When I got engaged eight years ago, Pinterest was in its infancy and thus not one of the popular wedding planning tools that it is today. It was all bridal magazines and a few big name wedding blogs, as well as my own imagination. (Of course my imagination conjured up cheesesteaks for dinner which was definitely not a typical wedding meal at the time.)
These days, brides have a butt-load of resources at their fingertips when it comes to wedding planning. From Instagram to hundreds of smaller niche wedding blogs, to (of course) Pinterest, there’s no shortage of inspiration to choose from.
But how much inspiration is too much? At what point does your wedding stop being a product of your relationship and more about what is most likely to get published on Style Me Pretty? Read along as I try to offer up advice on how to avoid wedding Pinspiration overload.
Pinterest: The dos + don’ts
When I was a teenager, my BFFs and I would gather piles of old magazines and spread them out on the floor, flipping, cutting, pasting to our heart’s content until we had a masterpiece of inspiration. Quotes from the
Delia’s catalog interspersed with images of surfer girls from Roxy ads and blonde-haired, blue-eyed dreamboats (
what up Leo?) made up the ideal life for my teenaged self. Pinterest is simply the modern-day version of a collage or bulletin board, only instead of pasting images of dreamy boys and cool chicks, we’re pinning slow-cooker recipes and house DIYs. And if you’re currently betrothed, weddings.
We all know how to use Pinterest these days. Everyone and their mother (and grandmother) uses the site. But the thing is, Pinterest can easily become overwhelming when you’re using it to plan your wedding, taking it from a joyful day of celebration to a really long and exhausting photo shoot. The following are my tips for planning your wedding on Pinterest:
- Don’t try to copy exact poses. The photos you’re pinning are moments that happened organically. By trying to copy them, you’re limiting your own genuine moments from developing naturally.
- Don’t let Pinterest kill your originality. You may think that your ceremony needs to have cutesy rhyming signs from Etsy, but if that’s not your jam and instead you’d rather paint signs with movie quotes to get your message across, then always opt for your original idea.
- Don’t expect your entire wedding to look that perfect. You’ve pinned getting ready photos, first looks, ceremonies, portraits, and receptions from dozens of different weddings, creating one big Frankenwedding. Pinned images are often standouts from specific weddings – Frankenweddings are taking all of those highlights and making it seem realistic that one wedding can look like perfection. Your wedding day is real life and will have many beautiful moments, and some not so beautiful. But they’re real, and they’re yours.
- Do collect images that inspire you. What type of poses and moments are you most drawn to? Show me your board, and I’ll keep those images in mind on your wedding day.
- Do be realistic about why you love certain images. Is it the pose? The dress? The location? The light? Figure out what the common thread is so you can be sure to plan for it. This is something I can help with!
- Do realize that by the time some wedding trends gain popularity on Pinterest, they’re already old news in the wedding world. If you thrive on being unique and not always following trends but you’ve just planned a burlap and blush themed wedding, well honey, I’ve got some news for you…
- That said, you do YOU! Don’t let anyone steer your towards or away from something that you truly love. If you love the trends you see all over Pinterest and know that the last five weddings you’ve attended have recycled the same ideas over and over but you don’t care because you love it, then go for it!
Pinspiration: Keeping it Cohesive
After spending weeks pinning your favorite wedding images to your board, it’s going to be kind of chaotic. Portraits, decor, florals, dresses, color schemes… that is, unless you go into it with a plan. Whether you’re just starting your planning or you’ve been pinning for months, you can get yourself on track starting today.
- Set 3-5 key words to describe the plan for your wedding theme/vibe. (example: colorful, bright, fun, happy, joyful).
- Already have a wedding pin board? Look for a pattern in the colors and styles you consistently pin. What you see most may be a good contender for a wedding color or theme.
- Use those words to search Pinterest for related images. (example: colorful wedding)
- Pin only images that fit the vibe you’re going for. This includes ideas for bridal party attire!
- As a whole, your board should start to represent the ideal version of the wedding you’ve planned in your head.
- Pin images of things you have officially finalized – bridal gown, bridemaids dresses, florals, etc. You’ll see your wedding start to come together before your eyes!
- Use your board as a reference as you come up with new ideas. Does your idea fit with the rest of the wedding? You’ll be able to tell with just a quick scroll through your board.
Former brides and grooms, what was most helpful about Pinterest when it came to plan your wedding? What tips would you offer up current couples as they dive into planning?
This post is an excerpt from a monthly email I send to current wedding clients. Each month leading up to their wedding, they’ll receive a newsletter from me filled with helpful advice for their wedding, from planning their engagement session to preparing a timeline. Want to be one of the cool kids? Email me and let’s make it happen, cap’n.