You’ve said yes, shared the news, and you and your partner are buzzing to start planning. Then you sit down to talk about the day and realise you’re picturing two different weddings. Maybe you’ve dreamt of pampas grass and a sun-drenched meadow, while your other half has their heart set on sleek black-tie glamour in a city venue. Different tastes make a relationship interesting, but when you’re trying to settle on an aesthetic for your big day, they can turn mood board sessions into a tug-of-war.

Luckily, clashing styles don’t have to mean one of you gives in or ends up with something they don’t love. With creative thinking, you can blend both personalities into a celebration that’s true to you as a couple. Here’s how to bring your visions together, minus the stress.

How to Plan a Wedding When You and Your Partner Have Completely Different Tastes

photo by Brogen Jessup – full wedding here

Start with a brainstorming session

It’s tempting to start throwing ideas at each other as soon as planning begins, but some structure early on can save you back-and-forth later. Set aside an evening to sit down together (perhaps with a bottle of wine and a notebook!) and talk through what you each love.

Mary Angelini, Wedding Videographer at Key Moment Films, outlines, “Separate and assign portions of the design separately during the brainstorming phase. Once you both have time to collect inspiration, come back to the table and share your findings. Find common elements that once felt distant, consider them, and decide how you can fit them into the wedding decor. Contrasting aesthetic tastes are an opportunity to blend personalities, not a hindrance. When you both can contribute to the design, the wedding will truly reflect both of you.”

Once you’ve had your say, you’ll probably find there’s more overlap than you expected. Start with your shared priorities, then look at how your individual favourites can fit around them. It’s easier to create a cohesive wedding from a list of what matters than from a pile of randomly saved images.

photo by Hipster Wedding Asia – full wedding here

Then take a walk around your venue

If you’ve booked your venue, go back together and wander. Spaces can look different in person than they do in photos, and seeing the room you’ll celebrate in can settle debates that seemed impossible on paper.

“Walk the venue together and talk through how it will actually feel in photos and in person, not just how it looks on a mood board,” confirms Julian Ribinik, Creative Director at Julian Ribinik Studios. “Tastes clash far less in person than they do side by side on a screen.”

Pay attention to what the venue brings to the table, from the architecture and lighting to the views and flow between spaces. Instead of fighting its character, let it serve as a neutral middle ground between your two styles.

photo by Sheena T Photography – full wedding here

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