You know you’ve not only seen them, but you may well stalk them – picture perfect inspiration boards of seemingly endless ideas for making your wedding worthy of a magazine cover. They are irresistibly and perfectly color-coordinated, and look like they were cropped out of a high-end home furnishing catalog instead of a wedding feature.
Ironically, the same boards that have inspired millions to give DIY their best shot and to emulate the pretty, sentimental details in the photos have turned many weddings into nothing more than frustrating copycat attempts to live up impossible standards. The results are cookie-cutter weddings pretending to be unique, and a lot of frustrated couples wondering what they did wrong.
PC: Erich McVey
Pinterest and similar photo collection sights like Instagram, are a blessing and a curse. It’s never been easier to find something really eye-catching and exciting by entering just a few well-chosen search words. It’s too easy in fact, to get caught up in all of the pretty pictures that some searchers find themselves irretrievably far down the “rabbit hole” of endless links. Before you follow them too far down that road yourself, though, consider your motivations. Are you looking for ways to personalize your wedding and make it truly reflect you? Can you really do that by copying someone else?
While these sites have given us incredible inspiration, they have also set us up to develop seriously unreasonable expectations. Behind the very best and most-often shared pictures there is often a highly experienced and well-funded team of design professionals; experts at making imagination come to life. At least long enough for an equally talented photographer to quickly capture the moment.
They don’t tell you that sometimes right after that click, the whole scene implodes. They fail to mention, most of the time, exactly how expensive the materials and services represented in the photos are. The designers behind inspirations shoots usually only have to create a masterpiece once – not replicate it for
PC: Vicki Grafton Photography
each of 20 guest tables. They usually own the materials they use, and combine what they have with the holdings of their collaborating vendor partners. Styling a really mind-blowing session is nothing like designing for a large-scale party.
There is nothing wrong with ooh-ing and ah-ing over photos of perfect weddings and even more perfect models. In order to preserve both your sanity and dignity, though, you have to know that they are just meant to inspire. True personal event design results from the discussions you and your intended have with each other and with your planning and design teams, focusing on what actually matters to you most and represents you best. Your perfect details will grow from those discussions and the conversations you have with your own vendors; and trust us, they will be amazing.
PC: Sposto Photography
Avoid setting yourself up for disappointment and feelings of inadequacy. Use sites like Pinterest and Instagram to spark interest, but be brave and make your personal touches truly yours.
Need help gathering your ideas into an event? Contact us and see how we can help!