The Process: Inspiration
Once the colors for your event have been determined, the next step is gathering inspiration. I tend to start with a collage of images that are gathered solely for their colors, just so that I can get a good feel for how my colors are coordinating. I like to use Polyvore for this since it allows me to lift images from retail websites (Anthropologie is a constant favorite) and then layer them to illustrate the combination of colors. Here’s an example of a color inspiration board for Aqua Spray and Weeping Wisteria (colors mentioned in the last post):
Next, I begin the process of finding images that speak to the theme or style sensibility that I’m working towards. If my clients have expressed that they want their event to be “traditional, romantic and elegant,” I find images that represent those words visually. If they say “funky, exotic and outrageous,” I look for images that represent THOSE words. I’m a very visual person, so creating inspiration boards is quite important for me. I find the boards to be particularly helpful when I’m juggling multiple event designs, because looking over an inspiration board helps me to quickly switch gears and get into the right “headspace” for the individual event that I’m designing.
Thanks to this digital age in which we live, doing research online to collect inspirational images is incredibly simple. My number one favorite place to look for images is Flickr. I can spend hours- literally- surfing through the photos on Flickr. I use the nifty “FAVE” tool to mark photos I’m drawn to so that I can come back to them later. Sometimes I drag everything into my imaging software to create a board, but more often than not I want results quickly, so I turn to the mosaic maker at BigHugeLabs, to compile my images almost immediately!
Here’s an inspiration board for the aqua and lavender color scheme and the trigger words, “Organic, Chic, Romantic.”
Additionally, in the studio, I post magazine tears all over the wall behind my workstation to further inspire me. A stranger walking into my studio probably wouldn’t understand why most of the images are there: but I understand them, and that’s what matters! My actual design inspiration doesn’t usually come from images of other floral designs, it comes from obscure images of obscure items that represent line, color, texture, or pattern: not so much items that need to be replicated, but various versions of design elements that I want to incorporate. If I find myself inspired by the ruffles of a tutu skirt, for example, that might translate itself to the ruffled petals of a peony! Studying the elements of design in college and learning to pinpoint the individual element in an image that is “speaking to me” was an invaluable part of my design education. I have an entire shelf full of binders housing nothing but magazine tears that I’ve collected over the years, so my supply of images to pull from is massive.
Like I said in the color post, it’s also great to pull inspiration from items around you. Sometimes you’ll find a feather or a leaf or a piece of fabric or ribbon pinned to my inspiration wall, too. Tactile inspiration is fun because it helps to round out design ideas, a reminder that an event isn’t just something flat, it will be viewed from every possible perspective- as well as touched, smelt, etc.
After my inspiration images are collected, it’s finally time for me to begin the last, most important part of “the process,” design! Designing the various elements of a wedding or event is unique to each aspect being designed, so my explanation of “the process” will end here. But I hope these overviews of the initial process have been helpful. Color and inspiration are certainly the components that propel the rest of the design process, so it’s important to understand how to successfully accomplish these steps. Obviously, collaborating with a trained designer will help you to achieve the best design you possibly can, but don’t be afraid to search out triggers on your own: personally, I’m one of those designers who love it when a client comes to me already having done some inspiration-gathering of their own!
