Ten Tips to Create a Fabulous Wedding Style-Shoot

By: Tracey Manailescu

Wedding style-shoots are a great way to show your style, and who you want to market your business to.  It’s also a great way to get some media attention out to all of those couples who are in need of a WPIC certified wedding coordinator, like yourselves 😉

Sure it sounds like a great idea, but where do you start?  How much will you need to invest?  How do you get vendors to work with you to collaborate? Read on to find out.

I have personally done 4 styleshoots at this time and absolutely love them!  Each one has been a learning process for me and I think they have improved each time.

Here are some of my tips based on personal experience:

1. Choose a Theme and Style that  Relates to the Clientelle That You Want to Attract

Your creative inspiration needs to reflect your target market.  Everyone has their ideal client in mind.  Who is it? Create your photoshoot for them! Do you want to work with multicultural couples, destination weddings, couples on a budget, same-sex couples, high-end couples, etc.  Whatever and whoever it is, make sure your vision is understood. This means the models you use, the wedding dress and suits, the stationery, the style of photography, the shoes that the models are wearing, the jewelry, the linens, the centrepieces, the props, all need to match to be a part of the overall look and feel of the style-shoot.

2. Be Prepared to Spend Money on Your Style-Shoot

When you are just starting out, no matter how wonderful you think your ideas and theme is, please remember that you are still asking people to invest their time, money and efforts into the style-shoot.  No one wants to work for FREE.  No one! Unless you are guaranteed, or at least have a pretty good chance of getting published, vendors are not going to be jumping at your feet to work with you. If you are already established and have a good reputation in the industry, it will be much easier to collaborate with the team of vendors you want for the style-shoot. This means, be prepared to spend some money. A good range is the $1000-2000 range.  Remember that anything you spend to market your company is a tax write-off for you at tax-time, keep those receipts! Make sure you write on the back of the receipt what the item is, and what it was used for. (ie. Pewter candelabra for Sept. 15, 2013 Styleshoot at Paletta Mansion.) We did two separate style-shoots in Rome, Italy last summer. We had two photographers and one we paid, and one did it just to be involved.  It didn’t make any difference in the quality of the shoot or the photos. They were both amazing!

3. Work as a Team

Sure, the style-shoot may have been your idea, but everyone involved will want to add their ideas and input.  Rightly so. Everyone involved is a part of it’s success. Listen and ask for input.  Let the vendors do what they do best. If they are a photographer, then they know the shots and angles along with lighting that will work best. If they are a designer, then they know fabrics, florals and textures that will showcase their product and design best. Show your appreciation.  Sometimes it is as simple as saying, “Thank you” in a hand written note, a shout out on social media,  or giving a small token of appreciation.

4. Be Prepared for Vendors to Say No

This is a hard one to deal with.  You know what you are capable of, and what you will be bringing to the table for the style-shoot, but if you have never worked with a particular vendor before, then they may be a bit timid or leary of putting their name to something of this magnitude. Again, this goes back to vendors getting paid for their services for the style-shoot , or just deciding that your company may not be a good fit for their style and direction for their company. Vendors should be selected and chosen because of similar styles, tastes and personalities.  Would you suggest this vendor to your couples? Try not to take it personally if the vendor does not want to be involved at this time.

5. Don’t Clutter or Over-Power Your Space

Try to remember that decor and florals should be amplified about 3 times as much for photos.  What looks great in person, will not look the same in photos. Go bigger, blingier and fuller to showcase best. On the flip side, don’t try to cram everything into one space.  Detail shots are very important for publication. Let every item have it’s own identity. An example is stationery.  The invitation, menu, seating cards, programs, place cards etc. don’t need to be all lumped together.  Let them shine in small doses without a ton of props surrounding them for the photos.  It may look better in person but can take away the desired intention in the photo. (Good tip, Kim Choy of Morganley Events!)

6.  Plan Ahead

Use mood boards, utilize Pinterest’s secret boards and share your ideas with the vendors involved. This way everyone is on the same page with theme, colour choices and the direction for the style-shoot.  By planning ahead you can see what else you need to add, and what is going to be the focus of the shoot. For shoots that I have done, one focused on the location, while another was on the season (winter) and yet another, was based around a couple, and a theme.  The next one (already in the works) is based around a country.  It is very easy to get carried away, and have too many details.  Make sure they all have a use that goes with the overall big picture.

7. Pick a Theme That is Not Overdone or Seasonal Dependant

I did a Winter styleshoot last year, and was so happy with the way it turned out.  Everyone involved worked so hard to put this together…  however, we needed snow and there was no snow until the end of the season.  When we got it done, got the photos back (which was lighening quick, I might add,) it was too late for submission 🙁 I will be submitting it in the next month in the hopes that it will get picked up for this winter’s publications of Winter-themed Style-shoots.  This summer, publications were flooded with Gatsby-themed shoots, so unless they were completely creative and over the top, it would lessen the chance of getting picked up for publication. Also be careful of the colours of the season unless it is not one of the top two choices, because again, it will be overdone.

8. It’s All in the Details

This is not a wedding. This is about inspiration and ideas to carry out a theme. The more creative you and your team can be, the better.  Yes, of course you need to have some great photos of the models, but it truly is about the details. Be unique, and show off ideas that are new and different then what is out there. Find a new way to show off a seating chart, stationery, backdrops, altar, food stations, dessert bars, ceremony set-up, etc. that couples can see as special, but also can visualize as part of their own wedding.

9. Stay True to You

The style-shoot is your chance to show everyone around you just what you are all about and what you are capable of. Don’t try to be something you are not.   You may adore the look and feel of a destination wedding, but have no desire or inclination to work with a couple for a destination wedding. You may love the look of a Chinese tea ceremony or the look and feel of Hindu celebrations, but don’t know the first thing about working with these cultures, and have no desire to do so.  Once you put something out to the universe, it usually reciprocates. Everything you do represents you and your company. Be yourself and it will come naturally. You will attract like-minded clients

10.  Submitting

A great place for your photographer to send submissions through is, Two Bright Lights.  This is a company that has hundreds of publications where submissions can be sent.  Make sure your style-shoot is the right fit for the publication ahead of time. (Please note for copyrights, only the photographer can submit the photos from Two Bright Lights). They have a handy little tool where you can see who is looking for a particular theme and when the deadline for submissions is. They also list so many publications all around the world that you may never have thought of submitting to.  It opens up a whole new world!

You can also submit directly to a publication from their own website. It should have a submissions page for you to see the rules of sizing, ways to submit, what they need from you, and expectations. This way a wedding planner can submit. (*Some still require that only the photographer can do it.) Usualy you will need to submit 15-100 photos 600 x 900 pixels (at least) with a great description of the wedding and pointing out the details that made it unique. You will need to list all vendors and their websites so that everyone gets proper credit.

This is your chance to let your creativity, passion and creative juices go wild. Show the wedding world what you are all about.

WPIC Alumni: Have fun and make sure to share your accomplishment with us on the WPIC Alumni Association Boards. We will Facebook and Tweet your success!