Last Updated on January 15, 2023
Creative inspiration and ideas for weddings can come from many sources. Here are a few of my personal "go to" wedding inspiration favorites.
Recently, during a wedding consultation, the bride asked me, “Where do you come up with all your creative ideas?”
The question caught me off-guard, but after thinking about it for a few seconds, I answered that most of my creative inspiration and ideas come from my own experience, things I’ve seen or used elsewhere, ideas from other clients, floral design magazines, and other print and online resources.
You, too, can find inspiration the same way I do. Follow these steps.
The best way to find creative ideas and wedding inspiration is to draw upon important things for you and your partner. Start gathering ideas for your wedding theme by looking for ideas representing your personality, values, and interests. Create a wedding mood board to save your ideas.
Next, take to the internet for wedding inspiration. You’ll find millions of wedding ideas and beautiful images by visiting wedding blogs and websites.
Look for unique details and ideas from real weddings that you can incorporate into your wedding.
Pinterest and Instagram are a goldmine of images, the modern-day replacements for bridal magazines.
If you need ideas for an alternative wedding theme, visit some real weddings on Offbeat Wed.
Talk to recently married friends and family members and ask for their advice and suggestions. Their input will give you a realistic vision of your wedding day.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help from professionals and vendors in the wedding industry who can provide you with creative ideas and inspiration from their experience.
A majority of wedding vendors will be happy to help.
Looking For Creative Inspiration From The Pros? Here are Some Of The Best
Here are some of my favorite resources if you’re looking for creative inspiration for your wedding day. Written by several of the top professionals in the wedding and event industry, they are sure to get your creative juices flowing.
From a black-tie wedding to a simple backyard wedding, they will give you all the wedding inspiration and ideas you could need, plus practical advice on implementing the presented ideas. That’s something you won’t find on Pinterest or Instagram.
Wild Flowers: Projects and Inspirations
One of the best books I have on my bookshelf for great, inexpensive ideas that can be incorporated into any wedding, party, or special event.
I have often used variations of these ideas with clients to help spark their special events and make them more memorable.
Written by two of the most celebrated event planners in the country, Avi Adler and David Stark, this book is still one of my favorite “go to” guides.
Simple Stunning Weddings: Designing and Creating Your Perfect Celebration
This is another excellent idea book, especially if you are in the beginning stages of your wedding planning.
In my experience, too many brides are overwhelmed by details in planning their weddings. They spend too much time on Pinterest, “sweating the small stuff”, and lose sight of the big picture.
This book focuses on “the big picture”, the event site itself.
Since your wedding venue is the starting point in the planning process, this book presents ways to make it best work for you, using ideas that rely on simplicity, color, and your personality.
And the techniques presented are easy to implement anywhere, regardless of the size of your budget.
Once you understand how to focus on the “big picture”, the planning process becomes smoother and working with outside vendors easier.
Author and wedding planner Karen Bussen has also written a follow-up book, Simple Stunning Wedding Flowers. If you like her ideas and style, this book is worth looking at.
To Have & To Hold: Magical Wedding Bouquets
Some wedding bouquet books may seem dated as styles and tastes evolve, even though most wedding flower ideas are timeless.
This book, the second by Avi Adler and David Stark, is a treasure trove of ideas for creative, contemporary wedding bouquets.
I bought a copy after several brides showed me photos of the bouquet they wanted from this book. Needless to say, I was impressed after going through it.
If you need to jump-start the creative process when choosing bouquets for your wedding, this book will get your juices flowing.
There are a lot of wedding flower books available today. Most focus on the DIY crowd and how to cut your wedding flower costs.
These books focus on working with professionals and learning how to effectively spend the money you’ve budgeted for your wedding flowers.
That’s what my clients expect, so that’s why they are part of my reference arsenal.
Here’s the Bottom Line
Finding creative inspiration for your wedding can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. With research and creativity, you can find ideas from other real weddings you can use to make your wedding unique and special.
From Pinterest boards to wedding blogs to the books mentioned here, plenty of resources are available to provide all the creative inspiration you need.
With the right ideas and an organized vision, you can make your wedding one to remember and cherish for years.
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Til next time,
