Rhinestones play a significant role in wedding decor, adding a touch of elegance and glamour to the big day. What are rhinestones? These sparkling embellishments capture and reflect light, creating a magical atmosphere that enhances the celebratory nature of the occasion. Rhinestones for weddings can be used to decorate bridal accessories, table settings, invitation and the bridal gown itself, as well as adding a luxurious touch to the overall theme. The right choice of rhinestone colour can significantly elevate the aesthetic appeal of the wedding décor, particularly if there is a colour scheme.
Understanding Wedding Colour Schemes
The right colour scheme is important in setting the tone and theme of a wedding; it influences everything from the venue's ambiance to the mood of the event. Colour schemes for weddings tie everything together too, creating a smooth and flowing atmosphere, and can help bring certain aspects of the wedding together. We see colours in the flowers that match the groom’s tie for example, or bridesmaid dresses that compliment the colours in the table decorations.
Selecting rhinestone colours that compliment the overall colour palette is crucial for creating an elegant look as well as reflecting the couples’ personal style.
How Rhinestones Can Elevate Wedding Décor
Rhinestones are so versatile when it comes to using them for wedding décor, you can really get creative and have fun with them:
- Bridal accessories – Not everyone loves the bling, so you can pick and choose which of your bridal accessories to decorate with rhinestones. But if you do love ultimate sparkle on your big day, you can embellish your veil, shoes, tiara/hairpiece, bag/pouch with hotfix crystals, sew on stones or crystal settings. Embellishing with hotfix rhinestones is an easy and cheap way to add a touch of sparkle to a veil.
- Table décor – A popular way to decorate tables is with unfoiled crystal chatons, also known as ‘scatter crystals’. These are essentially little drops of crystal that don’t have the silver foil backing, giving the impression of tiny diamonds being scattered across the table.
- Bridal manicure – Many brides, Mother-of-the-bride’s and bridesmaids like to get a rhinestone manicure for the big day. Rhinestone manicures don’t have to be too blingy, they can be subtle and sophisticated with just a hint of sparkle. Here’s everything you need to know about wedding nails.
- Invitations – Gluing flatback rhinestones onto your save the date cards or wedding invitations offers a touch of glamour and luxury to the invite. Embellishing with non hotfix crystals is easy, and a fun way to give a hint as to what your colour scheme is going to be.
- Wedding favours – Wedding favours are little gifts left for each guest at the table. Traditionally, wedding favours at English weddings used to be a bag of sugared almonds, however in the last couple of decades we’ve seen some wacky and extravagant favour ideas. Homemade gifts, personalised gifts, even flavoured gin (a personal favourite of mine). Why not incorporate crystals into a wedding favour – key charm or wine glass charm using crystal beads and pendants.
- Hen party – You can even bring the bling to a Hen Party using rhinestones. Try decorating gift bags using an iron on rhinestone transfer or make the bride her own personal crystallised champagne flute.
- Wedding cake – It is possible to decorate cakes with rhinestones now, whether you go for edible crystals which are safe to eat, or have genuine rhinestones that are just for show.
Tips for Pairing Rhinestones with Different Colour Schemes:
The traditional English colour scheme, and probably most popular, is classic white and ivory. But if you’re looking for something a little different, there are many colour palettes to go for. Try bold and bright jewel tones, vintage pastel chic, calm neutral tones or rustic country life tones. For a non-English wedding, popular colours are red and gold which suggest wealth, good luck, health and happiness.
Classic White and Ivory
Image credit: brides.com
These sophisticated and elegant shades are perfect for a traditional ‘white wedding’, colours such as pale golds, clear diamante, white opal and cream pearl work well for this theme. The clear rhinestones bring the sparkle without overpowering the delicate palette. To enhance the elegance, you could incorporate silver or gold crystal settings by sewing them onto your hairpiece.
Bold and Vibrant Jewel Tone
Image credit: weddingbazaar.com
Bright, rich jewel tones such as Emerald, Ruby, Amethyst and Sapphire rhinestones are a fantastic compliment to deep colours in a wedding theme. Use these colours to match flowers, bridesmaid dresses, table décor and settings etc. This warm and exciting colour palette is popular for Autumn weddings.
Romantic Pastel Chic
Image credit: wedboard.com
Pastel colours have been popular for years now, and will continue to be for many more. The subtle tones of pale pinks, blues, peach and lemon yellow work beautifully for an understated but less traditional feel. Pastel rhinestones such as Light Rose, Jonquil, Violet and Light Sapphire are the perfect complement to the delicate romantic feel of pastel toned flowers and decoration. This colour scheme is particularly popular for spring weddings.
