Coordinating your wedding with Pantone’s Color of the Year choices can be a fun way to commemorate this time in your life. To avoid dated photos that might make you cringe a few years from now, though, here are some simple tips for ways to take advantage of this trend without going overboard:

1. Pick your neutral: Whether you prefer white, ivory, cream, or even grey as your neutral, pick it early on, and use it generously. When you want colors to be the focus–even pastels like Rose Quartz and Serenity–you should place them to pop against your neutral. This creates more impact with fewer pieces, helping to keep things simple and uncluttered. Note: Incorporating a neutral does not automatically mean it will look muted or boring! If done correctly, it could mean quite the opposite.

   

   

2. Spread it out: You don’t need every color in every item at your wedding. Pantone colors, while always complimentary, also usually offer a strong contrast. This is what makes them striking pairings; but in excess, it can be visually overwhelming. In the picture below, the bridesmaids are wearing Serenity blue dresses, while their bouquets feature Rose Quartz and neutral white/ivory flowers. The separate pieces come together to create a balanced overall look. To tone it down even further, you could do all white flowers tied with Rose Quartz ribbons, or reverse the colors, and do Rose Quartz dresses with blue hydrangea bouquets.

   

3. Wear it: This won’t be possible with every year’s color pairing, but for 2016, it’s a great opportunity! The couples below show the most traditional options for pulling this off. For an alternate pairing, try putting the groom in a Rose Quartz shirt, and the bride in a Serenity blue dip dye gown.

   

   

4. Play with shades: Maybe you love the idea of these colors, but when you try to apply it to your own wedding plans, something doesn’t quite feel right. It doesn’t match the mood you’re going for, or it just doesn’t feel like ‘you’. Playing around with different shades might be the fix. Whether you go for a different color scheme entirely, or decide that just adding in a few complimentary shades into the mix is more you, some alternates to consider might be: navy and peach, magenta and grey, or cobalt and coral.

   

   

   

Even if the Pantone colors end up serving only as the jumping off point for your inspiration, you’ll love exploring these unique combinations to personalize your wedding while keeping it on trend.