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When it comes to planning our wedding, one of the things that I’m most worried about is creating a cohesive look. I guess most people accomplish this by choosing a theme or color palette and then sticking to it. Since vendors and others keep asking me what our theme is, I’ve started articulating it as “Tuscan Romance”. Basically, our venue is a Mediterranean inspired villa next to a winery, and I like warm, autumn colors, so “Tuscan Romance” seems to fairly describe that. I’ve had a harder time, however, narrowing that vision down to the customary 2-3 color palette. So far, the colors I like are Cranberry, Chocolate Brown, Burnt Orange, Eggplant and Yellow. Is that too many? I don’t know. My biggest fear about the wedding is that it will look like a mish-mash of well-intentioned ideas gone awry.
I’ve never been very good at seeing “the big picture” or making anything look cohesive and coordinated. For example, when buying things for my apartment, I seldom think of the bigger picture and buy impulsively based on what I like. This results in my apartment looking decently nice, but it never looks what I call “Pottery Barn” nice. Now before you tell me that only Pottery Barn catalog homes look Pottery Barn nice, I’m going to have to disagree. I’ve been in more than one home that is so well-coordinated that it looks like it came out of a PB catalog. So why am I taking about PB right now? I’m basically convinced that since I don’t have a PB type home, I am incapable of planning a wedding with a cohesive look to it.
Ah yes, my Tiffany-themed bathroom when I lived alone first year of law school. That was the closest I ever got to having a cohesive look or theme in my home.
When I see weddings like Mrs. Cupcake’s, I’m always impressed at how the bride is able to carry out her vision of the day down to the smallest of details, incorporating a certain font, 2-3 colors, and other motifs throughout the wedding:
Maybe it’s just my personality, but I’m finding it really hard to pick just ONE font to use throughout our wedding or only 2-3 colors to stick to. I feel so non-committal. While I know the feeling I want our wedding to evoke, I am having a hard time figuring out how to carry it out in a cohesive way. So far, none of the things I’ve bought for the wedding “go” together. Our Save the Dates that my BM Amy designed are eggplant colored, but they probably won’t match our invitations. Our OOT bags are bright green and have nothing to do with Tuscany or romance. I’ve wanted to start DIYing our paper goods, like the place cards, menus, and programs, but I feel paralyzed by the feeling that they aren’t going to match everything else. I’m hoping that once I find a bridesmaid’s dress I like, the rest of the color scheme will fall into place.
What about you? Did you have a hard time making everything go together for your wedding? Do you have any advice about turning a vision into a (coordinated) reality?
I totally feel your pain. I can’t choose a font to stick with for the life of me. I’m waiting for someone to give me the secret too. Mr. HW has become my editing eye. That’s the best I’ve got.
Oh Miss Jellyfish, you and I seem to be in the same boat! I’ve gone back and forth on colors for what seems like forever, wondering if I can ever pull together a look that feels cohesive. I *finally* put together a rough color scheme of 3 colors (bright green, magenta, and navy blue), which we are planning on incorporating into details throughout the wedding. We have a couple of projects going on that won’t match perfectly with these colors, and I’ve decided that I am ok with that! I think as long as the ‘colors’ of the wedding are incorporated in as accents, it won’t look messy or uncoordinated (at least that is what I am hoping and telling myself!)
As an example, we have the good fortune of coming by some free flowers for the wedding. Our venue has an event right before our wedding will take place - and it is a flower show! The local dahlia society hosts their annual show there each year, and for a small donation to the society, they will leave the flowers there for us (and our venue will arrange them). There will be flowers of every color, but I’m making sure to incorporate our ‘wedding colors’ into the table runners, napkins, and menus so that the overall look remains cohesive.
I don’t think you have to limit yourself to 2-3 colors - you can definitely have 2-3 ‘main’ colors and some shades of those as well!
yup, this is totally me. i can’t pull the trigger between “rustic enchanted forrest” and “old hollywood glamour”
You know, I’ve got a theme (Deco/urban/Hollywood) and a color (burgundy), and a lot of the DIY kinda stuff. But it’s still so hard for me to predict what it’ll look like exactly on the day of! That’s actually kind of nice, provided it all works out 
it doesn’t have to be “cohesive!” pick things that you LOVE, that speak to you. i bet the things that really stand out to you will wind up going together, in a way that is lovely but not matchy-matchy.
I’m sorry but the picture with the toilet just totally grossed me out. it doesn’t help that the lid is completely open either…..ewwwww
on the topic at hand- I’m with ya on the decorating thing. I’m completely ignorant when it comes to color coordinating, picking out decor. I should probably hire a decorator for my next house.
Well at least your theme name sounds better then what I came up with when meeting our photographer. I said it was Metal Music meets Victorian…………yep it was crickets all around.
AMEN! I forced Mr Pretzel and I to pick only three Fonts to use in our printed materials. So far so good but GAHHHH was it a struggle to get to those three.
