Decide on Colours

     Colours and combinations of colours stimulate humans to be interested in different things. What colours make us feel pleasure or disapproval, hot or cold, to be attracted or repelled, our appetite stimulated or suppressed? There are meanings for each colour. However, these meaning may differ from region to region, country to country & culture to culture.

     The glory of a wedding thrives by the colours use for decorations & dresses of bridesmaids & flower girls. Normally brides wear white colour sarees or gowns. Off white, pearl white, or ivory are widely in use for bridal sarees now. Selecting colours for bridesmaids and flower girls is important since colour theme of the wedding ceremony depends on it. Meanings given to colours may also help selecting a colour theme for your wedding. Below are few colours widely in use for wedding & homecoming ceremonies.

     Below are just for your information, & supportive ingredients for developing the best possible wedding theme. Important thing is not to repudiate your favourite colour for your wedding.

- Gayan      

Red

Pink   |   Blue   |   White   |   Silver   |   Gold   |   Yellow   |   Orange   |   Green   |   Purple   |   Black

European

China
 

: Danger (stop signs), love (hearts), excitement (for sale signs)

: Traditional bridal colour, good luck, celebration, happiness, joy, vitality, long life, summoning, the direction South. Chinese saying goes "when something is so red, it is purple" - red purple brings luck and fame.

: life

: Purity

: Joy (with white)

: sacrifice, passion, love

: Christmas (with green), Valentine's day (with white)

: Mourning

: the land, earth, ceremonial ochre

: Yang, Fire, good luck, money, respect, recognition, protection, vitality

Overall attributes

Energy, strength, passion, eroticism, cheerfulness, courage, element of fire, career goals, fast action, lust, desire, blood, vibrancy, driving forces, risk, fame, love, survival, war, revolution, danger, aggression, strength, power, determination, emotional intensity, sex, provoking, dynamic, stimulating, courage, bravery, good-tasting, force, leadership, drama, excitement, speed, heat, warmth, violence, attention, generosity, romance

Red stimulates metabolism, increases respiration rate, perspiration, appetite and raises blood pressure. Red is a strong masculine colour.

Red tends to promote images and text, making objects appear larger and closer, though less than yellow coloured objects. Bright red can be annoying if used over large areas and is useful as a iconic colour to encourage people to act quickly eg. on buy or click here buttons. An appetite stimulant, red is useful for promoting products associated with energy ... drinks, cars, sports and games.

Care is needed using red in proximity with green ... as the old adage goes: 'Red and green should not be seen without something in between'.

Mixing bright blue and bright red is also not recommended ... the combination is very tiring on the eye.
 

Light red

Dark red

Maroon

: joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, love, indecision

: willpower, rage, wrath, tenseness, vigour, anger, leadership, courage, yearning, malice, wrath

: Yang, indecisiveness

Pink

Red   |   Blue   |   White   |   Silver   |   Gold   |   Yellow   |   Orange   |   Green   |   Purple   |   Black

European

East India

Japan

Korea

Feng Shui

: Feminine colour, baby girls

: Feminine colour

: Yin, love
 

Overall attributes

Romance, love, friendship, femininity, truth, passivity, good will, emotional
healing, peace, calming, affection, emotional maturity, caring, nurturing, sweet tasting, sweet smelling, ethereal, delicacy.

Pale pink

Vibrant pinks

: Sweetness of youth, fragility

: High spirits, energy, youth

Blue

Red   |   Pink   |   White   |   Silver   |   Gold   |   Yellow   |   Orange   |   Green   |   Purple   |   Black

European

Cherokees

Iran

China

Colombia

Hinduism

Judaism

Christianity

Catholicism

Middle East

Worldwide

Feng Shui

: Soothing, "something blue" bridal tradition

: Defeat, trouble
 

: Mourning
 

: Immortality
 

: Soap
 

: The colour of Krishna
 

: Holiness
 

: Christ's colour
 

: Colour of Mary's robe
 

: Protection
 

: 'safe' colour
 

: Yin, Water, calm, love, healing, relaxation, peace, trust, adventure, exploration
 

Overall attributes

Some believe blue slows the metabolism and suppresses the appetite. As it does not require the eye to focus, images and objects recede in blue backgrounds. With overuse, can create feelings of cold. Although also popular with women, blue is the predominant favourite colour of males and is suited to web sites involving and promoting technology, medical products, cleanliness, air, sky, water, sea and automotives. Blue is the favourite colour of more than half of the world's people - it is the colour least disliked by most cultures.

