20 Winter Wedding Color Palettes That Pay Homage to the Season

• Winter weddings offer the charm of snowy backdrops and can save money with reduced competition and discounts.

• Bold color palettes, like burgundy with olive green or silver with blue, can create cozy or striking atmospheres.

• Jewel tones like navy and emerald or dark violet and royal blue add elegance and warmth to winter celebrations.

• Rachel Urban and Beryl Beylot are the co-owners of Apricity Event Co, a boutique wedding planning company established in 2009 that coordinates events in New York and France.
• Christina Lovelace is the owner and principal producer of Lovelace Design, a bespoke wedding planning and design company that serves clients in the New England area.
• Beth Helmstetter is a destination wedding planner and the founder and creative director of Beth Helmstetter Events, a full-service event planning and design studio.
• Erica Vanco and Bianca Hall are the co-owners and lead planners of Estera Events, a full-service event planning company that plans destination events.
  

Burgundy and Olive Green

The most traditional option for a winter wedding? Burgundy and olive green. While it’s similar to the bright red and evergreen tones that traditionally define the holiday season, a deeper shade of red and a more organic shade of green are less on the nose and arguably more versatile, whether you’re getting hitched around Christmas or later in the season. Rachel Urban and Beryl Beylot, co-owners of Apricity Event Co, recommend adding gold or brass into the mix for a moody, sophisticated evening affair—complete with plenty of candlelight, of course. For a more airy event, include touches of white.

White on White

To create a magical winter scene, try white on white for your winter wedding color palette. While this pair works for any time of year and any aesthetic, it’s particularly impactful during the winter season, reflecting the freshly fallen snow. “White on white is underrated and can be styled so beautifully without feeling stuffy,” Urban and Beylot say. From your aisle border to your reception centerpieces, all-white flowers will bring enchantment to your affair. To really make a statement with your tablescape, create a runner with trailing blooms and white taper candles in glass holders.

Forest Green and White

Looking to bring a splash of color to a white-on-white palette? Forest green is a stunning complement to white for winter weddings. Reminiscent of snow-covered pine trees, this combination will bring a refreshing, natural touch to your soirée. For ideas, Christina Lovelace, owner of Lovelace Design, suggests infusing forest green into your bash through foliage and injecting white into your linens and blooms.

Black and White

Another way to interrupt an all-white palette? Integrate black touches. Arguably one of the most classic color schemes, black and white are also apt tones to put on display at a winter wedding. “The stark contrast of black and white creates a striking visual appeal, which lends itself to representing the balance of the darker, colder winter weather and the graceful charm of fresh snow,” Lovelace expresses. After dressing your wedding party in all-black attire, consider designing reception tables with black chargers and flatware, accompanied by white floral centerpieces and napkins, on top of white linens. An all-white wedding cake with black bows is also a sweet way to enact this option.

Silver and White

With silver and white, you’ll paint a picture of snow banks glittering in the sunlight at your winter wedding. Including pops of silver will also capture dazzling holiday trimmings, like tinsel and ornaments. Create this scene by dressing your reception tables in white floral centerpieces and napkins and setting each place with silver chargers and silverware. Then, bring in acrylic, glass, and mirrored elements to mimic the sun’s reflection.

Silver and Blue

Whether you’re hosting a holiday wedding or a late-winter fête, silver and blue will reflect the cool tones of the season. “These hues come together to create a timeless and classic winter wonderland,” says Beth Helmstetter, founder and creative director of Beth Helmstetter Events. Lovelace suggests incorporating the blue tint into the outfits your wedding party will sport, the flowers that will line your aisle, and the linens that will grace your tables. Then, add silver accents through silverware, vases, candle holders, and light fixtures.

Navy and Emerald

Navy blue and emerald green are two jewel tones that complement the cool undertones of the winter season. To heighten this effect and convey the cozy feel of this time of year, look to velvet fabrics and gold accents (from the day’s attire to the table settings), too. For an organic take on this winter color palette, use greenery garlands and tree centerpieces to impart the green shade, and bring in natural accents, like wooden cross-back chairs.

Crimson and Black

Crimson and black are romantic shades for a winter fête that has a slightly modern feel, especially ones that fall around Christmas or Valentine’s Day. There are so many flowers that are naturally available in the color red, and you can integrate dark accents through water goblets, taper candles, chargers, and menu cards. Top off your tables with a crimson-toned runner and satin napkins for a rich, textured setup.

Marigold and Graphite

Elevate your winter wedding with a metallic-focused color palette, like marigold and graphite. These shades are comparable to gold and silver, yet without the shiny coating, the matte tones will give your affair more of a natural, subdued feel. Plant marigold flowers on the perimeter of your aisle and wrap each of your tables in velvet marigold linens. Lean on graphite flatware, glassware, plates, and even the decorations on your wedding cake to complete this color scheme.

