This content was originally published in the fall/winter issue of WedKC Magazine!

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You’ve said yes! You’ve popped the champagne! You’ve set the date! Now your vision for your wedding day will surely fall into place like a rom-com montage, right? Eh, not necessarily!

One of the first roadblocks I hear couples hitting when planning their wedding is deciding on the day’s overall theme or style. This feels like a daunting process, which is completely understandable! Your wedding style will help guide the rest of your wedding planning, so it’s helpful to have a clear style from the beginning.

While planning my own wedding and developing its style I felt so much pressure for perfection! And I didn’t know where to turn to for inspiration. (You see, I was a pre-Pinterest bride!) Thankfully, now tools like magazines, wedding blogs, and Pinterest can bring a massive variety of inspiration to your finger tips, making it easier to visualize any kind of wedding day style. And after you’ve amassed all that inspiration it’s time for the hard part: narrowing down all of those options! 

But not to worry! These tips will help you keep your eye on the prize: planning the perfect wedding day to celebrate you two and your love!

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consider your own personal style

The very first step I recommend when narrowing down your wedding style is to look at your own personal style and habits. After all, your wedding day should be a reflection of you two as a couple! Are you two outdoor adventurers?  Perhaps a rustic countryside venue is the style for you! Or maybe you’re urban explorers, constantly looking for the hottest new restaurant?  A downtown skyline celebration sounds right up your alley.

You can even use your personal clothing style for inspiration! Ask yourself, Do you gravitate towards preppier brands, or is a boho vibe more your speed? What colors do you love to wear? Do you enjoy getting dressed up or prefer to keep things casual?

By surrounding yourself with familiar styles and colors on your wedding day, you’ll make the celebration feel all the more natural, effortless, and true to you. 

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consider the style of your venue

If you’ve already selected your wedding venue, you’re closer to narrowing down your style than you might think!

The unique style of your wedding venue can help inspire your celebration’s overall theme and color palette. For instance, an all-white chandeliered ballroom venue lends itself to a classic and polished style. Here, more timeless color palettes such as lavender & sage, blue & white, shades of pink, or the ever-classic black & white pop in this neutral space like.

For a space like a brick-and-beam warehouse venue in the West Bottoms, a more rustic, bespoke style feels at home. In these spaces, consider richer color palettes such as gem tones, burgundy & blush, navy & green, or mixed metallics. 

You’ll know when you’re getting close to narrowing down your style when it feels like it’s cohesive with your venue’s own aesthetic. The best wedding styles help enhance a venue’s natural style and features, rather than cover them up or distract from them.

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create a free-form Pinterest board

Another way to let your style come to you is by developing a freeform Pinterest board! Begin by creating a brand new board, then filling it with any Pin that inspires you – especially ones that aren’t wedding inspiration! Fill your board with interior design, floral arrangements, everyday fashion, tablescapes, hairstyles, delicious-looking food, fine art images, craft projects… whatever catches your eye! 

Once you’ve gathered 50+ pins, step back and a look at the board as a whole. See what patterns start to emerge. What colors do you seem to pin over and over again? Is there a specific style that overlaps between your interior design and fashion pins? Are you crazy for flowers, greenery, candles, or something else entirely? These patterns can come together to create the perfect wedding style that is truly unique to you!

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keep it seasonal

Your wedding date’s season is a great source of style inspiration, as well. In my hometown of Kansas City, we’re lucky that our seasons are so unique from each other! You probably chose your wedding season for a reason, so why not design a wedding style that celebrates it?

For weddings taking place in the spring months, consider fresher pastel color combinations (mints, peach, baby blue, dusty rose, etc.) that complement the season’s delicate fresh foliage and first blooms. Kansas City summers pack a vibrant punch, welcoming (literally) any color palette under the sun! Fall’s vibrant foliage makes room for warmer palettes with reds, oranges, and yellows paired with neutrals. And winter is my favorite season to play with metallics and rich gem tones like emerald green, sapphire blue, or ruby red that’ll warm even the coldest of days. 

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look for inspiration in unlikely places

My own wedding’s color palette drew inspiration from a truly unlikely place: a water glass. Now, before you think my wedding color palette was “clear” and I planned a nudist wedding, let me quickly explain that this water glass was a deep blue color! These glasses were a unique feature for our reception venue. Since I knew these glasses would be a major feature on the reception tables, I wanted to pick a color palette (deep blue, light blue, yellow, and gray) that complemented them.

Is there a unique feature to your wedding that inspires you? Maybe it’s a chandelier, a beautiful staircase, or even just a water glass! Sometimes the most unique sources create the best inspiration!

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finally, choose what makes you happy!

Above all, it comes down to this: your wedding is about you two! The most important thing is that you feel happy and comfortable on your wedding day! What’s one of the best ways you can do that? By designing a celebration that fits your own personal styles and tastes. The right style for you is the one that feels the most effortless and comfortable. Happy planning!

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take the guide with you!

Itching for more inspiration and tips? Grab this guide – and more! – in the Resource Library.