Pinterest. This website has become an absolutely massive source of inspiration and creativity for women and men all over the globe, and a the most popular topic searched on Pinterest is weddings!! Now don’t get me wrong- I LOVE Pinterest. I’m on it way too much, and I love looking at all things weddings, and house decor, summer drink recipes, fashion, DIY projects… The list goes on.  As much as I use Pinterest, there is a slight issue with it for brides browsing for wedding inspiration. Pinterest can (unknowingly) “set the bar” way too high for brides!! 

Pinterest is full of wedding inspiration, but brides that aren’t educated on the cost of venues, flowers or certain types of wedding dresses will be in absolute sticker shock when finding out the price tag for their Pinterest dream wedding. That’s why today, I want to share ways to use Pinterest effectively, and what you should NOT use Pinterest for!

Pinterest is GREAT for browsing color palettes, wedding themes, and general event decor!

Pinterest is chock-full of tons of mood boards, color palettes and real-wedding photos- use those to guide you! Certain color schemes look better in specific seasons and cuts and styles of bridesmaid dresses look better with specific colors of flowers, to point out a few examples, and Pinterest has tons of photos for you to browse with these questions in mind! There are so many photos to choose from, and the colors and themes are endless!! I think that Pinterest is a wonderful source of inspiration for those types of questions, and it coul even inspire you to DIY some elements (if you are feeling brave!) Looking at themes and general event design will also be helpful for a bride, as they begin to narrow down how they want their wedding day to look and feel! There are so many options on Pinterest, I can guarantee some wedding themes or color palettes will pop up that never even crossed your mind.

Pinterest Pitfall: Don’t get too attached to certain images without being aware of the price tag attached! 

The issue with Pinterest begins when brides lock into a certain type of bouquet or place settings, before speaking to a wedding professional! Pinterest is FULL of beautiful flowers, elegant table decor, and gorgeous (and expensive) gowns. Brides should use Pinterest for general ideas, themes, and colors, but really should consider consulting an expert before getting completely attached to any sort of specific picture. It’s difficult to explain to a bride that a $600 full orchid bouquet will not fit into her $1500 floral budget; and I hate being the bearer of bad news! If brides were able to browse Pinterest “with a grain of salt”, they would be much more realistic about their expectations within their budget! Pinterest is full of gorgeous and decadent styled shoots, celebrity weddings and $15,000 dresses; it’s important to do your research (or hire a wedding planner) to ensure your Pinterest browsing is helping and not hurting you!

Pinterest should be used as a source of general inspiration for brides, and I LOVE using Pinterest for my wedding floral design and planning business! BUT- I always want to encourage my brides to be realistic about what they are seeing on Pinterest vs. what they can afford in real-life! Overall- the best resource you can use to combat “the Pinterest Pitfall” is a wedding planner! With vendor connections, tons of experience and wedding knowledge, wedding planners are the best way for you to create the wedding of your dreams, within your budget, and that is what is most important!! Pinterest inspiration and trends will change, but your wedding will be the biggest day of your life, and your happiness is what matters!

If you are interested in getting more wedding inspiration from CIE, follow me on Pinterest!