If you watched Steel Magnolias, you may remember the pinktacular wedding scene. Shelby’s choices of “blush” and “bashful,” or rather pink and pink, resulted in a ceremony that may as well have been doused with Pepto Bismol.

From the invitations to the flowers and bridesmaids’ gowns to centerpieces, color plays a huge role in tying together all the wedding details. But with so many choices in a sea of shades and tints, it’s hard to know where to begin. Here are some tips to help you find your signature colors.

Forget pastels. Bold and vibrant colors are in this year (think coral, bright shades of blue, and yellow), as are monochromatic themes. Even black dresses are gracing the runways.

Wedding experts suggest choosing the venue and a theme before making color choices, which will set the tone of your wedding— dusty olive and pink champagne say vintage, red and black are classic, and yellow and lime mean vivacious.

Personal style should also be reflected in your special day. Look at photos and art for inspiration and consider the colors you surround yourself with in everyday life. If you have a specific hue in mind, explore the Web site colorschemer.com, which offers tools for helping you make complementary matches.

Other considerations when picking colors are how they will look against skin tones or in photographs under various lighting conditions. Remember to keep it simple by narrowing your choices to two or three, and don’t change your mind after you’ve sent the invitations. And, unless you’re striving for a Steel Magnolias-inspired wedding, avoid pink on pink.