Without going over budget.
Let’s face it, we relate to imagery. Describing a gathered boho wedding bouquet featuring Peonies, Garden Roses, and Ranunculus is far less effective than showing one of the many inspiration images my clients share with me. I must admit, I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest. When I began designing back in the dark days before the internet, brides would bring in bridal magazines with saved tabs to show me their inspiration images. Now, newly engaged brides-to-be flock to Pinterest and start saving images that appeal to them, knowing nothing of the cost.
I was browsing wedding bouquets on Pinterest and came across some featured on Brides website that can cost out to a hefty $500-600 dollars each. If you’ve budgeted for a $600 bouquet, that great! Let’s talk- I can definitely make it for you. Most of the brides I meet with, however, are budgeting more in the range of $250-350 for their bouquet. An experienced floral designer can create the same style as the featured bouquets using different flowers that carry a smaller price tag. You won’t know until you ask your designer, though, and you keep saving away, planning the perfect wedding.
Before you know it your Pinterest board has become an overwhelming hodgepodge of unrelated wedding photos. A beautiful mess. Now I, your wedding florist, have asked for a link to your board to get an idea of your style and you don’t know what to do because you know it’s a mess.
So, what’s a bride to do?
Step back
Take a step back and look at your saved images. Are there similarities in style, color, size, etc? You’ll probably find there are and that’s where you can start to hone in on your personal style.
Top 3
Pick your top 3. Are they similar? What are the commonalities?
Delete
Start deleting images that don’t reflect your personal style. I know. It can be scary to delete something you’ve spent hours collecting. If deleting is too difficult, create a second board and move your favorites to it.
Favorite flower(s)
Do you have a favorite flower and are now surprised that none- NONE -of the bouquets you saved have your favorite flower? Don’t fret. These are inspiration images. Your bouquet can contain whichever flowers you like. Just make sure to let your florist know that you want your favorite flower featured in your bouquet.
Create a Finalists Board
Take a look at your new “finalists” board and see if there are common styles and flowers in the wedding bouquets you favor.
Share
Share your favorites board with your wedding professionals. Forget about the images on the other board. Showing too much can confuse the vendors who want to help you create your dream wedding.
Overwhelmed? Stop looking at Pinterest.
If you are completely overwhelmed, stop looking at Pinterest for a couple of weeks. When you return, start deleting the images that look out of place. (Or move them to a new board.) There will be some that make you wonder who saved to your board because you can’t remember what you liked about it in the first place.
If you haven’t started a Pinterest board, that’s okay. You don’t have to. If you do, save away, then follow the easy steps above to determine your personal style. Once you’ve narrowed it down your experienced wedding professionals will easily be able to help you create a wedding you’ll remember happily for years to come.
If you’re just starting on Pinterest:
Don’t focus on trends.
Rustic weddings in barns with buckets of Baby’s Breath were a trend for a few years. So were succulents. So too were cascading Lily bouquets. Are you drawn to the bouquet because you keep seeing other brides posting it, or do you really want this to be the theme of your wedding photos in 20 years?
Style
Focus on the style and shape of the bouquet rather than the colors and specific flowers. Many flowers come in a variety of colors. The shape of the bouquet will determine your personal style. Once you have the style picked out, it can usually be made using whichever flowers you like in the colors of your choice.
Rinse and Repeat
If you start feeling overwhelmed, follow the steps above to pick your favorites.
Planning your wedding is a daunting task. Use Pinterest effectively and it can be a tool that makes it easier. I hope you’re not overwhelmed, but if you are- I wrote this for you. Pare it down and it will be more cohesive with your overall theme, less cluttered and easier to deal with, and above all- more you!
P.S. In this article, for the sake of brevity, I’ve referred only to wedding bouquets, but the same principles apply to all aspects of your wedding decor. And, the gorgeous photo was taken by La Vie Est Belle Photography, but the puppy belongs to Creatrix.