Getting engaged is such an exciting time in your life, and you will probably be eager to start planning your perfect day. The best way is to collect all of your ideas on a wedding mood board, as it is a visual way to record everything that inspires you!
I always start every bespoke wedding stationery project with a mood board, as I like to have a visual of the wedding concept in my mind first. Each of my custom stationery collections also starts life as a collection of images and objects that have inspired me.
Get a complimentary wedding mood board when you book a wedding stationery consultation
Your mood board should not only convey how you want your wedding to look, but also how you want it to feel. You will have new ideas all the time, but having your mood board will allow you to understand better the overall experience you are trying to create.
One of the great things about mood boards is that you can share them with all of your different suppliers, to help them to understand your vision for the day. This will add clarity and reduce any misunderstandings that may add extra time to your wedding planning.
So now you know why you need a mood board, let's move onto how you create one that is perfect for you -
Step 1: Where do you look for wedding inspiration?
There are many places that you can look for images that will inspire you, the most popular are Pinterest and Instagram. Before you emerge yourself in millions of wedding images, you should start by looking at these things four things first -
• You - Think about your style and personal tastes in things such as fashion and interiors. Consider your hobbies and interests, and the places that you enjoy spending time together. Choose 3 words that best describe all of these things, and then scribble them down so you can refer back to them. (For example: traditional, bright, and quirky)
• Your venue – The place that you have chosen to get married is going to have a certain style, and working alongside this is key when creating your scheme. If you have booked a period property for example, ask yourself what it was that attracted you to this type of venue. You may have fallen in love with the historical grandeur, or the beautiful features on the walls and ceilings. You should note the décor and colours that will be surrounding you, and keep these in mind when choosing your wedding colour palette.
• The Season – It is amazing how much the weather has an influence on your overall wedding theme! Thinking about the temperature alone will have a deciding factor on items such as bridal wear, cake, and flowers. It is easy to forget the practicalities when you are swooning over a naked buttercream 5-tier cake, but a good cake maker will advise against this as it can melt in the summer heat.
• Budget – It is always a good idea to set out your budget for each part of your wedding first, then you can be focussed on what can and can’t afford. You don’t want get excited over an idea that you may have to remove from the board.
It is a good idea to write these down, and have them next to you when you are choosing your images. One way I like to do this is with a mind map, starting with the 3 words that you chose to describe your style.
Step 2: What kind of images should you add to your wedding mood board?
So now you know where to find your inspiration, you are probably wondering what images to choose. You will find lots of clues in your mind map, that will give you an overall idea of the ‘mood’ you want to create. Let’s start with the 3 words that you chose to describe YOU - what images spring to mind?
When matching images with words, don’t be too literal as more abstract ideas are better. Think about colours textures and shapes that are associated with those words, and find images that show this. The ideas at this stage don’t need to be wedding related, just collect anything that catches your eye.
In Part 2 of this guide, I will be showing you how to edit your images and put together your mood board ready to go shopping for your perfect wedding. I hope you have found this wedding mood board guide useful so far - if you want to be the first to read part 2, sign up to my newsletter for updates.