A Hue For Every Mood: The Psychology Of Color & Your Wedding Day

I think it’s safe to say that most brides choose their wedding colors based on two things.  One) their personal preference, and two) the season/weather surrounding their date.  Both simple and personal, this school of thought has held up through the years, and while trends may change, this is one area that has remained constant.  No matter if a bride chooses navy, royal, baby or Tiffany’s, part of her mindset was always focused on blue. 

Since the Mister and I are set to wed the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we found ourselves in a weird state of: is it a Fall or Winter wedding??  Being from the Midwest, there is honestly no telling what the weather will be.  It could be 65 and sunny, which suggests Fall or 10 below and snowing, which suggests Winter.  Awesome.

So, we (of course, I’m using the term “we” very loosely – hehe) decided on gold, ivory and Venetian red.  Since I’ve always thought that red brings out every girls’ inner diva and the three colors worked well for Winter and Fall, it felt like a win/win.  During my victory dance, however, I really started to wonder why I associated red with awesomeness, which led me on a scatter brained, internet research journey to the find the meaning of the color red… yes, this tends to happen a lot.

According to industy reports and online encyclopedias from places such as TheWeddingReport.com and Wikipedia.org, most colors tend to have dual meanings.  I encourage all of you, especially all you brides-to-be, to only focus only on the good… because nothing, and I mean nothing good ever came from being negative :)  So, feel free to find your hue below and see what it can do for you!

• Red is the warmest, most energetic color in the spectrum, which is why it is the one most paid attention to.  (See, I knew it was for divas!)  It is associated with everything from love, passion and desire (great!) to violence, danger and fury (uhhh, not so great!).  While some cultures uphold red as a symbol of courage and purity, others revere it as a sign of guilt or warning.  (I’m sticking with the cultures who see it as brave and divine.)
• Orange represents energy.  Still part of the warm hues, orange has a number of luminescent qualities, which include warmth, enthusiasm and vibrancy.  (Perfect for a wedding day celebration!)  However, orange also has a tendency to come off as demanding and controlling.  (Can you say, Bridezilla?)
• Yellow, both warm and friendly, signifies optimism, joy, imagination, hope and happiness.  In some cultures, however, yellow is the symbol for dishonesty, betrayal and cowardice.  (Note to all brides, stick with the inspirational version.)
• Green, often the most sited favorite color of women and men, symbolizes nature, health, renewal, generosity, fertility and vigor.  On a darker note, it also corresponds with jealousy, inexperience and misfortune.  (Feel free to ignore the yucky translation.)
• Blue epitomizes peace, tranquility and harmony.  In most cases (which are the ones you should focus on) blue symbolizes unity, trust, confidence, loyalty and security.   However, (this is the part brides-to-be shouldn’t rely on) it can also be a representation of depression and lonliness.
• Purple/Indigo has the most regal representation globally.  Often associated with nobility and royalty, purple embodies wisdom, enlightenment and spirituality.  (Ooh la la!  A color fit for a queen!)  But even though it’s considered an exotic color, purple can also be seen as arrogant, cruel and mournful.  (Blah, blah, not listening.) 
• Black – despite popular belief – is the absence of all color and/or light.  It is said to represent everything from power and wealth to sexuality and sophistication.  On one hand, black creates a unique blend of elegance, formality and class; while on the other hand, it can represent mystery, fear and sadness.  (I’m gonna go ahead and say when referencing “weddings,” we’ll stick to the first hand.)

Leave a Comment July 8, 2009