High impact designs can be created with combinations of blue, red and yellow. Combinations of light and dark blues can create feelings of trust.

In combination with pinks and pale yellows, creates the image of spring. 

Combining dark and lighter shades of blue creates a conservative and sophisticated look.
 

Pale Blue

Aqua

Royal Blue

: ethereal, delicate, calming, health, healing, tranquility, understanding, softness

: freshness, pristine, vigour, movement, dramatic, confidence, strength, individualism, eccentricity, humour, fearlessness, festivity

: richness, superiority, cold Dark blue : depth, expertise, stability, credibility (especially with gold), intellect, wisdom, corporate colour, warmth, knowledge, power, integrity, seriousness, knowledge, health, decisiveness, law, order, logic, dependability, serenity

White

Red   |   Pink   |   Blue   |   Silver   |   Gold   |   Yellow   |   Orange   |   Green   |   Purple   |   Black

European

China

India

Eastern

Feng Shui

: Marriage, angels, hospitals, doctors, peace, milk Japan : Mourning, white, carnation means death
 

: Yang, Metal, death, mourning, ancestral spirits, ghosts, poise, confidence
 

Overall attributes

Spirituality, goddess, peace, higher self, purity, virginity, reverence, simplicity, cleanliness, humility, precision, innocence, youth, birth, winter, snow, good, sterility, cold, clinical, sterility, clarity, perfection, innocence, virginity, goodness, light, fairness, safety, positivity, faith, coolness, charity, successful innovations, union, self-sacrifice, holiness, feminine divinity, pristine, chastity, positively

All white rooms can be uncomfortable with a stark atmosphere. White is useful for a background or accent colour as it highlights other colours. White is perceived by the eye as a brilliant colour.

White can indicate simplicity with high-tech products and safety and cleanliness with medical products.

Silver

Red   |   Pink   |   Blue   |   White   |   Gold   |   Yellow   |   Orange   |   Green   |   Purple   |   Black

Feng Shui

: Yin, Metal, trustworthiness, romance
 

Overall attributes

aging, telepathy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, psychometry, intuition, dreams, astral energies, female power, communication, goddess, ornate riches, sleekness, modernity

To create a high-tech look, use silver with other colours. Silver works well combined with gold and white to promote a feeling of control and power.

Silver and other reflectors are strong eye attractors and are associated with life-giving water.

Gold

Red   |   Pink   |   Blue   |   White   |   Silver   |   Yellow   |   Orange   |   Green   |   Purple   |   Black

Worldwide

Feng Shui

: Success, high quality, money
 

: Yang, Metal, God consciousness
 

Overall attributes

wealth, god, winning, safety, masculine power, happiness, playful humour, prestige, wisdom, love of spirit, meaning, purpose, awe, spiritual love, quests of the heart, desire for power, mystic powers, higher mathematics, sciences, attainment, concentration.

Gold and navy (credibility) are the best combination for selling to men and the second best for selling to women.

