Are you a Pinterest lover? Do you have a board for almost every aspect of your wedding? Is Pinterest your go to for all things wedding inspiration? Believe it or not, this is not an anti-Pinterest blog. We love Pinterest just as much as anyone and we as photographers rely on it for own creative inspiration and expression. BUT... Pinterest walks a fine line between being harmful and helpful. Again, this is not an anti-Pinterest post but here are three ways that Pinterest could be causing you more harm than help when it comes to wedding planning and tips on how to best utilize this app for your planning.
Number One:
It's important to realize that wedding related pins are a combination of countless real weddings, styled shoots, and commercial branding content. Often you won't know what content is real and what was specifically designed and curated by professionals. All of this content can easily set an unrealistic expectation of what you need for your wedding.
Number Two:
If you're getting ideas and saving hundreds upon hundreds of pins then you're getting content from hundreds of different weddings. Is it amazing that we have access to this many ideas? Absolutely, it has changed the wedding industry forever but what we often forget is that all of these cute ideas we're falling in love with and determining to be "must haves" are not all happening on ONE DAY! I have photographed dozens of weddings that tried to include way too many of these unique ideas whether it be decor related or an added activity to the day, and sure some of them made for some cute instagram worthy photo-ops but it also led to an extremely exhausted and stressed out bride and groom. Don't get me wrong, I love all of the cute and unique ideas that Pinterest has but my advice to couples is to take a step back when they find an idea they love and genuinely ask themselves what they love about it and how they feel it will make their wedding day even better. Be intentional with your wedding planning so that you can truly enjoy this day without too many interruptions by Pinterest ideas.
Number Three:
This idea that everything can be DIY for anyone if you work hard enough... Pinterest often has us fooled to believe that we are capable of learning any skill necessary for DIY wedding decor. Wood working? Welding? Construction? Floral design? What can't a bride do with a hot glue gun and a truck load of determination? Technically, I believe couples are capable of conquering any DIY project they want and in some cases a DIY project might save you tons of money but these projects will still cost you. They will cost you time, energy, and stress. This will often lead to feeling overwhelmed and discouraged about your wedding. After hours and hours, when you finally finish your DIY project, you may be disappointed when it doesn't quite match the result of the pros. Many of my past brides have chosen to save some money on their florals and DIY their bouquets and center pieces with the help of their bridesmaids. Sometimes, the result is impressively beautiful but even in the best cases, a DIY project will take 10 times longer to research, self-teach, and implement than it will take a professional.
So with that being said, should couples avoid any and all Pinterest DIY projects? It's your wedding, you get to do it however you want so go DIY crazy if it makes you happy but don't push it if it just leads to stress and frustration. We get how fun these projects can be, you may discover a new talent or passion for these projects. Some brides choose to do their own signage, florals or even planning and it leads them to a new career after falling in love with the process. Again, we just want to emphasize being intentional so that Pinterest doesn't lead you to bite off more than you can chew and provide you with more stress or disappointment than it does help and inspiration.
Take a step back and assess all the ideas you love and break them down into what you want to prioritize. Which ones are you alright letting go of if the timeline gets away from you? Which of these DIY projects will bring you the most joy to create yourself and which ones are worth handing it off to the pros?
