If you’re tired of bridal white, blush accents and keeping it neutral then I feel your pain. Though I love a white-on-white look, it’s definitely been done before and it can lack personality. You don’t need to have a white wedding, only Billy Idol seems to care and nobody has really listened to him for years. There is so much opportunity for depth and complexity when you inject colour into your wedding cake. If you’re thinking of adding some colour to your design then here are 5 tips to consider when playing with colour:

Limit your statement colours

You’ll want to have one, maybe two statement colours that dominate the design. Too many and they’ll be no defining statement and every colour will be competing for your attention. Perhaps play with two contrasting colours of equal weight that play off each other? Or use one dominant colour accented by various secondary and tertiary colours. Whatever you do make sure that there is a focal point.

Consider the Tone

Just as in communicating, the tone is important. Subtle undertones will elevate a basic green from flat and boring to bursting with life or moody and brooding. If you’re looking to go bold and bright, avoid colours that are muted with black and brown undertones. Choose clean colours that are saturated and full. If you’re looking for a colour scheme to fit in with a moody rustic theme choose colours with muted undertones. Even if you’re looking at blush, select a blush with a brown undertone. It will fit in far better with the surrounding aesthetic. Choose your tone wisely, it says a lot more than words ever could.

keep it in the family

Think of your overall styling and your colour palette as an extended family, full of various personalities. They all bring something to the table. Rely too heavily on one colour and you’ll end up with a look that’s visually exhausting. I’m sure you’ve seen those pictures, couples that chose one colour for their wedding and went Hell for leather on everything. Purple stationery, purple bridesmaid dresses, purple chair tiebacks, purple flowers, purple cake…purple, purple, purple. It’s too much and it lacks depth. You need to treat the palette like a family and include a spectrum of contrasting and complementary shades. 

Materials matter

Making a statement with the base colour of your cake is super effective and incredibly eye-catching. It draws your attention and when adorned with sugar flowers in a contrasting shade it can really pop. But, materials matter. If you’re looking to achieve a really dark colour base this is best done in fondant, rather than buttercream. Colouring the buttercream in a deep hue will require a lot of colour and when eaten will leave your guests with a stained mouth and teeth. Not the most attractive look for a wedding! Fondant can be rolled very thin and doesn’t stain in the same way, plus the buttercream underneath will remain natural.

be bold

colour is a communicator and the colour palette you choose will say loads about you and your vibe for your wedding. Don’t be afraid to show the world who you are and what you love with the colours you surround yourself with. Who cares if Aunt Karen thinks a colourful wedding isn’t traditional? She may scoff at the look of a bold red cake but it’s not her wedding and you know she’ll still have a slice…she’ll probably have two. Make her eat her words!