31 Ideas for a Neutral Wedding Color Palette

Decorate with Votive Candles

Instead of candelabras or traditional candlesticks, choose simple, faceted votive holders in a metallic shade (we love this copper) paired with white tea lights or votives for an understated but modern feel. To add to the modernity, choose non-floral or greenery centerpieces and incorporate pretty stones or flowers made from unexpected materials like paper or metal.

Jazz up the Seating Chart

Have your event designer or planner mount your seating chart on a simple, beautiful piece of wood and frame it with garlands for a sophisticated and understated vibe. Especially good for those who want a rustic feel to their wedding.

Add Greenery Accents

Simple greenery wreaths on a ceremony entrance is a perfect way of making your venue look festive without having to break the bank. We especially like the color combo of this sage green, muted gray, and terracotta. If you want an easy place to grab greenery wreaths before your big day we love this as a resource.

Create Your Own Backdrop

No room for a traditional arch? No problem. Hang your florals and greenery behind you and then bring out the candles for extra drama. A piece of vintage furniture serves as a convenient place to put more candles (varying heights make all the difference) and also helps serve as a backdrop for your altar.

Embrace Eucalyptus

Dusty and sagey greens like eucalyptus and olive branches make for a wild statement arrangement for a guestbook table. The muted greenery looks especially perfect in this neutral-filled venue space. Want to get more use out of that beautiful arrangement? Have your planner move it to the bar area after the ceremony if the reception won't be including the guestbook table.

Decorate the Getaway Car

Nothing beats a vintage car for your exit. We love this white beauty accented with a delicate wreath and classic "just married" signage. Want more ways to use wreaths for your wedding? Check out all of these.

Play Up the Venue

Neutrals to us mean using lots of natural materials, like the dark wood and the stone walls in this space. Even though the runner is patterned, it also has a neutral color palette making it not too busy or overwhelming.

Replicate this look by having your planner or designer make a custom runner (or rent one if there are unique rental options available in your area) or by placing a few different rugs together stretching down the aisle.

Opt for Tropical Leaves

Keep your tables simple with a cream tablecloth and crisp white napkins and plates. Then accent the table with statement-making tropical leaves in simple vessels instead of over-the-top centerpieces. Touches of gold help make the table feel a little more formal, as well.

If you want to use greenery you can reuse, try going with a (believable) fake option, like this.

Consider Pampas Grass

Pampas grass makes for the loveliest aisle décor. It naturally has a beautiful neutral variegated color palette and it's fluffy texture adds volume to make it seem a bit grander.

Obsessed with this trend as much as we are? Check out all of the ways people are using pampas grass at their weddings here.

Spread Flowers Throughout

Mark your aisle with beautiful organic white and green arrangements in wooden containers. The best part is that you can repurpose them for your cocktail hour or reception.

If you want more aisle decor inspo, we've got you covered.

Decorate the Ceiling

Instead of a full-on flower installation hanging in your reception space, trailing and climbing greenery is a good way to keep things a little more simple and also more budget-friendly. It also has that kind of Great Expectations overgrown feel that we never tire of. Bring the outdoors in, always.

Try a DIY Project

Transform a changing screen into an escort card display. Get one in a neutral linen and have your calligrapher write out simple cards in shades of whites and creams. Extra points if you have your planner or florist arrange the escort cards in a subtle ombré. And don't forget the candles...the more the better.

Embrace a Neutral Palette

Sometimes the simplicity of the space around you is what makes for a gorgeous neutral palette and all you need to do is add some light wood chairs and simple bunches of grass as aisle markers. When you have the beauty of the outdoors to serve as a backdrop, there's no need to overdo it.

Add Special Signage

This delicate color palette of white and other light neutrals is accented perfectly by the sheer Mr. and Mrs. chair signage. Since the signage is embroidered, they make for good post-wedding wall hangings (and would also look good framed).

Don't Take Away from the Setting

You pretty much don't need to decorate your ceremony space when the natural background is as pretty as this. The bright blue of the water is the only real pop of color aside from all the greenery (which we clearly consider a neutral). With a palm tree as an altar, there's no need for any more décor.

Embrace Natural Décor

Dress your altar with not only a flower-laden arch but four pillars of blooms. The layered abundance makes this setup a real wow-factor for your guests. Have your planner or florist move these beauties to the reception space after the ceremony.

