You’ve got the rings, set the date and bought the dress so now it’s time to choose your colors. These will depend on whether or not you’ve chosen a specific theme, the time of the year and where the ceremony and reception are located.

Keep these in mind

Things you need to keep in mind when choosing your colors include the venues you’ve chosen, the flowers you want, the skin tone and hair color of your bridesmaids and the length of time it will take you to find certain items in your chosen colors.

Considering the decor of the venues is important when it comes to choosing the colors for your wedding. It does matter that you have colors that work well with the decor of the venue, especially the one chosen for your reception. You don’t want your bridesmaids and the walls to be clad in the same color or have them completely clash.

Sometimes the flowers you want are not available in the colors you want. Also, some colors are not naturally available for certain flower so it may cost more to have the flowers dyed. Make sure to do your research and talk to your florist or wedding planner before becoming dead set on the flowers you want.

Certain skin tones and hair colors look better with certain colors. You don’t want your bridesmaids to look washed out because they have lighter skin tones and you’ve chosen a darker color dress. This is when incorporating different shades of the colors you’ve chosen will come in handy.

If you have chosen some less common colors, be prepared to have a difficult time finding certain items in those colors. If you absolutely have to have those colors, give yourself plenty of time to search for the items you want or need. Also be prepared to pay a little more for items in those colors.

A splash of color

Here are the top 10 color trends that made a splash in 2013 according to Kimberly Hensley Events:

1. Tangerine tango and hot pink

2. Blush pink and pewter gray

3. Blue willow and white

4. White on white

5. Red and pink

6. Lilac and margarita

7. Rainbow

8. Olive green and topaz

9. Champagne and black

10. Peach and silver

Elegant Wedding Invites said these colors are already trending for 2014:

• Navy blue

• Shades of pink

• Gray

• Neutral

• Aqua

• Coral

If you plan to order invitations that match your colors, as many people do, talk to the printer before ordering. Some places will give you samples of what your colors will look like on certain types of paper.

Color palettes

The season in which you’re getting married can play a role in the colors you choose for your wedding. Some people even set the date based on the color palettes they want and the season those colors correspond with. Better Home and Gardens suggests these color combos for different seasons.

Spring

• Purple and blue (also good for summer)

• Green and pink (also good for summer)

• Lavender and pink

Summer

• Purple and blue (also good for spring)

• Orange, green and white

• Black, white and green

• Green and pink (also good for summer)

• Yellow and orange

• Orange and bright pink

Fall

• Cranberry and bold pink (also good for winter)

• Red, orange and white

• Orange and brown

Winter

• Orange, green and brown

• Cranberry and bold pink (also good for fall)

Any season

• Light pink and brown

• Blue and white

• Green and brown

• Purple and orange

• Light and bright pink

• Green and cream

• Turquoise, orange and white