Wedding Wednesday: How to Make a Moodboard
A moodboard (inspiration board) is a collage of ideas using photos, colors, patterns, textures... any design elements that share common characteristics and come together to portray a certain type of mood.
One thing I love about moodboards is their ability to pull together ideas in a way that Pinterest boards cannot.
Two years ago I attended an event planning workshop with an emphasis on weddings. The wedding coordinator/person leading the workshop said something about Pinterest that has continued to resonate with me. She said, "When brides come to me with their Pinterest boards and tell me, 'I want to do this. This is exactly what I want,' I tell them, 'No, it's not, because that's already been done and that's someone else's wedding. Let's use those ideas but recreate them in a way that's unique to you.'So instead of taking the brides' Pinterest boards and doing exactly as the pictures show, the wedding coordinator uses those ideas and does her own research to find photos, colors, textures, designs, etc. These elements come together to ultimately create an moodboard that's unique to the couple and specific to their wedding. The wedding coordinator goes over this moodboard with the couple and together they determine what they like and don't like, and how to move forward with the planning and design process.
The reason I'm talking about moodboards today is because this is something I want to help you with! I'm getting ready to launch another wedding planning package that involves research and brainstorming and getting those creative juices flowing.
I know what it's like to get completely overwhelmed by the endless wedding planning resources, websites, vendors, magazines, Pinterest boards, Instagram accounts, Facebook groups... I haven't planned my own wedding yet, but I go down this rabbit hole in enough other areas of my life to know what it feels like. I used to work at a bridal store and I've helped a few friends plan their weddings, so I've seen first hand how hard it can be to start making decisions with so many options out there.That's why I want to help simplify this process for you. I want to take on that research process for you and narrow down the options, so you can focus on making informed decisions without going into information overload.To give you a glimpse into this upcoming wedding planning package, I've made a couple moodboards based on some of my own Pinterest wedding ideas. I challenged myself to look beyond just the pins on my Wedding Ideas board, and incorporated other unique elements by searching some of my favorite websites and general Google images. I used the website Canva to create the boards, which I highly recommend for a variety of projects. (Check out this article from Canva for amazing, detailed information on creating and using moodboards.)
Since I have about 5 completely different visions for my own wedding, this was a fun and easy project. (Yes, I am that person that has been planning her wedding since about forever. See? I actually enjoy this crazy wedding stuff!)These boards were created to portray an overall mood or theme for a wedding. I believe that's the best way to start the wedding planning process and really visualize how you want your big day to look and feel. From there, I suggest making moodboards for each specific part of your wedding. A board for the ceremony, a board for the reception, a board for flowers, a board for food, maybe one just for desserts... Making boards for each item will really help you streamline the decision making process because you'll have a frame of reference for each category.When you think about moodboards, think about the following. How do you want your wedding to feel? What vibe do you want to share with your guests? Is it a relaxed, easy-going mood that makes your guests feel warm and cozy at your wedding? Is it a high-energy, party atmosphere and you want to see everyone dancing the night away? It's not just about the guests though. This is still your day. What is your tone as a couple? What's your idea of a perfect day and mood?
Don't feel like you have to do this alone. Like I said, I would love to help! I plan to launch my new wedding planning package with the new year, so stay tuned. I can't wait to start brainstorming ideas with you!
Happy planning!Sara