I am often asked if there are any tricks to creating a well-styled party. While there are so many factors that go into the party planning process, I do have a few tried and true methods I use to create a cohesive party design.
My first step to planning a party is always to create an inspiration board. By dedicating an hour or so up front to search and compile party inspiration, I have found that it can save me hours (or more!) throughout the party planning process. An inspiration board requires you to loosely form your ideas for the theme, color palette, and vibe of the party. I know many wedding and event planners use inspiration boards to present their ideas to clients, but an inspiration board is something that absolutely can be done on a smaller scale for everyday celebrations like birthday parties, showers, and more.
Why is an inspiration board helpful?
An inspiration board serves as a visual reference to keep you on track when selecting and ordering details for the party, and it is also helpful to send to vendors you work too. I personally like working with vendors who are experts in their field and can give me creative feedback on what they can create for me based on my inspiration board. Vendors in the creative industry LOVE when they have freedom to play with new ideas, rather than constantly being asked to create a duplicate of something that is trending on Pinterest.
What happens if I change my mind?
While I love using an inspiration board as a tool for planning, I am also not afraid to pivot when I find something isn’t working or if I stumble across another idea that inspires me more. A few years ago I was planning an outdoor Alfresco Dinner Party with Black Twine and originally pictured it as a quintessential summer party with bright colors that evoked a playful sense of the summer season. But along came the inclusion of my favorite rose wine, Whispering Angel, and I just knew I needed to change up the color palette to include shades of blush, coral and pink. I am so glad I did, because this party continues to be one of my most popular to date!
How do I create an inspiration board?
To create an inspiration board, I start by saving a collection of photos to a folder on my computer. These images come from Pinterest, Google searches and hashtag searches on Instagram (which has been my favorite place to find photos lately!) I then use the collage tool on PicMonkey to group the images together in a way that is visually appealing. Many times, seeing the photos all together helps me make decisions on details such as florals or a food menu, simply based on how different images look together.
For those of you who already have a Pinterest board full of pins and a camera roll full of screen shots, why not take an extra few minutes to organize the photos to create an inspiration board? This extra step could really simplify the rest of the party planning process and help ensure all of the details are cohesive!
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