Garden-inspired Color Palettes for Your Summer Wedding

What makes summer so magical is the sundrenched glow everywhere, including the gardens right outside your window! So what better inspiration could you have for your summer wedding palette than the fresh, vibrant colors of the season?

Here, we’ve taken 5 of the party sets that we’ve styled for a garden setting, and we’re presenting the color combos that made each one distinct. Of course, much of the appeal is owed to fresh flowers and natural accents. But it’s also important how these are combined with the colors of the other table elements. Come see how you can bring garden hues to your own wedding tables!

Colorful in Fuchsia and Yellow

Palette: Fuchsia – Hot Pink – Garden Green – Lemon Yellow

Extend a warm welcome to your guests with a vibrant combination of hot pink, golden yellow, and leafy green. Now, doesn’t that just say “summer garden”? We pulled this look off so simply with:

1. a solid fuchsia table cloth
2. bright lemon-colored napkins atop each plate
3. shell candy dishes gracing each place setting and holding flower cutout place cards in cheery yellow
4. a casual centerpiece of bright pink bougainvillea and fresh leafy fronds

Color tip: With vibrantly colored blooms so abundant in summer, go ahead and switch around the elements above. Have yellow mums, marigolds, or daisies for your centerpiece to match a lemon table cloth, while your table napkins could be bright fuchsia. It all depends on your preference and on what you have readily available!

The Quaint Charm of Soft Pastels

Palette: Lilac – Dusty Pink – Sage Green – Buttercream Yellow

If you’ll be having a morning event, like an intimate wedding brunch, this sweet palette would be perfect! The look is light, airy, and delicate, toning down some of that summer sizzle. To capture this, we:

1. grouped together little arrangements of lilac, white, pink and yellow flowers in varied containers—from a clay urn painted buttercream yellow to daintily patterned tea cups
2. named the tables after favorite flowers, using seed packets and tiny flower pots (look out for our DIY on this!)
3. used a white wire bird cage as a romantic focal point

All in all, a simple palette for a charming set!

Color tip: Nearly every household has pastel-colored table cloths, runners, place mats, napkins, plates, cups and saucers, and serve ware. Don’t be afraid to mix and match all these, as long as you keep within the general palette of muted pinks, yellows, lilacs, and greens. And use some of them as charming flower holders, too!

Rustic Woodsy Hues

Palette: Moss Green – Copper – Burnt Orange – Mustard

It doesn’t have to be fall for you to bring out a woodsy palette! Even in summer, this would be ideal for a rustic country- or farm-themed wedding. The elements we assembled to create this look include:

1. a fabric runner with orange, mustard, and black stripes, looking something like a Mexican serapé, don’t you think?
2. crisp white plates and napkins adorned with a mustard-colored leaf place card
3. a centerpiece featuring orange flowers and garden greenery, a wine bottle, decorative orange gourds, and white candles

Color tip: Notice that the runner ties this table look together simply by having most, if not all, of the palette colors in it. You can keep this in mind when assembling any color scheme. Select one decorative element that features the key colors you’ve chosen and use that to build the other table elements upon.

The Drama of Red and Gold

Palette: Matte Gold – Ruby Red – Dark Chartreuse – Hunter Green

Looking for a change from the traditional sweet and pretty country garden look? Why not go dramatic? For this romantic al fresco dinner setting, we chose a bold color trio of deep ruby red, hunter green, and matte gold to set the stage for a more formal tablescape. To style this look, we used:

1. a luxurious brocade table cloth with a gold-on-gold pattern
2. a length of dark green fabric bunched up to serve as a table runner
3. a lush centerpiece of roses and fresh green grapes spilling out of an antique urn
4. smaller rose arrangements and loose rose petals scattered on the table top
5. red satin napkins rolled up into each guest’s wine flute, holding a green leaf place card
6. appetizer trays in gold presentation trays
7. white candles and white dinner plates to balance all the bold hues

Color tip: The secret to keeping a red and gold palette from looking gaudy is to choose a matte finish for the gold and a deep shade of red, not a brilliant one. Then, of course, have a tempering hue like the dark green above or a neutral like ivory or cream to soften the overall look.

Just Peachy!

Palette: Beige – Peach – Copper – Coral

For a burnished look with a soft side to it, you can’t go wrong with peach and coral tones set against classic ivory. Associated with fresh fruit and flowers, these colors cast a sun-kissed glow on a vintage garden wedding that is just so appealing! We enjoyed creating this tablescape using:

1. assorted flowers in shades of peach, coral, and mauve casually arranged in mismatched glass vases and jars
2. a mini tree stump as a centerpiece base
3. love bird figurines in keeping with the garden setting
4. dainty lace runners with matching lace-printed place cards
5. doily placemats with gold edging, paired with gold napkins

Color tip: Wondering what flowers will provide that ‘just peachy’ charm without overstretching your budget? You can try carnations, gerbera daisies, dahlias, Peruvian lilies (Aelstromeria), or dendrobium orchids. While if you can splurge a little, there are the always lovely peonies, roses, hydrangeas, or anthuriums.

As you can see, summer offers up different color palettes to create just the wedding look you’re dreaming of! Which one is your fave?