I get it. You’ve never planned a wedding before – how do you develop your wedding style? There are so many beautiful styles out there, where do I even start? Start here – these are the first steps to planning the style and theme of your wedding, without getting lost in all the options.

I once asked a client what the style of her wedding was, and she didn’t know. It was hard to create invitations because the options were limitless. It’s important to get crystal clear on the style so that every element compliments the others to come together in a coherent look. The added layer of difficulty is that each element of your wedding is supplied by a different vendor, so it’s even more important to have reference material that clearly conveys what you want. If you have a wedding planner or stylist, then they will of course lead the way in creating a stunningly beautiful event (not to mention giving you your time back!), but it needs to start with you.

“Go on Pinterest” is Too Broad

How many times have you heard to “go on Pinterest” to find your inspiration? That’s all well and good, but that thing is a dangerous beautiful rabbit hole – next thing you know its 2am and you’ve moved from stylish wedding inspo to 3 ways to eat kale. Stop, just stop. Here’s what to do instead:

Step Zero

Let’s take it back a step. Before you get all befuddled on Pinterest, let’s daydream. Ask yourself these questions: What style do I like in my home and fashion? What style does my partner like? If I could have any type of style for your wedding, how would I describe it? What colours do I like? Think about popular styles, do you fit any of these? Rustic is popular but are you the type of person who has a style that includes wooden pieces and native gardens? Is that your most favourite style? If it is, supercharge it with your favourite flowers, white ink on your stationery, and a beautiful garden venue. If it’s not, don’t choose it just because it’s popular. Do you want a style that is really on-trend, or a timeless look? Jot some ideas down.

If you want more info on how to choose colours, read my blog post on creating a colour palette here.

Words and Pictures

With my background in neuropsychology (that’s right!), I can tell you that some people are better with words, and some are better with images. On top of that, images can really hard to describe in words, that’s why we have the phrase “a picture is worth 1000 words.” We’re in a bit of a catch-22 here – we’re getting lost on Pinterest with a million beautiful options, but we don’t know how to convey a style in words. I’ll show you what I mean: How many ways can you say “contemporary”? (Answer: very few). What the heck is “modern romantic”? I can guarantee that if you said “modern romantic” to 10 different stationery designers, you’ll get 10 different final designs. Let’s solve this word-picture problem…

Choose Your Images Carefully

Step one is choose ONE image. You might even be able to do this before opening Pinterest or Instagram. Maybe you have a screenshot on your phone, or maybe even a clipping from a magazine! This is your starting image. Now it’s time to create a new board on Pinterest – upload your first image to the board, and then start looking for images that are similar to this. (Bonus tip – use the visual search function in Pinterest to do this, then when you’ve saved quite a few images, click on the Find Some Ideas option and it will display options similar to your board pins).

As you’re pinning more images, go back to your board and check your first image. Are you pinning images that still fit with your first image, or have you gone on a tangent? Remove any that do not fit with the rest of the collection.

It’s ok to change your first image – you found a better one? Change it! Then use this new image to reference when you find yourself looking at couples wrapped in red feathery shawls on an iceberg (beautiful, but probably not what you’re going for).

Aim to collect a well-rounded set of images, perhaps 15-20, and know that it’s ok if they’re not images of weddings. Then, put that phone down! Go on, I see you. You can come back to it another day, because fresh eyes can be really helpful, but just with the aim of tweaking it, not adding a lot more images. Show it to your partner and get their take on it – what can you add or change to make it reflect the both of you?

The Fun Part

Take the best 5 images and create a moodboard. You can do this in an app like Canva. Then choose 2 or 3 colours (no more than 3!) and add these colours to your moodboard. There you have it! One reference piece that will ooze your and your partner’s style.

And Those Words?

You can try and use words to convey your style, but know that it might be hard and other people won’t necessarily have the same idea in mind as you. You might be a wordsmith, so absolutely incorporate words in your moodboard if that’s your jam. However, it’s not necessary at all. Now take that moodboard and show it to all your vendors so that everyone is on the same page in creating an event that reflects you in a cohesive way.

Want to know how to move from your style to ordering your invitations? Download my free 10-step guide to choosing your wedding stationery. Then let’s get on a call together to talk about that moodboard!