24 Copper Wedding Ideas for Any Type of Affair

Bride and groom kissing while standing in front of a copper-colored arch decorated with greenery and white flowers — Photo by Jenn Emerling

Silver and gold are common metallic hues that couples often rely on to accentuate their wedding, but if you’re eager to break the mold, you’re probably on the hunt for something that feels a bit more unexpected. Enter: Copper. This shade still achieves the same statement-making effect as its other metallic counterparts, but it’s a welcome change from the more popular options. Copper is a pinkish-orange color that’s warm and shiny, and we like that it has the ability to seamless blend in with your overarching wedding décor while simultaneously adding a glitzy and eye-catching pop. By dousing your big day in copper elements, you’ll bring a unique and distinctive flair to your aesthetic that your guests won’t stop talking about.

Whether you’re getting married in an opulent ballroom or an industrial warehouse, there are plenty of ways to integrate this lustrous hue into your décor. Bring the glossy shade to your wedding look by choosing copper tones for your makeup or jewelry. Then, deck out your ceremony in the hue, from bronzed-brushed chairs to a copper-colored arch. Once you’ve traded vows, consider sipping on Moscow mules in copper mugs and dining on chargers painted in the rich color. Of course, you don’t have to submerge your nuptials in the pinkish-orange tint to make an impression. Adding a subtle touch will be just as noteworthy, and you can combine the metallic shade with other colors, such as navy blue or terracotta, to round off your palette.

From your welcome sign to your tablescape, we’re sharing our favorite ways to make copper part of your special day. Read on for 24 copper wedding ideas that will make any type of affair shine.

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Calligraph Your Invitations in Copper

Emerald green wedding invitations with copper font and a sunset illustration — Photo by Norman & Blake

Once your guests open their invitations, they’ll get a sneak peek at your wedding's design concept. To establish your color palette right off the bat, choose a font color in a copper tint. When this couple got married at their elegant wedding in Big Sur, they used the metallic hue to relay information about their upcoming celebration, and they even included an illustration of the sunset in the same gleaming hue to introduce their botanical outdoor setting. To make sure the typeface stands out, opt for a darker background colorway, such as emerald green.

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Add the Hue to Your Makeup Look

Bride in lace wedding dress and copper eyeshadow leaning against the groom, who's wearing a linen suit — Photo by Katie Ruther

To manufacture a bronzed glow, bring the metallic color to your glam. With just a few swipes, copper eyeshadow will brighten your eyes and match the rest of your décor. Choose a contoured look with the deepest color on the inner and outer corners of your eyelid or pair the rosy shade with other neutrals, like deep brown or warm peach. This color looks good on every eye type.

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Accessorize With the Stylish Shade

An assortment of copper accessories, including diamond rings, diamond earrings, and a bejeweled headpiece — Photo by Amy & Stuart

Accessories are the key to elevating any outfit, even on your wedding day. Instead of the classic silver or gold jewels, deck out your ensemble in copper. Wear diamond earrings set in the pink-orange tone, complete your ring stack with a copper band, or top off your hairstyle with a beaded headpiece featuring the rosy tint.

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Welcome Guests in a Glamorous Way

welcome sign in an antique copper mirror with copper calligraphy — Photo by Alexandra Wallace

When combined with vintage pieces, copper exudes old Hollywood glamour. One look we love? A gilded antique mirror with copper calligraphy to use as your welcome sign for old-world nuptials. You can even create the design yourself by sourcing a second-hand frame, painting the exterior in the metallic tone, and writing out the details in copper.

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Choose a Metallic Frame

Wedding banner sign on copper rod decorated with greenery as wedding altar backdrop in front of windows at indoor wedding ceremony — Photo by Chloe Malsick Photography

Looking for another alternative to welcome your guests to your soirée? Use a copper rod to frame your signage. Suspending a banner with a cute phrase, such as “Forever your always,” will set the tone, while additional decorations, like flowers, greenery, and candles, will help create a romantic setting.

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Make Your Altar Glow

Bride and groom kissing in front of their copper wire arch decorated with greenery and white flowers — Photo by Jenn Emerling

Adding a touch of copper to your altar is a stunning way to enact this warm tint. When paired with lush greenery and white blooms, copper takes a supporting role but does so in a complementary way. A metallic base covered in plants is perfect for garden soirées in the great outdoors.

