Pinterest is a great platform, and it has surely revolutionized the way that couples plan their weddings, so let me start by saying that these Pinterest wedding ideas aren’t Pinterest’s fault! All Pinterest is guilty of is providing an outlet for (sometimes inaccurate) concepts and articles to be uploaded to their site. But lately as I’ve been perusing Pinterest, I’ve thought to myself on more than one occasion that some of these pins have gotten slightly out of control. From “47 ways to have an almost FREE Wedding” to “Plan your wedding in just three months, stress free”, some of this information just breaks my heart because in the end it’s just click-baiting and not helpful whatsoever.
So sure, if you want a good laugh, just head over to Pinterest and search for “Top Wedding Planning Tips & Tricks” or even just plain old “Wedding ideas”. Take a look at the descriptions and comments that brides have used to repin to their personal boards. What is the most popular comment? It’s like something along the lines of, “I gotta remember this when I’m planning my wedding” right?
Well friends, here at Every Last Detail it’s our goal to make sure you are not led in the wrong direction when it comes to wedding planning, so here are some common Pinterest wedding ideas that you can surely pass on…
1) Baby’s Breath
There is this thought that using only Baby’s Breath is a cheap floral alternative for things like bouquets and reception decor. The reality is, anything that you use in mass quantities does add up to a considerable cost. More over, Baby’s Breath smells! Not just an odd floral smell- it might be the smelliest thing you can think of. For me, I equate it to cat urine on a wet shower mat. If you don’t believe me, go buy a bouquet from your local grocery store and stick it in a vase by your bed. Take a deep breath after about 2-3 hours. Then think about that smell in your hands, your bridesmaids’ hands, and the unappetizing idea of having that smell in the middle of all your dining tables. You might want to forego Baby’s Breath, or at least the plan to use tons of it.
2) Reusing Bridesmaid Bouquets & Ceremony Decor
Next up is reusing your bridesmaids’ bouquets and ceremony decor at your reception to save money. While I definitely do agree with this, there are a few things that should be considered for this practice to be successful.
– Your bridesmaids’ bouquets could possibly be out of water (from pictures to Ceremony) almost 2 hours. If that is the case, they may not be in the most pristine condition once they get to the Reception to be reused for centerpieces. Ask your florist about the floral choices that would hold up best being out of water for that long!
– Moving your Ceremony decor really does maximize your floral budget. What’s the problem then? My question for you is… who is in charge of moving these large pieces from your Ceremony to the Reception? Make sure to ask lots of questions and communicate your expectations.
3) Sweetheart Chair Decor
Sweetheart chair decor is fabulous and we LOVE it, but the thing is, it only works when your chair backs aren’t facing a wall. After all, the decor is meant to be seen, right? Just think about your layout and where your sweetheart table will be going. If it’s in a corner or backed against a wall, don’t waste your time or money on chair decor- instead you could do something extra special on the front of your sweetheart table!
4) DIY
“DIY is cheaper” is a very common topic on Pinterest. Upon searching, you will see posts ranging from making your own veil and favors, to DIYing your centerpieces, cake and even all the food that you will serve at your reception. It’s important to know that there is indeed a difference between DIYing some of your details and DIYing your entire wedding! And we love DIY, handmade details just as much as the next girl, but the notion that DIY is cheaper is left to be seen. When you combine the time and energy (not to mention stress) that it takes to DIY something, sometimes you may have been better off just paying for it! And when it comes to the wedding day, no matter how understanding your fiancé and family are, they will definitely appreciate being able to enjoy the wedding day without having extra tasks or watching you melt down when your plans don’t go the way you expected them to. So when it comes to DIY, be prepared, have a plan, and choose your projects wisely!
5) Dress Shopping
Dress shopping is of something that just about every bride looks forward to. The idea that every dress shop provides glasses of Champagne for the bride and her entourage during the appointment is not the standard (although we do love bridal salons that do this). Don’t be disappointed when this doesn’t happen. Enjoy the moment of finding your perfect dress. [As a side note, don’t bring 6+ people to your appointment. You won’t want to hear every single person’s opinion and they may make you second guess your decision when you have found ‘the one’.]
6) Food Truck Reception
While having food trucks at your wedding is SUCH a fun idea, having a Food Truck Only Reception is a slippery slope. To put this in perspective- if you have ever eaten from a Food Truck, how long does your order usually take to be made and then handed to you? A good alternative would be for a Food Truck to arrive later and act as a late night snack! Limited menus are best in these situations so that most of the offerings can be prepared for quick service.