Experiment with Candles of all Shapes and Sizes

Want to keep things impactful without bringing in flowers or greenery for your ceremony décor? Use a mix of vintage and modern candlesticks, pillar candles, and votives of all different heights and shapes to really add some drama to an industrial space.

For more ideas on decorating your wedding with candles, check this out.

Opt for Tone-on-Tone Florals

These cute little bundles of flowers look like they were just plucked straight from the field. No fussiness here. We love the simplicity of these arrangements which work thanks to the loose composition and the choice to have only one type of flower.

Get more bouquet inspiration here.

Decorate a Simple White Cake

Mini cakes are a sweet way to showcase the varying neutral shades of your wedding. Delicate cherry blossoms and gold flake adornments, along with placement on pretty plates, embellish the designs without going overboard. These work especially well at being both modern (having no piping and a very crisp icing application) and feminine without being too girly. AKA, your partner may be more inclined to be ok with it.

Consider Wooden Accessories

Stumped on what to do for your guest book and welcome table? We love how these photos are all in matching frames with hurricanes for lighting when it gets dark. What especially works well are all the coordinating shades of wood that makes this outdoor wedding feel rustic while still keeping a neutral palette.

Love the hurricanes? Get the look with these.

Have a Sailcloth Tent

White is at its best with a draped and pleated tent canopy, elegant and long tables, and hints of wood and greenery. All of these details come together for a clean and classic look—we especially love how the chairs are a little mismatched but somehow work well together. Perfect for the bride that wants something a bit grand without feeling ostentatious.

Get more long table ideas here.

Set up a Lounge Area

A little modern and a little preppy (hellloooo palm print pillows), this clean and sophisticated lounge area is inserted with some major personality that isn't your run-of-the-mill reception or cocktail hour hangout spot.

Love this look for your own home? Get the look with these and these.

Go for Gold

Don't forget that gold is a neutral. Metallics work well when paired with other neutrals like black or white. The pretty calligraphy really jumps off of the gold paper without having to add any extra flourishes.

Want more escort card ideas? Check out this and this.

Consider Pops of Pastel

Floating like a cloud over a long reception table, this hanging greenery installation inserts some color into an otherwise almost monochrome palette. In this display, we love the touch of muted pastels on the tables and rattan lamps (giving it a bit of a beachy vibe).

For more beach wedding inspo, check this out.

Buy Marquee Lights

Marquee signs are a fun way to declare your love while giving off an incandescent amber glow that brings neutrals to light—literally. If you want something a bit more modern for neutral lighting, try a white neon sign during the reception.

Love these? Snag 'em for yourself here.

Add Romantic Touches

Break up an all-white palette (while still keeping it neutral) by adding little details in muted hues of beige and dusty rose and hints of green. This palette is crisp and clean, but the bits of color in the menu and flowers (plus, notice the monogrammed napkin) add in a little more interest. Want a little more going on while still keeping your palette soft and neutral? Add in a light gray silk runner for a little extra texture.

Create a Cozy Setting

Vintage wooden pews accented with fawn linens blend chic and rustic vibes, providing a bit of inspiration for a ranch-style ceremony. We love the idea of adding pillows to your ceremony seating for added comfort for your guests. We also like how tonal the pillows are, subtly echoing the colors of the brick. Ask your planner if you can get a cowhide rug to make your outdoor space feel even more like an indoor space.

Add Ribbons

Add some ribbons as a unique twist between a runner and a placemat (and an extra detail for your guests to admire). We love this peach that ties in subtly with the flowers, or try a slightly darker or lighter color than the tablecloth so that you are adding more of a texture than a pop of color.

Consider Muted Tones

Neutrals are made all the more boho with a whimsical sign adorned with a swath of greenery and accents of dusty rose-colored hydrangeas. Eucalyptus makes the perfect outside greenery choice as it's quite hardy, so it's perfect for a welcome sign.

Looking for the perfect welcome sign? We love this.

Send an Elegant Invitation

Swaths of calligraphy, rough edges, and a delicate rosebud print give this elegant and natural-looking stationary an aged feel. Choose an invite suite that has several different types of neutrals, like shades of beige or cream or gray, for a subtle bit of monochrome action.

For more invitation inspiration, check out these beauties. Even if you're not having a fall wedding, they're pretty for any time of year.

And, Finally, Add More Candles

A cost-effective way to make an impact with your tablescape? Have your planner or florist run vines down the middle of long tables with candles of varying heights intertwined. Gold flatware and gold-rimmed plates round out this sophisticated (neutral) palette.