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Accentuate a Bohemian Design

Copper wire ceremony arch flanked by arrangements with pampas grass and dried palm leaves — Photo by Mallory Dawn

Copper has an earthy, effortless feel to it that makes it a natural fit for bohemian bashes. To seamlessly integrate this metal into your celebration, pair copper touches with pampas grass, dried palm leaves, trailing greenery, and dried flowers in neutral shades. A ceremony arch with overlapping copper rods flanked with wild installations will help your vision take shape.

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Select Apt Seating

Copper ceremony chairs scattered on a rooftop terrace trimmed with palm leaves — Photo by Jenn Emerling

Seating arrangements with a copper finish will add an unexpected and contemporary edge to your ceremony. With multiple rows of copper chairs, this bold hue will easily become the primary focus of your ceremony. Tropical greenery, glass vases, and black accents will help bring out the warm tones. Rooftop weddings overlooking the skyline and industrial venues with exposed brick walls are the ideal place to make this idea come to life.

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Suspend Copper-Tinted String Lights

Bride and groom holding hands beneath arches with greenery and copper string lights — Photo by Anna Delores Photography

Lighting is one of the best ways to set the mood for the festivities. By hanging strands of copper lights from above, you’ll create an enchanting fairy-tale atmosphere at any setting. Consider using string lights in the rich metal to illuminate the path from the ceremony to the reception (like this couple did at their fall garden wedding in California) or hang them from the ceiling at your reception.

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Use the Metal to Assign Your Seats

escort card display in a copper frame with copper wine stoppers and copper calligraphy — Photo by Rebecca Yale Photography

Whether copper is one of the main hues in your color palette or a secondary shade, bringing the metal to your seating chart or escort card display is guaranteed to evoke elegance. Combined with a greenery border and accompanied by intricate calligraphy, you’ll create a setup that’s both opulent and inviting. This couple’s display, featuring wine stoppers as escort cards at their Chilean-inspired nuptials in Napa Valley, is an exemplary example.

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Complement an Autumnal Aesthetic

Seating chart with copper table numbers and an autumnal arrangement of foliage — Photo by Norman & Blake

Since a golden tint is naturally found in fall foliage, copper is a suitable complement to an autumnal fête. If you’re saying “I do” while the treetops are bursting with vibrancy, channel the colors of the season with copper, red, orange, and yellow tones. Number your tables in the warm metallic hue, and then, station your seating chart with an arrangement of leaves and flowers in matching shades.

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Opt for a Boozy, Color-Coordinated Display

Copper shelves with copper mugs as escort cards placed in front of trees — Photo by Kaylee Chelsea Photography

Are you looking for a fun and interactive way to direct friends and family to their seats? Look to boozy escort cards. To match your color palette, serve cocktails in copper mugs with stirrers or labels featuring each of your attendees’ names, and arrange them on copper shelving for a cohesive look. You can also set up this station at your ceremony to encourage guests to mingle prior to the service.

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Adorn Your Lounge Area With Lanterns

Wedding lounge area outdoors with cane curved seating, tables, ottomans, and candles in lanterns — Photo by Heather Waraksa

While lounge areas aren’t a requirement, they offer a reprieve for guests who want to take a break from the dance floor, while building upon your overarching design concept. Lining the perimeter of your lounge with copper lanterns will radiate comfort and relaxation in a sophisticated way. Take cues from this couple, who brought metallic light fixtures in various shapes and sizes to their tropical wedding in Brazil. Combined with wicker furniture, the decorative details took on a laid-back, beachy look.

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Settle on a Celestial Design

Bar designed with copper stars beneath yellow and orange fringe hanging lanterns — Photo by Anna Delores Photography

If you’re hosting a celestial-inspired wedding, copper is one hue you’ll want to include in your color scheme since the bronzed tint is reminiscent of the constellations. An effortless way to accomplish this look is decorating your bar, linens, and signage in a star-studded pattern that’s painted in copper. You can also hang star-shaped light fixtures in the metallic shade to complete your otherworldly setup.

