The colors that you use on your wedding day play a pivotal role in executing your vision, whether it’s bright and boisterous or muted and minimalist. No matter what type of aesthetic you’re going for, navy blue is the perfect addition to any palette. This dark shade of blue looks beautiful on display at any affair, especially beachside events filled with nautical designs or traditional nuptials featuring classic touches.
Navy blue is also versatile, so it coordinates well with an array of colorways. “Navy pairs effortlessly with almost any color scheme, no matter if you’re aiming for an energetic, multi-colored affair or opting for a calmer, more neutral-focused palette,” says Stefanie Skelley, Reverie Social's Director of Businesses Development. It’s also multifaceted: Mixed with vivacious hues, like peach and fuchsia, navy blue becomes a gorgeous accent color—but it can also star as the primary focus when presented alongside neutrals, like gray or cream.
Beyond its timeless and complementary nature, navy blue is also loaded with symbolism, which makes it a meaningful choice for weddings. Based on the “something blue” tradition, which originated in the Victorian era, the hue was thought to ward off the evil eye that could make a bride infertile. Now, the shade is seen as a token of good luck. That’s why many couples integrate a touch of blue into their wedding attire or decorations. Plus, blue signifies love, purity, and fidelity, while navy blue, in particular, represents trust and stability—all omens to a lifetime of love and happiness.
If you’re planning a wedding with a navy blue color scheme or you simply want to add a pop of the shade to your celebration, we’ve compiled a list of stunning ideas for every style and preference. Whether you want to throw a chinoiserie-inspired bash with navy and white patterns or you simply want to add a touch of the blue shade to your wedding dress, the options are truly endless.
Meet the Expert
Stefanie Skelley is the director of business development at Reverie Social, a luxury table linen rental company.
Here are some of our favorite navy blue wedding ideas.
12 Tried and True Wedding Color Schemes, According to Wedding Planners
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Paint Your Invitations in the Dark Shade
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If navy blue is one of the main hues in your color palette, mailing wedding invitations saturated with the shade is a no brainer. A classic choice is white cardstock engraved with a navy blue font. You can even add illustrations that showcase the deep tone, like flowers to hint at garden nuptials or waves to signify a beachfront locale. For a finishing touch, stamp your invites with a custom crest using the hue.
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Use the Color to Adorn Your Welcome Bags
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While welcome bags aren’t a requirement, they’re a considerate gesture that will make your guests’ experience even more memorable—especially at destination weddings or celebrations with multiple days of events. Not to mention, these bags of goodies are an excellent way to introduce friends and family to your aesthetic and color scheme. Trimming tote bags in navy blue and imprinting your names, venue, and wedding date in the deep shade on the front of the bag is a strong candidate for coastal soirées in the summer, like this couple’s art-inspired wedding in the Hamptons.
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Complete Your Outfit With Something Blue
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In honor of the “something blue” wedding tradition, many brides integrate blue tones into their attire. If sporting a blue wedding dress sounds too intense, slip on a pair of navy shoes. Strap on stilettos if your personal style errs on the glamorous side, or opt for comfort with flats, which is what this bride wore to her elegant soirée in Hudson Valley. With a short or mid-length gown, friends and family will even be able to see (and admire) your colorful pair of shoes.
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Accessorize With Sapphires
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As another alternative to your “something blue,” deck out your gown in bold blue accessories, like sapphire jewelry. If your partner proposed with a sapphire engagement ring, select a wedding band covered in the brilliant stones. Then, coordinate your ring stack with sapphire earrings, like these oversized flower-shaped ones that this bride donned for her black-tie wedding in Canada. Statement earrings will really stand out if you’re wearing your hair up on your big day.
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Add a Pop to Your Bridal Bouquet
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From hydrangeas to hyacinth, many flowers are naturally available in navy blue tones. To go all out, carry an arrangement of blooms that are mostly navy, but for a more subtle inclusion, showcase a touch of the shade. A white bouquet with pops of navy blue is always timeless and classic—plus the deep tone will look even more pronounced against a neutral backdrop. We love a combination of white roses and anemones, which is what this bride carried at her backyard fête in New Orleans; the latter blooms have a navy and black center.
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Sport a Navy Blue Tuxedo
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A black suit or tuxedo is a traditional choice, but more and more grooms are experimenting with color for their special day. A navy blue getup looks just as sharp and suave, but it’s more unique than the conventional black hue. For glamorous or black-tie affairs, consider sporting a navy blue tuxedo with silk black lapels, like this groom wore to his hot pink celebration in Brazil. If your event is laid-back with a more casual dress code, dress yourself in a navy blue suit. You can also adorn any outfit with navy accessories, whether it’s a patterned tie or a pair of socks.
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Dress Your Wedding Party in the Hue
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Another way to bring navy blue to the attire of the day is dressing your wedding party in the deep tone. You can either have just your bridesmaids or groomsmen sport the shade, or you can deck out the entire group in the color. Whether it’s dresses or suits, navy blue outfits will look elevated and traditional at any venue and in any season. Coordinate their attire with matching boutonnières and bouquets.
