfect Wedding Dress” for guidance in choosing the right dress.
You also need to know your body type, if you have skin sensitivities, and the size and space of your wedding venue. Read our blogs on the Apple and Pear shaped body types for some initial guidance. For skin sensitivities, read our blog on Fabrics to learn the best ones for you.
If you are having a very large wedding in a grand ballroom, a great choice for that space is a ball gown or a full a line silhouette. That space calls for a full gown with a long and dramatic train, or a royal length veil. If you are having a micro wedding in a smaller location, such as a restaurant or a rooftop bar, you will want to select a dress such as a sheath or a column. These are slimmer dresses without additional layers that are perfect for micro and modern weddings.
In terms of style, your perfect gown will be the one that makes you feel beautiful. This is the most important dress you will ever purchase, and it takes some thought and an open mind. If you are not sure of your bridal party’s color palette when you go dress shopping, the dress you choose may help guide you with a theme or an aesthetic for your day.
FAQs
Q: Can I wear a heavy ball gown for a summer wedding?
A: Yes! You are not breaking any rules by doing so. You just want to make sure that you do not overheat with so many layers of dress. A great option here is to have a fitted dress with a ball gown over skirt that can be removed for the reception. If you are getting married on the beach, be sure to have the dress hemmed a little shorter, so it does not get stuck in the sand.
Q. Can the mother of the bride and mother of the groom wear the same color?
A: Yes! This is a common question. When the mothers wear the same color, they almost never have the same style or fabric, neckline, and embellishments, which makes the dresses look completely different.
Q: Can the mother of the bride wear black?
A: This used to be considered taboo to wear a black dress to a wedding. Traditions have changed over the years, however, it is still a good idea to ask the bride if she is OK with one of the mothers wearing black. One thing that has not changed: DO NOT wear white. White is for the bride ONLY. Unless you are specifically told by the bride to wear white, that color is off-limits.
Q: What are the best colors for a warm skin tone?
A: For warm skin tones, the most flattering colors are earthy, rich hues including olive green, copper and terra cotta, golden yellows, and neutrals like chocolate, camel, and cream.
Q: What are the best colors for a cool skin tone?
A: For cool skin, look for a deep jewel tone like emerald and sapphire, icy pastels like lavender and mint, and crisp neutrals like charcoal and navy.
Q: What do fathers of the bride wear?
A: The father of the bride is a very important role. There are different ways for him to dress, and we have our Fathers Guide here with all the answers.
Q: My bridesmaids are each wearing a different color. What should I have my mother in?
A: Depending on the palette you choose for them they may be in different shades of the same color. If so, mothers could be in a print or a floral that ties in these colors. If you choose a different color for each maid, a good idea is to suggest a metallic or shimmery color in complementary shades of these dresses (rose gold, copper, bronze, silver, olive, gold).
Q: What is the most popular color for a wedding dress?
A: Our experience over the last 15 years is overwhelmingly ivory. Ivory lace can also be paired with a color underneath like blush, champagne, or mocha to add richness and depth.
Q: What is the most popular color for a tuxedo?
A: Our experience over the last 15 years shows that black is still the most classic and popular choice. Followed by Navy.
Q: Should my groomsmen wear a suit or a tuxedo? What is the difference?
A: The formality of your event would generally dictate whether you choose a suit or a tuxedo. Read our guide on the difference between a suit and tuxedo.
Q: I don’t know where to start with wedding planning. What are the first things I should do?
A: We are happy to help! Our wedding planning guides for brides, grooms, mothers, and fathers are all in one place! We are happy to provide a long on AI assisted wedding planning as well as ordering timelines, and wedding terms and lingo to know. Read these and feel empowered to begin planning your big day!
About Us
Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo is owned by Franco and Wendy Salerno. We founded the store in January, 2013 with a mission of running an honest, kind, and family-oriented bridal and tuxedo business. The name is a combination of our two daughters, Daria and Deanna. Today, our business is a Bucks County staple and the go-to place for wedding attire. Our long-time employees are kind, genuine, and truly part of the family. The lasting relationships we have made with customers, vendors, and designers are something we are truly grateful for.
Nationally Recognized, Locally Loved
Our store received national recognition in July, 2025 on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. In 2024, Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo was named a Top 100 Small Business in America by the US Chamber of Commerce. We have been featured by Apple.com, ABC National News, TLC’s “Say Yes: Wedding SOS”, the Wall Street Journal, Square, and Axios. We surpassed 1,000 Google reviews with a 4.9 rating, and are listed in the Knot’s “Hall of Fame”.
Locally, we are active members of the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, the Montco Gateway Chamber of Commerce (formerly the Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce), and the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce serving on committees and as board members. Franco was Treasurer, Executive Committee member and a Board member of the Lower Bucks Chamber of Commerce and their 2024 Mitchell-Conner award winner. He was also a board member of the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce for many years.
Wendy is a former Chair of the Women In Business, awarded Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023, and named a 2025 Bucks County Parent Woman of Influence. Our daughter Daria is a former wish granter for the Make-A-Wish® foundation. We proudly partner with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Angel Gowns, Wish Upon A Wedding, and donate to local schools and community band, choir, and theater programs.