As primarily documentary wedding photographers, it’s nice sometimes to really dive into editorial and fine art methods of photography to challenge ourselves and have some fun in the process. Weddings are exciting marathon days of shooting, and incorporate several different methods of photography though we mostly shoot with a journalistic approach. A styled shoot however, is a very controlled setting that allows us to be more free with our creative tendencies. Without being pressed for time or at the mercy of the beautiful chaos that takes over a wedding day… we can be in complete control of the setting, light, and approach to shooting. This is why we love to be a part of styled shoots with other amazing wedding professionals! Not only do we get artistic freedom when it comes to the photography, we also get to play “wedding planner” and bring our ideas to life with the help (a lot of help) from our industry friends.
We try to do one styled shoot each season, and so far this year we’ve done a spring shoot which was featured on Every Last Detail, and a summer shoot that is being featured on The Wedding Chicks TODAY! Having our work featured on two such incredible wedding publications is an honor, and it’s something we never thought would happen. Luckily for us, these dreams keep coming true and we are still pinching ourselves. However, the final result of these styled shoots would be nothing if it weren’t for the visions, talent, hard work and time our friends put into each one. The shoot being featured today, was a creation of 3 different companies. When planning this summer installment, we got together with Alicia Jayne Florals and Love Nora Adornments to come up with inspiration and direction for the shoot. The 4 of us talked over coffee, pinned to a mutual Pinterest board, and emailed back and forth for weeks until a cohesive look and feel was decided on. Then we got to work! The following items needed to be secured before we actually had anything to photograph…
1. Location to included a place to do hair and makeup, a place for our models to get dressed, and an open field for portraits.
2. Models
3. Dresses
4. Florals to include centerpieces, bouquets, and any other floral structure we had in mind
5. Design elements and rentals to included everything from the dinner table to the hankies wrapped around the bouquet stems
6. Hair stylist
7. Makeup artist
8. Bakery… for the cake of course!
9. Photographers to shoot it all
10. Day of catering to get us all through the day
Next we needed to secure a date that worked for everyone involved. Of course it can’t ever be a Saturday since most of us are busy with real weddings on Saturdays, and we needed to work with gorgeous sunlight so we had to schedule an evening shoot. The stars aligned and the date was set. Of course next we needed to take both of our Brides in for fittings with Today’s Bride to find the perfect fitting gowns that were a compliment to one another (not always an easy task). Then the magic happened and the physical structures were put together, hauled to the middle of a field, set up and arranged perfectly. Bouquets were made, pies were baked, centerpieces were arranged, tables were constructed out of thin air, food was plated, hair and makeup were done, and we were finally ready. The shoot itself took just under 2 hours. The set up that day took at least 4.
The event designers spent more time setting up and breaking down than we spent actually shooting. The amount of work that goes into one of these styled shoots is incredible. It’s actually a little crazy to think we all do this for fun… but it is SO much FUN! Thankfully, the work was recognized and the final photos are now being used to inspire engaged couples as they plan their wedding day. In the end it’s always worth the effort.
Well… now that our summer shoot is in the books and 100% finished with today’s publication, it’s time to start another shoot! Last night we met with Alicia and Erika in our studio to start fresh, and design a completely new styled shoot for the fall season. With the help of Kimberly Bean of the Southern Maryland Wedding Guide, as well as several other amazing wedding professionals in the area, this shoot will be better than the last. We can’t wait to see how it will turn out!
So in case anyone out there was wondering what went into planning a styled shoot… the answer is A LOT. But these things usually start with a late night chat amongst friends over some coffee 😉
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