You might have contemplated skipping this article because that’s probably the one thing you feel confident about. We’re wedding planners! Designing is what we do! But I’m glad you stuck around. Because I’ve seen some poorly executed shoots done by great designers. The number one reason for a bad styled shoot is this—I can almost guarantee it—they did not spend enough time on the pre-planning stage.
Styled Shoot Design
I myself have had a few misses and, looking back, I realize it’s because I didn’t have a clear vision to relay to my vendors. They were the ones just sort of thrown together willy-nilly. There’s a lot of styled shoot info out there; you don’t have to search too far to find an article on “how to” do a styled shoot. But you’ll find that a lot of them just gloss over the design aspect of creating a styled shoot. In this article we’re doing to get down and dirty with your design process.
1. Brainstorming A Styled Shoot Design
This is where the magic happens. Brainstorming is the key to a successful design. Take a week and really think about the type of shoot you want to design and what key elements will make this shoot unique. Are you ready for a hard truth? For every one publisher, there are eight submissions. This means to get published you have to bring something special into the mix. You have to wow the publishers with your unique spin on an idea that’s probably already been done a thousand times.
If you have a particular publisher in mind, read up on what they are looking for. Look at their aesthetics and take notes on what kind of shots you see the most. If you’re more worried about your branding, then think about how this shoot is going to highlight your talents. Make sure it will appeal to your ideal client. You can read more about your ideal client here.
2. Pinterest
Create a Pinterest board to assist you with the design process. You can make it a secret board for now and publish it once the shoot is done. Pinterest is a great place to gather inspiration. Publishers want fresh color palettes, and this is the perfect place to get inspired. Make sure you have a variety of images. You want to capture all the table designs you love, bridal hair and makeup you like, and even poses that you want to do. You can download our free Styled Shoot design worksheet for more ideas.
3. Team Effort
Remember that a shoot is a team effort. So if you have already recruited vendors to participate in the shoot, it’s time to ask for their input. They might have some creative ideas about how they want the design to look or feel. They might have an opinion on the cake or flowers. Be open to their suggestions.
4. What’s Available
Be aware of what is readily available to you. For example, you don’t want to plan a shoot with ghost chairs if there aren’t any rental companies in your area with those type of chairs. Look at rental company inventory before you lay the foundation for an item you can’t get.
5. Styled Shoot Design Mood Board
One of the last phases in creating your design is to make a mood board. This mood board will be shared with your vendors and will help inspire their creativity. This is an important step you don’t want to miss. Make sure you’ve really taken the time to style something unique. Learn how to create a mood board here.
