The 2023 wedding season is not finished yet, but we are already excited about 2024 brides. And hear me out, it is never too early to start looking for some bad-ass bridal inspiration and plan your best-styled outfit ever. I am sure you are already on Pinterest, but do you want to use it like a pro?
When I work on my bridal styling, I love to get inspired and keep my thoughts organized, and I cannot do it without my bridal inspiration boards. There are many digital instruments available now, and by far Pinterest is my absolute favorite tool. However, in order to get the most out of it, you have to refine your search habits first. Remember the app isn’t tuned to your problem yet, so it will throw in anything, even slightly related to the search. For that reason, you need to gently push the algorithm towards the right direction and raise image quality. Here are some tips on how to make Pinterest offer you more tailored bridal inspiration suggestions.
Upscale your search
No doubt Pinterest has very elevated image standards. However, it is not always easy to keep the taste level high. In order to avoid being sucked up into the mobile sends of questionable pins, shoot for the stars. Watch for well-styled celebrities. Look at what they wear for big events on the red carpet or for their special day. Trust me, most of them have been dressed by a professional styling team and you can learn for free from the best. My latest personal favorite bridal looks are from Haley Bieber, Hilary Duff, Lilly Collins, and Barbara Palvin. And I swoon over red carpet looks from Blake Lively and Elisabeth Stewart’s styling for Jessica Chastain and Cate Blanchett.
Get personal
Make it all about you. Do your homework: study your bodyshape, facial features, your complexion, and colors. Note what makes you look and feel better and focus your search on that. Filter out things that almost definitely would not work for you. E.g., do not save images of straight hairstyles if you have naturally curly hair; it will hardly ever look the same on you and will only pull your attention away from who you are. A good search example is, for instance, "top messy bun for naturally curly hair" instead of "top messy bun". With the first one, you will obviously get more targeted suggestions. Of course, Pinterest has already thought about that and has made our lives easier by adding filter buttons above your search results, but for now, we need to feel how it is all vibing, and later we can take shortcuts.
And in case you are wondering: what if I see something really cool but not really in my style and want to pin it? Make a bonus inspiration board for some dope extras, you never know.
Be specific
It is important to stay away from generic keywords. Use phrases that are more contextualized and related to your situation. Context words are a key to your perfect keywords. Trust me, it makes perfect sense. E.g., instead of “bridal hair bun” (it is too vague and will include everything: tutorials, products, and images out of context), try something like “messy bun open-back dress” (more related to your situation search, you will wear an open-back dress).
Try this, instead of “modern bride” (very neutral and impersonal), search “city hall wedding modern bridal look” (you'll get more urban fashion suggestions rather than extravagant designer gowns), or "castle wedding modern bridal look" (you'll get full gowns with statement details). Here you have it, one word changed the whole perspective. And yet again, it is not the same as filtering your search. Filtering works on suggested pins when you want to get customized suggestions. Do you understand the difference?
See the whole picture
Mood boards is a great way to keep your bridal inspiration pins organized. However, do not break it down into teeny tiny bits (bridal hair, bridal makeup, dress, accessories, shoes, etc…). What you are trying to achieve is a cohesive total bridal look, not a bunch of themed collages. Keep all bridal style-related pins in one board. It will help you see the whole picture, sort out irrelevant images, and help you see what’s missing. If you are still deciding on a styling direction, create more than one board and work on them separately. It will save you from confusion and help you be more consistent style-wise. Here are a couple of my bridal inspiration boards I was working on for my clients.
Let the algorithm do its job
Search one topic at a time, do not hop from one request to another. It will only confuse you and your sensitive app. Refine your search and may the algorithm be with you! Once it understands what you are interested in, you will get more related and accurate suggestions for your bridal inspiration board. I love to come back the day after and see what else pops up in my feed. When you are satisfied enough with your first subject, pass on to the next search. This very simple technique works perfectly for me when I need to concentrate on a specific creative problem. This is how my Pinterest feed looked like this week.
Pin and shop
Yes, Pinterest is a great source for your bridal inspiration, but it's also an extraordinary place to search for products and services. Many companies have their Pinterest profiles with direct links to their online shop or a retailer who carries their products. They invest lots of time and money in creating cohesive images which you may have already pinned to one of your inspiration boards. You can even be lucky enough to come across an image from a small company or a maker (like yours truly) with one-of-a-kind products or custom services. Pin it, it just might be your future purchase. Here are a couple of products for your bridal inspiration. Hit that save button and pin it directly to your Pinterest bridal inspiration board (smile, you’ve just learned another skill).
We really hope this article was helpful. Please, comment below and follow us on Instagram @nea.milano for more bridal inspiration.
All images are courtesy of Nea Milano & Pinterest