Now that you're selecting the color theme for your wedding, you're wishing that you'd paid a little more attention in art class, aren't you? Because not everyone has a degree in interior design or is a color specialist, color selection may seem a daunting a task. But the truth is that it doesn't take a degree from art school to absorb ideas from surrounding influences. Inspiration is everywhere—the earth tones in a grassy knoll, flecks of blue reflected in the ocean, the metallics of an urban cityscape, or the sundry shades that paint a harvest landscape. Whether quiet and muted or bright and bold, colors speak volumes. They have the power to define a mood and exemplify a persona. The hues you select for your wedding theme are as integral as the reception space and the music for the reception so choose wisely. Here are some tips on finding your inner designer.

Colors 101: How to choose

Remember ROY G BIV? It's the color wheel: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Using this wheel as a tool will help you to strike a visual balance by selecting colors that blend or contrast. "Colors adjacent to each other work well together, and opposites always attract," notes Maria McBride-Mellinger, wedding stylist and author of The Perfect Wedding Reception, The Perfect Wedding, and The Wedding Dress and Bridal Flowers. "Even within a color there are always layers," she adds. "The easiest way to select a complementary color is to select another shade of the same color or to work across the color wheel."

"It's not important to go overboard and drive everybody crazy with getting everything in one specific color," says Marcy Blum, co-author of Weddings for Dummies. Choose a palette and then use nuances of color. Various shades of the one base color create a monochromatic scheme, with a silvery green tone in the invitations, a rich fern on place cards, and kiwi bridesmaid dresses. Selecting two or three colors that are adjacent on the color wheel will have an equally stunning effect; for example using blue, blue-ish purple, and deep violet. A triadic color scheme includes three colors equidistant from each other on the color wheel. While selecting red, yellow, and blue would follow this concept, your wedding might start looking like a game of Twister, so take care when deciding how to utilize them. Currently, a popular trend is using complementary colors, opposites on the color wheel, like pale yellow and ripe plum or red and green. But it is important to consider the season, because an apple red and forest green color scheme will still recall Christmas even if your wedding is in June.

"The most important thing about designing an event is not necessarily which color is selected, but whether it is right for the locale, the style of the wedding, and the season," says McBride-Mellinger. "The pieces of the design puzzle must fit together." She suggests first selecting the location, and then determining what color palette would work since a predetermined color might clash with the decor of the space. "If you're in love with a pale green dining room for your event, you'd want to keep the design palette in soft greens for a woodsy, calm mood. Or opt for pale yellow or pink for a whimsical, feminine mood." She adds that white will exude a crisp, snappy feel, while silver will transform the event into an upscale affair. "It's actually a lot easier to decide what won't work first," she says.

Colors 411: What to choose and how to use

You know what your favorite color is you've known since kindergarten. So go with what you love, even if it’s Pepto-pink. There is a way to tastefully incorporate any color by combining it with other hues of the one dominant shade. Bridesmaid dresses may range from bright fuchsia to light strawberry to dusty rose, and the spectrum of the colors in the pink family carried out in the flowers, invitations, linens, favors will create a fresh and feminine pink paradise reception.

"Today, wedding colors are reflective of hot colors in interior design and current couture fashion," Blum notes. So in addition to the umpteen bridal magazines that are inevitably strewn across the backseat of your car and cluttered on your coffee table, pick up the latest fashion or interior design magazine for inspiration. Pastels are back, and flowery colors are also strong. Blue and white; lavender, pink and white; silver and white; and pink and silver are currently favorite combos. "While purples have been popular," McBride-Mellinger notes, "the fresher approach is to think lighter; lavenders are newer. White has once again become a top pick, ranging from ivory to ecru, incorporated with champagne hues. Accenting the white theme with metallics is very now especially in the winter where an open reception space with multiple windows allows the reflection of the snow outside to brighten minimalist decor."

"While rules of the season don't have to be followed to the letter, it is easiest to use what you have, and let Mother Nature be your guide. Let's face it; your decor planning will be easier if you select colors of the season. When it comes to seasons and color, logic rules. The colors must fit with the scene and you must be able to get your hands on the colors you want," McBride-Mellinger offers. It makes no sense or cents to include lots of flowers and foliage in the event to ignore what's readily available the month you marry. Check out garden books or browse through flower or farmer’s markets for a forecast of what flowers hence what colors will be available to you in your nuptial month. (Be sure to check out The Knot Book of Wedding Flowers (Broadway Books, 2003) for more inspiration.)

Colors 911: When enough is enough

While some brides select a color scheme and then paint the entire wedding in some variation of that shade, others opt for an event theme, such as Fall Harvest, Beach/Tropical, Garden, Victorian, or Valentine's Day. The Association of Bridal Consultants reports the number of theme weddings has doubled in the past five years. With each theme, specific colors coincide. You could never pull off a holiday-theme wedding with pastel colors or a winter wonderland with orange and black it's just common sense. But incorporating color well can really make or break a theme wedding. An autumn theme could best be executed through use of vivid jewel tones, from deep jade, wine, and terracotta to rust and gold. And don’t forget to work the theme into floral arrangements with fall leaves, berries, even miniature pumpkins. A Valentine wedding may be done using all rosy hues in the red family from garnet to cotton candy pink, and all shades in between.

A well-executed theme can create a wedding to remember but a poorly thought-out one may be even more unforgettable. Don't overdo it with theme or color. There's a fine line between tasteful and tacky. Yes, it should appear to guests that you've thought of everything, and theme should be incorporated into elements from decor and apparel, down to place card paper and the icing on the cake. But knowing when to say when is key. "You don't want your wedding to turn into a joke and a very expensive joke at that," McBride-Mellinger urges, "Don't be afraid of color. Let it work for you, and be sure to include it in every aspect of your planning process." But she cautions, "No hair-dying and no tuxedo matching. This isn't the '70s or '80s anymore unless you really want to be theatrical, and then why not, it's your wedding!"

_{© 2003 The Knot Inc. All rights reserved.}