Every year, Pantone announces its color of the year, which “expresses a global mood and an attitude, reflecting collective desire in the form of a single, distinct hue.” The 2025 color of the year has been announced as Mocha Mousse, a soft and warm tawny brown shade. As the color of the year, we expect to start seeing this shade incorporated into wedding designs. From linens to stationery and even bridesmaid dresses, how do you think Mocha Mousse will make its impact in the wedding industry? 

Brown Wedding Accents

I tend to lean towards bright colors in my work and everyday life, but I do believe that Mocha Mousse can be a great accent color on a wedding day. I think a mix of brown tones is perfect for couples who want a more neutral wedding palette. I picture this shade as being popular with boho or minimalist couples who are going for a warm, cozy, simple vibe. Or, for couples who are looking to add browns in a more subtle way, it is the perfect complementary tone to creams and greens. I think we’ll see a lot of this shade during the summer and fall, and expect it to taper off in the winter when it may feel too dark and drab. 

You can incorporate this warm brown shade on your wedding day in so many different ways. I immediately picture brown linens and glassware on your tablescapes, along with dried flowers. It’s also a beautiful shade for textural pieces like rugs and lounge furniture. And, of course, we can’t forget how flattering brown dresses and suits can be for so many people. Chocolate cake and espresso martinis are obvious (and delicious!) go-tos as well.

Brown Bridesmaid Dresses and Aso-Ebi

I recently got to work with a wonderful bride who was using brown in a major way on her wedding day. My bride, like me, is a first-generation American. Her family is from Nigeria, and she is very connected with her culture and heritage. Brown is a very common color in Nigerian weddings and goes perfectly with the green attire she’s planning to wear. She decided to have her bridesmaids and family members wear brown as part of a tradition known as aso-ebi. Aso-Ebi is a tradition where family members of the couple wear a specific fabric to identify themselves and show their support for the marriers. 

My bride requested a digital illustration that would be turned into cards so she could ask her loved ones and bridesmaids to participate in this beautiful tradition. She wanted the cards to be creative and personal, so we worked together with her inspiration photos and vision to create a group sketch. I’m so happy with how the illustration turned out, and I can’t wait to see the photos of her wedding this fall so I can see how the Aso-ebi looks in person! 

Wedding Illustrations by SamiaLynn Designs 

Whether you choose to include Mocha Mousse on your wedding day as part of your decor or go all-in with brown bridesmaid dresses, this shade is sure to add a layer of coziness to the wedding industry this season and a softer alternative to black. If you’re looking for the perfect way to memorialize your wedding in 2025 or beyond, I’d love to chat about live illustration! Head over to my illustrations page for all the details and to set up a call. 

One of the key parts of wedding planning that will stick with you from day one to last call is your color palette. You will have Pinterest boards and screenshots to show your wedding vendors, key family members helping you pull your big day together, and your Fiancé (although they will need constant reminders…). It can be overwhelming to narrow down your color selection for this big day, so we’ve put together some suggestions of things to think about when making this decision.

1. Think of your own color tones

   Think about it… the colors of your wedding will be surrounding you in all of your photos. You want to make sure that the pallet works with your and your partner’s skin tones to make for the most flattering photos possible! It helps to think about the colors that you each wear regularly.

2. Think of your dream home

Your wedding is only one day, but again, the photos are what lasts forever. You want to be happy having photos of your bouquet, decor, and venue hanging on the walls in your home and everything should look cohesive.

3. Think about the feel of the wedding

Colors can very much convey emotion, so think about how you want people to feel when they walk into your ceremony and reception. Are you trying to have a raging party, focus on the romance, or create a whimsical environment?

4. Think about the saturation of the colors

The color palette of your wedding can represent either the pops of color throughout the day, or it can be the predominant focus of the day. Typically the bolder the colors you choose, the smaller the elements in those colors will be. If you chose cherry red as one of your colors, maybe that would just be represented in a couple of flowers in your bouquet, but if you want to focus more on a baby pink then that can be the entire bouquet (accents vs main colors). However, this depends on how “loud” you’re trying to be with your color choices and if it fits your personality and design look.

5. Think about the time of year

If you want an easy way to decide your color palette , just go with the colors of the season (or weather) you’re getting married in. This makes florals easier as everything you want will be in season for your wedding.  Most importantly, pick a color palette that makes you smile. You will be referencing it for every wedding planning decision that is made, so it has to make you happy!

Pro tip (and non-sponsored): check out https://coolors.co/. It’s a free site that makes it super easy to see colors that go together and generate different schemes. They even give you the hex code (your stationer/designer will know what that is) and color names.

So, what colors are you doing for your big day?! Let us know!

Samantha Shammas, Author and Owner of SamiaLynn