You have been scouring books, magazines, and the internet for great wedding day ideas. There are so many outstanding concepts out there, and at times it can be overwhelming when you try to sort through them all. How do you know what will work together, and what will clash?

One way to get a visual handle on your wedding ideas is to create a wedding inspiration board. You can make a collage of all the great images that convey what you want your wedding to look like. Here are some tips on how to create a fun and effective inspiration board.

• Gather your materials. Whether you are using pictures out of wedding magazines or images from the internet, organize your supplies so everything can be accessed easily.
• Make a list of the non-negotiables. If  you have already decided on your wedding theme, you will be able to eliminate some of the great ideas that just won’t work. For example, if you are having a beach wedding, those christmas wedding favors may not be the best match (unless you have decided on a Christmas in July theme!)
• Sort through your pictures. Divide them up between wedding dresses, wedding flowers, wedding invitations, and so on. While you can choose more than one image to represent your ideal wedding day, you will more likely be satisfied with one picture per item.
• Have fun! Mix and match your pictures until you are satisfied with the overall feeling your wedding inspiration board conveys. You may find that over the course of your wedding planning, your board will change. That is okay. The purpose of the board is inspiration, not an exact representation of your wedding.

You may even consider creating a new board after your wedding to showcase how your wedding turned out. You will then have a “before” and “after” snapshot of the most special day of your life.