Mood Board to Reality: How We Translate Inspiration into Your Wedding Flowers

Every couple dreams of wedding flowers that feel personal, beautiful, and true to their celebration. I love when clients—or their planners—send me mood boards brimming with inspiration. These boards give me a sense of the colors, textures, and overall vibe you’re drawn to. But translating those Pinterest-worthy images into real, in-season florals is both an art and a thoughtful design process.

Today I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at a spring wedding at Oyster Bay Yacht Club. Cassie of HoneyHill Weddings sent me a mood board filled with joyful color and lush garden style. Here’s how I took that inspiration and created wedding flowers that were true to the vision yet uniquely suited to this C&J, their venue, and their priorities.

Step 1: Understanding the Mood Board

Mood boards are a jumping-off point, not a shopping list. When I study one, I look for:

• Color story: Are you drawn to soft pastels, bold brights, or a moody palette?

• Texture and shape: Do you love loose, garden-inspired arrangements or something more tailored?

• Overall vibe: Is the mood romantic and classic, playful and modern, or organic and coastal?

For this Oyster Bay wedding, I was captivated by the Cassie's lead-off tagline:

OUR VISION WILL PLAY INTO THE LOCAL FLORAL AND ELEMENTS OF THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY, HIGHLIGHTING NATURAL BLUE AND BRIGHT SPRINGTIME COLORS TO ACCENTUATE THE CHARM OF THE SURROUNDING AREA WHILE ADDING A PLAYFUL TWIST.

The board itself highlighted spring pastels with pops of citrusy yellow and coral—a joyful nod to the season. The textures leaned airy and garden-style, which paired perfectly with the breezy waterside venue.

Step 2: Balancing Inspiration with Reality

Here’s something every couple should know: many of the most compelling images on Pinterest are either from styled editorial shoots or from weddings with six-figure floral budgets. While gorgeous, they don’t always translate directly into a realistic wedding plan. What I appreciated about this planner’s mood board was that it wasn’t a collection of specific floral photos to copy, but rather a thoughtful presentation of color and vibe. That let me know they trusted my aesthetic and my commitment to carrying their vision through in a way that made sense for the C&J's big day.

I never create Pinterest dupes. Instead, I look at the color palette, textures, and seasonal feel—and then marry that with:

• The vibe you want as a couple

• Your venue’s natural setting (in this case, our North Florida marshes and live oaks)

• Your floral budget

I also help guide you on where a budget makes the most impact. For example:

• Spend on: Statement or hero pieces—ceremony flowers, a lush signature bouquet, and arrangements in areas that will appear in many of your cherished photos or where guests spend the most time.

• Save on: Smaller accent pieces that don’t add value, personal flowers for extended family, or flowers in areas where guests won’t be lingering.

Step 3: Designing for the Season and Place

For this spring Oyster Bay Yacht Club wedding, seasonality played a starring role. I built the designs around bouquet elements like Italian and butterfly ranunculus for the pink tones, Icelandic poppies for movement and a touch of orange, delicate tweedia for the touch of blue, and astrantia and unique forget-me-nots for the softer purple tones. The result? Florals that felt abundant yet natural, perfectly aligned with the season and the C&J’s coastal setting.

Because Oyster Bay Yacht Club's venue is already a stunner, I leaned into designs that framed and enhanced the ceremony without competing with the natural beauty. The overall design was purposeful and intentioned, but the florals were curated so they wouldn’t overwhelm the intimate event. Ceremony aisle pieces were repurposed to the reception, and guest dining tables were highlighted with bud vases of seasonal blooms interspersed with candles. The result was a joyful, cohesive look that felt both thoughtful and inviting.

Step 4: From Mood Board to Reality—The Final Look

The final images (gorgeously captured by Poly Mendes Photography) show how the mood board inspiration evolved into something deeply personal and unique to this wedding. The florals echoed the joyful palette but felt grounded in the couple’s story, the venue’s character, and the season’s bounty.

Poly Mendes Photography

Poly Mendes Photography

Poly Mendes Photography

Poly Mendes Photography

Poly Mendes Photography

Poly Mendes Photography

Poly Mendes Photography