How to Plan a Styled Shoot
As a wedding planner, styled shoots are a great way to market your business. However, they can sometimes be a lot of work and overwhelming, so it’s important to learn the tips and tricks for how to plan a styled shoot before you jump into planning.
Things to Keep in Mind When Planning or Participating in a Styled Shoot
As a styled shoot participant, it’s important to be clear on what you hope to get as your return on investment. If your work isn’t visual, like if you are the planner, you may have more difficulty gaining business from a styled shoot. Perhaps you won’t gain business from it, but you will get more networking opportunities and content. It’s important to be thoughtful about what you expect to get out of a styled shoot.
Styled shoots are great for wedding professionals who are new to the industry. Styled shoots help with creating content for your website and social media when you don’t have photos from real events. Additionally, styled shoots allow you to build vendor relationships. When beginning the planning process, reach out to the vendors that you want to work with and network with them! Overall, styled shoots are a great way to collaborate with people you haven’t worked with before.
It’s important to remember a couple downsides of planning styled shoots as well:
Typically, wedding pros are donating their time and resources for styled shoots, so sometimes they back out.
Styled shoots can be expensive, especially for florists and planners providing additional stylistic elements.
Finding models can be very challenging.
Lastly, If you are the styled shoot planner, so much falls on you in terms of getting it published afterwards.
While styled shoots are challenging, they have great reward potential, too!
Things to Do When Planning a Styled Shoot
Have a publication in mind when you’re coming up with the concept for the shoot. It makes it easier to get it published because it’s tailored to a specific publication. Every blog or publication has a different aesthetic, so you can be creatively guided by choosing one to target in advance. You can also get shoot concepts preapproved — not guaranteed, but a stronger likelihood.
Have a shot list for the photographer. It’s important to have a plan rather than just winging it or counting on the photographer. Some of the smaller details might go unnoticed if you don’t have a list of what needs to be photographed. Additionally, some of the vendors may want specific photos that may not be needed for publication but would be good for their own content, so it’s important to develop a comprehensive list so nothing gets missed.
Be mindful of diversity in front of and behind the camera. It should go without saying, but it’s important to be cognizant of the talent you’re recruiting for styled shoots. There’s a great Weddings Unveiled podcast episode with Brittny Drye from Love Inc. on diversity in her publication. Have a listen to it here!
Consider having a signed agreement. The signed agreement could be different for different parties, but it would help set expectations upfront and help avoid confusion later after the styled shoot is over. For example, consider having a model release and consent agreement to use the photos or video footage. Also, an agreement governing the use of the photos could be beneficial. You could outline things such as not permitting editing, requiring crediting, and expected photo and video turnaround time. Lastly, a scope of work agreement can be beneficial to ensure each vendor knows exactly what they are providing. This especially comes in handy for florists who may be bringing a variety of arrangements like bouquets, centerpieces, or floral arches. Overall, it’s important to set and manage expectations from the get-go when planning a styled shoot.
Have a rain backup date for all vendors. It’s smart to have a hold for another date within a day or two of your original planned styled shoot. Be sure to check the weather 48 hours before the styled shoot and notify all of the vendors if the decision is made to postpone.
What Not to Do When Planning a Styled Shoot
Don’t try to host a styled shoot on a budget
A lot of time and money goes into pulling one off and if you try to do it cheaply or don’t put in the effort, you will have a challenge getting published and it may not be your best foot forward online and on social media. Ensuring your styled shoot has the “wow” factor isn’t always an easy task. When done properly and strategically, styled shoots can cost up to $1000. Consider purchases like Rent the Runway rentals for the models, small things you can’t get donated, etc., and don’t commit to something you can’t go all out in planning and executing.
Don’t do open calls for vendors on social media
Many times, people post in groups or on Instagram stories on the hunt for vendors, which likely get many responses from hopeful vendors.
This is not the best strategy for two reasons:
If you are in charge of the concept, you should have a really specific vision. It’s important that you approach vendors that fit your specific need. If you post an open call for vendors, it shows a lack of vision and organization.
A fellow vendor’s feelings can get hurt when you don’t choose them. Once the shoot comes out, they know who got picked and that it wasn’t them. Ensure you’re strategic when choosing and networking with vendors for planning styled shoots.
Don’t forget this is an audition
Styled shoots are a great way to work with people you haven’t gotten to work with yet. Find vendors you want to network with and show off your skills. If you’re a planner, don’t forget to clean up at the end! Styled shoots are like an audition for working at a venue, so it’s important that no detail goes unnoticed. Plus, glowing reviews can come from a styled shoot, and it always helps to have friendors.
Overall, styled shoots are a great way to network with fellow wedding vendors and venues. Planning a styled shoot is not always an easy process, but the relationships you will build and content that will come from them can outweigh any hesitations.
Have you ever planned a styled shoot? Drop a comment below, or better yet — email me a photo from it at hello@theplannersvault.com. This blog post is based off of episode 70 of the Weddings For Real podcast with guest Leah Weinberg of Color Pop Events. Have a listen to the episode here!
