Struggling to decide on a colour theme for your party? Celebrations are so wonderfully opportunistic because they really can be treated as a blank slate to build up on to become something that the host and the guests love. They can be fun and quirky, romantic, serious, modern or historic and there really is free reign to design whatever party you have your heart set on based on your tastes and what you enjoy.
Theming and awesome decorations aside, it’s a great styling tip to feature a basic colour palette for your event in order to tie all of your decorations, food and atmosphere into every aspect of your event. It could be a pop of colour against a plain backdrop of white, black, gold or silver, or a kaleidoscope of colours altogether, but if you want an idea of a colour that is going to match your idea for a theme, check out this handy little list of rainbows that I have put together that can help you out:
Photo from The Party Teacher by Princess P Photography
Pink:
Pink colour palettes are perfect for the ultimately girly party. Whether you are planning a girl’s night in (or out!), a spa party, a princess themed party or a birthday party for your little girl, a baby shower for your best friend who is expecting a little girl, or a tropical theme with a focus on flamingo’s, than a brilliant mix of pastel pinks, hot pinks and highlighter pinks are your go to colour! While pink may have originally been a boy’s colour, girls had adapted this pretty shade into one of their own and it makes for a great palette for a female bash no matter how old they are.
Mix with white for a little girl’s party or baby shower, white and gold for a dash of sophistication at a grown up’s soiree, or black for a harder, rockier edge to your event.
Photo from Adrienne Gunde Photography
Red:
Red colour palettes are a great colour if you are looking for a strong shade that is going to be versatile for both men and women. Red has been long upheld for being the colour of love, passion and romance and utilizing it in weddings or romantic events (such as engagement parties or Valentine’s Day celebrations) is the most classic way to show your burning love for another person! Red roses are traditionally a romantic flower as well, so it gives you a great reason to include these beautiful blooms in your event too!
Mix with white, black or silver to create the most magical and romantic atmosphere a party can have! Or you can mix it with pink for a classic Valentine’s Day style party, gold for a sophisticated soiree reminiscent of Marie Antoinette times; black for a special little ladybug themed party, and green for a classic Christmas time celebration.
Photo by Bella Cupcake Couture
Orange:
Orange colour palettes are a great match for autumn and the time of year where nature starts to mimic this beautiful colour. Orange is such a great pop for any autumn themed parties, Thanksgiving celebrations, Halloween bashes or a great mix for wanting to throw a sunrise or fire themed party.
Mix with black for the ultimate classic Halloween party, browns for your annual Thanksgiving celebrations and red and yellow for a fire or sunrise themed party.
Photo by Paisley Petal Events
Yellow:
Yellow is an interesting colour that is sometimes overlooked, but it definitely has its place in the party rainbow wheel! Yellow colour palettes are a great focus for baby showers where the sex of the baby isn’t known, or hasn’t been revealed yet; a birthday party that wants to shy away from traditional blues and pinks; a lemonade themed party; and a bumblebee themed party for your little one.
Mix with white to appease both the sexes of as of yet unidentified gender of a baby, mix with black for an adorable bumblebee themed party.
Green:
Green themed parties are a great way to bring some festive cheer into your celebration, all by choosing which shade of this colour you want to go with. By going with a darker forest green, you will find your party has a mysterious element to it or you can utilise the colour as the starting point for your Christmas decorations. Going with a lime green or a more splice-y shade of the colour will instantly transform your party into something tropical and retro with a fun summer vibe! You can also mix the shades of green and leave the overall colour as a classic middle tone, which will end up being the perfect balance for a baby shower that is gender neutral.
Mix with: Midnight in the Garden theme, red and/or gold for a Christmas celebration, highlighter pinks, yellows and orange for a tropical vibe, and white for a classy, yet fun and casual soiree.
Photo by Jayne Barton Overett
Blue:
Blue is often referred to as a classic boy colour due its more masculine perception, so utilising this colour into a party means having the event seem geared towards males – however this is not always the case. Yes, using powder blues, baby blues and light blues are perfect for a baby shower where the gender has been identified as a boy, but you can also mix blue with other colours to provide a theme that is perfect for both genders. Blue is perfect for many ocean or under the sea themed parties, including The Little Mermaid, which is loved by a majority of girls. The ocean is beautiful, so why not reflect that in your own event?
Mix with: Other light blues and baby accessories to create the perfect boy themed baby shower, but also mix with whitewashed wood and white and tan coloured tones to create a rustic sea vibe perfect for adult parties, events and even weddings! Mix with champagne tones for a lemonade themed party, and bright oranges and greens for an Under the Sea or Ocean themed event.
Photo by Hayley Holness
Purple:
The colour purple is often seen as a more feminine colour due to the fact that the shade is so close to pink in the colour spectrum, but the colour is so much more than that when it comes to themes. It’s a great colour to utilise as an extra pop in a Moroccan themed event, where vibrant colours run rapid, and is a great standalone colour if you want to have an Alice in Wonderland themed party and focus on the Cheshire Cat as the underlying theme. Mixing it with lighter colours can help turn the colour into a sophisticated adult soiree, masquerade or even a gothic wonderland, and it looks awesome if you give everyone a black and white dress code and the guest of honour turns up in purple. It’s such a versatile colour, and it looks great.
Mix with: Black and white for a sophisticated standout, or even just black for a gothic take on an event. Mix with other shades of purple to mimic the classic colouring of the Cheshire Cat, or mix with bright pinks and vibrant oranges to focus on Moroccan style. You can mix with white to create a beautiful and stylish event, and can mix with pink for a hyper girly ‘do!
So there you have it, a whole bunch of ideas and inspiration to get you thinking about the colour theme for your next party and what to mix it with to create the ultimate atmosphere depending on your event. If you still aren’t sure by now which shades you should go with, a great tip is to head to your local hardware store and have a look at the paint swatches on offer. Chances are you will find some great tones that will match the vision of your party perfectly, and will make it easier to see how the colours interact and work together if you place the swatches side by side. I know it worked when I put my wedding together, and I highly recommend you doing the same!
Let me know if this rainbow colour wheel helped you by leaving a comment in the description below, and don’t forget you can send photos of your parties to
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