When I sign on to help a couple plan their wedding, I start the process by having a powwow with the couple.  I ask them to describe their dream wedding, so that I can get a better idea about their style and the look and feel they’re hoping for on wedding day.

In this case, the bride is planning from out of state, so she can’t be here to see every single element/detail in person.  This puts a great deal of responsibility on my shoulders to really understand exactly what she wants -  I have to be able to act as an extension of her, translating her style to local vendors when helping plan her destination wedding in Colorado.

Her dream wedding is a rustic, barn wedding. As she put it: “I like taking the road less traveled.  I still want a beautiful dress, just not the ball gown type.  I would choose wildflowers over roses, fiddle over violin and the cotton-eyed-joe over the chicken dance.”

Ummm, how could I not be excited about planning this wedding?!?! To make absolutely sure I have a good understanding of what a bride wants for her wedding, I create an inspiration board after our initial powwow and send it to the bride/couple for feedback. Here is what I came up with for this rustic barn wedding – stay tuned for pictures of the actual wedding on November 6th!

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

When you start planning an event, it can be overwhelming! There are so many choices, so many different directions you could go in. With all of the options, how can you ensure the event has a cohesive feel, rather than being a hodgepodge of different styles thrown together in a way that doesn’t make sense? As far as I am concerned, it all comes down to having a vision about what you want your event to be.

What is a vision, you might ask, and how do I get one? A vision is the overarching theme of your event. Not a theme in the cheesy sense, but a theme that governs the way you want your event to look and feel. For example, do you want your event to have an urban vibe, be reminiscent of a Tuscan feast, or should your guests feel like they are walking into The Secret Garden? Or maybe you prefer a Winter Wonderland, Old Hollywood Glam, or a Green theme for your event.

Whatever your theme may be, it’s important to choose one early in the planning process. Embracing a theme for your event will help guide every choice you make in the planning process –  from choosing the venue, to the invitations, to the décor.

If you’re having trouble deciding on a theme for your event, ask your planner for help. He/she should be able to ask you the right questions to help narrow down a theme that is in line with your personality, type of event and budget. You can also find lots of inspiration for fabulous themes in books, magazines and on the internet.

And once you’ve chosen your theme comes the fun part – choosing all of the right elements to help bring your theme to life!

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio