Thinking about wedding style is a fun thing to do in the early stages of engagement. It is a good launch pad from which to jump into the more detailed planning. However, with access to so much incredible inspiration at our fingertips, from Instagram and Pinterest to more traditional magazines, finding your style can be a little overwhelming. It’s all too easy to start putting together ideas, with no real sense of direction, as you unknowingly run away with your budget.

If you really have no idea where to start, then I offer a wedding styling consultation as part of my ad hoc services. If you’d prefer to give it a good go yourself, then here is my advice.

Finding Your Style

To start with, try to forget this is about your wedding and just concentrate on what you both like. Create a Pinterest board (or similar) of 10 things that mean something to you and your significant other. Things you enjoy, care about, love. This could be holidaying in Italy, gardening, going to watch live music, cosy nights in, gin and tonic… You could even pin a favourite dress or t-shirt.

From here, decide which of these 10 things you want to incorporate into your big day. They don’t need to form themes necessarily – they will just help to form your style. The holiday in Italy doesn’t mean your whole wedding needs an Italian theme, but instead could be brought into your flower arrangements through terracotta pots and olive leaves. Or, perhaps that muted grey dress or classic blue t-shirt you love might help you choose your colour scheme. A love of nature or gardening may mean that you’d prefer an outdoor ceremony (weather permitting) or simply to bring the outdoors in. Those cosy nights in might mean a winter wedding is worth considering. You start to get the idea…

So, once you’ve got these ideas together, it’s time to start creating a wedding mood board that reflects your chosen style. You could create one for your whole day or, if you’re feeling particularly creative, produce a mood board for each element. Having started with the things you like as inspiration, you’re ensuring your style will be true to you.

The list of things to think about can be as long or as short as you like. Here are some ideas to start you off:

Colour Palette

Based on your original Pinterest board, think about one main colour, with two or three others to complement it. That blue t-shirt may be defining your colour scheme (after all, Classic Blue is the pantone of 2020), but you don’t want just one colour to take over. Pass all the main elements of your wedding through the palette and make sure you are happy with it. A bold blue table cloth may be the perfect accent, but perhaps a deep blue bridesmaid dress isn’t quite right for your girls.  It all comes down to taste.

LBW Tip: If colour-matching doesn’t come naturally to you, have a look at design-seeds.com.

Venue

You may wish to think about your wedding styling after choosing the venue so you can keep an open mind when visiting but, if possible, it’s better to have an idea of your style before you begin the search. This will really help you visualise how a particular venue could look on the day. When you’re visiting each one, ask what décor is provided and what you can add yourself. See whether the furniture provided fits in with your style, or whether you would prefer to hire in something different. Take a look at previous weddings at that venue to see whether anyone else has followed a similar vibe.

Venue Decoration and Table Settings

Tying in with both your colour palette and your venue, comes the décor. This can include your flower arrangements, any decoration you add to your ceremony and reception, table settings, guestbooks, welcome boards, seating plans… the list is endless. As before, pass all of your ideas through your colour filter. Visualise how everything will work with your chosen venue.

Food and Drink Concepts

It may not be obvious at first, but even your food and drink can reflect your wedding style. In fact, especially your food and drink can reflect your wedding style. I’m not just talking about what you serve, but also the way in which you serve it. If Michelin-starred restaurants are in your top 10 then a formal, four-course wedding breakfast is likely to suit your style more than a laidback BBQ or hog roast. Think outside the box as well. For example, if something you love most is cosying up to your log burner in winter, an outdoor fire pit with cashmere blankets and toasted marshmallows could work beautifully.

If you wish, absolutely every element of your wedding can fit in with your wedding style. In addition to the key ideas listed above, you can also think about your stationery, your outfit, your music, your favours and more. Just be mindful, when you are pinning away, that everything needs to fit into your budget. Then, pass it all through your style-filter and you’ll have an Instagram-worthy wedding in no time!