When you walk into wedding receptions , you immediately notice the color scheme. You may see it in the linens, floral arrangements, decorations, lighting, table gifts and more.  The color pattern can offer a sense of excitement, romance or seduction. The colors a person chooses says so much about who they are and what they like. It's a way to bring your personality into the wedding.

For some, the choice is simple, you choose a color you've always loved and work around that. Others want to incorporate a theme or season into their scheme, which limits the color choices, which is sometimes helpful. For example, spring weddings see bright flowers that are starting to bloom, such as yellows, whites and purples. If the wedding reception takes place in the summer, then softer pastels are usually the norm. The cooler months use fiery colors to spice them up, with oranges and reds, pine and other greenery.

Another way to find a color scheme is to look at photos from other weddings or use a color wheel. A color wheel shows complimentary and contrasting colors. Visiting a paint store and pulling swatches of various colors can help. Play around with what works together, or using varying shades of the same color, like crimson and rose or chocolate and ivory. Bold colors could include fuchsia, orange and ivory, or trendy shades of purple, violet and lavender that are popping up this year.

Color schemes can also be based on a theme. Is the wedding a Hollywood themed wedding, or a 70's style wedding, or a beach wedding? These might help guide the color palette chosen. For Hollywood wedding receptions, think about black, white and red. For a 70's style wedding, browns, oranges and yellows would work. A beach wedding might pair robin's egg blue with gold and ivory.

Now that you know what colors you want to use, it's time to start putting together the rest of the wedding. Invitations can have an image to reflect a theme, or can use your color scheme in the ink, paper color or envelopes. You may even want to use a ribbon to tie around the invitation. Remember, this is the first glimpse your friends and family have as to what's to come.

From there, the color scheme finds it way into the bride's bouquet, the bridesmaid dresses, groomsmen's socks and the groom's vest and/or tie. One consideration may be choosing a color for the bridesmaid's dresses that flatters most skin tones. Other colors from the scheme can be pulled into the bridesmaid's flowers or jewelry. Sometimes choosing black for a bridesmaid dress, depending on the season, can create a dramatic backdrop for the bride.

Bridesmaids might wear a neutral color to let the color scheme stand out with flowers or jewelry, or their dress may be part of the color scheme. Remember to coordinate with your venue, so you colors don't clash with decor that can't be changed. You can always add colorful table linens, decorations, party favors and tons of flowers.

You may have just one color you want to focus on, or you may be playing with several colors or shades of color. Remember, wedding receptions are designed to let your personality come through. Have fun with the colors and how much of them you want to incorporate.