Cover photo: A Kristin Banta wedding design, this collection of greenery and bursting overgrown florals in lavender, purple, dusty rose cream, and aubergine carved out the central aisle that led to an overgrown mirrored chuppah structure, which disappeared under the wild ascending florals. Photo courtesy John and Joseph Photography
It’s easy to feel like social media is the main pipeline for inspiration these days—even when our feeds start filling up with creators copying each other. For event pros, Pinterest and TikTok can be useful up to a point, but for truly creative and innovative designs, it’s important to gather inspiration from a wider realm in this vast, intricate world.
We asked some of today’s prominent event pros how they stay inspired. If you need a refresh on your own creative process, here’s what they recommend.
Which cultural works (films, magazines, etc.) do you pull from?
David Merrell (AOO Events, Inc., CEO/Creative Director, Los Angeles, CA)
All movies, new and old. They are constant inspiration. Architectural Digest, Dwell, Vogue, Restoration Hardware and every other catalogue for architectural furniture I can get my hands on.
Jaclyn Watson (Jaclyn Watson Events, Planner/Designer, Hyde Park, VT)
I pull inspiration from all sorts of cultural goodies! Films are a huge one for me—I just love diving into the visual storytelling and picking up on those little details that make a scene pop. I am also a sucker for all the wedding-planning movies!
Magazines are another go-to, especially for keeping up with the latest trends and getting a feel for what's hot right now in the wedding world. But honestly, I'm always on the lookout for anything that sparks my creative juices, whether it's a piece of art, a fashion spread, or even just a stroll through the city streets. Inspiration is everywhere; you just have to open your eyes and look!
Jordan Heller (Suncoast Wedding and Event Leaders (SWEL), Owner/Event Planner, Sarasota, FL)
Not surprisingly, I use a lot of Disney® films in my events. They run the gamut from cultural themes like Coco and Mulan, futuristic vibes from Tomorrowland™ to Strange World™, adventurous films based on rides like Jungle Cruise™ and romantic fairytales like Beauty and the Beast. Their engaging dining experiences and theme park lands have led to some of my favorite retro events with USO and Mid-Century tiki themes as well as events based on holidays from around the world like Dia de los Muertos and Lunar New Year.
Kawania Wooten (Howerton+Wooten Events, Creative Director and Principal Consultant, Bowie, MD)
I draw a lot of inspiration from the interior designers I follow on social media. Also, reality competition shows, like Bravo's Top Chef and Project Runway and HGTV's Rock the Block inspire me to think creatively.
Keith Willard (Keith Willard Events, Owner/Planner, Fort Lauderdale, FL)
I'm a huge sci fi fan! Imagining worlds that did not exist until someone created them, like new color combinations and lighting from red, orange, and blue suns to their clothing. When Star Trek first came out, everyone thought the flip phone was never going to happen. But because someone thought of it, it inspired someone else to design it, and even more, they figured out how to make it work.
Lenny Talarico, CSEP, CHE (Lenny Talarico Events, Owner, Las Vegas, NV)
Everything old can be new again. I watch many older films and musicals to see how sets were used to create these cinematically beautiful moments. Shows like American in Paris, Gigi, My Fair Lady, the set designers of those movies were extremely creative with how they used theatrical stage craft to transport viewers to the time and place of the movie.
I also follow popular award shows like the Tonys, Grammys, ACMA, and of course the Oscars, to gather inspiration that can be translated to corporate, social, and nonprofit events I work on.
Travel is a huge personal passion of mine. I collect photos from my trips of the most unusual things which I keep on my phone for ideas. Retail store windows are a huge driver for me, as is restaurant architecture and design. Who doesn’t love a great copy of Architectural Digest?
Melissa Brannon (Uncommon Events, Founder/Event Planner/Designer, Philadelphia, PA)
The cultural works I use for inspiration are mainly artworks in the mediums of paint and sculpture. Living in a large city, I am surrounded by inspiration in the museums, architecture, and sculptures that I experience daily.
I designed a Wonka event that was incredibly fun yet challenging. The original movie was the inspiration. Designing the right pieces to create that puzzle was the challenge, but the result was spectacular.
Robin Selden (Marcia Selden Catering & Events, Managing Partner & Executive Chef, Stamford, CT)
Womenswear Daily, Vogue, Bon Appetit, Glamour, Fashion week, Cherry Bombe, Milk Street, Saveur, Food & Wine, Donna Hay, Plate, and of course Catersource!
Samuele Gallorini (Gallorini Giorgi Events, Wedding designer, Florence, Italy/Dallas, TX)
Movies, rock music, street art, artisanal crafts, Renaissance masterpieces.
Sarah Chianese (Mangia and Enjoy!, Owner, Springs, Colorado/Hudson Valley, NY)
Film, art, music, and books have always sparked my creative inspiration. From film noir filmmakers such as John Huston to contemporary producers who have made visually stunning and intriguing scenery and wardrobes such as Boardwalk Empire, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Queen's Gambit, along with hundreds of others, there is no limit to sparked creative thought.
Fine artists from every culture inspire me, as do music and books. Reading books feverishly as a youngster has allowed me to be as creative as I am since I had nothing to rely upon other than the writer's words to create what I saw in my mind's eye.
Music from nearly every genre has also been a strong inspiration throughout my life. I have played instruments such as cello, French horn, piano, and percussion, each of which has always lent great visuals to my imagination, along with emotions, to create a beautiful palette to rely upon.
Sebastien Centner (Eatertainment Events & Catering, Creative Director, Toronto, Canada/Miami, FL)
I used to spend much more time watching films and buying design magazines (one of my favorites is still Wallpaper Magazine started by Canadian Tyler Brulé) but nowadays social media and the internet are where I find myself wandering around looking for inspiration. Although more so than any magazine, film, or online resource, my biggest inspirations come from my travels where I love to pick up ideas and make them my own.
Shelly Tolo (Tolo Events, President, Seattle, WA)
Certainly with corporate and nonprofit events, our clients love a good theme. Currently our clients have us designing event themes around Wonka, Yellow Submarine, Supermarket, Vikings and Mystical Creatures (yes, quite a variety!). Once presented with a specific theme, we then search out cultural works for inspiration, whether it be a movie, going to a museum (or grocery store) for inspiration, or sometimes listening to the lyrics of music that support the theme.
Teri Jakob (UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, Associate Director, Special Events, Harrisburg, PA)
I don't think I pull my event design style from anyone in particular. Most events have their own look and feel. They have intention and purpose incorporated throughout in ways that aren't always obvious but unravel through the event. I admire artists of so many places, especially stage writers and designers like How I Met Your Mother and Ted Lasso, who incorporate messages and hidden easter eggs into the sets, who create messages they place into the work they do. It encourages people to think, pay attention, look for more, crave more. For example, small details such as providing aluminum can koozies as favors and reminder of the 14-ounce babies in our NICU, the same size of soda cans, who would benefit from the money raised from that beautiful day on the golf course. I am inspired by creators that put extra details and meaning into the stories they tell because these leave transformational impressions.
*Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and sources. The writer and sources are not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company, and this article is not authorized or endorsed by the Walt Disney company or any of its affiliates. All Disney-related trademarks are property of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
This article is part of a 5 part series. Click here for part 1.
