First Pass Inspiration Board

In a previous post, I pretty much skirted the issue of deciding on a "theme" because I don't really think we need one.  Basically, we will include things that we like, things that are meaningful, and make sure that our guests have a great time. 
But I can't get off that easy when discussing the decor and design elements of the wedding! I won't belabor my journey to discover each of these elements; some of them are carried over from the pre-engagement wedding fantasies, some are recent finds, and some were discovered after the choice of venue.

For your viewing pleasure, I present Wedding Inspiration Board 1.0!

Colors: Fabric.com Shoes: Weddings PlaceTux: Gift for Groom Fountain: Meg Baisden PhotographyChandelier: White Planning Chalkboard: SarahSaysSew on Etsy Bridesmaids Bouquets: Found on Project Wedding by Design House Weddings Thumprint Print: SilhouetteWeddings on Etsy Moss Letters: Choosing You on Etsy
Sparkler Exit: Style Me Pretty by Life Writing Photography Crystal Garland: save-on-crafts LOVE: SilhouetteWeddings on Etsy Floral Centerpiece: snapshot via my florist Cake: Via Martha Stewart Weddings by Liz Banfield Photography

I'd say that's pretty darn pretty!

Let's break it down..

Colors -  Ok, so that's a lot of colors over there on the left!  After a lot of back and forth, we decided that jewel tone colors were just right for us, mostly teal and dark purple with some gold and champagne thrown in to lighten it up.  The light green and pinks will be brought in with the flowers.

Silhouettes - I LOVE this LOVE cake topper from Etsy with the bride's and groom's silhouettes.  I also wanted to bring in the silhouettes in the thumbprint guest book.  I know there are plenty of other opportunities to include it (invitations, TY notes, bathroom signs) but haven't yet figured out the extent of it. 

Candles & Chandeliers -  our venue (shown in the upper right picture), especially the courtyard, lends itself very well to being beautifully candlelit.  I've already spoken about my desire for the chandeliers.  I intend to include the candles and chandeliers in the courtyard and ballroom to create a soft, romantic glow.  Plus, more candles means less flowers!  On that note..

Flowers - the plan is to have very textured, full flowers in a few key areas. Bringing down the floral budget but still making an impact.

Monogram Letters - I want to include these somewhere but  probably won't do moss, as it really doesn't fit with our style.  So what else? Glitter? Paint? I'm still thinking on this one.

Cake - Something textured, kind of fun. Maybe some color.  I love the lacy look of the one pictured here. 

Sparkler Exit - I know that sparklers are totally trendy, totally "I got married in 201X" but I just can't help it.  There are few things that the FI loves more than lighting stuff on fire fireworks and our venue allows it.  And it fits with the whole candlelit vibe. And maybe it's a personal preference, but I don't like getting hit in the face with projectile confetti/rice/sequins/glitter (seriously, people are doing glitter?).  And sparklers are fun, dude. Don't hate.

Chalkboard Quotes -  also trendy, but also adorable.  Chalkboards might not be the way to go, but I do like this quote.  Seriously, we were engaged at Disney, we need to have some "happily ever after."

Tux&Dress - The picture shows a bout and we aren't using them, but we will be going with tuxes for the boys.  The shoes are not the ones I chose, but I had to have some snazzy shoes make an appearance on my board!

Of course, like the latest IPphone, once I hit "save," it was already out of date.  I found some substitutes and alternatives, but the vision is very much the same. It's helped me wrap my mind around how I want the wedding to look based on the inspiration photos I was drawn to.  I've actually pulled out my phone and referenced this with a vendor or two.  And I was able to share my vision with my bridesmaids and family to help with planning.  Certainly better than trying to scroll through all of the photos on Pinterest that I ever pinned. 

Here's a sneak preview of what will be included on Inspiration Board 2.0!
Colors are still purple/plum, teal/turquoise, and gold/champagne. Kind of like a fancy Mardi Gras color scheme or peacock without the peacock feathers.   
Designs I want to incorporate are lace, silhouettes, chandeliers, and rosettes. 

Lace: via FabricBros on Etsy Cake Topper: SilhouetteWeddings on Etsy Chandelier: Home Depot Cake: Via Style Me Pretty by Volatile Photo

These pictures turned out monochromatic, but I'm excited for these accent items and to have some direction when wading through the great big world of wedding options. 

Did you make an inspiration board? Did you change it after doing some more research too?