7) S’mores bars
All those cute pictures of S’mores Bars are surely appealing, so naturally you will think that offering a S’mores Bar as a fun favor and activity during the reception is a great idea. Yes and no. Many guests will not want to eat something so sugary sweet after they have already had cake or dessert or while they are drinking and dancing. A s’mores bar is adorable for pictures and display, but the reality is that only 10-15 of your wedding guests will actually make use of this station when your caterer (or you) provided enough for all 100+ guests in attendance.
8) Bridal Shows
The idea of “going to as many Wedding & Bridal Shows to try and win the free giveaways and discounted rates from vendors” is such a bad idea that I don’t even know where to begin. My advice would be to get a Wedding Planner so you don’t need to go to any bridal shows. A bridal show is like herding cattle through makeshift draped hallways where brides will push or elbow you to get through. And when you register for all the free giveaways or for discounted rates, you can definitely expect an abundance of unnecessary emails that will ultimately annoy and frustrate you for months to come. Go to one if you feel like it is your bridal obligation, but remember- I did warn you!
9) Favors
Wedding favors are not necessary, nowadays- especially favors like salt & pepper shakers and mini frames. You definitely don’t have to feel obligated to include favors in your wedding reception. Many people are making charitable donations in lieu of favors, which is a wonderful idea! But if favors are important to you, opt for something edible- people always love to have a little something to snack on when they get home!
10) First Dance
Dance lessons are not necessary for your first dance, and unless you practice every day, you and your new spouse will look stiff as a board during your first dance rather than hopelessly in love and gazing into each other’s eyes as you sway and kiss naturally to your favorite song.
11) Selling your decor
Selling the decor you bought for your wedding is no easy task and you will not even get anywhere close to what you paid for it. Rent as much as you can, so you aren’t stuck with 150 vintage punch bowl cups that you used for votive holders and then get upset when they don’t sell as fast as you thought they would.
12) Confetti
I love confetti just as much as the next girl, but it can definitely cause an issue or two! If you want to use confetti at your wedding, you’ll want to make sure you have a cleanup plan, or check with your venue. Unfortunately, some venues may charge you an additional cleaning fee for something like confetti, so it’s better to be safe than sorry!
13) Photo ideas
There are quite a few interesting photo ideas that float all around Pinterest- you may like a few of them, or you may hate them all. Either way, what you don’t want to do is send your photographer a bunch of these (dare I say cheesy) photo ideas. Hopefully you have hired your photographer because you love their work, so let them do their thing and capture your day in their own way that will best suit you. Keep the Pinterest photo ideas where they belong- on Pinterest!
BONUS… Anything On Pinterest
Basically, if you saw it on Pinterest, it has already been done by someone, and chances are very good that many of your guests will have seen it too, because things tend to make the rounds on Pinterest for a very long time. (As a wedding planner, I’ve heard “Oh, I saw that on Pinterest” during weddings far too many times.) My recommendation? Use things you see on Pinterest as inspiration, but definitely step away and figure out how to make your wedding your own! Work with a designer to help you create a wedding design that is special, personal, and unique to you and your future spouse.
So what are your thoughts? What Pinterest wedding ideas have you seen (or attempted) that you know you will definitely be avoiding?
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Ooh! Ooh! Love this. Such great points.
May I also add the throwing of sprinkles after the ceremony? Sweaty hands, holding colored sprinkles, being thrown on a beautiful white dress = colorful little stains. Plus anything getting thrown after the ceremony will end up in your hair, down your dress and in your cleavage area… RIGHT before photos with your family, mind you.
And…. sharing. <3
Oops, didn’t mean to mark myself as a bride. My bad :)
Loved your article and will definitely be sharing it with my South African brides. Pintrest is NOT original! I also really appreciated your suggestion of working with a wedding designer and defining your own personal style. Thank you SO MUCH!
Thank you for this helpful list. Definitely a good and educational read. Too bad about the Baby’s Breath!
Thank you for an insightful article. If I may I would like to add something from a Dj point of view.
It has become very common for Brides to look for suggested music on You Tube, that is great with the exception that since You Tube is a user contributed sight, a lot of the times the titles of the songs and/or the names of the artist are posted incorrectly.
This makes a lot of Brides very angry at poor Djs that can’t retrieve impossible to to find songs that are requested.
I ask my Brides to verify on iTunes or Amazon downloads that tittles or artist are correct so that we know that we are playing the right song.
Thank you for allowing me to post.
It’s so true on all fronts! Using something you saw on Pinterest and doing it up the exact same way is never a good idea. Making it fresh, making some element of surprise is always a refreshing experience for the guests, and it’s way more personal too!