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Advice From Rhonda Patton Weddings: Choosing White vs. Ivory Gowns, Accent Color

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to wedding gowns and what you should wear. "No, no, white will wash you out, go with ivory" or "Ivory is too (whatever) go with a really, really white dress!" How do you pick? Where do you start and what is the difference between white, diamond white, winter white, cream, or ivory?  

Event designers, surprisingly, get the "ivory vs white" question a lot as brides try to decide whether their dress color will impact their wedding design.  My wedding dress was ivory and I felt compelled to use ivory everywhere instead of white.  I found that ivory accessories were harder to find and often cost more.  So, I was elated to see that Rhonda Patton of Rhonda Patton Weddings and Event Design tackled the whole ivory and white quandry via her very helpful wedding blog.  Here's what she shared...

Image: The Collection

Rhonda Patton: I tend to have the biggest debate with brides over the color WHITE versus IVORY. Does it really matter?

Yes, it does matter!

The differences between ivory, cream, or white is highly significant when it comes to the subject of wedding gowns and flowers. Ivory should not be viewed upon as another shade of white like eggshell, diamond white, off-white, cream, or ecru - whatever that is! In terms of color, WHITE is stark white, pristine and mixes no shades of any other color - like pure white milk.

Let's examine gowns from one of my favorite bridal gown designers, AMSALE.

white-or-ivory-gown

White gown by Amsale

IVORY has a slight tint of yellow or cream. Cream tends toward the warm, off-white tends towards the cool. Cream tends to be palely yellow with some sand tones. Off-white tends to use grays and browns as tones.

white-ivory-wedding-gown-deciding

Diamond white gown by Amsale

Most women love wearing the unsullied color called white for their wedding gown. However, a huge number of women are opting for ivory shades of wedding gowns.

how-to-pick-white-ivory

Ivory gown by Amsale

As per old wives tale, white is the color for virgin brides but it holds little relevance in today’s world. Whether you want white or ivory is totally a personal choice. The ultimate decision should rest on your skin tone (warm versus cool). For example, white can show off the paleness of your skin. However, some brides believe that white can be too austere. Ivory, having a touch of cream can actually be flattering to pale complexions.

white-or-ivory-gown

Left to right: White, ivory and cream

The better choice for lighter skin tones is an ivory or antique white. Women with medium to dark-toned skin can often pull off a diamond white beautifully. Bright whites on darker skin tones are stunning!

Side Note: I've opted to wear white on my wedding day!

In regards to flowers, they are available in white, cream, or ivory. Some flowers work well with all three colors, (i.e. calla lilies and hydrangeas). Flowers that are available in stark white (roses, gladiolus, carnations, gardenias, paperwhites, stephanotis, stock).

Your florist can help determine what type and which shade of flower works best. In conclusion, white/cream/ivory does matter and it's important you convey the color or provide a color swatch in advance to your wedding vendors.

For more great planning and wedding inspiration visit Rhonda's website at RhondaPattonWeddings.com.

About the Author:

Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide's avatar
Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide

Hey - I'm Ashley! I started AshleysBrideGuide.com to give Nashville brides, or folks planning a Nashville wedding, a local resource for inspiration and resources. Hope to see you at a bridal show soon! Happy Planning.

See more posts by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide »

send   subscribe Posted on January 31, 2012 | Filed under: Advice & Planning, Florals, Details & Design

1 Response to This Post
yaya says...

In the last photo, what brand/designer is the wedding dress on the left?

Posted on January 31, 2013 @ 10:01pm

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