Hello again and I’m glad you’re back for a wedding 101. So, let’s talk about your motif… since this will be one of your biggest dilemma during your wedding preparation. Although, I’m not saying this is essential, but you wouldn’t want your wedding day to look like a circus with all the different shades of colors that doesn’t correlate with each other. There’s also a big possibility that it will not look very nice at all.

Often times, theme and motif are mislead. Let’s clarify it first… Motif is a design, pattern, according to my Mac dictionary. And recurrent thematic element based from Merriam-Webster. In wedding’s term, it pertains to your color. And next to it, follows your Theme which is the style of your wedding, like a vintage style or garden theme. 

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 Okay, so let’s talk about wedding motif… in my opinion, you can go away with theme, but please at least have a motif. I’ll give some keynotes why it would be helpful for you.

• It can help you decide faster for every detail of your wedding.

Photo from Martha Stewart via Wedding Inspirasi

 — Having a motif can make your decisions easier. Imagine telling your decorator to set-up your reception area without giving her/him a motif. A florist without any basis what flower colors to use. You’ll be lucky if they have a good taste and know how to match different colors. Otherwise, your giving them a hard time and your area will look like a rainbow land.

— Choosing a motif is not easy though, but remember the mood board I suggested? Go for the color that attracts you most from your cut-out photos. It doesn’t have to be your favorite color when you were still a kid, but choose the one that you like best as of the moment. Choosing a specific color helps you decide for your entourage’s gown, flowers, decorations and invitations too.

 • Feel your wedding.

Photo from The Bridal Lounge

• Consider your location.

Photo from Hindsight Bride

— Can you imagine using green colors on a nature location? Yes, of course, you can use that, but this doesn’t separate your table cloth from the grass. Doesn’t mean you’re having an outdoor theme you’ll also match it with nature colors as well. But if you really wanted too, then at least try a different shade maybe.

 • Color of the year can be helpful in deciding.

Photo from Pretty Chiky

— Wedding magazines normally point out the wedding colors, but be careful with this one. You wanted something unique for your wedding, right? Now, if you have girlfriends who’s getting married on the same year and wanted to be part of the “wedding of the year” fad and she used the “color of the year”, then this will not set your wedding apart from them. Technically, you’ll have common friends attending and the first one who used that color will be lucky to have the originality. So, you’ll just be a copycat. This may be optional of course. What if that color is really your favorite one, right? Who am I to stop you from using it. But this is just a mere suggestion if you wanted to have a unique wedding… then don’t follow the trend.

• Play around with different shades.

Photo from Craven Maven

— As much as possible don’t use one shade of color alone for the whole set-up. A couple used one shade of red for their wedding, and the photos didn’t look good. From the carpet, to the flowers, table cloth, ceiling works and the bridesmaids gown. Can you imagine how it looked like? One color is great, just learn how to play with it. You don’t need to add a different shade just to follow through, but you can use lighter to darker shades of one color. This way, you’ll have a little contrast to your photos. If your motif is green, use the different shades for green. Adding a lighter or darker shade still emphasizes your green motif but in a subtle way.

— Review the color combinations that matches one color from the other.

Photo from Tahoe Unveiled

— I always love simplicity. You know the saying less is more, right? Well its definitely true! Adding white to your motif will neutralize the set-up. Now, if you don’t want to play around with different shades, white can be your friend. Let’s say you wanted to use plum, and using lighter and darker shades are not considered plum anymore. So white can really be of help for your set-up. Using white will also emphasize more your motif. But make sure to use for an accent only.

— Gold or silver is also used for a secondary color option. Often times brown too.

Photo from Style Me Pretty

As I’ve said before, your wedding doesn’t have to be expensive. You just have to know what you wanted so you’ll know how to present it properly, and having a Motif can really help make your wedding beautiful as you wanted it to be.

I also saw a site that might help you in deciding what motif to choose from by giving meanings to its colors. Favor Ideas’ post about this might give you an idea how to choose it right.

Furthermore, whichever motif you choose, just feel it and love it. Few years after, you’ll be looking at those photos again. So just imagine how you wanted to see your wedding by then.