When party planners and event organizers combine the significance of colors for ceremonial supplies into the theme of a function or celebration, their effort will result in the best possible exposure and the most memorable occasions for their clients. Savvy individuals who specialize in organizing commemorative occasions and corporate events such as groundbreaking ceremonies, grand openings, military functions, sales and distribution conferences and other similar events, understand the importance of using the psychology of colors beyond their client's logo color scheme.
Cello 2009 by Doba Afolabi
Throughout history colors have been used to evoke feelings, status, or celebrate seasons and traditions that create a memorable impression upon people. For example, Native American tribes used face paint of specific colors to display social distinctions during ceremonies to identify warriors, healers, and of course the high ranking Chief. In African cultures, a colored, dotted face pattern was employed as a beauty style but also to distinguish boys from men, men from women, and members of the tribe from outsiders. Australian aboriginals didn't just stop at the face for color paint and instead used their entire body as the canvas for their messages. It is fair to say that color preferences and tendencies are primarily based on emotions. The way native cultures felt about particular circumstances, or how they wished to be perceived by others, was symbolized with color. The same applies today for special events. Ceremonialsupplies.com has compiled this reference guide and suggests items and supplies to enhance a themed ceremony by incorporating the significance of colors, with the event.
Warm Colors To Suggest Fire, Sun, Heat, Action, and Excitement
Red – The color of passion and drama. This color attracts the most attention and is associated with strong emotions such as love and anger. It's the color used universally to signify danger, courage, strength, and power. Red is stimulating, vibrant and exciting. It inspires desire with a strong link to sexuality and increased appetites. In Chinese culture red represents luck and prosperity. Use red when you want to get pulses racing and inspire call to action. This is why Commerce uses key words such as "Buy Now," "Clearance," and other similar terms that imply urgency in action, in the color red. It is a proven fact that red, calls. When organizing a themed event, a red carpet, red stanchion rope, and red banners or balloons serve to guide and move your attendees in the direction of these items. When you want a smooth flow of traffic in a large event, or a bold elegant statement anywhere, use red.
Orange – The color of encouragement. The combination of yellow and red makes orange. Orange conveys excitement, warmth and enthusiasm. It's a social and inviting extrovert color that exudes happiness and joy and the releasing of inhibitions. Need to be inspired into action or to have a positive outlook on life? Orange is a motivating and encouraging color and is associated with the season of Summer. Orange is appealing to young people. It stimulates the appetite and conveys health, and nourishment. In business functions, the color orange is perfect to designate activity areas such as dining and gaming sections, and for items such as keepsakes that attendees will take home.
Yellow – The color of freshness, positivity, remembrance, optimism and loyalty and is associated with the season of Spring. It is the color of sunshine, representing illumination, youth, birth, and fresh energy. Yellow inspires friendship and unity. It stimulates the left side of the brain, helping with clear thinking and quick decision making. It grabs attention because the eye/brain see yellow first. Those highlighters that are an essential tool in your pen holder? They come in every color these days but the original highlighter, and the most popular still sold today, is yellow- and for a strong reason! Yellow ribbons and bows used to enhance centerpiece decorations have a powerful visual effect, especially when brightly printed with a message.
Brown – The color of the earth. It represents safety, stability and a solid foundation and relates to things that are natural and simple. From beige, to tan, taupe and brown, the hue on its own may appear unsophisticated, but it is a reliable and wholesome color that combined with other colors becomes quite elegant and inspires a chic reassurance. The color brown is strongly associated with earth elements, real estate, construction, justice, and the concentration of material goods. It is the perfect color for items used as a base to display meaningful things because it enhances attention. For example, display cases and curios come in all colors and shades, but topping the preference list for these is the color brown. For corporate events and ceremonies that celebrate accomplishments or landmarks such as sales goals, new distributors, a grand opening, or a groundbreaking where there will be speakers, items such as ribbons, engraved gavels, shovels, and desktop keepsakes are usually found in brown finishes.
