It’s the end of the month which means it’s time for Ask Ms Polka Dot! Drop me a line if you’d like some advice or a question answered!

Hi,

just wondering if you could give me some ideas of what colour shoes my bridesmaids could wear as they are wearing bright yellow dresses.

Our wedding is in summer, and the reception is at a restaurant on the water. The dress is by Alfred Sung, I’ve attached a picture of it… but the yellow isnt that green!

We were thinking maybe have the colour scheme as yellow, white and lavender purple…. would the tan shoes suit that?

Is the lavender colour scheme going to work?

What a lovely fresh colour scheme for a summer wedding! Yellow and lavender are opposite on the colour wheel, so this scheme will work very well.

Either way, one colour should be the dominant one (perhaps the yellow, as you are using it for your dresses) and lavender should then be the secondary colour which you use slightly less of in your decor.

There will be lots of coloured shoes coming into the shops for spring/summer, so because your colour scheme is so summery, I  feel now that a tan would NOT suit your scheme. How about a nude shoe (very wearable after the wedding and more summery), or even a yellow shoe? If you have problems matching a yellow shoe to the dress, try Shoes Of Prey for handmade shoes,  – where you design the shoe – very reasonably priced. They will even send you leather samples (for a small fee) so that you can match to the colour of your dress. Definitely not a white shoe – which would look too stark and ‘old’ for your girls.
Perhaps you could think about wearing yellow shoes to match the dresses of your maids?

Flowers – think of lavender, purple and lilac sweet peas, lilacs, white daisies with yellow centres, with lots of white blooms and the occasional yellow bloom, tied with patterned lavender ribbon. Could your girls wear something lavender in their hair – the fabric of which matches the fabric you have tied your bouquets with?
Make the girls’ bouquets featuring lavender and white with a touch of yellow, and your bouquet featuring white and yellow with a touch of lavender colour.

Think of your table settings being all white with white cloths, white crockery, sparkling glassware. white chairs. Add in white and yellow, or white and lavender candles, in groups of different sizes, with some candles being fat and tall, and others being smaller and thinner to add interest. Add in your yellow and white flowers here with some lavender blooms scattered occasionally throughout your vases.
Or you could make runners in lavender and white, or yellow and white to go down the centres of the tables, over the white tablecloths. Again, think of using the same fabric as in your bouquet tie fabric.

You could make a bower (or arch) from wisteria (mauve and white) blossoms if the ceremony is outside as the focal point of your ceremony. These blossoms are a vine which droops well and smells lovely. Try jasmine as well and lots of greenery.

Favour boxes could be in lilac and yellow – either patterned or plain, or white tied with lavender and yellow bows. Try jelly beans in yellow (lemon flavour) or lavender (berry flavour), or other lollies. Lemon butter, or berry jam could be embellished with patterned lilac or yellow covers on their lids – the same patterned fabric you use elsewhere (as in your table runners for instance, or the hairpieces for the girls).

You could try using varying lengths of ribbon in white,  yellow and lavender tied to chairs, from tree branches, from a flower arch. Lots of white paper lanterns would look nice with this look bobbing in the summer breeze.

I’m sure you could think of many more ideas – these are just to get you started. Think of it as decorating a room – but you can be a little more ‘over the top’ with your individual elements to create a party atmosphere!

Best of luck with your decorating – and have a wonderful wedding day.