The wedding world is filled with inspiration—Instagram, blog posts, magazines, Pinterest … and the list continues. There are so many options and ideas out there, which is fun and exciting, but thinking about the design process can drive a bride NUTS! When it came time to curate our overall wedding style, I went back to the basics. My time as a wedding planner gave me the ability to look at the whole picture while capturing every last detail. Today I’m sharing my process with you.

No. 1: Collect your inspiration.

I started with Pinterest. Create a new board just for your wedding and pin anything that catches your eye, while keeping in mind your venue and the overall story you want to tell. Think about color, textures, ribbons, fonts, flowers, patterns, home interior—anything that will inspire, like a throw blanket in the perfect shade of champagne or wallpaper with the perfect pattern. Think outside the box. Once you have exhausted the search, start eliminating images that don’t feel right anymore or just don’t make the cut. After a while your board will point in a certain direction: a color palette, a theme, or a particular style. You may surprise yourself with how it all comes together!

No. 2: Pinpoint your wedding style.

This stage was my favorite! I broke all my ideas down into wedding categories: color palette, beauty and attire, floral, ceremony, cocktail, reception, and tabletop. Print out photos, rip out pages from magazines, and get paint swatches, linen swatches, ribbons, etc., and put them on an actual bulletin board. I like to call this “live pinning.” This is a very easy way to keep your thoughts organized and visually cohesive at every touchpoint throughout the wedding. At the end of this exercise, you should start to see your wedding style come to life. For me, I found a soft, natural, Tuscany vibe. Knowing that our wedding will take place outside in a pavilion, it’s important to us that we embrace the natural outdoor beauty while incorporating a dreamy, romantic style that I love.

No. 3: Make your dream wedding a reality!

This is the step where it all comes together. Start searching for the perfect vendors to bring your wedding style to life. Take all of your “live pins” and put them in an organized binder. Bring this to all your wedding planning meetings. This is a great way to communicate with your wedding team/vendors on how you envision your big day. It ensures that every detail fits together perfectly!

Happy Planning!

Images by Amanda Nippoldt