Last December, Pantone named Ultra Violet the 2018 Color of the Year, a shade known for its spirituality and hopefulness, full of drama and emotion. In a press release, Pantone described that “Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.”
This color has been well-loved throughout history: During Ancient times in the Phoenician city of Tyre, the color was made from the mucus of sea snails. By the 16th century, the color was so expensive that the only people who were able to afford it were royals — in fact, Queen Elizabeth of England decreed that only close relatives to the royal family were permitted to wear purple. In 1856, William Henry Perkin created the first purple dye while trying to create a cure for malaria, making the color affordable to the masses.
Ultra Violet is meant to inspire mindfulness, creativity, experimentation and non-conformity. Join the ranks of idols Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keefe and Cleopatra (all major proponents for the color) and add a dash of Ultra Violet into your wedding.
A multi-purposed color, Ultra Violet can be used to convey both rustic and glamorous energies no matter if your wedding is in a city, at the beach or in the country.
Wash your guests in a soothing and mystical atmosphere and incorporate hints of the shade throughout your wedding, or make a statement with a bold, monochromatic use in decorations. A Seacoast Weddings brainstorm resulted in endless options for highlighting the color in your celebrations. The list includes using Ultra Violet to embellish your wedding cake, in ornamental ribbons, as the color of ink or paper for wedding invitations, or as the color of bridesmaids’ and flower girls’ dresses.
Another option is, of course, to use flowers that are tinged in this hue. Orchids, lilacs and wisteria, to name a few, provide endless options for bouquets, center pieces, boutonnieres and flower-girls’ petals.
Whatever you chose, may purple reign.
Emma Kemp
Emma is an intern at Seacoast Weddings. She is studying writing at Smith College. In her free time, she enjoys playing frisbee on the beach, cafe hopping and reading a good book.