How to Pull Off a Bridal Gown with a Color Accent

Following celebrity examples such as Alicia Silverstone and Gwen Stefani, more and more brides are interested in adding a little color to their white gowns. But it can be tricky to pick the right color accent that will enhance the beauty of the dress without making it look tacky. It requires more considerations than an all-white gown.

Things You'll Need

• Sample cloth of the wedding theme color or napkin chosen for the wedding banquet
• Same kinds of flowers that will be used for the bridal bouquet

Instructions

Theme Color

1. Bring a piece of your wedding theme color's sample cloth or a napkin you've selected for your wedding banquet when you go shopping for your bridal gown.

2. Hold the sample cloth or napkin near the color accent on the bridal gown you like and see how the two colors look together.

3. Forget about the gown or change your wedding theme color if the two colors clash. Ideally, the color accent should look similar to but brighter than the theme color to be the most eye-catching. But if the color accent is gold, silver or a neutral like the sash on Kate Hudson's gown in the movie "Bride Wars," it can go with any theme color.

Bouquet Match

1. Buy one flower of each kind you plan to use in your bridal bouquet. For instance, if you've selected red roses and blue iris flowers, buy one red rose and one blue iris flower. Take them with you when going bridal gown shopping.

2. Hold the flowers when trying on a bridal gown with a color accent. See how the colors look together.

3. Choose a color accent that best matches the flower colors, or change your flower choices for the sake of the color accent.

Bridesmaids' Shades

1. Have your bridesmaids wear a color similar to but not as bright as the color accent on your bridal gown. For instance, if the color accent is turquoise, the bridesmaid dresses should be baby blue. If the color accent is red, it'll be a good idea to make the bridesmaid dresses burgundy.

2. Allow your bridesmaids to wear different colors only if your bridal gown's color accent is gold or silver (in this case they can't wear gold or silver). Another option is to simply stick with an all-white gown if the bridesmaid dresses are in various colors. Your color accent is supposed to stand out, not to be just one of the multiple colors in the bridal party.

3. Make sure the color accent is used sparingly on your gown. Your dress should still be mostly white to convey the traditional bridal look---you don't want anyone to confuse you with your bridesmaids. Less is definitely more when it comes to the design of the color accent!

References

• "The Knot: Wedding Style---Color-coordinated Weddings"