Sunday, January 10, 2016

Wedding Inspiration Board by Reverend Arlene Ponack

One of the first things couples say to me is; I have no idea of what I want for my wedding. Many of these couples have not even chosen a venue yet. Sometimes a couple will chose their officiant first, others will chose a wedding or a coordinator first, and others will start with their venue. If a couple has not chosen their venue and want advise, I start the following questions:

1. Would you prefer an outdoor or indoor ceremony?

2. If they choose an outdoor wedding, I ask would you prefer a beach wedding or a park
wedding?

3. If they want an indoor wedding, I ask do they want somewhere causal or formal?
















The next set of questions I ask are:

1. Who proposed and how were you proposed to?

2. How many people are in your bridal party?

3. How many guests will be at your wedding?

4. What are your colors?





Sometimes a couple can answer these questions, other times they are looking for guidance. Planning a wedding is stressful and it can be more stressful when you have no idea as to what you want for your wedding. Inspiration boards help many couples can make better decisions.



Many ideas can be found online or in bridal magazines. Pinterst can be a good place to start if you are looking online for ideas. Another good avenue is “real weddings”. I like to take pictures of weddings that I have performed and post the pictures on facebook, instragram, and my website to give couples ideas.



When looking for ideas, simply find things that appeal to you, perhaps it could be simply by your favorite color. Looking at pictures online or in magazines can help you decide the answer to many of the questions above. Do outdoor venues appeal to you? Do you like a beach wedding setting or a park setting? Do you like a lot of flowers and trees? Do you like being near a body of water? Do you prefer an indoor or outdoor reception. Do you like the lightening indoors or outdoors? What color combinations look good together?

Your inspiration can become simply your idea board and it can help if you do not know what you want to wear for your wedding. Do you want to wear a bridal gowns or a tuxedo? What would you like your brides maids, maid of honor, mother of the bride, mother of the groom wear? What would you like your groomsmen, ushers, flower girl, or ring bear wear? Wedding attire can be found in different styles and colors.




Accessories, hairstyles, and makeup ideas can be found online or in bridal magazines. Ideas for just about everything can be found if you start looking. Flowers, wedding bouquets, cakes, table décor, and more can be found. Personally I love Pinterest and have a lot of fun pinning wedding ideas that can help my future couples.




Play around with it and simply have fun! An inspiration board is basically a collage of images, words, and objects and is used by many people to come up with ideas for anything from weddings, fashion designers, hair stylists, artists, architects, interior designers, writers, event planners, and more! It can be in the form of a paper poster, a bulletin board, a digital graphic, or a video. Really, any visual medium. It is a way to brainstorm! Some people like to jot down notes on a piece of paper or type notes on their computer or cell phone. If you are like me, you are a visual person and do better with a collage!


You may get started, then make small changes, or completely change direction which can be part of the fun!! The board can serve as a reminder to keep you on track. Think of them as a way to visualize your dreams and desires,
Weddings costs more than most people think, thererfore if you are on a tight budget, you may need to decide what are your top three “must haves” and even with that sometimes they are cheaper options. If you really want a sit down dinner instead of a buffet, then perhaps chosing a different day of the week, a different time of the day or even a different month could allow you to still have your sit down dinner. You may have to chose a different venue if your top priority is having a catered meal with elaborate decorations. You may want a beach wedding but may have to have a beach themed wedding instead.
Your inspiration or idea board can be something to show your florist, planner or anyone else who is helping you to plan your wedding. A florist can tell you if the flowers you chosen are in season and if not what flowers would be close to what you want. Perhaps the flowers are out of your budget, a florist can show you similar flowers that are more within your price range. The florist may be able to help you include other flowers to lower the cost. The pictures can help a wedding planner with a clearer picture of what you like so your pictures can become a reality and perhaps even better than you imagined.

You can look at inspiration boards online, but many of these are done by professionals and that can be taunting. Your board does not have to be professional and don't be afraid to show your board to anyone who is helping you plan your wedding. Inspiration boards are not something to be judged, analyzed or critiqued. The board is simply showing things you like and what appeals to you. You don't even need to be an artist or a creative person to create the inspiration or idea board because you are simply showing pictures of what you like. I mention all of this because many people are afraid to create a board and think perhaps it is a waste of time. You can change your thinking and decide your board a way of putting together the pieces of a puzzle to make your wedding personalized right down to the last detail.

The board can also help you stress less. Perhaps you like a few different options and can't decide. Put them on your board and as you walk by take a look at each option, ask others for their opinions, then you don't have to make a rushed decision. Your may even discover new styles and colors that might be appealing to you. This is your wedding, do you know what you want???? 

Here are some wedding ideas, enjoy!!!