Copper and Gold – These colors imply divinity, wealth, abundance, and great fortune. Both colors represent minerals specifically used for the minting of coins. Gold represents the height of luxury and prosperity, and although keepsake items such as ceremonial keys and plaques can be produced of pure gold, the same color can also be achieved with Brass, which is the melting of copper and zinc. Brass is the most popular color for stanchions, plaques and keepsakes and represent growth, success, and positivity. In ceremonial use, these colors are extremely impressive when used in print. Invitations and special commemorative messages are usually printed in gold or copper. Gold, particularly metallic gold, can also serve as a sophisticated background for warm colors such as red or orange.
Cool Colors To Suggest Water, Calmness, Breeze, Freshness, and Tranquility
Pink – The color of sensitivity and harmony. Created by combining the passion of red with the purity of white. Pink is associated with love, tenderness, romance, and femininity. Seeing the world through “rose (pink) colored glasses” is a popular phrase that connotes the tenderness with which sensitive people approach life. It implies softness and delicateness and it's seen in nature in flowers and in elements such as pink crystals, and pink salt – which gets this hue from volcanic clay! The color pink is said to convey strong spiritual protectiveness and healing vibrational energies. This is perhaps the subliminal reason why it is the preferred color for ceremonial events that celebrate femininity, such as the birth, or the baptism or basmitzvah of a girl. Items for these ceremonial events such as sashes, ribbons, balloons, rope for stanchions, carpet runners, and mementos easily create a pink themed event that is sweet, elegant, and stylish.
Blue – The color of trust. It is the color of the sea and the sky and used to induce calmness, tranquility, serenity and peace. Blue conveys confidence and inspires feelings of trust, loyalty, integrity and responsibility. It is a conservative color that always comes across appropriately. It communicates. Of all the colors it is one of the most popular for corporate logos because of its deep significance of uniqueness and reliability. There aren't many foods associated with the color blue and therefore it is representative of the suppression of appetites. Very little in nature is blue, but what we do find in this color is exquisite, such as the blue Betta and Damsel fish, the feathers of the Bluejay and Peacock birds, the blue Morpho butterfly, and the Bluebell and blue Plumbago flowers. There's an aspect of influential maturity and seriousness about the color and an implication of authority. Consequently it is the color used for officer's uniforms and even police vehicles. In military ceremonies blue is a prevalent color and is considered the color of "patriotism." From blue carpet, blue stanchion rope, ribbons, balloons, bows, to blue accessories and event gifts, the color is perfect for high-profile corporate events and military ceremonies.
Green – The color of growth, health, and luck. When we think of nature we see green in all its glory representing rebirth and life. After a harsh winter or a scorching summer, nature returns in plush green. It has a strong association with the cycle of rebirth in nature and suggests a plentiful environment. Green has been incorrectly linked with materialistic possessions because it's the dominant color of money. However, this is unfair because green was chosen as the color of money precisely because it represents growth through renewal, abundance, and hope! The color green as the focal theme for ceremonies and events is best employed for brands and corporations in the realm of health, nature, and natural purity. Don't be afraid to roll out a luxurious green carpet framed with bright, brass stanchions and green rope the next time you have to organize a nature related event such as a groundbreaking ceremony! And keep green in mind when coordinating events for health centers and skincare or beauty salons. Remember, the vibrational energy associated with this color is potent and revitalizing and so will be your event!
