Curating a gorgeous Pinterest board for your wedding is practically a modern-day rite of passage for every bride-to-be. And while we love the creative content sharing site, there are plenty of other places out there to look for inspiration and ideas. To start, instead of looking outward at what everyone else is doing, try to look inward and reflect upon what brings you joy. Fabrice Orlando of Cocoon Events Management Group recommends trolling through your own bookshelves, movie collection or artwork to search for original inspiration in your favorite things. “You may find common themes that can serve as a muse for your celebration,” he says.
Think About Your Favorite Things
“To bring in more of your personality, think about your favorite things in the world and the items that make you happy,” says Jamie Chang of Passport to Joy. “This could be a certain TV show, a love of hip-hop music, blueberry pancakes or all things green.” And take a hard look at what you surround yourself with, from fabrics and textures to colors and style. You might even create a handmade mood board to use as the base for your wedding design.
Look To Interior Design
Once you've taken note of anything that may inspire from within, Orlando suggests taking it bigger picture and looking to interior design and architecture. This can mean browsing through a home décor catalog or walking through an interesting neighborhood, all while asking yourself how an element from a particular structure can be translated to your big day, he says.
Keep An Open Mind
“Keep your designer's cap on as you're out and about, since you never know what could trigger your inspiration,” he adds. “Notice the lighting in your date night restaurant or the décor pieces as you window shop. If you keep an open mind, you'll start getting ideas everywhere you go!” Spend some time revisiting your favorites stores, museums and neighborhoods and try to pinpoint what you like and what moves you. One small item might provoke a larger design concept, or an entire store can serve as the basis for the overall experience you want to create, Chang says.
Along similar lines, seasonal table sets in home décor stores are a great place to look for new ideas beyond what's available at wedding rental sites, says Kim Sayatovic of Belladeux Events. You can even use similar concepts to create vignettes throughout your wedding.
Check Out Instagram
If you're inclined to do some digital sifting, Instagram is one place to look. Sayatovic follows wedding designers and planners, as well as wedding photographers, to take a peek at trends in other markets. “This way you get to see real weddings rather than just styled shoots,” she says. Thumbtack Wedding Pro Renee Flores also turns to Instagram for creative inspiration, making use of hashtags, tagged photos and Geotags for more focused browsing. It's also a good idea to use the social media app to see images other couples have posted at your venue. You can see the space in action and scope out talented professionals who can help your vision come to life, Flores says.
Watch Wedding Videos
You can also get into the nitty gritty of real-life special events by viewing actual wedding videos online. Search by category like dress designer, venue, videographer, dramatic first looks, vows that make you cry and so on, says Rachel Jo Silver of LoveStoriesTV.com. “There's no better way to get a 360 view of hair, dress styles, florals and décor,” she says.
Look to Nature
Of course, stepping away from your computer or smartphone will open your eyes to a whole new world of stirring sights. Sayatovic always suggests that her clients look to nature and the surrounding city. “Vines growing up the side of a building, a natural rock formation with multiple colored layers of rocks. The possibilities in nature are endless,” she says.
This article was written by Whitney C. Harris for Brides.com.
Photo: Matt Andrews Photography
