Red! Paint a Rosey Wedding Color Palette for Autumn!

Talk about personality! If anything, it’s definitely in the color red. Even a tinge of it makes you sit up and take notice. Perhaps that’s why brides and wedding planners have tended to shy away from red as a wedding color in the past. But no longer!

Take a bold step and include red in your color palette. Here, we provide tips and ideas for how to do this with style and flair…and always with impeccable taste. We show how red can evoke different strong emotions: romance, passion, drama, as well as warmth, joy, and a celebration of life no matter what season.

Start by selecting a distinctive color palette that includes red, and work from there…

The key is to find the right shade of red and then match it up with other colors. Red’s tints and shades vary widely—from fire engine red, to cherry, all the way to deep burgundy. So use your imagination to create the intended look and feel for your celebration.

At a wintertime wedding, it brings in instant holiday cheer when paired with metallics like silver, gold, or even copper. Come spring, it looks lovely matched up with pretty shades of pink at a Valentine-themed event. For summer, it adds instant zing to lighter or cooler blues and greens at a beach- or tropical-themed party. And once autumn comes around, red blends right in with the rich, warm palette of browns, oranges, yellows, and greens that surround a fall wedding.

Flowers—the freshest way to use red!

Fresh flowers are a wonderful way to bring red to your wedding event. And when selecting flowers to use, of course, nothing compares with the romance and drama of deep red roses! But you may also consider other lovely blooms that come in red, such as zinnias, mums, carnations, tulips, geraniums, and hibiscus.

With these choices, create striking table centerpieces featuring red flowers intermixed with blooms in complementary colors like orange dahlias, pink gerberas, or tiny white asters. For a truly dramatic effect, you can even match scarlet flowers with black velvet ribbons. Or you can opt for a floral arrangement in all shades of red for an opulent monochromatic look. Hint: Red has even become popular for a striking bridal bouquet—particularly elegant when one kind of flower, such as deep red Charlotte roses, is used.

A Cake and Dessert Table in Crisp Red and White

Remember our tip on using red-colored food items as decorative accents, too? Imagine a candy-cane inspired wedding cake decorated in a red and white color combo designed to mimic peppermint swirls. Or consider a three-tiered, white fondant cake—each layer in a chic square shape and embellished with red rose heads. Then as an added bonus for guests, set up a candy buffet station offering all red and white treats, from white marshmallows, white cotton candy, white chocolate truffles, red jelly beans, strawberry lollipops, to red and white bubblegum. Lastly, serve little dishes of vanilla ice cream topped with pretty maraschino cherries!

Take-Home Delights in Pretty Red Favor Packaging

Be creative! Color your wedding party scene rosey in different ways. You could glam up the guest chairs with vibrant cabbage rose accents, assemble a lush fruit-and-flower centerpiece using crimson roses, loose petals all around, and candles, or prepare a great alternative to a guest book with a wall mural of red-painted canvases.

Red always gives an exciting and festive vibe to any present. So as you consider these edible guest favors and delightful gift items, do be sure to incorporate this most vibrant of hues:

1. Heart-shaped chocolates wrapped in glistening red foil
2. Mini candy jars filled with red and white M&Ms®
3. Cupcakes topped with red frosting and sprinkled with little white stars
4. Red roses in organza-wrapped glass vases
5. Fragrant red rose petals tucked into white tulle purses to be used for the wedding toss. Hint: For a fun touch, attach a tag to each saying, “Roses are red, violets are blue. Please toss these petals after we say our “I do’s!”

A Recap: Wonderful Ways with Red at your Wedding Event!

1. Match it up with your choice of color palette for the look and feel you want—red with glittery metallics for some holiday spirit; red with autumn hues for a warm, cozy setting; red with soft neutrals for understated glamour; or red with gold for a rich, exotic ambiance
2. Use it to establish your theme—touches of red and pretty pinks for a sweet Valentine event; red plus royal blue for a festive 4th of July or nautical-themed party; a splash of red for the Asian element at an East-meets-West occasion; the richness of red with gold at an Italian– or Spanish-inspired celebration
3. Incorporate it in your table ware—red fabric napkins; red-trimmed condiment dishes, dessert bowls, or appetizer trays; faux ruby napkin rings or stem-glass charms
4. Create a table centerpiece with red flowers—lush red roses or other fresh blooms, either in an elegant monochromatic all-red arrangement or in combination with complementary hues
5. Bring it in through food and drinks—a rose-adorned white fondant cake; luscious cherries; crisp, shiny apples; foil-wrapped chocolates and candies; red wine and cocktails
6. Include it in innovative wedding decorations and accent pieces—a welcome candle display with red letter cutouts, a wall mural of red-painted canvases in place of a guest book, crimson cabbage roses on each guest’s chair
7. Delight guests with red-themed favors—fun red-colored edibles like M&Ms® or cupcakes; thoughtful gift items like loose rose petals in tulle purses or fresh rose bouquets wrapped in red organza.

Clearly, red is as versatile as it is striking! Whether you’re hosting an Italian theme engagement dinner, a casually elegant tapas party, or even a wine and cheese bridal shower, this hue can definitely bring your wedding party theme to life. How? Through creative table decorations all the way to delightful guest favors!