Fresh floral displays. Uncreased silk ribbon. Blush chiffon blowing in a summer breeze.

Blood. Sweat. Insects. Thirst and hunger pangs.

Indeed, styled shoots are not as glamorous as they appear to be as you’re scrolling through wedding blogs while drinking your morning coffee.

Don’t get me wrong – I loved the experience and hope to do it again. While I had expected it to be a day of hard work and hustling (and I’m not afraid of the hustle), organizing and working a styled shoot is intense. Not only does it entail weeks of planning, but on the day of, those involved are doing more than just their job. The floral designer becomes a stylist, the photographer becomes a coordinator, and so on. My expectation of showing up to photograph styled scenes at a leisurely pace was quickly put to rest as Morgan and I began the planning process together.

For those of you who have been itching to plan your own styled shoot, I’ve put together a list of things I learned in organizing my own for the first time.

Most vendors are more than happy to donate their products or services in order to be involved.

Start by making a list of potential partners. If you are working with a stylist or event planner, they will help you come up with a list of possible vendors. Reach out to them with a summary of your shoot, a link to a Pinterest board with your overall feel/style, and what your request specifically is (don’t just expect them to know what you want – ask!).

…but do expect to pay out of pocket for certain items.

Not all vendors have the budget to donate or lend their items for free. Some may offer you a discount or ‘at cost’ option, while others must charge full price but may toss in some freebies. Whatever their response is, respect their decision and remember that at the end of the day, they have to pay their bills just like the rest of us. If a donation is not in their budget at this time (and a purchase isn’t in yours), you can always keep them in mind for a future shoot. Whatever you do, don’t burn bridges!

Partner up with at least one other vendor who is experienced and has already made a name for themselves.

I made a post on Instagram seeking vendors who would be involved with an inspiration shoot that I had in mind. Morgan from Petals & Hedges reached out to me expressing her interest and I was thrilled. I love Morgan and her work, and was stoked at the chance for us to work together. Lucky for me, Morgan has done plenty of styled shoots and has experience in the process.

…but consider reaching out to unknowns in order to help them gain publicity.

Morgan and I both agreed that while it would be nice to have some well known names involved in our shoot (Trumpet & Horn, Silk & Willow, Bella Villa Antiques), we wanted to showcase the talents of some lesser known brands to help them become more established in the wedding world. You know, like Love Knot Photo. 😉

The more vendors, the more likely you are to get the shoot published.

Editors love to see the name of a trusted vendor or two come through in your submission. Having more vendors increases the chances that one will be recognized from a past submission. Not only that, but having more vendors involved makes your shoot look more professional.

…but don’t be afraid to bring on talented friends, or DIY certain parts.

On the flipside, brides are often on a budget and plan to DIY as much as they can. Featuring details that you or a talented friend has DIYed, will show brides what they can do without spending a fortune.

Speaking of publications, editors love details, details, details.

The target readership of wedding blogs and magazines are obviously brides. Brides who are seeking inspiration for their own weddings. Dress styles, floral displays, color schemes, table settings, ceremony locations, reception decor – there are no details too small to be overlooked.

…but make sure you make them unique enough to stand out.

It’s easy to want to do what everyone else is doing, because that’s what’s being published. But that’s because nobody is doing anything new and different! Be that person to come up with the next big thing for brides to lust after. Put a new spin on a tired idea, or do something completely unique that will rock the editor’s socks off.

A few more things:

• Bring food and water! I ate a big lunch before starting at 1pm, but by the time we finished at 9, I was parched beyond belief.
• Dress comfortably and prepare to get dirty.
• If your hair stylist/makeup artist will not be on site during the shoot, make sure you have anything you’ll need for touch-ups (concealer, lipstick, hairspray, etc).
• Pack bobby pins and safety pins. In fact, these should always be in your camera bag if you shoot weddings.
• Have a towel on hand if there’s a chance you will ask the model(s) to sit on a tree stump, bench, or anything else that may stain the clothes.
• If it’s possible, split your shoot up into two days to make it more manageable.
• Have a rain date in mind and be sure your vendors are available for both.
• And finally, get creative! This is your chance to explore outside the norm to give brides inspiration for their weddings. Show the viewer what they want before they realize they want it. The more unique, the better.

Talk to me! Let me know in the comments what you wish you knew before your first styled shoot. If you haven’t done one yet, what do you want to know more about?

(More to come on part one of our inspiration shoot! Thanks to Petals & Hedges, Tranquility Farm, Victoria Stiles, Cathy Ebrada, Trumpet and Horn, Silk and Willow, and Sugar Magnolia.)

Pssst… Did you hear about my Vision Board Workshop on September 28th? I’d love to have you! You can learn more here.