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Emphasize the Accents

Wooden bar topped with copper lanterns featuring floating candles and copper vases with pink and purple flowers — Photo by Josh Gruetzmacher

On the other hand, instead of making copper the primary focus of your bar, add a touch of the metal with a few accents. Copper lanterns that house floating candles and copper vases brimming with colorful floral arrangements against a wooden surface will help produce a rustic, pared-back vibe.

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Make Sure Your Barware Matches

Wooden bar with copper champagne buckets, copper trim on vases, and candles — Photo by Christina Richards

In addition to decorations, every bar needs the essentials to be a true success. Stock your setup with Champagne buckets in copper to keep your bottles of bubbly beverages cool. Then, give your design a boost with copper add-ons, whether it’s amber candle holders or glass vases featuring metallic bases.

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Display Your Guest Book Alongside the Metal

Copper guest book sign with a glass vase filled with pens and mad lib papers — Photo by Jenn Emerling

Since your wedding day goes by in the blink of an eye, many couples set up a wedding guest book to compile a keepsake that allows them to relive every special moment from the day whenever they look back at it. At your copper-colored nuptials, ask your guests to offer well-wishes via a sign pinned on a copper clipboard. Not only will you designate a place for your memories to live on, but you’ll also reinforce your theme.

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Don’t Forget to Decorate the Ceiling

Copper 3D stars hanging from the ceiling at a reception — Photo by Jami Laree Photography

Couples often pay a lot of attention to their tablescapes, but filling the overhead space with decorations will up the ante. For a touch of copper, cover your ceiling in 3D stars to draw the gaze upward and make a large, barren room feel more cozy and intimate. Adding these accents to an indoor space will also bring the outdoors in by recreating a starry night sky, especially in dim lighting.

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Enjoy Dinner by Candlelight

Tablescape with copper taper candles on a white runner, paired with flowers, black chargers, and white plates — Photo by Gaby J Photography

Copper already evokes a warm glow, so lining your tables with taper candles in the bronzed shade will further produce a dreamy ambiance. When placed against a white linen runner and beside neutral flowers, crystal glassware, and black chargers, the metallic hue will pop. Consider using these candlesticks at a modern museum wedding, a glamorous ballroom setting, or a rustic barn venue.

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Mix in Marble

Wedding reception tablescape with light blue runner and copper foil and white taper candles on copper holders with marble accents — Photo by Chowen Photography

Other natural patterns and hues, such as marble, are the perfect accompaniment to copper. Since the shiny metal and the crystallized rock are both earthy materials, when they’re combined with one another, they bring an organic and visually appealing touch to any wedding. Candle holders featuring copper and marble features placed on a runner with copper flecks will blend into a natural setting.

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Set Out Copper Mugs

Place settings with copper mugs, copper flatware, and pink chargers — Photo by Rebecca Yale Photography

Copper mugs are one of the most common ways to infuse your wedding with the rich hue. While they make a beautiful escort card display, you can also set each table with the metallic cup. Complete the setup with matching flatware and candle holders.

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Combine Various Metals

Copper chargers and gold flatware in front of peach, cream, and toffee flowers — Photo by Carrie Patterson

Instead of a copper-colored tablescape, mix different metals for an unexpected yet luminescent look. Copper chargers flanked by gold flatware will produce an arrangement that’s filled with texture and shine. You can even bring a hint of bronze to your centerpieces with toffee, peach, and cream florals.

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Incorporate a Splash of Navy Blue

Tablescape with terracotta bowls and cacti, copper glassware, copper chargers, and pink flatware — Photo by Alixann Loosle

If you’re looking for more hues to add to your color palette besides copper, consider navy blue. The warm, glossy hue paired with the deep shade will provide a stunning contrast that simply demands attention. Include these colors at a coastal bash on the beach or a bohemian celebration on a mountain.

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Showcase Sweets Covered in Copper

Wedding cake with copper tier and copper drip icing on bottom tier — Photo by Natalie Watson

All-white wedding cakes transcend time, but for an out-of-the-box design with a dramatic edge, decorate your confection in copper fondant. If you’re serving a two-tier cake, cover the first layer in a solid shade and splatter drip icing on the bottom tier. A cluster of real flowers stationed at either corner will add a prolific flair.

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