So what if nothing matches? So what if it isn’t cohesive? If you’re not that kind of matchy-cohesive person, then don’t force it. You are YOU. And I’m sure you’ll look back at your wedding pics and appreciate how unique and “you” your wedding was. I actually thing a more mix-match ecclectic decor might be really fun! I would much rather attend and enjoy a wedding that accurately represented the personalities of the bride and groom than an event that is perfect to a T.
@bohemianbailie, I’m totally picking up what you’re putting down, and I dig it. Some people have no vision!
@rawrkitty1022, I totally agree. My BFF and MOH looked at me like I was insane when I asked about her colors. She was like “that shite just came together” and it was awesome. Sometimes a plan that comes together organically looks, well, more organic.
I’m kind of in the same position. I ended up with a color “theme” rather than a color palette.
Basically it’s got three different rooms, each of which is decorated differently (one dark wood, one damask wallpaper and one in yellow), so I picked Ivory and champagne for decor to match all that craziness.
But I decided to go with antique colors for little details and clothing. So I picked Navy, Gold, Dusty Pink, Plum and Lavendar. That way everything “goes” but doesn’t really “match” (What Not to Wear-style).
ME TOO! I knew I wanted fall colors from the beginning, that is how I started the whole “color” decision. Then I went between between doing something more woodsy with greens and browns, some elegant with eggplant and gold, or am homage to foliage with oranges, reds, golds. Right now I sort of have it all. The BM dresses are eggplant, and they are going to wear metallic shoes and jewelery. Our cake stand is a slice of a tree trunk. We had birds on our STDs, our invitations (which are “rust” and “terracotta”), and on our cake topper. I am truly at a loss with flowers, linens, the men’s ties and details. I just want my florist to make it work! I totally feel your pain!
I’m with msemariel and rawrkitty1022 - if you stick with things that speak to you - there is your cohesion!
BTW - I’m having a little love affair with eggplant right now, so I totally support your use of that color! I’m thinking of doing it with brown, grass green and maybe a shade of orange…
Exactly this! I wanted “tropical colors” so I have it narrowed down to turquoise, teal, hot pink, lime green, coral…and I am open to others as well. I am the same way you are with decorating as well. It makes me feel better that there are others taking my approach to wedding decorating!
I’m the same as you, I really could not settle on a color scheme. So I decided not to pick one, opting instead for a “summer color palette”. I’m not going to lie, every once in a while I get paralyzed with anxiety that it’s not going to come together, but in the end, I just have to trust that I made the right choice for me. The worst case scenario is that maybe a couple guests will notice that some colors don’t quite go together, but hopefully the alcohol and dancing will undo that. Good luck!
I am the same way. But, I think it’s ok to be like this! I think it’s great to have a variety of colors, fonts, decorations that all mesh together into a beautiful decor!
*sigh* You sound just like me. I have all of my flowers in shades of purples and pinks, but could I stick with that? Oh no, it was too “girly” so I had to throw blue into the mix. Should have picked navy, but I picked a brighter blue… ugh, I kick myself every time I put my colors together. I think I need a color class, it’s amazing I can even get dressed in the morning! 
That being said, I am counting on my florist to make sure things look pretty. And FI’s cousin to design all of my paper products so that they match. Because if it were up to me, we would have a 15 font party!
I have four colors (bright, bold ones) that don’t really “coordinate”, and I don’t really have a theme. My dress and veil are completely different, and don’t really coordinate, either. (Oh, and my non-flower bouquets, don’t even ask about those). If you just “own” your ideas, they’ll be completely YOU, and everyone will love them! Go with whatever makes you happy, because that’s what makes your guests happy! Good luck!
1. I don’t think you have too many colors
2. You have a theme so from now on you just need to stick to it….it IS hard but its worth it in the long run. Not only do things look cohesive but it cuts out some decisions. By the end you’ll be happy to decide less
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Mrs. Jellyfish, Pleasanton, CA Age and Occupation: 27, Law Student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Air Force Pilot Engagement Date: February 21, 2009 Wedding Date: September 2010 Venue: Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery About Me: In a nutshell, I’m the most optimistic worrywart you’ll ever meet. My family emigrated from Romania to San Jose, CA when I was 8, and I've been a Nor Cal girl ever since! My fiancé is also a Bay Area native, so it’s funny that we met at UCLA, as college freshmen living on the same floor (go Bruins!). Between his career as an Air Force pilot and my path to becoming a lawyer, our relationship has been anything but typical. We currently live together in Berkeley with our puppy Stinson. In addition to spending time with the loves of my life, I enjoy crafting, attempting complicated recipes, environmental law and non-law school reading (Us Weekly, anyone?). Follow along as I plan an elegant 200-person winery wedding, graduate law school, take the Bar exam, get married and get used to the always unpredictable but never boring life of a military spouse!
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