The Best August Wedding Colors

Bride and groom linking arms beneath a floral arch with blue hydrangea and delphinium and greenery — Photo by Ashley Ludaescher Photography

The month of August is a highly sought-after time of the year to tie the knot: It presents ideal weather conditions for outdoor ceremonies and al fresco dining, ample daylight for day-of photos, and more room in guests’ schedule to accommodate travel. Besides the long list of practical benefits to an August wedding date, this month also provides a picturesque backdrop for every phase of your celebration since vibrant flowers and lush greenery grow naturally in many regions throughout these four weeks. Couples often seek inspiration for their big-day aesthetic from the surrounding landscape, so August lends itself to an abundance of gorgeous color and color combinations that will make your big day even more dreamy.

If you’re planning an August wedding, coordinating your color scheme with the season will create a more cohesive celebration. With prolific flora and fauna and an upbeat mood, this summer month is the perfect time to play with splashy shades, like bright oranges and cheery yellows. On the other hand, understated tones, such as soft blue and pastel green, are also a likely choice for August nuptials, especially with a nautical setting. To choose your hues, planner Lea Stafford of Lea Stafford Events suggests turning to your specific locale for inspiration and asking your designer for the best options that will complement the season.

Since there are so many different hues to choose from, we asked the experts for some of their favorite and most popular combinations for the last month of the summer. Ahead, the best color palettes for an August wedding, plus the symbolism behind each hue and how to integrate them into your big day.

Meet the Expert

Lea Stafford is a Northern California-based wedding planner and the owner of Lea Stafford Events.
Kristen Rollins is the creative director and head buyer of Reverie Social, a luxury linen rental service.
Ashley Smith is an event planner and designer in San Francisco and the owner of Ashley Smith Events. She has 13 years of industry experience.

01 of 06

Emerald Green and Marigold Yellow

A marigold and emerald green floral tablecloth with white plate and emerald green napkins and glassware — Photo by Sarah Jayne Photography

If you want to strike a balance between timeless and eye-catching at your August wedding, a color palette of emerald green and marigold yellow will deliver. This dark shade of green will match the verdant greenery in the landscape while the punchy yellow hue will create a bright and cheery ambience. “These two colors are like BFFs on the color wheel, perfectly complementing each other and creating an unexpectedly playful vibe,” Kristen Rollins of Reverie Social says. Plus, yellow symbolizes happiness and hope, and green represents new beginnings and growth, which are fitting for events in the late summer that commemorate your new marriage.

Wondering how to make these hues the focal point of your nuptials? To start, infuse these bright shades into your invitations, like an illustration of your venue on white cardstock or a patterned envelope liner. Your floral arrangements are also a seamless way to channel these hues. Think: marigold-colored roses and white hydrangeas paired with greenery for your bouquet, aisle arrangements, and centerpieces. Then, at your reception, a tablecloth featuring a marigold floral print with flecks of emerald topped with ribbed glassware and linen napkins in the same shade of green will grab your guests’ attention and speak to the season. If you’re looking to mix in other colors, neutrals, like white and gold, won’t overshadow the main moment.

02 of 06

Pastel Blue, Green, and White

Double floral arches with blue hydrangea and greenery positioned over an aisle with greenery and blue delphinium — Photo by Studio This Is

For those who prefer classic style, consider a palette of pastel blue, green, and white. “This combination marries luxury and sophistication with subtle pops of color, making it a natural choice for the sophisticated summer wedding,” Rollins notes. These shades will seamlessly blend into the environment, especially for ceremonies in a garden courtyard or on a sprawling field overlooking the ocean. If you’re hosting your August nuptials on Nantucket or Northern Michigan, these subdued hues will enhance the beachy setting. In addition to the meaning behind green, blue exemplifies harmony and wisdom, which is a natural fit for weddings in the summer.

To bring this color combination to life, ask your bridesmaids to select a dress of their choosing in shades of blue and green. You can also prescribe a certain style, such as a blue and green floral tea-length dress for a backyard ceremony. To match their looks, carry a bouquet composed of greenery, peonies, dahlias, and roses in the same tones. At your ceremony, make your entrance beneath a double arch of blue blooms and greens that appear as if they’re growing from a hedge of flowers in the same colors. You can also bring this color scheme to your reception with the centerpieces, tablescape, and place settings. While solids are always a sound choice, don’t be afraid to embrace prints. “Working with a refined palette of pastels doesn’t mean you can’t go bold, though,” Rollins shares. “Add further visual intrigue by mixing and matching your linen patterns, creating a unique tabletop look.”

