Why you need a wedding mood board + how to create one
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When you’re dreaming of your perfect wedding, you’ll want a way to keep track of all the things you really love. Consider a wedding mood board for keeping those favorite inspiration pieces in one place! There are a few different ways to create a wedding mood board, so feel free to steal the ideas you love and build from there!
The Tangible Wedding Mood Board
Tangible wedding mood boards are an absolute favorite when it comes to planning big projects (like your wedding!) so it’s no surprise I put this idea first. It’s so much easier to get a real feel for your wedding plans when you can touch and feel the actual pieces you’re using to complete your vision. The tangible wedding mood board allows you to play with colors and textures, without the commitment if you decide you actually prefer that grey velvet ribbon over the dark green satin one.
Creating your tangible board – Step One
Creating your tangible board is EASY and only requires a few stops. While some couples prefer to use a Dollar Store tri-fold board (like the ones we used in school for presentations), I recommend swinging past your local Target or placing an order through Amazon for a nice cork bulletin board instead. The tri-fold may be easier to store, but you can reuse the bulletin board when you’re done. Plus who can resist a new pack of pretty push pins when starting a project?
While you’re at Target, swing through the book/magazine department and snag a bridal mag or two (If you can find The Knot Magazine, it’s one of my favorites). While I’m not a fan of them for any long term wedding plans, they are great for starting inspiration. Don’t worry about reading them (the advice isn’t always the most realistic) because you’re going to cut them up. So scan through and pick the one that stands out the most photo wise.
Tangible Board – Step Two
Your second stop should be the paint department at the hardware store. You want to find one of those big displays with ALL the paint colors under the sun. My favorite place is Home Depot, mostly because they leave me alone when I’m browsing paint samples, haha! Take your time and select your favorite 3-4 colors, then pick 3-4 complimentary colors and take all of your swatches with you.
Next head to the tile and hardware departments. Make notes of the items that speak to you, colors, finishes (aka. Gold/Bronze/Silver) and textures. You might want to set aside a small budget for this ($20-40) in case you find something that really strikes your fancy and you want to purchase a sample for your board. Snag a few photos that you can print at home or at a local 1 hour photo like Walmart.
Tangible Board – Step Three
The third step in creating a tangible mood board is to swing past your local craft store. You’ll want to use one that has ribbons and fabric (This is my favorite ribbon on Amazon) so you can snag some swatches of both. If your Walmart has a 1 hour photo kiosk, now is a good time to print photos of your venue (if you have one) as well as anything you took photos of at the hardware store.
Tangible Board – Step Four
Now is the fun part, playing with your fabulous finds! Sit down with your favorite cup of coffee or tea and grab those scissors. Start cutting out photos that speak to you from the bridal magazine you purchased. Divide your board into 3-4 sections (to play with different color schemes or themes), and start literally pinning your images, color swatches and ribbons/fabrics to the board. When you’re done adjusting, snap a photo with your phone (place the board next to an open window for the best lighting!) and send it off to your planning crew. It will also help you to refer back when you’re shopping for wedding goodies.
The Digital Wedding Mood Board
The Digital wedding mood board is a much simpler process and for those who prefer minimalistic or a bit more eco friendly planning technique. While it is entirely possible to create your digital wedding mood board on your phone, I highly recommend using an actual computer for this process.
Digital Mood Board – Step One
First things first, you’re going to need a Pinterest account and a design program (if you’re a powerpoint expert, more power to you! I most definitely am NOT wonderful at powerpoint and prefer a web based program like Canva <-my referral link if you need it!).
Digital Mood Board – Step Two
Once you’ve created/logged into both accounts, start a Pinterest board of everything that inspires your wedding dreams! When you come across something you absolutely have to have, download that image and then drop it into your digital mood board. Once you feel you have enough images in your design, head to step three!
Digital Mood Board – Step Three
Now’s when you’ll rearrange, resize and organize your images. Once the board is to your liking, download it to your phone and send it off to your planning crew! You can also choose to have it printed and make it a tangible board that way.
Wedding Mood Board Final Tips
+ Organize your board into categories: Florals, Cake & Food, Paper Products, Attire and Decor.
+ Don’t feel like your board has to be perfect during the first round. This is a “living” board and you can change things any time you want!
+ Put things you’ve chosen on the board to replace any inspiration pieces. Example: Once you decide on your invitation, remove all invite inspiration and put your invite on the board.
I’m personally attached to the tangible mood board but can see how much easier it would be to stick with digital! What is your favorite way to plan a project?