Grey and Silver – Grey is the color of compromise. It is considered to be an unemotional, detached, color that avoids attention because it represents the subtlety of the sublime within. Grey conveys a stabilizing, neutral effect that is linked with maturity, protection, reliability, and practicality. It is elegant, but not a glamorous color. In ceremonial functions it is used predominantly to celebrate long-term accomplishments. In its shinier version, Silver, the color makes quite a heightened statement! Silver is the color that represents the feminine divinity, intuition and victory. It is the most popular color for New Year's festivities and accessories. For corporate events and ceremonial functions, grey and silver make the perfect accent pieces and items with which to decorate the overall surroundings. From big bows and ribbons used in centerpieces, to napkins, cups, balloons and printed messages, grey and silver will add that extra touch that makes the ordinary unique and special. A blue or green theme with accents of grey and silver creates a visual motivating effect that will inspire participants and be remembered long after the event has ended.
For Ceremonies Where Warm Meets Cool
Purple – Combining the energy of red and the calmness of blue, the color purple is strongly associated with quality, nobility and royalty. It is visibly luxurious and rich and inspires feelings of grandeur. Perhaps because it is a unique color achieved from two of the most vibrant shades in the spectrum purple is like the proud child of prominent parents. It is the color of universal consciousness and connection to the higher self. It conveys dignity, clarity of thought, wisdom, influence, and insight. In the coronation of British monarchs for example, the imperial robe is of purple velvet, lined with pure purple silk satin and trimmed in Canadian white ermine, and the style goes back to the times of Roman Emperors. The military honor of the "Purple Heart" ceremony is an exceptional recognition. The color purple is rarely an occurring color in nature and is therefore perceived as having sacred meaning. Lavender, orchid, lilac, and violet flowers are considered precious and delicate. The amethyst gemstone for example, is one of the most sought after jewels and thought to have healing properties. Usually large global financial conglomerates, and high-ranking military events will hold ceremonies where the color purple or violet is used, and where even a company's logo is seeped in the color for maximum effect. Richly combined with gold trim and printing, ceremonial ribbons, step and repeat banners, stanchion rope and carpet, and tools such as giant ribbon cutting scissors in the color purple, will cast an air of elite quality on an event meant to be rare and historical in significance. Now that you know what the color represents and how it's been used throughout history, you can plan your next ceremonial occasion like royalty!
The Special Significance of Black and White
Black – The color of power, sophistication, formality and elegance. Black is what gives depth to all other colors making it compatible with every surrounding. The Black ceremonial ribbon is a popular touch for celebrations that commemorate weddings, anniversaries, associations and important landmarks. A strong and powerful color, black is helpful to other colors by providing a strong contrast and making them stand out more. Black is the perfect background for bright Gold or shiny Silver printing, especially for favors and ribbons!
White – The magical color of innocence, purity, and peace. White is special because it serves all purposes. It is a unifying color that denotes balance, truth, consecration, deep spirituality, and is the defining color of young children. It is the color of wedding attire for the bride (and sometimes the groom!), and of first graduations. For the purpose of ceremonial events where purity and virtue are the main statements, white is the perfect touch that can be combined with any other color to elegantly convey the ideal message. Most notably used in ceremonies such as weddings, christenings or baptisms and first communions, items and accessories that frame the theme of the event can all be found in the color white. In the case of these ceremonies it's important to feature the color alongside bright gold or shiny silver to avoid a monotonous theme that can dull the significance of the occasion. When used in corporate ceremonies or functions, white is perfect as the background to cool colors such as blues, greens, and pinks.
In summary, black is usually used to denote power, while grey is commonly used to mean security, authority, maturity and stability. Purple represents royalty, luxury, wisdom, and red is associated with passion. Yellow is used for joy, energy and warmth. Blue corresponds to calmness and confidence. Greens convey a message of life and growth, while white signifies purity and light. Pink is the color of love, and brown is the color of earth. Gold and silver are the rich colors of wealth, and orange is the color of encouragement. No matter what the occasion of your ceremony colors will subconsciously affect the way people feel – this means that even when your guests are not aware, they are being "messaged" through the color of their environment. The right color choice will work in your favor to create a truly memorable experience for your guests and for posterity. Ceremonialsupplies.com takes special pride in our products and in our knowledge to help you achieve success in all your events.