2025 Pantone Color of the Year: Event Pros React to Mocha Mousse

Cover photo: Wedding attire incorporates shades of mocha in an event by Your Jubilee Weddings. Photo courtesy The Shepards

Peach Fuzz, Viva Magenta, Very Peri—Pantone’s annual announcement of its Color of the Year always stirs up a buzz in the industry as event pros aim to get ahead of the trends and create inspiration for the latest ‘it’ hue. In recent years, Pantone has placed heavy emphasis on bright and vibrant colors, but this year’s choice of Mocha Mousse marks a shift to warmer, neutral tones that have dominated the interior design scene.

Pantone bills Mocha Mousse as “a rich brown hue infused with earthy refinement” that captures three themes that feel just right for 2025: thoughtful indulgence, harmonious comfort, and feelings of contentment.

Shades of brown make for great wedding attire, like this mocha suit jacket in a wedding by Jaclyn Watson Events. Photo courtesy Liron Erel and Co

Mocha Mousse is a versatile color, complimented by many color palettes. Photo courtesy Tracy Autem Photography

Pantone’s Color of the Year typically invites opinions from both sides: those who are thrilled and those who aren’t so impressed. Mocha Mousse is no exception! Here’s what event professionals are saying about 2025’s chosen tone:

Cocoas and tans pair nicely with gold in this table setting at The Estate by River Run. Photo courtesy Nicki Metcalf Photography

Browns bring both muted earth tones and bright accent colors to life. Event by LUX Affairs. Photo courtesy Mason Neufeld Photography

Incorporating Mocha Mousse into 2025 Events

So, how will Mocha Mousse fit into design trends in 2025? While brown may not have featured heavily in recent years, it has already stood the test of time as a reliable accent color with the power to add soft warmth to many color palettes.

And EBJ & Company’s Casey Cannon assures this hue can find its place in any wedding, no matter the style. “I think we will see a return to the well-loved white and green palette, but now, it will have a rich contrast with Mocha Mousse,” she predicts. “While many may think this is solely a fall and winter color, we can see this being used in spring and summer to add depth and warmth to neutral wedding colors.”

Joan Wyndrum of Blooms by the Box agrees that Mocha Mousse is a versatile color choice. “Combine it with creamy ivories, chocolate coffees, and sage greens for warm elegance, or pair it with dusty blues, lavenders, and pinks for a beautiful floral effect,” she says. “You can even marry it with deeper raspberry, peachy oranges, or blue-green tourmaline for a lively, luxe look!”

Rich earth tones create a grounding palette with Mocha Mousse. Event by Your Jubilee Weddings. Photo courtesy The Shepards

Looking to achieve a sleeker, more sophisticated design? “Use Mocha Mousse with black and keep it elegant and simple at the same time,” suggests Chandai Raghunauth of Chandai Events. She notes that the color’s adaptability could also mean seeing more boho vibes, especially “paired with a mauve tone to have a feminine twist.”

For Mocha Mousse inspiration, look to the interior design and fashion industries that have embraced earthy tones in recent years. Textures like wood, boucle, linen, and velvet all pair beautifully with the richness of 2025’s Color of the Year.

However, Nudo cautions against focusing too much on this shade of brown, as it may not make much of a splash in weddings and events. “We have found that the Pantone Color of the Year does not always play a big role in wedding colors,” she explains. “Overall, engaged couples will take their color cues from the season their wedding will be held, or they will draw inspiration from the colors of their venue.”

Whether you love it, hate it, or feel indifferent, Mocha Mousse is here to stay—at least for the year! Take some time to play with the possibilities and prepare for this refined and indulgent take on warm, cozy comfort.