Inspiration is as easy as 1, 2, 3...

From the desk of Sashay's Lady in Waiting:

Inspiration boards. You see them all the time in magazines and on blogs. But what if you want to make your own? Never fear, Sashay is here! Dun da da da...drum roll please... I've created a few simple steps to steer you in the right direction when creating your own inspiration story board!

#1 The sky is the limit
Have FUN! Your storyboard doesn't have to be realistic. Want the symbolic "good luck" of elephants in your wedding without all eight tons? Clip beautiful photos of them from National Geographic magazines. Incorporate their natural grey tone into your color palette or consider elephant-shaped escort cards. Go crazy! This is your day. If you've got a big idea, create an inspiration board to see if it flows. It's like an etch-a-sketch...you can always take things away and add new great ideas as they come along! :)

#2 Build your inspiration in 3-D
Have things hanging off, standing on, popping out of, and tied to your board. You don't have a flat boring dream, so why make your storyboard that way? Your storyboard is a great opportunity to compare shades, textures, and objects against each other. Get samples from invitations vendors, paint strips from a home improvement store, and faux flowers and ribbons from craft stores like JoAnn's and Michael's.

#3 Center importance
What is the most important part of your inspiration? In the pictures below, I placed the bride as most important, so I centered her and raised her image to the highest level. Is the wedding or birthday cake your favorite part? Put it in the middle and have everything else spiraling around it in order of importance. Your eye will settle on this focal point and organize everything else around it.

#4 Think outside the box
Instead of just putting pictures and colors on your board, why not place real objects on there? Love the texture and color of citrus fruits like pomegranates, clementines, and grapefruits? Let a few fruit peels dry out and pin them to your storyboard! Obsessed with farm weddings? Pick a few hay strands and paint a wood chip red to get that barn feel.

Check out these photos below from my most recent inspiration board. The theme is a simple yet elegant New England wedding set in Nantucket Harbor on a late midsummer afternoon.





Enjoy!
Marisa Negri
Sashay's "Lady in Waiting"