Yellow

Red   |   Pink   |   Blue   |   White   |   Silver   |   Gold   |   Orange   |   Green   |   Purple   |   Black

European

Asia

China

Egypt

Japan

India

Buddhism

Feng Shui

: Hope, joy, happiness, hazards, cowardice, weakness, taxis

: Yang, Earth, auspicious, sunbeams, warmth, motion
 

Overall attributes

sun, intelligence, light, accelerated learning, memory, logical imagination, social energy, cooperation, organisation, breaking mental blocks, sunshine, joy, happiness, intellect, energy, cheerfulness, optimism, purity, enthusiasm, warmth, honour, loyalty, mental force, clarity, perception, understanding, wisdom, dishonesty, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, disease, weakness, caution, cowardice, follower, curiosity, mellowness, confidence, humour, dreams, creativity, desire to improve, action, idealism, optimism, imagination, hope, summer, philosophy, uncertainty, restlessness, glory, enlightenment

Yellow stimulates mental activity, generates muscle energy and attracts attention - it is the colour most visible to the human eye. Thus yellow objects move to the forefront. Students who study in yellow rooms do better in exams. Cheerful yellow can be used to promote food especially in combination with other fruit and vegetable tones, children's and leisure products and is best used as a highlight. With overuse, yellow can be disturbing and promote anxiety. Babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow against black denotes a warning ... the sting of the bee.

Yellow is not a practical colour to use when selling expensive items to men ... they perceive it as an untrustworthy and childish ... and avoid yellow if you wish to evoke safety and stability. Care is needed with shades of yellow as they can lose their warmth and appear dirty.
 

Dull yellow

Light yellow

Ivory/cream

: Caution, decay, sickness, jealousym aging

: Intellect, freshness, and joy

: Quiet, pleasantness, calm, understated elegance, purity, softness, more rich and warm than white

Orange

Red   |   Pink   |   Blue   |   White   |   Silver   |   Gold   |   Yellow   |   Green   |   Purple   |   Black

Netherlands

Ireland

USA

Hinduism

Feng Shui

: Favourite colour (House of Orange)
 

: Yang, Earth, strengthens concentration, purpose, organization
 

Overall attributes

Warmth, energy, balance, enthusiasm, vibrancy, vitality, expansiveness, flamboyance, excitement, business goals, property deals, ambition, career, goals, general success, justice, legal matters, selling, action, attention-grabbing, the sun, friendly, inviting, intense, joy, strength, endurance, steadfastness, tropics, quick movement, wealth of the mind and knowledge, charity, growing things, fascination, friendliness, happiness, beginnings, heat, creativity, autumn, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, courage, earth, mental and appetite stimulatant, emotional lift, assurance, social force, health, warmth, attractiveness, cheerfulness, mood-lightening, uninhibited, independence, amiability, constructiveness, self-assuredness, cheap, low-budget, fun kids colour, youth

In restaurants, as orange is an appetite stimulant, orange decor encourages sales. Less passionate than red, orange still increases oxygen supply to the brain, stimulating mental activity. Popular amongst youth.

Orange backgrounds help images seem closer and larger, but avoid over-use. Useful for highlighting important elements, promoting food products and toys.

"As we turned our sights to orange, substantial research (including the data gathered at The Global Color Survey at www.colormatters.com and the Pantone Consumer Color Preference Study® dated June 1996) documented that orange is one of Americans' least favorite colors. ... In 1991, Forbes called attention to orange's mundane associations in its December 23 article, 'Does orange mean cheap?' Yes, it does."4
 

Dark orange

Red orange

Bright orange

Pale orange

: Autumn, deceit, distrust

: Desire, sexuality, pleasure, domination, aggression, thirst for action

: Tangy citrus, health

: Apricot, coral, peach and melon are sophisticated

Green

Red   |   Pink   |   Blue   |   White   |   Silver   |   Gold   |   Yellow   |   Orange   |   Purple   |   Black

China

Japan

Islam

Ireland

European/USA

USA

Feng Shui

: Exorcism, green hats indicate a man's wife is cheating on him.
 