Warm Earthy Nudes
Image credit: modernwedding.com.au
Natural earthy colours have become more popular recently, not just for Autumn weddings, but to add a warm yet neutral tone to a traditional wedding theme. With creams and pale golds still present, this palette also includes soft maroon and caramel. We suggest using rhinestones in Light Burgundy, Light Gold Quartz and cream pearls to create this inviting colour scheme.
Rustic Themed
Image credit: blog.weddinghashers.com
Shades of green, pink and gold work really well for rustic décor, all three of these colours look great with wooden accessories that are popular in this theme, for example chunky wooden furniture, rustic wood slices for table settings etc. When thinking about rhinestones to compliment, Emerald green is a lovely pine forest colour so brings the natural rustic feel. Along with Vintage Rose for a dusky pink, and Rose Gold for that hint of luxury.
DIY Rhinestone Projects for Wedding Decor:
Here are some simple DIY rhinestone projects for wedding décor that can be customised to match your chosen colour theme:
Jazz up your save the date / invitations
- Purchase a few rhinestones in your chosen colour palette, this will add a glamorous feel and hint at the upcoming wedding theme.
- Glue on the rhinestones using Gem Tac or craft glue – embellishing with non hotfix rhinestones is easy and fun!
Add sparkle to the table
- Purchase some unfoiled ‘scatter crystals’ in clear, for a diamond effect, or a colour that matches your décor.
- Scatter them over the dinner tables, and any other surface you want e.g where your guest book is or the gift table.
Bling up the table accessories
- Again, using Gem Tac glue, it is easy to stick rhinestones to glass so you can elevate a plain glass votive, tealight holder, flower vase, champagne bottle or flutes.
- Use a precision syringe to squeeze out a small amount of glue onto the glass in your desired pattern, then pick up and place the rhinestones onto the glue using a handy pick up tool.
Make your bridal veil glitter in the light
- Using a hotfix wand or household iron, it is easy to apply small rhinestones to your veil.
- Purchase a pack of Clear Hotfix Crystals in 3mm, then place them onto your veil where you want to see the sparkle.
- Use some baking paper to cover the rhinestone and veil (this protects the delicate fabric), then iron over the top for around 10 seconds. The heat of the iron will activate the glue on the back of the crystal and bond it to the veil.
Rhinestone adorned table numbers
- Purchase some Preciosa rhinestone number transfers.
- Place the transfer, shiny side up, onto your chosen background.
- Use some baking paper to cover the transfer, then iron over the top for around 10 seconds. The heat of the iron will activate the glue on the back of the rhinestones and bond them to the surface. Peel away the plastic sheet and your rhinestone number will be good to go! See this handy guide for more details.
At home crystal manicure
- Purchase some small rhinestones for nail art, in clear and pearl for a classic look. Or go for a colour to match your theme if you prefer.
- Once your nails have been painted, apply a tiny amount of Crystal Fix nail glue, then place your rhinestones on top in your chosen pattern.
- Here are some more tips on how to make your wedding nails sparkle.
DIY sparkly wedding favour
- DIY your own wine glass charms using bicone beads in different colours. These come in very handy for guests to remember which drink is theirs, and also makes a lovely keepsake.
- Purchase some bicone beads in your chosen wedding colours, and wine charm wires which you can find on ebay or hobbycraft.
- Thread the beads onto the wire to create pretty, sparkling decorations. You can keep them simple like this, or add extra charms, pearls or beads to make them a bit fancier. Why not include a label with their name on, or a pretty stamped image to add a personal touch.
Final Tips
To ensure a harmonious blend of rhinestones with your chosen colour scheme, consider the following tips:
Sample Before Committing: Experiment with various rhinestone colours against your primary and secondary wedding shades. This will help you visualize how they compliment each other in different lighting conditions. This will also give you a feel for how the colours will look together on the day.
Balance is Key: Use rhinestones to accentuate rather than overwhelm. A subtle sparkle can often make a more significant impact; less is more.
Consider the Theme: The style of your wedding can guide your rhinestone choices. For example, opulent jewel tones suit a glamorous theme, while soft pastels are perfect for romantic settings. Also think about the time of year and your venue setting, a more traditional white and ivory colour theme might suit the ‘country manor’ vibe more than in your face bright colours.