If you love purple, it's no wonder you want a purple themed wedding. There are several shades of purple and tweaking them can alter the mood of your ceremony, from elegant to carefree.
Shades of Purple Wedding Themes
When different brides say purple, they may have completely different shades in mind. Versions of this beautiful color include:
Light Shades
Pastel and lighter shades of purple are lovely in the spring and summer. These colors range from lilac to orchid to lavender to wisteria.
Medium to Dark Shades
Amethyst, violet, and plum are medium shades and look lovely year-round. Royal purple tends to have a blue tone to it, while eggplant (aubergine) and plum are deep shades of purple, and these dark colors look stunning in the fall and winter.
Pink-Red Purples
Some shades of purple have a pink or reddish hue to them. They may even be called "pink" by some people. Both mauve and magenta fall into this category.
What Colors Go With Purple for a Wedding?
You can pair lavender and royal purple or aubergine with lilac, but there are more wedding colors that pair beautifully with purple besides other shades of purple.
Neutrals
You can always go for neutrals in order to make the purple really stand out, like:
- Silver: This looks stunning against deep purple and whimsical against pale purple.
- White: White makes any color stand out when they're paired together.
- Cream: If you don't want stark white but do want a light contrast color, try cream with any shade of purple.
- Tan: Tan could be tricky to pull off with purple, but pale tan could be just what you want nestled up to the deepest purple or even a pinkish-purple.
- Brown: Pair brown with lavender, lilac, or magenta for a sophisticated look.
- Gray: Charcoal paired with silver, lavender, and dark bluish-purple makes a stunning combination for an evening wedding.
- Black: Some brides go for the classic black and white wedding colors, but why not take a spin on that and try pale lilac or lavender instead of white?
In general, deep accent colors paired with purple are best left to fall and winter, or at least evening weddings in the warmer months. Chocolate brown and black are excellent for weddings from October through February. Conversely, pairing light or bright purples with light shades like white or cream makes a fresh, vibrant statement in the spring and summer. Those same light colors, however, paired with deep shades of plum, aubergine, or even royal purple look gorgeous in the low winter light.
Other Colors to Pair With Purple
You could also choose something unexpected, like another shade of the same depth or brightness. You may want to use these in smaller doses than you would the neutral shades. For example, tie a bright ribbon around the stems of your purple flowers or add one or two brightly colored flowers in amidst the purple blooms. Try:
- Pinks - Hot pink, ballet pink
- Orange and reds - Scarlet, burnt orange, sunset orange, peach
- Blues - Turquoise, royal blue, robin's egg blue
- Greens - Kelly green, pine green, mint green
Brighter color combinations are perfect for summer such as purple and yellow. Pale colors like peach and ballet pink look pretty in spring weddings. Shades like royal blue and amethyst are good in the icy winter months.
Incorporating Purple Into Your Wedding
The color can be added as much or as little as you desire. From stationary to centerpieces to the cake, the areas where you can add a pop of purple are numerous.
Wedding Party Attire
Most brides will have the bridesmaids don their chosen shade of purple. The maid of honor might wear a lighter or darker shade. Brides can wear amethyst jewelry, select a dress with purple embellishments, or even buy a colored wedding gown. Men should wear purple ties and vests, with purple boutonnieres. Socks, hair accessories, and bouquets should also fit the purple color theme.
Flowers for a Purple Theme
You don't have to stick with one shade of purple flowers for your wedding. Red, orange, yellow, and purple bouquets are stunning against a white bridal gown or purple bridesmaid dress. Don't forget to branch out with your flower choice, too. There are plenty of purple flowers to choose from beyond roses and peonies. Consider:
- Hydrangeas
- Carnations
- Irises
- Clematis
- Forget-me-nots
- Orchids
- Lisianthus
- Calla lilies
Ceremony Decorations
Decorate the ceremony space with your chosen wedding color. Have a runner in purple, add a wedding arch featuring fabrics and flowers in your selected shade, and don't forget to add columns and other decorative accents in purple. Chair and pew decorations, whether bows, flowers, or wreaths, can also incorporate your favorite color.
Reception Table Decorations
The wedding tables should all be decorated to match your purple theme Add purple flower centerpieces on top of tablecloths that are a lighter or darker shade of purple. If you want to use black or white instead, consider adding a purple runner instead of having all purple linens. Cover chairs with purple satin or add a wedding bow with purple ribbon.
Reception Lighting
A budget-friendly, easy way to add purple to a reception is to have purple reception lighting. Replace half of the lightbulbs with purple ones and ask your DJ to add purple gels to spotlights. Hang purple light strands behind tulle backdrops, and your standard white linens turn into shimmering purple stand-outs.
Perfectly Purple
Make purple your wedding theme by using it throughout your wedding. Pair your favorite shade of purple with an exciting accent color and work with your vendors to incorporate it throughout your wedding. The results will be truly stunning.
