Real Weddings with Purple Ideas

Farm tables at this rustic reception in Napa were warmed up with plum runners and linens. Custom lighting and subtle floral arrangements added extra charm.

Bride Carrie Ann's bouquet included aubergine calla lilies and purple lisianthus. Callas in the day's palette were chosen to honor the memory of Barton's mother, who had carried white callas in her bouquet.

Tented plum cards simply calligraphed in white were set out in front of a tall floral arrangement at Traci and Justin's wedding in Newport, Rhode Island.

After an outdoor summer wedding, newlyweds Carolyn and Barry handed out vibrant African violets as favors.

A sparkling moon-and-stars topper crowned five tiers of cake covered in lavender fondant at Anne and David's New York chic wedding.

Purple orchids added a splash of color to the serene beach-inspired decor at Lindsay and Reed's destination wedding in the Bahamas.

Bride Alison tied together lavender bunches from a local farm with calligraphed name tags after spotting a similar idea in Martha Stewart Weddings.

Bride Sarah asked her 'maids to find dresses that suited their own style, but still felt true to a wedding inspiration board full of details she envisioned for her big day, including shades of pale purple.

At Carolyn and Barry's outdoor wedding in Westport, Connecticut, flower girl Emily Kelly carried a dainty bundle of sweet peas, viburnum, and roses that reflected the day's soft palette.

Bridesmaids at Amy and TQ's destination wedding in Bali carried bouquets of mauve 'Cool Water' roses, lilac snapdragons, purple hydrangeas, and green dendrobium orchids with white 'Celesta' aster and 'Xanadu' foliage accents.

Bride Lauren's attendants looked beautiful in plum chiffon dresses by Amsale.

Classic cream letterpressed ceremony programs were tied with delicate raw-silk purple ribbons to add a dash of color at Gabrielle and Chris's woodsy California wedding.

Sharla Flock Designs created the flowers for bride Nicole's wedding day in Napa, including her bouquet of eggplant calla lilies, fringed tulips, green hypericum berries, and dusty miller leaves.

Bride Joey's best ladies carried bouquets of garden roses, dusty miller, hydrangeas, and gardenias. Lavender was added to to the mix in Joey's, for a subtle pop of color.

Huckleberry ice cream gave these ginger cookie ice sandwiches at Hannah and Charlie's summer wedding a playful, palette-friendly touch.

Guests at Dana and Erik's romantic Carmel wedding started with a salad of grilled artichoke topped with goat cheese crumbles, caramelized pecans, and edible purple flowers that pulled in the day's dramatic palette.

Tealight candles dangled from shades of purple ribbon among the trees surrounding Melody and Adam's wedding venue. As the reception progressed, the candlelight (and bistro lights hung above) cast a romantic glow over the yard.

For her Hawaiian wedding reception, bride Stacie topped long reception tables with simple purple table clothes, then added details inspired by luaus: luahala-mat runners and monkeypod wood plates.

Assorted arrangements of eggplant calla lilies, purple tulips, antique green hydrangeas, dusty miller, geraniums, hypericum berries, and Hawaiian dendrobium orchids were spread down rustic tables at this barn wedding and interspersed with candles in a variety of sizes.

Hot-pink peonies, purple anemones, and dusty miller were accented with vintage metallic and fabric leaves and a few feathers in bride Eunice's bouquet.

A chocolate and raspberry cake with sugar buttons and a pressed-in wood-grain pattern was a sweet ending to Carrie Anne and Barton's afternoon reception. It was designed and baked by Heather Chittum and Heather Wade-Benderly, and carried on the purple button motif.

To match the day's purple palette, bride Carolyn chose lavender paper to bring her creative guest book to life: Guests "signed" notes to the newlyweds with snapshots from a pocket-sized instant camera.

What's more fitting for a vineyard wedding than a few purple grapes in your wedding photos? Elizabeth and Stephane played up the natural beauty of the Napa Valley by incorporating the fresh fruit into their portraits.

Tables at Anne and David's classic New York wedding were set with arrangements of hydrangeas and roses in varying combinations of green and white, pink, or lush lavender, as seen here.