Are you having a destination wedding in the Charlevoix, Petoskey, Gaylord, Harbor Springs, Bay Harbor or Traverse City area? We can help with your decor inspiration!
It's not very often that one of my couples does not use Pinterest to help with inspiration for their ceremony and reception decor ideas, however, I do get it once in a while. And I get it, Pinterest can be overwhelming to use! But really, some "DIY" decor really should be best left to us professional designers (but that is a blog for another day).
While Pinterest can be a valuable resource for finding wedding decor inspiration, it can often be just a bit much. And an issue inherent with Pinterest is that not everyone has the budget to buy everything that they see and subsequently, are bummed that they can't have a "Pinterest wedding". This is where a company like Heart comes in. We can help our couples achieve just about any look, without as big an outlay of money as buying decor items.
So where do we get our inspiration for all the items we have procured over the years and the decor ideas we have for using those items?
10) Look no further than museums, art galleries, pottery stores or even your nearest locally owned gardening store or farm stand. We carry great frames, ceramic and terracotta pieces and rustic pieces perfect for display of plants, floral or even local fruits that are inspired by any number of these places. In fact, our number one pin on Pinterest right now is a display of our bud vases that are set atop locally made wooden crates. These types of crates are often spotted in local homegood stores, garden centers or farm stands.
9) Do you enjoy travel? Where to? Wineries? Wherever the road takes you? Overseas perhaps? Different size globes are a fun addition to your decor, and we've got them here at Heart. Or for a winery inspired wedding, we've got wine boxes made of aspen that can be custom ordered with your crest or any other idea you come up with. Our artisan can burn the details into the box or even laser etch them. Create a beautiful display with several of them! Or purchase several for guests and have us fill them with bottles of locally made Michigan wine.
8) Are you an avid reader? Literature is FILLED with themes that are perfect for weddings! While The Great Gatsby is often cited, what most people actually mean is art deco or Roaring 20s styles. Or any medieval lit such as Game of Thrones makes for gorgeous scenery such as farm tables and other rustic pieces, not to mention the clothing!
7) Your own home (or even dream home!), the clothes you wear or even the vehicle you choose to drive can be a source. What do you surround yourself by in your house? Lots of color? Whimsy? Black and white only? Vintage finds? This is very helpful in thinking about textures, styles and colors.
6) Pop culture and movies are another source to look into. Again, Game of Thrones or the Lord of the Ring movies are often cited as inspiration along with Downton Abbey. Sumptuous dress, tons of candles burning in tall candelabras and even grazing tables can be seen as coming from movies and then making their way to weddings.
5) Do you enjoy nature? For example, if you're like me, and love rocks (yes, really), agates, stone and woods like driftwood (from any of the Great Lakes), are personal favorites. Any of these items are perfect to rent. We can even customize them with your guests' names for fun and unique place cards and the wood looks great on various tables. Petoskey stones are also very popular here in northern Michigan.
4) Believe it or not, paint swatches from your local paint store can help with color choices. Choose those that speak to the two of you (or that you just really like!) and present them to your rental company (like us) for linen ideas, for example, and to your florist. Just be sure to look at them in natural light. The fluorescent bulbs in a paint store aren't the best choice for choosing wedding color palettes.
3) What activities do the two of you enjoy? Golf, skiing or sports can be great sources for inspiration. Your local rental company should have, or be able to get, decor pieces that tie in activities you love. For example, for golfers, golf balls and tees would be super cute place cards. And your DJ would love to play your alma mater's fight song for your grand introduction! Below is a photo of a recent wedding where the bride and her mother collected shells that we used around the guest and cake tables.
2) Where would date night take the two of you? When you're not wedding planning, that is. If the two of you love microbreweries, think lots of wood pieces, expansive space and of course, microbrewed beer on tap at your bar. Or would a date be dinner and then shopping at Homegoods? And yes, it has happened. We here at Heart were able to procure our couples' favorite pieces (or similar) from this store. Talk about fun market research!
1) At the top: We get a ton of our inspo from the various wedding publications, from Martha Stewart Weddings to Bride's magazine to blogs such as Ruffled or Style Me Pretty. These sources are typically in "the know" in regard to what's hot in wedding decor and styles and we here at Heart keep up with all of them. And believe it or not, we also use home decorating/interior design publications as well. Trends usually hit interior design and then make their way to weddings. That 70s theme that's hot for weddings right now? Yep, it was in home design first.
So. Have no fear if you decide to take a bit of a break from Pinterest. All you have to do is look around you. There's inspiration everywhere! And if you're still stuck, reach out. We'll help. It's what we do.
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