Posted on: August 15, 2009
Every Wedding Tells a Story
Whatever your inspiration, try using a storyboard to make your ideas reality
By Nola Sarkisian-Miller
CTW Features
For brides-to- be who have vague, indefinite ideas for their dream wedding – whether it’s elegant or modern or country – a storyboard can help them better define their theme and conceptualize the details before they design their milestone event.
Used by fashion designers, interior designers and even automotive engineers in creating their dream machines, story boards or inspiration boards are picture collages centered on a certain idea or color or motif. The reference tool can help couples edit their ideas and focus their efforts in securing the right elements for their wedding
“I encourage and insist that my clients create … a storyboard,” says Janice Price, owner of Priceless Events wedding planning in Lake Orion, Mich. “It helps them set the theme and see the wedding as a whole. Without it, they may find a cake and then realize too late it doesn’t go with the flowers or table design.”
If a picture is worth a thousands words, then an inspiration board can communicate an entire story no matter how a bride assembles the art. She can relive her kindergarten days and create a homemade version by cutting and pasting pictures from bridal magazines along with hobbyist reads. Good resources include Better Homes and Gardens, Sunset, Martha Stewart Weddings and Bon Appetit. Couples can choose to make one storyboard for the event or create multiple boards catering to different segments from the bridal gown to the reception.
Of course, there’s always a professional out there who can outdo the mere amateur. Brides can check out Web sites for these ready-made idea exhibits or let them create a personalized one. Some starting places include Brenda’s Wedding Blog and Snippet and Ink. Once completed, brides can share their ideas with contemporaries. A recent search found more than 600 boards on Flickr.
Inspiration boards also serve a greater purpose than a go-to guide. Brides should bring them along when collaborating with vendors, such as the florist, the wedding coordinator and even the entertainers. By keeping everybody on the same wedding page, brides can ensure their motif will carry through all aspects of the wedding, from the invitations to the gown to décor.
“[Inspiration boards] cut through the verbal misunderstandings that you may have,” Price says. “If a bride says she wants an elegant wedding, there are many different concepts of what elegant is. I may think of Jackie O. or Grace Kelly and to a bride, maybe elegant is a southern belle wedding.”