Styled shoots have become a larger part of DSE and I’m loving it! I’ve had the privilege of working with some phenomenal vendors and to see my work grace the pages of some of my favorite blogs!

SO MANY things go into making a styled shoot work, and I get lots of questions from planners about styled shoots!! I put together my go-to list for things to think about when styling the day-of …

– Look at the Bigger Picture. Some of my favorite images are the wide shot of the shoot! While I have set up a shoot in a few different locations (and not made it look like they naturally flow together), I really enjoy styling it like a ‘room’. I like placing the placecards, table, cake + upholstered seating in a way that accents the wide shot & allows the pieces to play off of each other!

– Get Creative with your Space!! I know this can be the opposite of “bigger picture” styling, but it’s important too!!! Don’t get SO caught up on the natural flow! The fun thing about shoots is that they DON’T have to flow the way a reception space does!! You don’t have to worry about exits or guest entrance or the dance floor being placed where you want. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be the most practical!!! I remember when I styled the shoot pictured above, my husband said “You want it to look like a room… in a field… what?!”:) But that’s EXACTLY what I wanted to do & I LOVE how it turned out!!:)

– Think Small + Detailed! The beautiful thing about shoots is that you get to “play”. You can to try new styling techniques, play up the tablescape & spend more time on details than you do on wedding day! Don’t be afraid to focus on the shot; don’t be deceived by what your naked eye sees & focus on what’s going to be captured through the lens! I know we aren’t photographers, and I’m still learning this concept, but work with them on the small details that photograph well & style them to enhance how they will be photographed!

– Stalk the Blog. You’re hoping to get this pretty shoot published, right? You can do one of two things: (a) know going INTO the shoot what blog you want to see it on – and stalk the heck out of it!! Understand what shoots they usually take, the style they are attracted to & if they’ve featured anything similar to your theme. Understanding ahead of time what they are looking for will help you as you style the day-of! Don’t COPY what’s been done – try to do it better:) Or (b) look at the gallery after the shoot & decide which blog would enjoy it! Sometimes I don’t know beforehand where the best fit will be, so I look at the images with the photographer & make an educated decision for submission!

– Work CLOSELY with the Photographer. Your photographer plays a key role in the shoot!! You want to find a photographer to collaborate with that you think best fits the theme & style you envision. Then, you want to work SO CLOSELY with them on the timeline for the day (do they have enough time, optimal light, etc.)! You also want to work with them the day-of! Before I set one thing up, I walk through the space with the photographer & get opinions on light & shadows & what they see. They see THROUGH THE LENS and I see naked eye. I trust their expertise and opinion & ultimately it makes our final product even more amazing:)

Interested in learning more about styling + styled shoot?! There are still TWO spots left for Styling with DSE!! Reserve your seat today!!

xo!! kat

(( Image Credits: 1 + 6, 2, 3, 4 + 5 ))