Happy Wednesday!
Time for a little more expert wedding planning and design advice from the creative duo behind top, UK event design house Pocketful of Dreams.
Pocketful of Dreams specialise in the creation of breathtaking, extraordinary events from weddings to unique celebrations, product launches to epic parties – so it's quite the honour to have Michelle and Vicki share their words of wisdom here fortnightly!
(Catch up with their previous wedding design tips here.)
The Search For Wedding Inspiration
Hello again! In our last guest post here on Bridal Musings, we talked about the difference between themes and concepts, as well as how you could begin to develop your own big idea. But what do you once you’ve got that bit nailed? Well, that’s when the fun really starts because it’s time to look for inspiration!
Don’t forget it’s easy to start collecting hundred of images of beautiful “stuff” but now you’ve got a clear view of exactly how you want your wedding day to feel, and a clearer idea on a meaningful concept that works for you, it’s important to assess whether what you’re looking at fits with your defined vision. Here’s a few suggestions from us at Pocketful of Dreams for where to turn for your wedding inspiration…
Your Lifestyle
Don’t underestimate how much inspiration you can draw from your own life. For example, how have you decorated your home? Look at the colours, textures and fabrics in your home as well as thinking about your most prized possession and any family heirlooms that you own. You’re not necessarily looking for grand antiques, just think about the things that mean the most to you and best represent your vision.
This is also a good acid test for your wedding day style – if you’ve opted for a monochrome, clean and refined style but your home is an eclectic combination of treasures, then are you really creating a day that is an accurate portrayal of you?
Julie Lim via Southern Weddings
Design Trends
Look to the worlds of fashion and interiors for ideas and inspiration. We’re not saying that just because something is big on the catwalk you should incorporate it into your wedding, but looking at design, fashion and interiors blogs and magazines can all be a great source of fresh conceptual ideas, providing inspiration for colours, textures, patterns and even photographic styles.
Charlotte Love Via Little Miss Homes
Shop Windows
We love a good shop window here at Pocketful of Dreams. Large department stores and high-end boutiques often have the most fabulously creative and innovative displays that can evoke a certain emotion or spark an idea. Make sure you’re armed with your phone next time you’re on a shopping spree and snap away at any windows that catch your eye.
Anthropologie window via Retail Design Blog
The Wedding World
The most obvious source of inspiration; look to magazines, blogs, events and of course Pinterest to start gathering a plethora of images (not discovered Pinterest yet? You need to! Click here for our guide to getting the best out of this amazing resource).
The trick here is not to get caught up in what is currently a key wedding trend but to really focus on those weddings and ideas that capture your vision. Look for images that convey the overall sense of what you’re trying to create (innovative, chic, ethereal) and as you get further along in your planning, also hone in on specific elements such as table settings and flowers for inspiration which can help you when briefing suppliers and sourcing elements.
Jose Villa via Me, Myself and My Closet
A Bryan Photo Via Southern Weddings
The Natural World
The obvious element to consider here is the seasons; the time of year may have a bearing on your wedding day design but don’t feel that just because you’re getting married in Spring for example that you have to have a colour palette of lemony yellows and fresh greens.
Instead, get yourself out into the countryside, into the city or down to the coast and look at plants, trees, wildlife, pebbles, anything that catches your eye really. Nature can be a great source of inspiration for shades, shapes and textures, just remember to photograph anything you see so you can refer to it later. And of course, all that fresh air is the perfect antidote to any wedding planning stresses!
Our Labour Of Love vía Once Wed
Your Venue
And finally, if you’ve already got your venue booked, then think about the architecture, décor and colours that you have to play with and how these can inspire your wedding day look, it’s so important to work with the space you have and enhance it than try fight with the surroundings.
Here’s your ‘pinnable’ / ‘cut out and keep’ image with all the key tips from this post for your wedding planning board or folder.
Many thanks to Michelle and Vicki of Pocketful Of Dreams for sharing these helpful tips!
I'd also like to add that Lover.ly is a great source of wedding inspiration – think of it like Google image search but especially for weddings (and ALL high quality photos from top wedding blogs with photo and vendor credits). It rocks!
How is your hunt for inspiration going? What is inspiring your big day?
Please do let us know in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter if you have any wedding planning and designing questions. We’d love to hear from you!
– More Expert Wedding Planning Tips –
