The Problem with Pinterest Weddings

If you’re planning a wedding or fantasizing about tying the knot, chances are, you’ve made your way to Pinterest for inspiration. With the click of a button, you have access to thousands of wedding design ideas for any theme, time of year, and color scheme. One idea leads to another as the scrolling allows for never ending possibilities.

While these Pinterest ideas are great for helping visualize an event, they may also create unrealistic expectations that cause brides to spend more time and money than their original budget allows.

Don’t mistake our intent. We love Pinterest! We’re on there everyday to find everything from new recipes for breakfasts to ideas for seasonal flower arrangements. However, it can be detrimental to many brides, as they begin to lose sight of their initial vision and priorities.

The 3 Problems with Pinterest Weddings

 

The DIY Disasters

Unless you are very good at crafting or are a designer by trade, DIY wedding projects are generally a bad idea. Many of the DIY projects on Pinterest are actually a bit more complicated than they let on. In fact, many people struggle to create these Pinterest crafts. In fact, these failures are so prevalent that it has led to the creation of a website called PinterestFail.com. This site always makes us feel a bit better as it shows the realistic side of the site.

Here’s the reality check. Deciding to DIY wedding items is more difficult than they make it look on Pinterest. These crafts take more time than expected and often cost more than the store-bought alternatives. Buying favors or hiring a professional to do arrangements will save a lot in time and frustration in the long run.

Weddings are stressful enough without making everything yourself.

 

Blowing the Budget

At Colonial Gardens, we offer full wedding packages with the floral arrangements and bouquets done by our own florist. Quite often, we have brides come to us with Pinterest pictures of elaborate bouquets that they expect will be in the budget. The problem is that Pinterest doesn’t take into account the flowers in season nor the high price of premium flower types.

Photoshop doesn’t care that natural roses do not grow royal blue.

As a result, brides will often spend much more than expected because they didn’t realize what the bouquet in the picture would actually cost.

According to CNBC, the average wedding now costs $32,641. This number has continued to rise since 2000. Their theory is that social media sites, such as Pinterest and Instagram, have created an expectation of affordability and price which is not realistic. Once you factor in all the lights, the decorations, and the cake, even the “backyard wedding” that seems money saving would probably cost closer to $20,000.

 

Unrealistic Expectations

Recently, one of our brides had fallen in love with a modern style of tuxedo for the groomsmen. However, when it came time for fittings, they went to every tuxedo rental store they could think of, but could not find that style. It turns out that those tuxedos had been bought and tailored specifically for those photos. Rental wasn’t even a possibility.

With the elaborate settings of destination weddings, amazing photography, and perfect lighting, Pinterest is full of images that will create unrealistic expectations.

 

Our Recommendation?

Don’t need to throw out Pinterest all together! However, Pinterest should not be the standard to which you hold your wedding day. Definitely use Pinterest as inspiration for theme, color, and design. However, be willing to be flexible to alternatives and store-bought options.

The most important thing is to make sure your wedding day fits you, your style, and your budget!