Sunday, June 22, 2008

Inspiration: Color Palette Week

Image courtesy of Craftster.com

Maybe you've known your wedding colors since you were six years old...or maybe you haven't - and just realized that there's no way you can begin to order a cake, tuxes, dresses, flowers, and decorations until you have a color scheme. For brides in search of a bit of inspiration, here are 5 unconventional places to find your wedding color palette.

1. Your favorite piece of jewelry. What color(s) is your fave bracelet, necklace, or pair of earrings? Are they modern? Classic? Funky? Whatever the style, they're your favorite for a reason. Figure out why, and use it as a starting point!

2. Your favorite cocktail! What is is about that classic vermouth martini with an olive that keeps you coming back for more? Why is that electric pink cosmo so much fun to sip? Well, the obvious answer is flavor - but the not-so-obvious reason is presentation. The sophisticated lines of the glasses and colorful garnish pairings are half the fun of it!

3. Local museums. Is there a better place to find creative use of color than local art museums and galleries? An artist's life work is to balance light and color in a way that speaks to the human soul. Why not let a pro do the work for you? On Saturdays, admission to the Wichita Art Museum is free - and on the last Friday of each month, all the galleries in Downtown Wichita (and Old Town) are open late for Final Fridays. Grab a tour map, your maid of honor, a glass of wine & get going!

4. Choose something else first. Perhaps you can't quite settle on colors for your bridal theme because they're just not that important to you. It's OK! Why not browse through wedding invitations or create your bouquet first and let that determine your color scheme?

5. Wedding movies. Nobody does a wedding like Hollywood! Round up your bridesmaids and have a movie marathon - and take note not only of the colors used, but also romantic locations, outrageous decorations, and fabulous ceremony/reception music!

Once you've got a few ideas, visit Big Huge Lab's Color Palette Generator. Just upload an image to their site & they'll create a beautiful palette of complimentary colors!