DIY Wedding #2: What's your style?

 

We have already arrived at week #2 for the DIY Wedding Series, and as promised, it's all about the fun stuff! Generally speaking, how to pick and choose the fun details to make sure that your personality comes through on your wedding day. This is all about your style and how to represent that in your wedding's theme, colors, and venue.



First, it's important to pinpoint what your particular STYLE is so that you can decide on a THEME. Do you like clean lines or messy ones? Bright colors or neutrals? Classy or casual? This can generally be decided by looking around you: what do you surround yourself with in your room, home, or office, what decor draws your eye, what setting gives you that peaceful, "I'm in element" feel, or what's your favorite color? It helps to peek on Pinterest or catalogs and peruse through other wedding ideas, certainly. But it helps to know first who YOU are so that you don't get lost in all of the ideas that are out there.

The current trend with weddings is all about expressing yourself. The rules and guidelines aren't typically required anymore. Back in the golden 1900's, when you and I were born (I'm assuming), weddings were all very standard--with specific rules and etiquette for how to do things. In a way, it's easier, because everyone could share their weddings things and it all typically matched, much less strain on the nerves. But on the other hand, there's no imagination or creativity in that.

For me, my style at the time of our wedding was rustic-vintage, I still hadn't nailed down exactly what I liked (taste will change with time), but I knew I wanted my wedding pictures to portray that specific theme. Time of day and season of the year generally result from the more technical issues to consider, but they play a part in your theme as well. For instance, a morning wedding in the spring suggests: brunch, pastels, and greenery. While a evening wedding in the summer suggests: dinner or dessert, vibrant colors or whites, and wild or exotic flowers.

Style and theme also embodies how upscale you would like your wedding to be. For me, the emphasis for the reception was on having fun, not confining the guests to certain rituals or long dinners. The ceremony was geared to be sentimental and meaningful, since we both marriage very seriously. By having the ceremony outdoors on a summer evening paired with the attire of the wedding party, it gave the air of a more casual yet priority of an exciting occasion.

Obviously your theme will flow as a result of your style, mine: A fun, casual, but meaningful wedding in the cool of a summer evening, with rustic-vintage elements, over dessert, festivities, and mingling.

Your COLORS are a natural overflow from that lengthy topic of theme and style. You can truly do You can base color schemes off a season, but I recommend using a favorite color or palette because that will be what you truly love in the end.
just about anything and get away with it. I will say that as much as I love navy/grey and yellow or any other popular wedding palette, it's a little overdone. I can't say too much, after choosing mint/peach/neutrals for my wedding colors they announced it as the official 2013 wedding colors. But even with the overdone colors--there is a reason that they are "overdone." They look great together! So if that's what really floats your boat--go for it!

In my case, I loved so many colors and palettes that I had a hard time choosing. I'm more of a admirer of many colors rather than committing to one favorite, although I would probably choose yellow. So I went to Lowes and scoured their paint chip section--every color palette that is appealing to the eye is there, and they're free for the taking. I realized that I was buying an excessive amount of mint things and adoring peach hues, so I put the two together and ta-da!

Once I narrowed it down, I cut and pasted my favorite colors and elements onto one piece of paper and based the rest of my color themed decisions off of that. It was also helpful to show to the florist and anyone else who may need toknow.

Just so you're in the know, here is a palette of this year's popular colors.

Finally, VENUE. This also varies on availability and budget. But if you can afford it and it's a priority to you it can be done. I always wanted my wedding to be outdoors/ in a barn. To me, that epitomizes a fun, romantic, vintage wedding. Some prefer the traditional church setting or a more modern, industrial approach in a up-cycled building.

Typically, most brides know where they want their dream wedding to take place. But I still encourage you to look at your options--it might surprise you that you prefer the historical plantation over the garden, or the lake over the church. Some of my friends have gotten married at their home or a relatives--because they are so lucky to own such property. If it's available, take a tour or two.

My bestie, Sarah and I

The factors to consider when it comes to venue is: size--how many people can comfortably be there, location--how far or easy is it to get to (some people prefer a destination wedding or a small trip, based on what they have close by--I veered more on convenience since I love residing in Lancaster County), what you can do/ not do with the venue (based on how much you want to decorate or what your thoughts are on food), and what are the extra buildings/land that you might have access to for pictures, rehearsal, or if some/all of the party needs to get ready there on the wedding day.

Don't rush the process, but don't put it off. Venues won't wait forever and color schemes can be tweaked.

As always, I highly recommend for all of this decision making, to take your best friend/Mom out on the town and make the decision in your favorite coffee shop or cafe. You'll only get married once (hopefully) and why not make these things as fun and stress-free as possible!

P.S! Check out Raindrop's on Rose's ideas for implementing the 2014 Color of the Year, Vibrant Orchid, into your own wedding!