03 of 06

Ecru, Olive, and Gray

An escort card display with a lucite sign and stone escort cards on a bed of greenery — Photo by Danielle DeFiore Photography

Swapping blue for gray is another alternative that’s just as seasonal and timeless. The combination of ecru, olive, and gray is understated yet elegant for any type of wedding or location, especially if you want your venue to be the primary point of interest. Plus, this trio of colors beautifully balances cool and warm tones, creating a sense of balance. Stafford loves this look for a soirée that takes place along the rocky California coast. While shades of green have a deeper meaning that is connected to weddings, gray conveys intellect, wisdom, and neutrality.

Looking for the best way to incorporate these colors into your special day? Deck out your space in greenery, whether it’s along your aisle or across your tablescape, to channel the olive hue and introduce some texture. As for gray, this neutral color will work well for your table linens, but you can also integrate the color through natural items, like rock and stone, for your place settings, escort cards, or centerpiece vases. Then, use ecru for finishing touches, such as napkin rings, chargers, or the writing on your signage.

04 of 06

Gold, Pink, and Coral

A tablescape with a runner of pink and gold flowers and candles, gold flatware, and gold napkins in front of a pink arch backdrop — Photo by Sarah Jayne Photography

Golden hues and dazzling pink and coral tones are vibrant choices if you’re interested in throwing a colorful August wedding. “Combining the punchy shades into a palette makes for a wedding rich in color, reminiscent of an evening summer sunset,” Rollins explains. These striking shades will add a cheerful pop to any setting, from gardens to mountaintops. We’ve already established that yellow is filled with symbolism ideal for nuptials, and pink is just as emblematic: The color embodies love, compassion, peace, and understanding.

You can paint every part of your celebration in these hues or integrate a subtle splash. Go all out with gold script engraved on pink paper for your invitations, or opt for a pared-back look with white cards featuring a peach border. At your ceremony, load your aisle with an array of flowers in pink and gold shades, such as anthurium, delphinium, roses, and ranunculus, or choose a bare aisle with two floral installations in these hues at the altar. Once you’ve said “I do,” dine at tables lined with an overflowing runner of pink, peach, and gold blooms, paired with baby pink and gold taper candles and gold napkins. You can also opt for neutral place settings, with white plates and napkins, and introduce the shades with low centerpieces.

05 of 06

Orange, Gold, Sand, and Black

An arrangement of pink, gold, and sand flowers at the aisle entrance and matte black ceremony chairs — Photo by Ashley Ludaescher Photography

If you want to embrace bright hues with an unexpected twist, add black to the mix. Orange, gold, and sand are dreamy hues that are reminiscent of sunsets, coastlines, gardens, and citrus fruits—which all scream August—but paired with black, your late-summer event will feel edgier and more contemporary. “We still like to work with a grounding color, in this case black,” planner Ashley Smith of Ashley Smith Events says. “They work especially well because August events are often outdoors, and we can really showcase them better than we can in a controlled indoor environment.” Orange tones are associated with positivity, energy, and happiness, while black is linked to feelings of sophistication, power, and mystery.

To set the tone for your affair, use these hues to design your invitations, such as a black font etched on a white piece of paper, complete with your custom monogram in gold and orange. “Often, the invite is the first physical element that guests will revise that will set the tone, so you want to make sure to send something that is going to set the mood for the wedding,” Smith advises. At the start of your aisle, flank the entrance with an installation of blooms in orange, gold, and sand, and have your guests sit in matte black chairs to create juxtaposition. For your reception, Smith suggests using the bright shades in your wallpaper, linens, stage designs, and lighting. Another idea is to set the table with black flatware and chargers, which will ground a colorful centerpiece teeming with the other trio of colors.

06 of 06

Taupe, Sage, Blue, and White

blue invitation suite with custom monogram, watercolor painting and handwritten script — Photo by Janine Licare Fine Art Photography

Taupe, sage, blue, and white is a light and airy color palette for your August wedding that will produce a romantic, uplifting environment. Stafford recommends using these hues to decorate a garden setting, whether it’s at a greenhouse or in your backyard. This mix of colors is also well-suited for a waterfront event, such as a venue that overlooks Laguna Beach or the Eastern Shore. Like we’ve previously mentioned, blue and green have a wedding-worthy meaning, as does taupe: The hue symbolizes relaxation and contentment, making it an ideal option for August weddings with laid-back vibes.

Kick off your event with a carefully designed stationery suite that features every hue. Consider relaying all of the important details, such as the time and place of your ceremony, on a white card with blue writing, affixed with your monogram in taupe, sage, and blue, and mail them in blue envelopes. On your weekend itinerary, illustrate your venue using every shade in your palette. Many flowers are also naturally found in these colors, so plant seasonal blooms in this combination down your aisle, beside your signature cocktail menu, around your band stage, and at the center of your tables. To make the taupe, sage, and blue florals stand out, choose white plates and linens and metallic flatware.

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