As a bridesmaid or wedding guest attending an evening wedding, choosing the right colour for your dress is essential. Evening weddings tend to be more formal, with a different atmosphere to daytime events. This is just one factor to consider when choosing which colours to wear to an evening wedding. Below you’ll find our tips and suggestions to help make choosing the right dress colour easier.
What factors influence colours for an evening wedding?
There are a few key factors associated with evening weddings that are important considerations when planning the colour palette. These include:
Coordinate with the Wedding Colour Scheme
The bride may have a specific colour palette in mind for her wedding party. For example, a classic, elegant wedding might lean towards deeper, more refined colours, while a romantic, whimsical theme might include softer, pastel shades. It's important to selected colours that align with the wedding vision to ensure consistency in photos and contribute to the overall aesthetic.
The Time of Year
Weddings taking place in fall and winter are typically best accompanied by shades designed to complement cooler weather. This could include deep colours like burgundy, emerald green, navy blue, plum, and charcoal. On the other hand, evening weddings taking place in spring and summer will be better suited to lighter and more vibrant colours. Popular choices are blush pink, lavender, sky blue, mint green, and peach.
Read ‘What is the most popular colour for a winter wedding?’.
The Venue
At an evening wedding, the venue is likely to play a big role in establishing the colours on display. Interior spaces with an abundance of exposed stone bring greys, browns, and rough textures to play off. While a venue with large windows in the middle of the countryside will bring greens to the indoor areas. You might also want to choose colours that are appropriate for the type of venue. For instance, a grand ballroom would inspire dramatic tones in evening dresses to wear to a wedding.
Fabrics and Dress Styles
The type of fabric used in a dress has an impact on how the colour appears due to the sheen. Typically, a subtle reflectiveness is perfect for an evening wedding as it helps the dress colour stand out just enough, without being glaringly bright. Many Maids to Measure dresses are made from matte-satin, which has a perfectly balanced sheen.
The best dress colours for evening weddings
While your personal preferences and those of your bridal party will always come into play when choosing bridesmaid dress colours, it helps to consider professional recommendations. We advise looking at:
- Navy Blue: Wearing navy blue bridesmaid dresses is the perfect way to reflect the dark night sky in your look.
- Emerald Green: This medium shade of green strikes a good middle ground that makes it ideal for evening weddings.
- Gold: For more luxurious settings and traditional themes, a gold evening gown for wedding events can be a stunning look.
- Lilac: A lilac bridesmaid dress can be effective at evoking early evening sunsets.
- Black: Although this colour might seem unusual or counterintuitive, black bridesmaid dresses can be effective at bringing elegance to an evening occasion.
Bridesmaid dresses for day and evening weddings
Maids to Measure specialise in affordable dresses that are designed for fit and quality. This makes our evening wedding guest dresses ideal vessels for a range of bold colours. If you aren’t sure how a colour will work with a chosen bridesmaid dress style, simply order a fabric sample to help brainstorming. When you book an appointment at our showroom, our stylist will provide recommendations that consider all factors involved in looking your best at an evening wedding.