If you’re a bride-to-be I would be pretty confident betting that, at the very least, you’ve already spent more time than you should have browsing the pages and pages of Pinterest images available.  If you’re a Pinterest enthusiast then you probably have several wedding planning boards on the go already!

As a wedding planner, my feelings on this platform are so very mixed. It can be both a really helpful tool, and the bane of my life, so this got me thinking about the pros and cons of Pinterest when planning a wedding….

1) Pro: General Inspiration

People aspire to a Pinterest wedding. There’s no doubt about it, the most pinned images have great visual impact, and therefore are perfect wedding inspiration for  the newly engaged who are starting to gather their thoughts and put together a vision for their day.

Whether it’s your wedding dress, venue, place settings or florals, you’re bound to found a collection of images at your fingertips which you can then use as the basis of your wedding design.

Donut wall by Kalm Kitchen. Image from LoveMyDress via Pinterest

2) Con: False Expectations

The flip side to point number 1, is that this often sets unrealistic expectations. In theory, anything is possible when planning a wedding, there really are no limits…except the price point of course. If you have a budget and you’re trying to stick within it then Pinterest is unlikely to be your best friend.

I find myself regularly telling couples that the ‘effortless’ tablescape you’re choosing as a cost saving alternative is far from that. There are so many things – table garlands being the classic example – that are deliberately designed to look relaxed, and just that ‘effortless’, but what Pinterest fails to show you is the hours (and therefore costs) that have gone into making it appear that way.

To prevent yourself getting too carried away, and later disappointed, by all means Pin the images but take a second to think about how that image would be achieved, could you do it yourself? Really do it yourself? If the answer is no, then it’s going to involve someones time, and time = money.

Design by michaleensweddings.com. Image by Alicia King via Pinterest

3) Pro: Flower Power!

I really do find Pinterest very useful for understanding my clients flower vision. More often than not, couples won’t have a specific flower preference, but they will have a distinct style or colour in mind.

Creating a Pinterest board of bouquets, centrepieces, ceremony decorations and general flower arrangements is a very simple way for couples to communicate their floral vision.

The important thing to note is that these images are inspiration they’re not to be copied nor exact, but they’re a great base point to open discussions with the florist. From there, your florist will be able to suggest specific in-season (where possible) flower types and arrangements to suit your style.

Swooned Magazine, image by Marais via Pinterest

4) Con: Lack of Source

Technically, images should be correctly Pinned with permission and crediting all those suppliers who are involved in the making of that photo. But, being realistic that often doesn’t happen, and it can be incredibly frustrating when you find that perfect piece of the wedding puzzle, only to find you just can’t figure out where you can buy it.

Chic Vintage Brides, Image by Bella Reese Photography via Pinterest

5) Pro: Venue and Supplier Sourcing

Again, there is a flip side. When images are correctly credited Pinterest can be a great way of scouting certain aspects of your day – whether it’s the beautiful venue you’ve seen, a particular photographer whose style just keeps being Pinned on your boards or a little finishing touch that you can purchase online Pinterest can be very useful at times!

Sao Vicente Palacio, Lisbon, Image by Studio 1208 via Bridal Musings and Pinterest

6) Con: Lack of Originality

There are certain Pinterest images that I have seen time…and time…and time again. Now don’t get me wrong, they’re usually very pretty images, hence their popularity. But come on, you’re more original than that!

You don’t want your wedding to be the same as everyone else’s, that I’m sure. So to avoid falling into this trap try and be a little imaginative with your search phrases. If you type ‘bridal bouquet’ then this is pretty generic, and no doubt would have been search by far too many other people, see if you can mix it up a bit and be a little more descriptive to get some lesser known inspiration instead.

Wedding Bells, Image by Christine Lim via Pinterest

7) Pro: Focus

Pinterest can provide focus. In the early stages of wedding planning many brides can feel a little daunted, not quite knowing where to start, having a rough idea of what they want but not quite able to bring it to life or having too many ideas and not being able to choose between them.

Cake by HappyHills cakes via Pinterest

If you create boards and start to Pin images that take your fancy then you’ll soon notice a theme developing that can be used to design your wedding.

8) Con: Time-wasting

Before you know it, a bit like online shopping, a 5 minute flick through has turned into a full on hour long Pinning sesh with very little outcome, except less hours in the day than we had to begin with!

We’re all guilty of it as it’s oh so easy to get side tracked and swallowed in to the beautiful wedding bubble that is Pinterest!