How to Find Your Wedding Style

Wondering what your wedding style is and how to define it? We can help!

As wedding planners and designers, we believe your wedding style is just as important as your budget. Your wedding style is what you and your partner want your event to look like and how you want your guests to feel. Whether you call it a style, a theme, or an aesthetic, you should be able to choose two to three words that describe the overall vibe of your wedding day vision. Your wedding style will drive almost every decision you and your soon-to-be spouse make when planning your dream day - from choosing a venue, to designing your menu, and everything in between. In this blog, we’ll tell you exactly how to find your wedding style!

Photography by Laura Alpizar

Why does defining your style matter?

You might have a perfect vision of your dream wedding in your head, but it can be difficult to describe that vision to your family, friends, and wedding vendors. You could waste a surprising amount of time just trying to explain the difference between “French countryside” and “rustic chic” to your partner or parents if you don’t know the right terminology. It is so much easier to convey your ideas, make selections, and enjoy the process when you have the right words!

Nailing down a few key themes or aesthetics early on in the planning timeline will make everything more organized and simplified. It will help you find the right vendors to bring each aspect of your vision to life, because they will understand what you are looking for. They can take the style words you give them to source the right décor, plan your menu, or even plan the perfect shot list. Define your wedding style to save your wedding vendors - and yourself - lots of time and confusion.

PRO TIP: Make sure you’ve done these three things before you plan your wedding!

Consider popular wedding styles

Since wedding style is one of the first and biggest decisions you’ll make when planning your wedding, there are already TONS of resources out there to help you find yours. A quick Google search will turn up thousands of wedding blogs with their own lists of 10 to 100 wedding styles to choose from. To save you some time,  we’ve narrowed them down to the top 10 most popular wedding styles we see among Availed couples!

Classic or Traditional

Modern

Elegant

Romantic

Industrial

Glamorous or Luxe

Contemporary

Bohemian

Vintage

Rustic

There are many styles beyond and in between these 10 popular themes, but choosing even one of them can help you hone in on your style. Pick any of these words that speak to you and let them guide you as you search for inspiration photos!

Find inspiration photos

Sometimes the hardest part about defining your style is finding inspiration photos that represent your ideas. Use Pinterest, Instagram, blogs, and magazines to search for your style and save the photos you like most. Look for photos of color palettes, florals, signage, and other details that speak to you. Bonus points if you find inspiration photos from local vendors - then you know they can create exactly what you’re looking for!

PRO TIP: Check out our inspiration boards on Pinterest for curated ideas from the pros!

When you’ve spent enough time looking, liking, and saving photos, take a step back to see it all together. We recommend creating a dedicated wedding Pinterest board for this and sharing it with your partner, but you can also print out photos to add to a vision board if that’s easier for you to conceptualize. Look for trends and common themes. Do you see soft colors or bold hues? Does one particular style stand out to you? Do you like some ceremony photos more than others?  Delete some of the photos that don’t fit the overall vibe to make sure it all looks cohesive, and focus on the photos that best represent your vision!

Let your personal style guide you

Wedding style can be difficult to determine if you haven’t been dreaming of this day since you were a kid. If you aren’t exactly sure what your wedding style is yet, start by determining your personal style. Using your personal style to guide your wedding design can help make it feel more authentic and unique to you! Ask yourself these questions:

How do I like to dress? Do I tend to choose classic or trendy clothes? Do I gravitate to colors or neutrals?

What does my house look like? Is there an obvious theme? Where do I buy most of my furniture and décor?

What am I drawn to? When I scroll on Pinterest or Instagram, is there a common color or aesthetic?

Use your answers to these questions to determine if you already have a style, and decide if this style would feel right on your wedding day. For example: if you wear lots of flowy clothing in warm colors, your house is filled with plants and rattan furniture, and your Instagram feed is filled with travel photos, you probably have a bohemian style!

Get your partner’s input

If you feel like you’re the only one who cares about your wedding style, you’re not alone! Many engaged couples encounter this obstacle during their wedding planning process; sometimes one person has big ideas and the other person just wants to show up. Ask your partner if they have a vision for your wedding day and be open to their ideas. Just like you, they might have a hard time finding the right words, so remember to be patient. You can always send them this article to help them too!

Once you have figured out what is important to your partner, what colors they like, and how they want their wedding day to feel, add their ideas to your vision board. Find commonalities between your style and theirs, and use these as the driving force behind your style. Remember this is a special day for you AND your partner, and it's important to find ways to incorporate both of your ideas!

Hire a wedding planner to do the rest

Once you have a wedding style narrowed down, you might be a little unsure of what to do next. It’s time to talk to the pros! Hiring a wedding planner or designer means you’ll have an expert to help you find the perfect vendors, source decorations, and make sure every decision aligns with your vision. 

PRO TIP: Already have a venue with a venue coordinator? Here’s why you still need a wedding planner.

At Availed Wedding + Event Planning, we offer a variety of wedding planning packages in Minneapolis and beyond so you can get the design help you need. Consider our Event Design or Complete Coordination packages if you’re looking for a little extra help with bringing your vision to life! Send us an inquiry today or set up a free consultation with our Lead Planners.

Thanks for reading, and happy planning! - Lexie

PLANNING | Availed Wedding + Event Planning

PHOTOGRAPHY | Laura Alpizar

VENUE | Brick x Mortar

FLORAL | Maven

DECOR | Festivities + Rudy’s Event Rentals + Après Event Décor and Tent Rental

STATIONERY | Epitome Papers

ATTIRE | A&Bé Bridal Shop + Wedding Shoppe Inc + Nordstrom

HAIR + MAKEUP | WarPaint International

FOOD + BEV | Food Gallery Catering + LiquidMotion

DJ | Instant Request