Are you newly engaged?  If so, we know that you are excited and ready to get to get started with the planning of your Big Day; you’ve notified your family, called all of your besties, and posted the picture of your freshly manicured hand onto every social media outlet out there.  But before you start the planning process, we suggest holding off for a couple of weeks after your engagement, so that you and your sweetheart can enjoy the moment a bit!  Then, after taking some time to simply be a happily engaged couple, here are some ways to find inspiration to plan your wedding

 

Attend wedding expos and bridal events.  Most bridal events offer free admission for brides, however even if there is a small admission fee, most events provide hors d’oeuvres as well as a drink or two.  Bring a friend along, and it’s like a night out!  Make sure to bring a folder to keep all of the pamphlets that the vendors give you, make notes on the business cards of the vendors that you like, and remember to take pictures of things that catch your eye.

 

Look through Wedding Magazines.  As old-school as it sounds, there is something fun about perusing through bridal magazines, especially with your fiancé or close friends over a bottle of wine!  You can then add to your Wedding planning folder by tearing out articles and images that get you excited about your Wedding day.  Sharing these selections is especially helpful for dressmakers, florists, cake bakers, and hair stylists when you are trying to describe your perfect vision to them. 

 

Visit your local arts and crafts store, they usually have easy “Do-It-Yourself” ideas on display!  Create a mood/inspiration board.  If you see a color, pattern, fabric, heck even a leaf or other tangible object that intrigues you, hold onto it and put together an inspiration board.  From there you can see if there are any common themes or color schemes that arise out of everything that you collect.

 

Pinterest.com is a great modern-day tool to collect inspirations and ideas for your Wedding.  It is basically like a digital mood board; instead of tearing out magazine articles, you can “pin” items to your online “board.”  Because it’s all digital, it’s easy to quickly exchange ideas with family and friends or potential vendors.

 

Your best bet: Hire a planner such as us, Storybook Weddings and Events!  Planners are professionals and have been through this process many more times than you have, so we are a great source for creativity.  Additionally, sometimes getting an outside opinion is helpful to sort through the potential clutter and abundance of ideas.

Happy planning!!

– Storybook Chicago