How to Create a Cohesive Design

How to Create a Cohesive Design

Creating an overall vision for your wedding day can be not only challenging, but very time consuming. Let’s dive into where to start when creating a design, as well as important elements to make everything cohesive. Scroll through to see some inspiration pictures from real weddings here at The Hillside Estate!

Step 1: Narrowing Down a Color Palette

This step can be the most time consuming of the design process. There are endless options, and it can sometimes seem like it’s easy to get off-track when combining details and colors. One of the best pieces of advice we give to our clients is to go to a local hardware store and grab paint swatches! This is an easy and inexpensive way to get an overall idea of your likes and dislikes. You can grab as many paint swatches as you want and compare them in multiple different lights and environments. Once you narrow your colors down, talk with your planner to see if you can color match your swatches and see samples of linen colors. A great place to start when designing is picking your linen or floral colors, the rest will fall into place from there!

When selecting your color palette, keep your personal preferences in mind. Have you always been attracted to bright colors? Or are neutral tones more your style? Sometimes, you will be surprised by color pairings but if it appeals to your eye, that’s what matters most!

In the photos above, the color palette consists of yellow, orange, red, blush, liliac, greenery, and incorporated gold finishes. When creating a design, color options are endless! Often times, more shades equal more contrast, which gives dimension to the eye. .

Step 2: Picking Your Design Style

This is where looking at Pinterest or The Hillside Estate Instagram account comes in handy! Go through and save all the things that catch your eye. Once you have about 12-15 photos selected, start narrowing down your top 4-5. After you have narrowed this down, chat with your hired planner to see what design packages they offer to assist you with your design style.

Venue- The Hillside Estate; Planner- A Man With a Plan Weddings; Florist- Victorious Rose; Photography- Blanca Perez

If you enjoy a simple design that does not have a lot of table decor, florals, etc. Then you may lean more towards the minimalist style. This style is best executed with neutral colors that compliment each other and contrast well. Some of these colors might include greys, blacks, whites, greens, or blush. The key to creating a minimal design is to eliminate cluttered spaces. Less is more with this style.

Venue- The Hillside Estate; Planning & Design- Gathered Events; Photography- Megan Kay; Rentals- Posh Couture; Florals- Event Stems Floral; Stationery- Lyons Paperie

If wooden textures are more your speed then you might enjoy a rustic or countryside design. This design pairs well with any neutral color palette or with incorporated pops of color. When designing this style, you will want to keep in mind that textures play a big role. You will want to add in woodsy tones and textures as well as lots of florals.

Venue- The Hillside Estate; Photography- Lavishly Lux Studio; Planning & Design- Swan 7 Productions; Florals- Nicole Smedley Events

If you like an effort and elegant style, you may enjoy a bohemian design. This color palette is completely tailored to you! A lot of people that like a bohemian style tend to go for warm orange, red, and tan in their color palette, but the beauty of this style is that anything will look great! This design is often times paired with pampas grass and other laid back florals.

Venue- The Hillside Estate; Planning & Design- Gathered Events; Photography- Sarah Kate; Florals- Moss Florals; Stationery- Lane Love Paper Co.; Linens- BBJ Linens & La Tavola; Rentals- Posh Couture, Perch Event Decor, Sandone Productions, Inkredible, & Centerstage Floors.

While there are so many varying design styles out there, the last one we will discuss here is traditional. A style that is classified as traditional is one that has lighter tones, minimal/light decor, and pops of florals here and there. This design is one of the most timeless choices, it will age beautifully and you will look back on it for years, never worrying about passing trends.

Step 3: Tying Your Color Palette Into Your Design

Here comes the fun part! Adding elements to a space that will create cohesion and match your personal style. A great way to keep a table design cohesive is to incorporate the finishes of the chairs into the finishes of your glassware or plateware. This creates an intentional look and draws the eye to the subtle details.

One of the trickiest parts of design, is adding in pops of color but still making them relevant to the overall space. One way you can go about this is by adding your brighter colors to your linens. You can do this through tablecloths or napkins–not everything has to match perfectly! Mixing and matching linens gives a cool and unique feel. Once you pick the brighter tones that will be on your linens, you can incorporate them into your florals or other details. Change up this variation to your liking, such as using a neutral linen color with bright florals to strike the perfect balance. The beauty in designing is that you are in control, and what pleases you, goes!

The pictures above showcase a gorgeous design that features fresh and elegant touches. This particular client chose a white linen with a detailed overlay. The chairs tie in beautifully to the florals and napkins. Small details can help draw the whole design together, such as selecting glassware finishes to match the china–this is something small but can make such a huge impact on the overall look.

Step 4: Just Have Fun!

The most important step! This is your day, what you say goes. If you want an all black design, do that. You get to call the shots here. Designing your wedding can be stressful, but you shouldn’t forget to have fun. Hiring a planner and design team can take a lot of burden off of you when preparing your event.

Hopefully you enjoyed these tips and learned a little more about your design style, and creating a cohesive design!