With black and white as your wedding theme, your options are almost limitless. Nearly every dress style comes in white, the traditional American wedding color. And you can't go wrong with a black tuxedo.
Have your groom wear the one color accent in your wedding party by choosing a corsage in a subtle color.
Mix it Up
Of course, white for the bride and black for the groom has been done over -- and over, and over. Switch these colors and watch eyes pop! Your guests will be talking for years to come about your black evening gown and your groom's sumptuous white tux. One word of caution: a black carnation might be taking things a bit far, and plain white will be lost in the tux background. Have your groom wear a corsage in a highlight color, such as dusty pink or even white tipped in silver.
For interesting flair, have your bridesmaids wear the opposite color; do the same for your groom's ushers. If you choose white for your gown, have your bridesmaids wear black. You can accent your maid-of-honor by having only her match you in white.
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Use your signature colors when selecting your wedding invitations, too. A tiny white bow on black paper is simple but makes a statement.
Here, you might want to use an accent color. Silver or gold edging is traditional, or try something bold, like scarlet red or electric blue.
Deck the Hall
Dress up your reception hall with black and white colors to match your wedding theme. Again, mixing things up can offer just the unique touch you're looking for. Try dramatic black tablecloths with white napkins. See if the hall of your choice offers black-and-white plates and bowls. If not, you may want to rent your dishware separately. If this is beyond your wedding budget, simple, elegant white will do.
An entire room of solid black and white can be a drain on the eyes. Try incorporating textures and patterns to break things up a bit.
For your table centerpieces, you will want to use black for holders or supports, and white for flowers or balloons. A black ribbon on a white candle in a field of soft white flower petals makes for a lovely effect.
Fascinating Food
You can take the theme further by offering black and white foods. Here are a few possibilities:
- potatoes (no skin; light-colored—)
- rice
- caviar
- bok choy (Chinese cabbage)
- "white" pizza (no red sauce)
- black and white or checkerboard cookies
- a white cake or a very dark chocolate-frosted cake
- endive salad
- black beans and rice
- black-and-white petit fours
- white truffles or black truffles (or both)
- pasta with Alfredo sauce
- dark chocolate pudding garnished with shaved coconut
- white wine, white champagne or white cider
Celebrate Good Times
A fun final kick-off is to have white cone "poppers" beside each plate. At the end of your reception, have guests pull the poppers to fill the room with black and white streamers or confetti. Look online for party supplies to find your poppers.
Be sure to send your guests off with black and white wedding favors. Again, as these are traditional wedding favors, you will find literally thousands of choices. For the wedding theme you've always dreamed of, just use your imagination.