Planning your wedding is an exciting journey, filled with decisions that reflect your unique style. One of the key elements that sets the mood for your special day is the colour scheme.

The colours you choose for your wedding party, especially the bridesmaid dresses, play a significant role in complementing your wedding dress and enhancing the overall aesthetic. But how do you decide on the perfect palette?

Let’s explore how to pair the perfect-tone bridesmaid dresses with your bridal gown…

Understanding Dress Tones: Warm vs. Cool

Before diving into colour schemes, it’s important to understand the difference between warm and cool tones.

• Warm Tones: These include shades with yellow, peach, and golden undertones. If your wedding dress has a base colour of nude, champagne, or blush, it likely falls into the warm tone category.

• Cool Tones: These are characterised by blue, pink, or silver undertones. An ivory wedding dress or one with a silver-based shimmer usually belongs to the cool tone group.

What colours compliment a ‘warm’ wedding dress?

If your wedding dress has warm undertones, you’ll want your bridesmaid dresses to harmonise with this palette. Warm tones evoke a sense of romance, softness, and timeless elegance.

Here are some of our favourite style ideas:

1. Earthy Neutrals: Shades like taupe, dusty rose, and mocha can complement a champagne or nude wedding dress beautifully. These colours create a seamless, monochromatic look that feels blended and sophisticated.

2. Rich Warm Colours: Consider deeper, more vibrant shades like burnt orange, terracotta, or deep burgundy. These colours provide a striking contrast while still remaining in the warm colour family, enhancing the golden undertones of your dress.

3. Soft Metallics: Gold and bronze bridesmaid dresses can add a touch of glam while maintaining a warm aesthetic. These metallics echo the subtle shimmer of a champagne gown, creating a radiant and coordinated bridal party.

Style Ideas:

• Champagne Wedding Dress + Dusty Rose Bridesmaid Dresses: Soft and romantic, this combination is perfect for a classic wedding with a touch of vintage charm.

• Nude Wedding Dress + Burnt Orange Bridesmaid Dresses: For an autumn wedding, this pairing brings warmth and a pop of colour that’s both modern and elegant.

How to make ‘cool’ tones work?

For wedding dresses with cool undertones, your colour scheme should reflect that crisp, clean, and sometimes more contemporary feel. Cool tones are often associated with a serene, elegant vibe, making them perfect for a variety of wedding styles.

1. Soft Pastels: Pale lavender, icy blue, and soft mint are perfect for a cool-toned ivory dress. These colours are subtle, adding a gentle splash of colour that doesn’t overpower the delicate coolness of the wedding dress.

2. Jewel Tones: Rich jewel tones like emerald green, sapphire blue, and royal purple can create a bold, dramatic contrast. These colours look stunning next to a cool ivory dress, making your bridal party stand out beautifully.

3. Crisp Neutrals: Shades like cool grey, slate, and even black can provide a striking yet understated contrast to an ivory dress. These colours are elegant and timeless, ideal for a modern, minimalist wedding.

Style ideas:

• Ivory Wedding Dress + Sage Green Bridesmaid Dresses: This combination is fresh, natural, and perfect for a spring or outdoor wedding, bringing out the soft cool tones in the ivory gown.

• Ivory Wedding Dress + Royal Blue Bridesmaid Dresses: For a formal evening wedding, this pairing exudes elegance and sophistication, with the deep blue providing a stunning contrast to the ivory dress.

General Tips for Choosing Bridesmaid Dress Colours…

• Consider the Season: Warm tones often work well in fall or winter weddings, while cool tones are beautiful for spring or summer.

• Skin Tones: Think about the skin tones of your bridesmaids. Warm colours often flatter warm skin tones, while cool colours look great on those with cool undertones.

• Venue and Décor: Your wedding’s location and overall décor can also guide your colour choices. A beach wedding might inspire lighter, cooler tones, while a rustic barn wedding might call for deeper, earthier shades.

It can be hard when planning your big day as you don’t see it all come together until the morning but if you carefully consider the colour undertones you can ensure that there will be no colour clashing.

By understanding the undertones of your wedding dress and pairing them with complementary bridesmaid dress colours, you can ensure that all the tones in your wedding blend perfectly together.

Written with love by Ella – Head Bridal Stylist