By Christina Rafael
When I first got engaged, back in February 2012, I had a plethora of ideas I wanted to incorporate into my wedding and no idea how to execute them.
Was I a modern bride? Rustic? Should I call vendors? What about my dress?
These were just some of the topics I was mulling over in my brain and obsessing over in my dreams.
I had been planning—like most women I know—an imaginary dream wedding on Pinterest for quite some time before a ring was even introduced by my fiance. Anytime I would see something shiny or pretty, I would pin it. Anytime something made me cry, I would pin it. And anytime I did a mini clap over a creative idea, I would pin it.
I got a bit shameless with my “pinnings” and needless to say, had no focus or clear vision for my big day (May 25th!)
I’m sure I’m not the only person who went a bit overboard with ideas and thought it might be helpful for our 530 Brides to know they aren’t alone!
Here’s some tips on how I was able to condense my ideas, pave the road to planning and communicate with vendors who lacked psychic abilities to know EXACTLY what I wanted.
Take a Good, hard, look at your wedding Pinterest board
I set aside a morning to scan all three hundred pins (I know…) and look through them for repetitive ideas.
I recorded reoccurring themes and colors on post-it’s and found that I pinned, more than often, a LOT of burlap and blush-themed wedding ideas. As a result of this exercise I was able to determine my colors (neutrals with splashes of blush) and bridal style: rustic romantic. I was also able to select DIY projects I could successfully complete.
Folders, folders galore
My wedding folders can be classified as a bit obsessive. Once I was going through my Pinterest on paper I decided to tackle it virtually. I saved actual images from pins to my desktop and classified them by what they applied to.
For example, if I loved a cake design I would have a folder entitled “Reception” and within that folder would be one named “Food”, within THAT folder would be a “cake” folder filled with several photos.
This organization prevented me from getting lost in my own ideas. It also came in handy to show family and vendors photos of what inspired me from my laptop without relying on wifi connection.
Look at vendor websites
One thing I’ve learned as a bride is to pay attention to the vendors you pick and why you pick them.
Many wedding vendors—from caterers to consultants—have social media you can look at to view previous work. If you seem drawn to a certain vendor, make sure to see what they’ve done in the past and branch off of it.
For example, if you find a dessert display (like the one pictured above) on a caterer's Facebook page, reference it to them when you discuss your own plans and discuss why you liked it.
Often times they’ll be flattered, know exactly what you’re talking about and can make it better than it was before.
Call in for re-enforcements
If your vision wanders, you feel overwhelmed or just have a small question as you begin this planning journey, give us a call or comment on a post through our website or on social media . We're always reading our feedback and love to hear from our brides.
Our services are also available, from full planning packages to specialized event coordination. We also offer hour-long consultations where you can get detailed answers to questions, help with vendor planning, guides for invitation wording and much more.
Happy Planning and remember, we're here if you need a hand.