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Allix Cott is the Head of Editorial Communications at Carats & Cake. Launched in 2013, Carats & Cake curates the best of weddings across the country in order to allow couples to find top vendors and venues by location. The platform empowers local businesses by bringing their brands to life through real content and enabling them to run more efficiently through smart, elegant tools.

Chic and showstopping, embracing one color for your wedding ceremony—and other decorative aspects of your celebration—encourages a day of style and sophistication. A balancing act of shades and tones, a monochromatic ceremony can easily transform into a timeless or trendy affair based on your preferred design direction.

But the choice to opt for all-white or go with an array of colorful shades can make finalizing a cohesive design plan challenging. By gathering advice from the wedding industry’s top planners, photographers, designers, and beyond, we learned the tricks of the trade for crafting a fete that’s truly one of a kind.

Add a touch of whimsy.

“Perhaps one of the most quintessential wedding colors, white is an all-around chic and modern choice regarding a color scheme. Indisputably sophisticated, adding whimsy with large balloons or other playful ceremony elements will only enhance the distinctiveness of your wedding and photographs.”

– Jane and Michael Shauck, Founders, IRIS Photography

Play up tones.

“When narrowing down colors for a one-color design, think pink! This playful spin on traditional seating really amplified the event’s pink color scheme, all while adding an element of charm. Pink tends to look good on everyone, and lends itself to a myriad of floral and linen choices.”

– Jennifer Thye, Owner, Imoni Events

Adorn your aisle.

“When designing a unicolor ceremony, I always think about the environment. I like to carry the design scheme throughout the ceremony from beginning to end, so that there is continuity. One of the best ways to do this is by embellishing your aisle with decorative details like flowers, vessels, or other ornate elements that coincide with your monochromatic hue of choice.”

– Kelly McLeskey-Dolata, Owner and Creative Director, A Savvy Event

Lean on your bridal party.

“Add intricacy and depth to your monochromatic color palette by incorporating patterns and layered textures. A hint of blue turned a bridal party’s all-white ensemble into a noteworthy sea of elegance and refinement.”

– Kelly Cavanaugh, Owner and Senior Event Consultant, Clementine Custom Events

Embrace greenery.

“Using greenery to create a one-color space can often lead to creative and unique sites that are very in sync with their environment. This ceremony site exhibited grandeur while harmoniously unifying with its surroundings—features that were really captured in the final images. The vertical lines lead to the tall trees, which, even in the photographs, drew the eye upward and echoed the design and imagery of a cathedral.”

– Elisa Bricker, Owner, Elisa Bricker

Let the site speak for itself.

“One mistake couples can make is using too many hues. I suggest keeping the decor simple and never implementing more than two to four shades that complement one another—whether in your bridal party ensemble or the table linens of your reception. Opt for slightly varied tones of the same color to add enough depth without looking unkempt!”

– Aurora Avila, Celebrations Manager, Rosewood Mayakoba

Color your cocktails.

“A truly great cocktail is more than just a simple gustatory experience: A great cocktail experience delights all the senses. Whether it’s the garnish, glass, or color of the cocktail, visual presentation is playing more of a role now than ever before. Adding a festive garnish can emphasize a monochromatic look, and take your vision one step further.”

– Jay Crabb, Beverage Director, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering & Events

Enhance your bouquet.

“A bold bundle of blooms is the perfect way to execute the hues of your color scheme. Whether lively or refined, adding ribbon, lace, or other ornamental details can complement the color palette of your big day. Here, the bride matched her blush gown to a bouquet in varying shades of red and pink, making for a festive bridal look.”

– Krissy Price, Owner, Pollen Floral Design

Emphasize accessories.

“A tinted flower basket made for the perfect accessory on this violet-focused day. A showstopper down the aisle, your guests will love the attention to detail, and will also get into the spirit of your design.”

– Sarah Drake and Stephanie Cole, Founders, Cole Drake Events

Get resourceful with lighting.

“One of the easiest and most enchanting ways to enhance the look of your ceremony is with the use of lighting. Upscale lighting adds color with a touch of refinement, eliminating the need for extraneous décor elements that can muddle a monochromatic design.”

– Kaitlyn Hostetler, Event Planner and Director of Marketing, EVOKE

Embrace consistency.

“Creating a monochromatic space helps from a visual perspective to keep things simple and elegant. To convey this impression throughout your event, as well as in your wedding photos, make sure to create consistency in your design. For this reception, the couple carried a romantic shade of blush from their ceremony into elements of their tablescape, making for a cohesive collection of striking photographs.”

– Kelli Durham, Owner, Kelli Durham Photography

Go far with florals.

“To create a refined look with a lot of impact, try using monochromatic florals for your ceremony. Either opt for a single color with a variety of blooms or a single bloom in a variety of shades like coral, peach, and salmon. This will give your design some depth, while still looking polished. For these newlyweds, we lined their aisle with hydrangea blooms in varying shades of pink.”

– Isabella Sikaffy, Owner, Florabella

See more alternative wedding ideas:

How to Host Your Wedding at Home, Stress-Free The Next Big Trend in Wedding Florals is Not What You’d Expect 45 Refreshing Ideas for the Unconventional Bride

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