Point of Inspiration

As an event designer, I am always looking for inspiration. It comes from the craziest things: the color of the water as it ripples across the beach at my home, snow melting and dripping into a puddle, and even how my favorite chartreuse sweater looks when thrown onto my persimmon ottoman in my study. (yes, I've actually created designs from those inspirations!) I often ask my brides for a "point of inspiration," something that captures the essence of what they like, even if they do not know why. It can be a scrap of paper, a piece of clothing, a picture - anything! Last year, one of my brides came to me with these fabulous shoes:


what a perfect point of inspiration! She loved the colors together, the slight shine of the matte satin, the ornateness of the design without being overly fussy, and the asymmetry. Does that tell me about her sense of style and what she likes? You bet it does! Here were some of the results:
A posy - love how the color palette turned out!
Hanging Aranda orchids, from the 'orchid trees' we created at the altar.

Note the asymmetry both in the bride's bouquet above, and in the centerpieces.
The chocolate linens made the deep hues pop, and the magenta lighting we used later that evening create a romantic yet energetic feel. Do you think we captured the essence our bride wanted to create?

What could you use as your point of inspiration?