Brown may not be the first color that springs to mind for weddings, but it turns out that it is an incredibly versatile color which can be used for all styles of celebrations. Ranging from pale mocha to deep espresso, brown will always add a touch of sophisticated elegance to a wedding. These are great ideas on how to use brown to decorate your wedding.

Brown alone tends to lack punch, so it is often used in combination with an accent color. The color pairing is how you will really be able to set a tone and create an ambiance for your wedding. Depending on the complementary color which you select, your brown wedding can be fresh and flirty, modern and edgy, or flat out glamorous. It is all in the details.

One of the most popular ways in which to use brown is to decorate a fall wedding. A medium shade of the color works well in combination with the classic autumnal palette of red, golden yellow, and pumpkin orange. A nice rich mocha color for the bridesmaid dresses is a great way to balance out very colorful and busy harvest theme bouquets. Add a bit of brown wherever you need a visual pause or to tone down a very exuberant design element.

Rich shades of brown can also be very sophisticated. One of the most modern pairings is espresso or chocolate with red. The red really pops against the deeper color, creating a great style. Use this color combination to feature special design work, such as an espresso colored wedding cake with a modern red damask motif. Of course your guests will adore eating the rich chocolatey confection just as much as they enjoy admiring its beauty!

Chocolate or espresso are surprisingly great in combination with bright colors like lime and aqua. The richness and the depth of the brown give the vivid hues a more sophisticated feeling than they would otherwise have, and in turn the brighter colors ensure that the chocolatey tones remain upbeat and festive. This pairing is fabulous for everything from the wedding cake to the programs to the bridesmaid dresses. A very popular look is brown bridesmaid dresses with a sash in the lime or aqua blue. Enhance the effect with bridesmaid jewelry gifts created from Swarovski crystals in the brighter color. The cheery bright crystals in the bridesmaid jewelry make the brown dresses upbeat enough for a daytime wedding, and it also makes very thoughtful gifts for your attendants.

A particularly elegant way to use brown for your wedding is in combination with sage green. More mellow than lime green, the sage pairs beautifully with chocolate to create a soothing and upscale color palette. This combination is gorgeous for the table linens. For a daytime wedding, sage green chair covers in a dupioni are marvelous with brown satin sashes. If your wedding is in the evening, the reverse color pairing is a wonderful way to create a rich and welcoming space.

Finally, there is brown paired with warm neutrals, such as champagne or mocha. This looks simply luxurious and would be wonderful for a black tie wedding. The warm colors are a gorgeous way to create an intimate and upscale ambiance in a cold impersonal reception venue. The power of color to transform is truly remarkable, especially when two colors are used together. Brown in all of its many forms is one of the most versatile colors around which to create a wedding design scheme.