How to Figure Out Your Wedding Vision

Knowing how to figure out your wedding vision can feel like tricky business, especially in today’s world of information overload. Between your friends’ wedding photos on social media, endless pinterest boards, wedding blogs, and the like, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of ideas you see.

When you create your wedding vision, you take the things you love from those ideas (and the ones you’ve been thinking of on your own) to create a cohesive plan for the overall feel of your wedding. It includes the season, location type, decor style, dress style, menu, music, and more.

As a photographer, I can’t tell you how important it is to have your wedding vision nailed down so your day feels uniquely like you. You’ll feel less stressed, more comfortable in your own skin, and totally joyous as you see the very day you dreamed of come to life before your eyes.

In this article we’ll share some simple and effective tips for building your wedding vision with confidence, navigating big opinions from your family and friends, and staying organized so you can plan a wedding day you’ll love from start to finish.

Quick Takeaways

• Creating a vision board is a great first step to putting together a cohesive wedding day vision (and it’s a fun date night, to boot!).
• Once you have your vision set, it’s time to think about the details: location, venue, attire, decor, menu, entertainment, photography, and more.
• Be open to ideas from loved ones, but don’t feel pressured to align with others’ opinions about your wedding vision.
• Don’t be afraid to go outside the box, but don’t do something you don’t love just because it’s trendy.
• Go big on bringing your vision to life, but be sure to do it in a way that’s within your planned budget.

Wedding Vision 101: Starting with a Vision Board

A vision board is a collage of images and affirmations representing your dreams and desires for the future. Its highly visual nature allows you to picture the future as you want it to happen, and for engaged couples, it can be a really powerful way to capture your initial wedding vision.

This can also be a really fun and romantic activity to do with your significant other as you first jump into the wedding planning process.

Vision boards can be made the traditional way with a good ol’ piece of poster board and some magazines to cut images from. But they’re also easy to make online with Pinterest or a vision board website or application. Many brides and grooms find the digital route better for wedding planning because you have unlimited access to the ideas and images you want to include.

Here’s are two examples of what wedding vision boards looks like:

Images Source

As you can see, these vision boards represent two totally different wedding vibes—the first one beachy chic, and the second rustic mountain. But both capture the desired feel of the wedding in one cohesive space.

Vision boards are a really awesome way to gather your initial thoughts and ideas, and a source of inspiration as you get into full wedding planning gear.

I recommend vision boarding as a date night idea. Set dedicated time aside, get cozy at home, pour your favorite drinks, put on some relaxing music, and get excited together as you create the first picture of your future wedding day.

What Goes into Your Wedding Vision?

There are lots of contributors to your wedding vision, but first you need to decide on the overall vibe and style of your wedding day.  Your vision board should have really helped with this. Look at it closely and see for yourself—Is your wedding vision rustic? Beachy? Urban? Traditional? Modern? Eclectic? Vintage? Edgy?

The list of adjectives could go on—it’s all about defining what you see on your board and then refining it as needed so it’s clear and cohesive. Once you’ve got the vibe down, you can get into specifics, such as:

• Location + Venue — Where do you want your wedding to be held? Maybe you want to do it in your hometown, or on an island, or in the city where you met your significant other. Decide on the broad location first, then a venue that fits your vision.
• Attire — What style of attire do you picture for the bride, groom, and wedding party? Do you have any requests for your guest (for example: a black and white wedding)?
• Decor Style — Think about table settings, floral arrangements, favor displays, lighting, and other similar decor choices that set the mood at your ceremony and reception.
• Menu — Is there a certain menu style you want to go with? For example, a beach wedding might include more seafood options, while a rustic mountain wedding may offer grilled options. Casual weddings may serve family-style while formal weddings typically include a sit-down dinner.
• Entertainment — Do you want a band or a DJ? Do you have particular artists and songs in mind? Are there certain songs that are must-haves to add to the feel of the evening?
• Photography — What type of photos do you want of your wedding day? Documentary style? Traditional portrait? Editorial? Vintage? You have lots of options, and you’ll want to choose a wedding photographer who can capture your day the way you envision it.

These are some of the main considerations to keep in mind, but it’s not an exhaustive list. As you plan your big day, keep your vision board handy and your vision top-of-mind, aligning your decisions with that larger idea of how you want your day to look and feel.

How to Figure Out Your Wedding Vision: Dos and Don’ts

Do: Take Advice from Trusted Loved Ones

Your most trusted loved ones—parents, siblings, besties, etc.—can be a great support system and help you navigate the process of building your wedding vision. After all, they know and love you, so they’ll likely have some solid advice on the kind of day you’ll love.

Keep your mind open to their ideas as you plan, and use the good ones for inspiration.

Don’t: Let Them Stress You Out

That said—it’s your day. Don’t include something in your wedding vision that’s totally not you or that you don’t absolutely love just because someone else wants it to be there.

When you can, aim to find a middle ground. For example, your traditional parents might want you to get married in a church, but you want to have a destination wedding. Perhaps you can do a church ceremony before or after you leave, but have the main event happen on destination.

Ultimately, though, this is a major milestone in your life. It’s about what you and your bride or groom envision. Don’t compromise your values and vision just to satisfy other opinions. 

Do: Go Outside the Box if You Want To

Have an idea that’s not totally traditional? Go for it! Your wedding day is an expression of your love story. If you want to go with a non-traditional wedding dress style, or a unique location, or an eclectic decor style, go all in.

Don’t: Do Things Just Because They’re Trendy

. . . but don’t feel pressured to do something just because you see it on social media. I promise, not everyone needs to do a wedding party flash mob or have Pinterest-perfect wedding favors or anything that doesn’t make you feel confident and authentically you.

Stick to your real and true vision, and leave the rest out. 

Do: Go Big On Your Vision

This is one of the biggest days of your life! Plus, the beauty of a wedding day is in the details. Go big on all of the things you love that will make your wedding vision complete—the venue you’ve always wanted to choose, the detailed decor, the curated playlist—the list could go on.

Don’t feel silly for wanting to go the extra mile to execute your wedding vision. The details do matter, and getting them right will make your day more awesome.

Don’t: Go Over Your Budget

Last but not least, don’t totally ruin your budget just to achieve a certain version of your vision that you think is necessary. I promise—there’s a way to bring every kind of wedding vision to life on any budget. You don’t have to spend beyond your means.

Do your research, embrace DIY options and budget-friendly alternatives to certain parts of your vision, and bring it to life in a way that doesn’t leave you playing financial catch-up later on.

Let Perennial Capture Your Wedding Day Vision

At Perennial, we make it our priority to capture your wedding vision authentically. We’re here to document your love story, capturing your day in its truest form and bringing out genuine laughter along the way. Our documentary-style approach allows you to stay present the entire day while never missing a single moment you want to remember. 

Book a call with us to learn more.