Burnt Sienna and Maroon

Maroon is reminiscent of the bright red shades that signify the holiday season—but with a darker, less vivacious take on the quintessential winter tint. Instead of combining it with green, though, opt for burnt sienna, a reddish-brown color that’s earthy and rich. Embedding maroon and burnt sienna into your aisle installation, floral arch, centerpieces, and place settings will elicit drama and refinement.

Gold and White

For a comparable alternative to silver and white, select gold and white for your winter wedding colors. Swapping silver for gold will still inject opulence into your affair, but it will radiate more warmth. Go all out with a gold mirrored aisle flanked by trees dusted in white petals and a white blanket of snow-like linens, adorned with gold flatware and gold-rimmed glassware and chargers.

Plum and Black

To mimic the ominous weather that sometimes emerges during the season, opt for dark shades, like plum and black, two hues that will create an eerie, mysterious ambiance. Design plum-colored invitations, pick floral arrangements in the dual shades, set up black goblets, and stack black napkins and plum menus on white plates. By adding gold touches, this winter wedding color palette will also elicit glamour. 

Baby Pink and Magenta

Another winter wedding color palette that has the complete opposite effect but nonetheless befits the season is magenta and baby pink. “It adds warmth and vibrancy to the typically muted tones,” explain Erica Vanco and Bianca Hall, co-owners of Estera Events. This purplish-red tone is a much more energetic take on plum, making it perfect for late-winter affairs around Valentine’s Day or ones that anticipate the arrival of spring. Paired with a light pink shade, the floral arrangements and paper goods at your winter soirée will make an unexpected statement and help create a welcoming atmosphere.

Green, Taupe, and Brass

Warmer neutrals definitely still have a place at winter nuptials. For an airy affair that has a hint of luxury, try green, taupe, and brass. “Working taupe into the palette adds an element of warmth in the winter months,” Urban and Beylot reveal. Concentrate on greenery-focused arrangements, ivory satin linens, metallic touches, and golden candlelight. Vanco and Hall advise using this winter wedding color scheme if you’re getting married in a natural environment with a picturesque backdrop.

Green, Black, and Gold

Black doesn’t need to be dark and dreary; it looks sophisticated when paired with gilded accents, like candle vessels and rimmed glassware, and festive when coupled with touches of emerald, like printed tabletops and menu cards. A winter wedding color palette with green, black, and gold is upscale and glitzy—the perfect seasonal combination. We particularly love this color scheme for Art Deco aesthetics.

Plum, Gold, and Charcoal

If you’re throwing a luxe, moody winter wedding in a hotel ballroom, there’s no better combination than plum, gold, and charcoal. Plum, a deep jewel tone will complement charcoal, another cool tint, while a shimmery warm gold will imbue contrast and a bit of holiday magic. Have your bridesmaids choose a dress in one of these shades. Then, include plum into your bouquets and centerpieces, add charcoal through plates and flatware, and bring it all together with gold candle holders and vases.

Ruby, Merlot, and Burgundy

Turn Christmas red on its head with a moody palette of berry-toned hues. From wine to ruby, various shades of red go off-the-beaten holiday path by adding dimension and texture. A great way to achieve this look is by combining similar seasonal blooms. You can even throw in wooden accents and pampas-grass touches for a rustic- or bohemian-inspired look.

Dark Violet, Royal Blue, and Forest Green

A color palette dripping in jewel tones, like dark violet, royal blue, and forest green, will look jaw-dropping at any winter soirée. For a moody, romantic bash with a black-tie dress code, settle on a dimly lit room with flickering candlelight as the backdrop. Be sure to deck out your tablescape in textured linens, such as velvet tablecloths and satin napkins, to emphasize the sumptuous essence of these hues. 

Charcoal, Slate, and White

Winter storms are usually gloomy and bleak, but to touch on the colors of the wintry weather without weighing the party down, lean on charcoal, slate, and white for your winter wedding color palette. This trio of hues is sophisticated and sleek, and with the addition of feathers and stone accents, you’ll welcome a bohemian, earthy vibe.

Pink, Yellow, Orange, and Chartreuse

“I personally love leaning into colors that feel unexpected in the winter season, like palettes of pinks, yellows and oranges, and chartreuse green,” Helmstetter offers. This winter wedding color palette is fun and funky, and it provides an inviting, effervescent reprieve from the somber wintry weather. You can even add in a darker tone to your centerpieces and place settings, like turquoise or teal, for contrast.