Like any big project, a wedding requires tremendous thought, care and brainstorming. But before you go running to your local florist or favorite interior decorator, you’ll need to do some planning yourself.
“But where do I start?” “Where do I collect my thoughts?” “How can I see everything work out before making trips to everyone?” Newlywed-to-be, meet your new best friend, Mood Board.
Defined simply, a mood board is a blank poster that you’ll decorate with images, fabric samples, color palettes and more that inspire your wedding aesthetic. Creating a mood board and solidifying what you hope to see for your wedding is where your wedding planning begins.
FINDING INSPIRATION:
Whether you’re noting down what you like from a friend’s ceremony or rewatching your favorite movies for their own weddings, inspiration can come from anywhere.
There aren’t wrong or right ways the look for inspiration, the same way there aren’t wrong and right ways to do weddings. However, there are easy and hard ways to find inspiration, and as always, it’s best to keep it easy and stress-free. Stress-free inspiration can mean flipping through pages of bridal magazines and snipping out the relevant pictures. It can also mean heading to Pinterest and bookmarking the posts that catch your eye.
Pinterest is a great one-stop shop for wedding inspiration. You can easily look for eye-catching gowns or tuxedos, cute floral decorations or fun games to keep your guests entertained, all at your fingertips. But while it’s easy to store links via platforms like Pinterest, it’s always suggested to take screenshots or print out the pictures in the case links stop working. Unresponsive links are sure to put a stunt in your wedding planning. In the beginnings of browsing through Pinterest, scrolling through Instagram and cutting out pages from wedding magazines, you might start to notice a common look you’re going for. This common aesthetic is your wedding style. It’s important to note down the most prevalent style as that will help you plan an aesthetically and thematically cohesive wedding day. Your preferred style will also help inform the missing pieces of your special day, from what you’ll be wearing, to the table centerpieces, to the giveaways.
STYLES:
If you’ve already defined your style and your preferred aesthetic before compiling and building your mood board, you’re already ahead of the game. It’s this specific style, color scheme, or theme that will help your wedding feel organized, complete and well-thought-out.
CineStory videographers and photographers have seen a wide range of wedding styles, from the classical to the rustic.
The Classic
Think pristine princess-style gown, an ornate church ceremony, and black-and-white tuxedos and you’ve got yourself the classic style wedding. Most of the time, it’s what you see in movies, and that’s for a good reason.
The classic style of wedding allows newlyweds to easily check off the must-haves of a wedding, from the moving vows at a church altar to a grand three-course banquet. But just because the traditional take on the wedding has been tried and tested for years, it doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make it your own.
All the couples we have worked with have found their own unique ways to own the classic style. Some of them have taken the ceremony beyond church walls and onto sandy beaches. Others came in and rode out of their ceremonies and celebrations in style. And another couple said their “I do’s” under giant redwoods.
The Modern
If forgoing years of tradition and setting out a new path is more for you and your loved one, then the modern wedding look might work for you. Though this wedding style allows more expression, it doesn’t necessarily mean renouncing everything that makes a wedding what it is. Brides can still don their beautiful white dresses as grooms can also sport the regular black and white tuxedos.
Newlyweds-to-be can experiment with the structures presented with the classic styles. Brides can swap their traditional gowns for modern jumpsuits, or dresses with more contemporary silhouettes. Grooms can also add splashes of color to their clothes. They can express their love with color schemes different from the traditional pastel and white colors. Take grooms Aleks and Rafael who celebrated their big day at the Millwick in Downtown Los Angeles. Instead of donning the traditional white clothes, they sported black tuxedos adorned with intricately designed capes. Their loved ones also defied wedding traditions by wearing black to the day of joy, as wearing the dark color is typically frowned upon.
The modern-styled wedding allows newlyweds to continue their celebrations without having to worry about sticking to the formalities of a classic wedding. The beauty of the modern wedding is that no two will be the same.
The Rustic
If you’re thinking about earthy tones, naked cakes, simplistic gowns and string fairy lights, you might love the rustic style wedding. The down-to-earth style doesn’t require the glitz and glam of other styles to leave a lasting impression on newlyweds and their loved ones. Going for the rustic style means going for simple, homey and humble.
Rustic weddings, which are often smaller than the other weddings, can take place in a number of venues, from vibrant outdoor gardens to industrial spots transformed into quaint and welcoming havens, like Culver City’s SmogShoppe. Newlyweds can even opt for more casual wear and those with more earthy tones. Instead of donning a full tux, grooms and their entourage can just sport regular suits and ties. Women, on the other hand, can opt for more accessible and trendy clothes.
Whether you’re going with the tried and tested classical style or hoping to define new traditions with a modern one, weddings are a feat best tackled with a plan. Knowing what you want for your big day will help you better communicate with all parties involved, including photographers and videographers, florists, caterers, and wedding planners. They’ll help you achieve your dream wedding, but only if you know what you want from the get-go. So start looking for inspiration, building a mood board, and defining your style, as this is only the beginning of a magical, beautiful journey.
About CineStory
We are CineStory Films, a Wedding Videography and Wedding Photography company based in Los Angeles. Having Videographers and Photographers on our team, allows us to achieve great results consistently. Our approach is to get to know our couples on a personal level. Connecting with our clients allows us to tell their stories in a symbolic and unique way. The passion and experience we have, combined with our efficiency and professionalism, enables us to create timeless images and videos.