{Guest Post} How to plan a wedding without Pinterest
Today we feature guest writer Shannon Lochwood! Shannon is a self-diagnosed “Wedding addict” and a mother of two. She writes about weddings, fashion and DIY projects, so we asked her to come up with topics to help our brides!
Pinterest has become the go-to wedding planning tool for the modern bride. If you’re engaged, head on over to the social media site, search the word “wedding” and you will find countless boards filled with thousands of ideas, from menu ideas to suggested bouquets.
Nobody is denying that Pinterest can be a useful tool to use when you are planning a wedding; however, there is a downside: With so many people using the site, weddings are becoming more cookie cutter and less personalized. If you plan your wedding using Pinterest, chances are that you are going to see pictures of other weddings – or even attend a few – that looks a lot like yours. Another downside: While you may find some beautiful ideas and some great tips and tricks, you aren’t going to be able to find expert advice regarding the nitty gritty details that simply must be taken into consideration if you want to plan a successful wedding.
If you’re a bride who wants to plan a wedding that is as unique as your relationship with your fiancé and the love that you two share, and you want it to go off without a hitch, forget Pinterest and give these awesome planning tips a try.
Photography by Mackensey Alexander, Planning & Flowers by Ivory & Beau at Soho South Cafe
PICK A THEME
Though a lot of brides may scoff at the idea, planning your wedding will be so much easier when you choose a theme. A theme helps to tie everything together, and it can help make some of the decisions easier, too. You’ll be able to run the different elements of your wedding through a “does it work with my theme” filter. This will make it easier to determine if the flowers, the bridesmaid dresses or even the ring for your future husband you are considering are the right choice.
A word of advice: While a theme is certainly helpful, you don’t have to adhere to it completely. For instance, if you’re having a beach-inspired wedding, you don’t have to include seashells on everything from the invitations to the cake topper. Instead of using just one element, try to include different elements that tie into your theme instead, otherwise it will end up being kitschy.
Photography by Darling Juliet, Wedding planning & flowers by Ivory & Beau at Georgia State Railroad Museum
CREATE A VISION BOARD
While Pinterest is essentially a digital “vision board,” as we mentioned before, a lot of the ideas you collect on your board will be shared by millions of other brides. Instead of going the virtual route, create a real-life vision board.
Look through wedding magazines and bridal guides. Clip out pictures that you absolutely love and would like to incorporate into your wedding. Put all of these ideas together on a large piece of poster board, creating a hard copy of a vision board. Better yet, if you want to make it easy to tote your ideas around with you while you’re dress shopping or picking out flowers, collect your ideas in neatly organized binder.
What’s the advantage of making up your own vision board over using Pinterest? You will find way more ideas to inspire your wedding, and while they may be shared by other brides, they’ll be shared by a lot less than they would be if you were using Pinterest.
Photography by Apt B Photography, Flowers and Wedding planning by Ivory & Beau
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
In the wedding world, there are always popular trends. While you want to be with the times, if you plan your wedding based on a trend, it could end up looking a lot like, well, every other wedding you attend around the time of your own wedding. There’s nothing worse than walking into a wedding and seeing that the bridesmaids are wearing the same dresses that yours were, or that the favors are exactly the same as the favors that you are going to be giving.
Try to think outside the box. While you can certainly incorporate trends, try to add your own flare. Doing so will make your wedding a truly unique affair.
A lot of brides swear that planning a wedding without Pinterest is next to impossible; however, we beg to differ (how did brides do it before the social media site existed?) These tips are proof that you can plan an incredible wedding without using the popular social media site.