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Select a Navy Blue Font Color
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To warmly welcome friends and family to your navy blue wedding, install signage that showcases the shade. At this couple’s whimsical celebration in New York, the bride and groom designed a white welcome sign with navy blue font, complete with their joint initials. They supplemented the font color with a copper frame and an installation of flowers in peach, pink, and purple tones, which all complemented the navy shade and allowed it to function as a grounding color.
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Pass Out Deep Blue Programs
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Ceremony programs share important information about the upcoming service, but implementing them is also a wonderful opportunity to reinforce your aesthetic. Navy blue booklets exhibiting your joint initials will grab your loved ones’ attention once they arrive at your ceremony site. Place them on each guest’s seats for a splash of color splattered across the venue or arrange them on a tray (like this couple did at their global-inspired event in San Francisco) for a more concentrated look.
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Include a Hint of Blue in Your Aisle Arrangements
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In addition to your bouquet, navy blue flowers will also stun as part of your ceremony décor. If you’re saying “I do” in the great outdoors, lining your aisle with a hedge of navy blue blooms will create an illusion as if they’re growing from the ground. White, green, and light blue are all complementary colors that pair beautifully with navy blue, and they won’t overshadow the shade.
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Decorate Your Altar With Chinoiserie
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One of the best ways to integrate navy blue into your wedding is through chinoiserie. This type of china boasts a decorative pattern—usually in navy and white—that will permeate any soirée with charm and elegance. For your altar setup, consider decorating the site with chinoiserie vases filled with lush floral arrangements. If you trade vows in front of an ocean backdrop, you can even work navy blue hues from the natural landscape into your event.
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Pair the Color With Gold Accents
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Navy blue pairs particularly well with gold, eliciting a glamorous-meets-classic feel. Since gold is an eye-catching and glitzy shade, navy takes on the role of a supporting character when they’re mixed together. To try this color combination at your affair, create a wall of escort cards with navy blue paper and guests’ names written in gold calligraphy, which made an appearance at this duo’s fall soirée in Napa Valley. Then, seal each card with a gold wax seal.
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Design a Custom Bar
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Since almost everyone at your party will be making a pit stop at the bar, incorporating navy blue into your bar design will go a long way. At this pair’s classic island fête in South Carolina, the bride and groom implemented a custom bar, which was engulfed in navy blue, light blue, and white wallpaper. The sea of blue and white hues generated a beachy flair that fit the vibe of their wedding.
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Arrange a Chic Lounge Area
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If you’re thinking about offering your guests a place to kick back and relax during the reception, infuse your lounge area with navy blue. A velvet blue couch and an antique chair with a navy blue print will create a cozy, welcoming feel. With an installation of flowers and greenery as a backdrop, your seating area can also function as a photo wall.
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Wrap Your Tables in Navy Blue Linens
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According to Skelley, linens are an ideal way to add navy blue to your wedding. Covering your tables in solid navy linens is bold and statement-making, especially if you choose a rich fabric, like these velvet navy tablecloths at this couple’s Vincent van Gogh-inspired function in Geneva. To make navy linens the main moment at your reception, accentuate them with neutral hues, like wooden chairs, white candles, and greenery centerpieces. The assortment will also create a natural look, which is perfect for organic nuptials.
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Line the Center With a Vibrant Runner
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On the other hand, you can leave your tables bare but add a touch of navy blue with a runner that cuts through the center. A piece of indigo fabric with navy piping will bring a bright and dramatic edge to a wooden table. Meanwhile, gold flatware with navy handles and an indigo napkin on each charger will create a color-coordinated, cohesive look.
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Make It the Focal Point of Your Place Settings
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Instead of immersing your reception tables in navy blue, consider adding a bit of the shade to your tablescape, such as with a navy blue napkin. By choosing a single detail in navy blue—versus the entire table—the color will stand out. These knotted napkins in the shade popped against white plates, white linens, silverware, mauve taper candles, and floral centerpieces in muted hues.
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Choose a Fun Pattern for Your Chargers
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Elements washed in a solid navy blue color are certainly effective at establishing your theme, but you can also have fun with different patterns and textures. These azulejo-inspired chargers in various shades of blue, including navy, made a big impression at this couple’s camp-themed wedding in Texas. Make sure that none of the other accompaniments on your tabletop showcase a print to prevent your tablescape from becoming too loud and overwhelming.
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Trim Your Wedding Cake With an Intricate Design
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Working navy blue into your décor is a given, but you can also incorporate the hue into your menu, especially your wedding cake. Since your confection will be on full display throughout your reception, a navy blue design will elevate your dessert and round off your palette. A cascade of intricate navy blue piping draped across each tier (which is what this couple served at their elegant event in Westhampton) will give life to an all-white cake. Another option is covering each layer in navy blue fondant.
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Serve a Colorful Wedding Cake Alternative
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Perhaps you aren’t a fan of wedding cake. For an equally tasty and colorful substitute, serve blueberry pie. The bright berries will bring a natural punch of navy blue to your dessert bar. Not to mention, swapping cake for pie will bring a cozy, personal touch to your wedding reception.
