Most designers have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest.  It is a great tool for us to see new ideas and trends and for clients to more easily show us the style they are wanting. But, it can also give clients unreasonable expectations.

I think Pinterest is a great tool.  I use it regularly in my work and personal life.  When meeting with a client for the first time, I usually go straight to Pinterest!  We can look through ideas so I can see what they like and don’t like.  But there are a few things to consider when looking for inspiration.  I have taken a few screenshots of popular pins to help illustrate and aid you in your decisions.

1.Availability

Several brides have shown me these pins as inspiration and I love all of them! But, I simply can’t make certain flowers grow in certain seasons.

This stunning bouquet is full of specialty tulips and daffodils.  Tulips are sometimes greenhouse grown and therefore available other times of the year.  But really, if you have your heart set on using these flowers, then you should plan your wedding or event in the spring.

Peonies are a wedding favorite!  Locally, peonies are available in the spring.  We are lucky to have access to a wonderful Alaskan peony cooperative that ships peonies through August.  If you want this look during the fall or winter though, substitutions can be made.  Being open to your florist’s suggestions to help choose the best available flowers for the time of year.

After peonies, dahlias are probably the most requested flower.  Dahlias do not ship well. Because of that, I only use local dahlias which are available July-the first frost (usually mid-October).  But again, substitutions can be made for a similar look!

2. Venue Considerations

Some venues do not allow real candles.  (We rent high quality LED votive and pillar candles for venues with that rule.)  Other venues allow candles but have a rule that the flame must be contained.  (We have options for that too!) And some have no rules regarding candles!  If a certain candlescape is part of your dream decor, know what your venue allows.

Most of the churches and other ceremony venues we work with do not allow real petals on the aisle.  Silk can usually be used.  We often see inspirational pins like the one below but something like this can only be used for a certain type of venue.  This would need to be set up in advance.  Is there a way for guests to get to their seats without walking on top of the petals?

Hanging floral installations are trending but does your space have the structural support to allow an installation like this?

3. Style

Everyone has their own personal style.  Research all of your vendors–florists, photographers, bakers, graphic designers, and others to make sure their style meshes with yours.  I could never copy a pin exactly because products vary from week to week.  As an artist, I also enjoy the creative process and feel more comfortable letting a design come to life organically.

While I think something like the pin below is cool, I will admit that I have never made something like this before.  I would do my best to try but I would really feel more comfortable passing this along to another professional who specializes in this style.

4. Price

Pins don’t have price tags.  Most of the popular pins are from styled shoots where budget is often not an issue.  Pinterest can sometimes give false expectations of what is normal.

Large, circular backdrops are trending.  I love them but I don’t know any one locally who carries a similar structure and something like this is also not in the budget for most brides.

Similarly, flower walls are commonly seen on blogs and on Pinterest but are very expensive to install.  There are ways to get this look though by adding touches to an existing space.

A more common backdrop is an arch or arbor.  This arch is exceptionally wide and uses an exceptional amount of flowers and foliage.  An arch with a floral installation in one corner is a more realistic idea for most weddings.

My overall advice:  Be open to suggestions!  Your vendors want to help make your day the best it can possibly be!  Use Pinterest as a tool but let them use their creativity to make your event uniquely yours.