Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Your Wedding Style Is In Your Closet


 YOUR WEDDING STYLE IS IN YOUR CLOSET

Over the years as a wedding planner and decorator, I've had clients give me a synopsis of their vision for their wedding. Most will describe their Must-Haves and dislikes to me and then I will come up with a game plan to achieve and execute that vision according to their wants/needs. I must say, I'm pretty good at taking an idea and running with it, especially on a tight budget. But sometimes, I'll run into a snafu and something will get lost in translation.

A bride might tell me she wants a "Rustic" wedding, so I will present venues and decor items with that style in mind. But then that bride will hate everything I propose and ask why am I showing her earthy, natural ideas. Well, because that style incorporates certain earthy elements...the elements she told me she wanted by saying she wanted a "Rustic" wedding! Well turns out, this bride thought that just because her wedding ceremony was being held outside, meant that her style was Rustic! O.M.G.!!

I can't tell you how often this happens! Many brides know what they like but end up attaching the wrong label on to it. With the craze of Pinterest and soo many sites that brides go to find wedding ideas, it can be difficult for them to define the style category that their pins fall into. Well, a few years ago, I came up with a universal analogy that every girl can appreciate, to help label their style!

What's that expression, let fashion work for you? Well, I am using fashion to help clarify four of the most confused labels brides use to describe their wedding: Classic, Traditional, Formal, and Elegant.


Classic
Classic style can be described as plain, necessary, or just serves the purpose. Sort of like that White Cotton Blouse in your closet! That blouse is only a filler piece to go with a skirt or jeans in a pinch. You won't spend alot on it, because you won't wear it alot. So in terms of weddings, that White Blouse is say white or ivory linens on your table...a necessity but nothing to get excited about. Or that pack of plain white wedding invitations, no fuss no muss.



 Traditional
Traditional style can be described as pretty and functional, nothing to say wow about. Sort of like that Black Blazer in your closet. You keep that blazer because everyone has told you over the years that you need it as a standard wardrobe piece. It serves its function and wears well. That blazer takes your outfit from blah to "oh, okay, nice" in twenty seconds. In wedding terms, that Black Blazer would be a 3 tiered white wedding cake...pretty but its just a cake, because you to have to have a cake. Or going back to invitations, traditional would be invitations with a cute border and font.














Formal
Formal style usually begins to kick things up a notch. Its upscale, serves many purposes, looks like you spent alot, and your purpose is to definitely impress people. So, what's that one piece in your closet that you go to to impress people??? Yup, that Little Black Dress! That black dress can be dressed up or dressed down, and you look like a million bucks in it! And you know it! Formal style is just that, selecting items that are a knock out, so people's head's turn and say WOW! Think of formal in wedding terms like rented Chiavari Chairs...impressive, pricey, and they WILL get noticed! If we want to keep the invitation reference going, formal styling would be invitations with a satin ribbon accent in a foil lined envelope. Your guests are definitely noticing that!














Elegant
Elegant styling is style on Fleek! It's high end, fabu-locity that brings the wow factor. Elegance makes a statement but always remains in style, never falling prey to a fad. Sort of like those Red Bottom Shoes in your closet! When you wear those shoes, you're telling people: Look at my shoes, now look at me...look at my shoes, now look at me! LOL Elegance doesn't have to be expensive if you choose quality items, but elegant styling is always eye-catching and memorable. In wedding terms, you could say that rock on your finger is elegant. Your guests may not remember the food, the music, or your vows, but they will remember that DIAMOND! Continuing on with that invitation example, elegant styling would be those invitations with pearl beading or rhinestones. When your guests open them up, those invites are like BAM! WHAT?!? MIC DROP!














Hopefully this will help just one bride define her likes and dislikes while planning her wedding. It's been a successful tool for me to get a clearer understanding of what my clients want and don't want. If there's one thing that holds true, we women love to shop...no matter what we're shopping for!