Refining your wedding vision is often a struggle. There are so many great ideas out there and so many amazing vendors who can help bring those visions into reality. But one of the biggest challenges I find are really clear cutting that vision and then being able to accurately describe what it is that you want to each and every artist who is playing a role in your celebration.

Descriptive terms are awesome. When a brides starts telling me that she’d like her wedding to be simple, elegant, organic and natural a certain scene begins to unfold. Then color gets added into the conversation, pale blush, ivory, champagne and greenery. The picture is officially painted in my mind at this point.

Then I skip on over to her Pinterest board. All hope begins to fade away. Suddenly I’m seeing vibrant hues of peach and green. I’ve seen swatches of white kissed with blush but I’ve also seen a pink that almost leans towards lavender. I heard the words “elegant and classic” but I’m seeing birch bark and wooden boxes which to me say more rustic and woodsy. And that’s just digging through the first 30 pins because after all, you know every girl’s wedding board is easily filled with 100+.

I’m not here to get on my Pinterest soap box because I really think it’s a great tool and I used it repeatedly. Maybe a bouquet was pinned simply because of the shape or style.  Maybe the bride loved everything about a certain centerpiece but not the container. Perhaps she loved the votives on a tabletop but not necessarily everything else about the design. One can never be certain why a particular image was saved.  So what I’m suggesting you do instead is hone it down for your vendors and share a simple, one page inspiration or mood board.

What is a mood board?

Just like when you’re on a romantic night out you look for a date night activity with the right atmosphere, so should you set the tone for your wedding. Romance in all in the eye of the beholder – some might enjoy a playful get-together at a carnival while others are thinking of candlelight dinners in a fine dining restaurant.  Both locations set a different mood.

The key is to gather elements that evoke a certain feeling rather than focusing the exact elements that you want included in your wedding. Sometimes including non-wedding elements is another great option. Your wedding should be a reflection of you, so that includes components from your personal life too.

Isn’t my Pinterest board enough?

The truth is you probably have 5 different place card options pinned. Odds are there are about 10 cakes that you like. The number of bridal bouquets that you love are endless. But having a very simplified board to guide you and anchor you home when you begin to feel overwhelmed will help so much. Your baker probably isn’t going to scroll through your 100+ pins, but they will look at a one page to gather inspiration.

So here’s an example of one that I might put together for one of my brides based on the above description of her event. And then I share it with all of her vendors, as any good wedding planner should.

Image Credit (top row, left to right): Photography: Jose Villa, Boutonnieres: Mindy Rice Floral Design via Once Wed  |  Photography: Bradley James Photography, Bouquet: The Day’s Design  |  Cake via These Peas are Hollow 

(middle row, left to right): Image via Stylish Walks  |    Photography: Rylee Hitcher via Once Wed  |  Image via Lover.ly

(bottom row, left to right): Rug via Joss & Main  | Photography: Rylee Hitcher, Invitation: Meagan Tidwell   

0