Color-happy polychrome-addicts are gaining prestige on the wedding plain, but that doesn’t mean white’s been knocked into ho-hum-hood. Honestly, white weddings will never be white-bread because they’ve got the elegance and grace of a thousand doves in crème-colored tutus. Admittedly though, this classic non-color could use a little help traversing over into modernity. A tug in just about any direction, (back to the retro, ironically; forward to the faddish, obviously) and a loosened grip on polished perfection is all your crisp, white wedding needs to become stylishly whimsical.
b & w
The black and white wedding is as good as contemporary classic, especially when white is clean and black is stencilled henna-like. Distribute the dark accents with a penchant for the unusual and unexpected; thereby feeding the scheme’s vogue, maybe cinching you at your waist, subverting an otherwise puritan bouquet, or shading the feathers and jewels in your hair.
added warmth
Instigate innuendo with underlying tones of pink, peach and yellow in your impure alabaster palette. The colors should be faded to the point where guests attribute the blush of your dress to the sunset, or their fifth cocktail, so the not-so snow-white wedding appears dubiously soft, warm and romantic.
a touch of sass
All white with barely-there pops and splashes and streaks of vibrancy is matrimony at its Pollock-inspired best. Sneak color in without a hint of subtly: bright peep-toes peaking beneath bridesmaid dresses, tropical flowers sprouting from linen-lined tables, rows of kaleidoscopic cocktails lining the bar, and unnaturally, an exaggerated, fearless red pout.
shades of white
Select a slew of shades to create a layered, lively look, giving the blank palette a pulse. But go with the most distinct variations, like ivory, taupe, vanilla, champagne and sesame, (maybe crossing over into beige or brown) all showcasing their most saturated selves. This way, you won’t find yourself awkwardly explaining that no, the chairs are eggshell; it’s the drapes that are off-white.
silver lining
Silver’s kind of an offshoot of white, kind of. It’s clean and crisp, but sparkly and daring, like white 2.0. And it’s not limited to accents anymore, even though silver bells, vases, eyelids and bows undoubtedly make for a great winter wonderland. Too much of this metallic might suggest modern kitchen, but when all done up, silver tables, dresses and light fixtures will sparkle with more of an under-the-moon than a beside-the-toaster feel.
tradition twisted
Those brides still digging the monochromatic design should stick to their airbrush guns and consider messing around with textures instead of hue. Perfectly crisp or creamy white broken up by sundry materials, like taffeta, crinoline, silk, lace and cotton, is visually striking because the scheme’s a tactile field day.
vintage fair
A sepia-toned wedding will help you save on gimmick photography by bringing an authentic old-timey aura to the actual day. White nearly faded to yellow with accents of lace, pearls and gold is seriously grandma-chic pretty.
opposites attract
Try a stark white scheme with hints of rusty, autumnal hues as opposed to more expected (if equally breath-taking) pops of paint, like neons or primary colors. The combination of pristine, high-collared white and homey, barn-yard-door red/orange will be completely jarring, in a good way.
