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The bride needs to be the center of attention on her wedding day. The bridesmaid’s dresses need to be chosen with enough frills to keep the maids happy, while supporting the fact that the bride is the one who is in control on her big day. Thinking about the bridesmaid dress in a unique light, there is nothing wrong with choosing a bridesmaid dress that compliments the bride and the wedding colors.

The bridal bouquet will be chosen with great care. The colors used in the bridal bouquet will compliment those in the wedding theme. This wedding theme can consist of two, three or more colors. Most couples choose a simpler theme with three colors max, but that does not mean some subtle hints of complimentary colors cannot take the wedding theme from bland to beautiful.

Here is the idea. Let’s say the wedding colors are black, white and purple. Black and white are pretty definitive colors, but purple offers many hues and variations. In the bridal bouquet, add a complimentary shade of purple via small buds or flowers to the bouquet. Then, match the bridesmaid’s dresses to these subtle colors. The maids will not over power the bride because they will each be wearing a different shade of purple, but when the photos are taken, the colors will match between the bridal bouquet and the bridesmaid’s dresses, pulling together the look.

Other ideas for picking a bridesmaid dress that compliments a wedding is to match one bridesmaid to one groomsman. If each groomsman has a different tie color, the bridesmaid can match that color instead of wearing the same color each of the other maids is wearing.

A final idea for splitting up the redundancy is to change up the lengths of the bridesmaid’s dresses and the cuts of the dress tops. Some maids can wear a strapless while other a tank. For an evening wedding, the maids can also choose to wear pant suits instead of dresses.

There is so much advice out there for brides with a seemingly endless budget (and guest list) who want a formal evening affair, complete with swathes of fabric, a lobster dinner and a bridal party outfitted in Vera Wang. But more and more brides today are veering away from this king of wedding and opting for a smaller, simpler affair with only close family and friends. That is, they would like more of a “celebration” than a “reception”. So how can you still put together a beautiful, fun event with a small budget and a guest list under 50? Here are five of my favorite ideas:

1. Have an Italian-themed dinner in a courtyard or backyard under the moonlight, catered by your favorite Italian restaurant. Drape tree branches with tiny white lights and large white lanterns. Use rustic long wooden tables covered with a simple white linen table runner. For centerpieces, use white or yellow flowers assembled casually in rustic vases (do-it-yourself style). Give soaps, candles, chocolate-covered hazelnuts or tiny bottles of olive oil as favors (you can bottle them yourself using store-bought olive oil and tiny jars). Have lots of candlelight.

2. Take your guests on a dinner cruise, and let the scenery be your décor. Choose blue and white nautical colors as your color scheme, and hire a jazz trio for music. For favors, give little bottles of flavored sea salt. A bonus? If you have the budget, hire a barber quartet or 1940s-style singing group to serenade your audience.

3. Have a breakfast celebration! Say your vows as the sun rises and then celebrate with a tasting menu of yummy bite-sized breakfast foods, like waffles, pancakes, French toast, mimosas, fruit cups, eggs benedict, and cinnamon toast.

4. Stay on the beach. Many couples choose to say their vows on the beach, but then go indoors to a formal reception hall. But if you only have a small group, stay and have lunch or dinner on the beach too! Set up a few long tables and benches, cover them with pretty blue table clothes, and have guests eat with their toes in the sand. No decoration necessary, just good food and good company.

5. Ask your favorite bakery or dessert venue if you can have a tea and cake, or dessert and cocktail, reception at their location. Decorate with whimsical flowers like pink peonies, and hire a harpist to play.

After you become engaged and begin planning your wedding, one of the first questions female friends and relatives may ask after “Can I see your ring?” and “When is the wedding?” is “What are you colors?” Indeed, choosing one or more colors for your flowers and décor can be a daunting task, since it is hard to make any other decisions before you have made that one. Your colors set the tone for your day. If you want a vibrant wedding with colorful Indian dishes or a mariachi band, it wouldn’t be appropriate to use neutrals throughout your décor. Similarly, if you are looking to have an upscale beach wedding, pastels may be a better choice than neon colors.

It is also difficult to stay away from color combinations that have been used more frequently than others in friends’ weddings, for example. Here are a few of my favorite suggestions:

1. Black, white and bright yellow—this could be used for a black-tie event or a daytime outdoor event. The pop of yellow against the stark black and white makes for a creative and modern twist on the traditional.

2. Pale pink and white are classic combinations, and in my opinion will never be out-of-date. But what about throwing in a little peach as well? Peach is an unexpected and infrequently used color in weddings, but beautiful and soft.

3. Brides do not often think of silver or gold as official wedding colors, but they can add a graceful ambiance or “wow-factor” if paired with a single additional simple color, such as white or gray. Avoiding very bright color pairings will help make sure the silver or gold touches look sophisticated instead of gaudy.

4. Champagne and Grays are two more great colors that will make your wedding stand out from the crowd. Champagne pairs great with pastels, and gray looks amazing with yellow! (If you choose champagne you could have a lot of fun with a “champagne-themed” wedding—champagne truffles as favors perhaps? Bubbles as you exit the church? A release of one hundred white balloons?)

5. Stark white and very dark brown are often overlooked, but tremendously classy in their simplicity. They look great together!

A helpful tip: go to your local home improvement store and look through paint chips for inspiration!