Every Bride has to make the important decision of choosing her color(s) of the day. The wedding color(s) determine the theme - from the bridesmaids' dresses to the decoration, flowers in your bouquet, the Aso-ebi and also how to blend it with the color(s) from the groom's side.

Wedding color(s) rely mainly on the personal preference of the bride-to-be, but there are a few things you should keep in mind when you are selecting the colors you will use for your own wedding.

First, think about the time of year for your wedding, secondly the theme you want and finally what represents your personality positively. Here are a few tips to help you choose and make your wedding colorful and memorable:

1. Red, Gold, Purple, Orange and Pink are the most common, yet effective wedding colors.

2. If you love bright pink try Hot pink, Fuchsia, Light pink, Red, add Lime or Tangerine or orange as your accent color! (See bride above)

3. If you adore warm oranges try Tangerine, Coral, Red, add soft Violet, Sky Blue or Fuchsia as your accent color.

4. If you like burgundy try Dark Green, Gold, Champagne, Creams, add any of these as your accent.

5. If you love blues try Deep Ocean Blue, Navy Blue, Sky Blue, add Tangerine, Silver or Sandy Brown as your accent.

6. If you like purples try Lilac, Lavender, purple, add Sky Blue as an accent.

Colors for the season

1. Colors for the Harmattan Season (October - February): Dark Green, Silver, Gold, Creams, Orange, Brown, Red, Silver, White, Cream, Burgundy, Navy Blue, Purple and Gold.

2. Colors for the Rainy Season (March - June): Pink, Tangerine, Lilac, Periwinkle, Hot Pink, Fuchsia, Lime, Yellow, Cream, Soft Violet and White.

3. Colors for the Sunny (summer) season (July - September): Red, Yellow, Orange, Coral, Fuchsia, Blue, Sky Blue, Green, Lime, and Lilac.

Colors and their Meanings

1. Green means Victory, Unity and life.

2. Blue means Cool, trust, tranquility, stability.

3. White means Purity, peace, innocence.

4. Red means Passion, desire, battle.

5. Yellow means Light, energy, peace, happy.

6. Orange means warmth, strength.

7. Purple/violet means Royalty, Honor, inspiration

8. Black means sophistication, mourning, secrecy.

9. Peach means modesty, pale, shyness.

10. Pink means Attraction, beauty, tenderness.

11. Grey means Cool/calm, Coperate.

In all, try as much as possible to have one neutral (close to nature) color accentuated at your wedding.

2010 WEDDING COLOR TRENDS IN NIGERIA

Orange, Yellow, Purple, Blue (all shades), Pink (all shades), Grey, Silver, and Gold.

Written & Contributed by Zoe Chinaka