: Yin, Wood, growing energy, refreshing, nurturing, balancing, harmony normalizing, healing, health, peaceful, calming
 

Overall attributes

earth mother, physical healing, monetary success, abundance, fertility, tree & plant magic, growth, food, hope, personal goals, resurrection, renewal, youth, stability, endurance, freshness, nature, environment, tranquil, refreshing, quiet, hope, immortality, health, healing, good luck, renewal, youth, jealousy, inexperience, trees, grass, vigour, growth, harmony, responsiveness, generosity, safety, envy, misfortune, quietude, compassion, renewal, moderation, nurturing, diplomacy, calm, contemplation, joy, love, abundance, balance, self-control, inexperience, hope, good omens, soothing, sharing, dependability, friendliness

Green lowers blood pressure, relaxes the nervous system, calms and soothes the mind, stimulates creativity, and is an appetite suppressant. Green is easy on the eye and can improve vision. Images set in green backgrounds seem farther away. Green is popular in most cultures.

Useful as a marketing colour for organic, healthy and natural 'green' products.

Dark green

Yellow-green/lime green

Olive green

Avocado

Blue greens

: Money, ambition, greed, jealousy, heaviness, prestige, promotes concentration

: Sickness, cowardice, discord, and jealousy, nausea - don't use this colour for promoting food products as it's an appetite depressant.

: Peace

: 60s and 70s refrigerators

: Most accepted colour group across gender lines

Purple

Red   |   Pink   |   Blue   |   White   |   Silver   |   Gold   |   Yellow   |   Orange   |   Green   |   Black

Thailand

European

Catholicism

Feng Shui

: Mourning

: Royalty
 

: Mourning, death, crucifixion
 

: Yin, spiritual awareness, physical and mental healing
 

Overall attributes
 

Influence, third eye, psychic ability, spiritual power, self assurance, hidden knowledge, dignity, high aspirations, royalty, spirituality, nobility, ceremony, mystery, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, sophistication, cruelty, arrogance, intuition, dreams, unconscious, invisible, telepathy, empathy, imagination, deja vu, universal spirit, spiritual connection, deeper truth, nobility, wealth, extravagance, dignity, independence, magic, creativity, energy, self-confidence, ego, ambition, fame, luxury, big profits, richness, sensuality, elegance, contemplation, meditation, majesty, lesbianism, Wicca, New Age spirituality, paganism, conceit, arrogance, nausea

Almost 75 percent of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all other colors, making bright purple effective for promotion of children's products. Light purple is useful for feminine designs. Excessive exposure to purple may cause people to become sullen, withdrawn and ill-at-ease with their surroundings. Purple is a polarizing colour - people either love it or hate it.
 

Lavender

Dark purple

Mauve

Violet

Blue purple

: Yang, sexual indecision, malleability, romance, nostalgia, feminity

: Gloom, sadness, frustration, royalty, richness

: Yang, world consciousness

: Meditation, creativity, concentration, quietness, creative force, beauty, inspiration, artistry, music, chivalrous love, excellence, ethereal, sensuality, responsibility, sacrifice

: Mystical

Black

Red   |   Pink   |   Blue   |   White   |   Silver   |   Gold   |   Yellow   |   Orange   |   Green   |   Purple

European

China

Thailand

Judaism

Australian Aboriginals

Feng Shui

: Funerals, death, mourning, rebellion, cool, restfulness
 

: Colour for young boys
 

: Bad luck, unhappiness, evil
 

: Unhappiness, bad luck, evil
 

: Colour of the people, ceremonial ochre
 

: Yin, Water, money, income, career success, emotional protection, power, stability, bruises, evil
 

Overall attributes

Protection, repelling negativity, binding, shapeshifting, power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, classy, wealth, power, mystery, fear, evil, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, underground, modern music, space, high quality, bad luck, formality, reservedness, dignity, elegance, secretiveness, fear of the unknown, night, emptiness, dirtiness, sophistication, strength of character, dramatic, authority, prestige, grief, anger, reliability, strong, classic, strength, anti-establishment, modernism, serious

Black is an excellent technical colour and it assist targetting a sophisticated high-end market or a youth market to add mystery. Over a large area, black can be depressing. Though black backgrounds can enhance perspective and depth, they diminish readibility of text. Useful for web sites for art and photography to help other colours to vibrate.