We live in a day and age where we are proud of our frugal purchases and we are constantly on the hunt for those ‘hidden gems’. Whether it be a vintage dress you bought second hand or a piece of furniture you refinished and gave new life from a Kijiji purchase, we are ‘up-cycling’ and DIY’ing more than ever. Today’s Bride is no different and is constantly on the hunt for that ‘one-of-a-kind’ vintage find to incorporate into her wedding and we can thank Pinterest for a large part of this. Our predecessors and parents were definitely less concerned of the originality of their wedding. 25 years ago it was all about carrying out the traditions to appease the ‘elders’, however; today’s Bride and Groom’s are all about breaking the mold and putting their own creative twist on their I-Do’s thanks to the social inspiration board, Pinterest.
I am a huge fan of the virtual pin-board site and I haven’t met one Bride or Groom who did not find Pinterest useful for their wedding planning (I wish Pinterest was around when I was planning my wedding!). In fact some women have their entire wedding mapped out on Pinterest even before they have a ring on it. On one hand this makes my job a whole lot easier, but on the other hand this is creating expectations that can be unrealistic to fulfill because Pinterest makes it looks so effortless. It can also give a Bride-to-be an overwhelming sense of ‘where do I begin’. My advice to keep your pinning in-check is to find your theme first – are you going for a vintage look, contemporary and chic or glamourous wedding? The polished, finished product you see on Pinterest is the edited version, but don’t forget about the work that goes into each and every single one of those pictures you are pinning. Sure those mason jar centrepieces look beautiful and anyone can DIY, but if you have over 15 tables you will want to account for at least 15-20 minutes per centrepiece to make them look right and don’t forget about the hours it takes to source the materials. DIY can save you dollars and cents, yes, but in the long run time is money and in the hours leading up to your wedding there just isn’t enough hours in the day. So to all of you DIY’ers focus those projects in the early days of your wedding planning instead of they day-of; think DIY invitations, or DIY chalk-board directional signs that you can make well in advance.
With an abundance of choices, sensory overload and the elusive image of the perfect wedding, it is easy to get carried away with the look of your wedding instead of the ambiance and experience of your special day. Yes, your wedding should be beautiful and all about what you want, but don’t forget to include how your guests will experience your special day as well. Here are some of my favourite PINS that could help enhance your guest experience
1) A fun way to capture photos of all of your guests and you will be left with a finished photo-board before your wedding is over!
2) Don’t forget that weddings are 10-12 hour events… sometimes a little Java Post can go a long way to help sustain the party.
3) Communication is key. I get that printing 150 programs can be a waste of time and money, but sometimes a little reminder of the day’s events and timeline can be helpful to your guests. Try a wedding program on a chalkboard or windowpane.
Also, feast your eyes on my favourite Pin-Board to stalk for inspiration… check it out from www.theperfectpalette.com:
Wedding State of Mind 