Happy weekend! I have a special little bonus feature for you today, and just a tiny taster of a stunning wedding I’ll be featuring next week. Gina is the first bride I’ll be featuring who requested one of my inspiration boards, and I wanted to show you a bit of how her original ideas developed before you catch the final result. When Gina first emailed me, she was feeling like she had all these ideas but couldn’t quite picture it coming together, and wanted the design of her wedding to look cohesive. First of all, I should say that this is such a common feeling amongst brides – in fact, I hear this from almost everyone who requests a board – so if you have reached that stage then be reassured that it’s completely normal! In fact, creating a board at this stage in the process (or revising one you already have) is a great idea, because it lets you see the bigger picture (and sometimes spot from a distance when one element isn’t working with the others). Anyway, back to Gina, who had her heart set on a Moroccan theme for her and fiance Ben’s big day, but wanted to make sure it didn’t turn out looking like a tacky theme party.

Gina had a couple of colour schemes in mind, and when I created her board, I chose the one that was clean white and green, with a little touch of deep purple (using a white base with little touches of colour moved away from the Arabian Nights party vibe). Gina had access to Moroccan decor items, and I suggested scattering these around, with hanging lanterns as a key piece. For the tables, I suggested either a print tablecloth or a white one with tiles used as a runner. I also suggested low tables and a bedouin-style breakout area, and directed Gina to a few links, including this gorgeous Sunday Suppers take on Moroccan dining. Here’s the inspiration board I made for Gina:

Full credits and links here. 

Now here’s where it gets interesting, because you get to see the evolution of Gina’s ideas. Even if you have a board designed just for you, the truth is, you’re probably not going to love every idea I suggest (for example, I suggested succulents, but they weren’t really her thing). On the other hand, she loved the lanterns, the breakout area and the Sunday Suppers link. In fact, the Sunday Suppers styling proved so inspirational that she ended up going with a similar colour scheme (wait till you see how it turned out – GORGEOUS!). Gina put all her new ideas together into a revised board and used this as her base (seriously, this girl could do my job – how lovely is it?):

Top row (l-r): Cushions; table setting; bride; Moroccan design; Row 2: Lamps; bouquets; shoes; silverware; bride and bridesmaids {source unknown}; Row 3: Hammock; flowers and tile; breakout area.

Another idea Gina LOVED was the tiles. Luckily, she’s an artist, so she was able to create some absolutely amazing tiles for her decor, and then re-used the design for her invitations and again on her cake. This is the kind of subtle detail that really makes a wedding design coherent. I think it’s so exciting to see how a little idea can grow into a big one that Gina made her own and turned into a central part of her concept! A true evolution from inspiration to reality.

Now all that’s left is to show you the end result… but you’ll have to wait until Tuesday for that!

In the meantime, if you’re loving all things North African, head over to the archives where you’ll find everything you need on Moroccan wedding details.