One piece of precious advice from our featured brides that comes around time and time again is “make it your own”. But with wedding inspo coming at you from all angles, it can sometime be a little tricky to know how to put a truly personal stamp on the proceedings.
Luckily for our readers, we just happen to know an expert in this area who is a pro at taking wedding styling to the next level of gorgeous, while it still remaining a reflection of the happy couple. So please prepare to take note as our wonderful Sponsor Louise Hughes, the fabulously stylish event designer behind One Stylish Day, takes to the blog…
Main post images by Kate McCarthy Photography or otherwise provided by One Stylish Day, with additional gallery images from Nicola Dixon Photography.
louise says:
When browsing Pinterest and Instagram, you’ll see the same wedding trends come up over and over again. They may look fabulous, but are a bit, well, ‘done before’. You want to create a dream day that will surprise and delight your guests. So, how can you design a wedding day that doesn’t look like all the rest? Here, I share my top ten tips for creating a wedding day that is both achingly stylish and completely personal to you…
Know the difference between trends and style
The key difference between trends and style is that a trend is for everyone, whereas style is deeply personal. Trends can be fleeting but style has longevity. Great style has confidence and authenticity – focus on finding your own personal wedding style for a truly unique day.
Identify your Couple Style
Think beyond superficial fashion or design details to get to the heart of what makes you tick as a couple. Are you fun-loving explorers or city dwelling culture vultures? Are you famous for your cocktail parties or kitchen table suppers? The wedding style should be comfortable for both of you and reflect both your personalities.
Gather ideas and inspiration
There is inspiration everywhere, so don’t just look to wedding resources. Inspiration from interiors, fashion and lifestyle design can also be interpreted in a really beautiful, unique way. Take time to look around your home, your wardrobe, the places you like to visit, and think about what brings you the most joy. This is the very core of how your wedding day should look and feel.
Edit and curate your ideas
Jot down all your ideas and allow yourself time for them to develop. I encourage my clients to take pictures and keep magazine tears of anything they see that speaks to them in some way. You may not know why immediately, but on reflection there is often a common theme running through which can give you a delicate insight to work with.
Personal does not always mean DIY
The best weddings are those that are filled with personality and unique details that speak of the couple. DIY weddings are one way to achieve this, and can be extremely personal, but it doesn’t have to be DIY if you are not naturally that way inclined and it’s just not your style.
Plan your budget
Don’t bury your head in the sand on this one. As your ideas develop, work out what they will cost to implement. Be realistic about what you can afford, and discuss it sooner rather than later with your partner or anyone else who is contributing, to avoid misunderstandings and disappointment later on. Make sure you all agree on the priorities and find compromises where necessary.
Focus on doing a few things well
Pick a small handful of ideas you adore and execute them beautifully and with love and purpose. This will have such a stronger overall impact on your day then lots of smaller ideas and most importantly, you will enjoy pulling them together.
Time to get practical
I’m a big believer that anything is possible, but now is the time to get real, breakdown the idea and ask yourself how you can make this work in real life, in your budget, in your venue and in your timeframe.
Assemble your team
Now is a great time to work out who you want on your style team. If you are not working with a wedding stylist or planner, you will need to get your friends and family involved to help you bring your ideas to life, especially on the day. Make sure they understand your creative vision, and play to people’s strengths. Think outside your immediate wedding party – you may be able to draw on talents from a wider circle and in most cases you’ll find people are delighted to be involved.
Have fun
If you have chosen the right style, you should have a great time implementing it. The perfectionist will thrill over getting every tiny details right, whereas others will feel happier with a more laid back approach. If you start to feel overwhelmed, ask yourself if you really need to do this, and if you have veered away from your personal style. Accept help where offered, and have fun!
For more from Louise, visit One Stylish Day’s website.
