How to plan a styled shoot with Natalie Stevenson

Let's get going with today's episode. It's the summer and this August I've got a special series for you on the podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes of the Wedding Pro Members Lounge and bringing you some of the best training we have inside of there and putting it on the podcast for you to listen to. Now, today's session is really one from the archives, but still so helpful and still relevant.

In this session, wedding photographer Natalie Stevenson talks all about styled shoots and how to organize them. I often reference Natalie in the talks I do on stage because she's incredible at organizing the most beautiful style shoots all over the world. Today's talk is from the build section of the wedding pro success ladder, which you can find inside the members lounge.

And it comes under get connected because style shoots not only are great for your business, but also a great way for you to network and meet other wedding pros. I'd love for you to join us inside the wedding pro members lounge. We have trainings like this. Every single month and you're always on top of your game. Not only that, we also have accountability sessions and lounge calls where you get to meet other members too.

If you want to find out what the Wedding Pro Members Lounge is all about this summer, I have a special deal going for you. You can get the first month for just 10. Go to the Wedding Pro Members Lounge page. I'll link to it in the show notes. Use the discount coupon code SUMMER and it will make that first month just 10. I'd love to welcome inside the Members Lounge. Enjoy Natalie's session.

So, Natalie, if you want to get your presentation ready I'm going to leave and then you can crack on.

I'm going to start by sharing my journey into photography, as it gives an insight into how styled shoots have become such a passion for me, so hopefully this won't bore you too much. Okay. So as I said, I'm a final wedding photographer. I'm based in Bedfordshire and I serve couples getting married in the UK and abroad. I do have two other sides of my business. I run a studio in Bedfordshire and I predominantly catch newborns and family sessions.

And as of late, I've been doing more and more branding sessions and I've loved supporting fellow business owners in upleveling their brand visuals. Okay, so my photography journey began in 2010 when I started studying photography at school. From a young age, I've always been creative and a planner at heart, so wheOkay, so my photography journey beganed some very adventurous shoots in all sorts of locations.

Whether it was underwater fashion photography, inspired by movement of water, or dressing my friends up like a vintage clown and creating a harness which shrunk her from a tree on a cold winter's night, I did some very random but fun projects, and fell in love with photography being my expression of art. Fast forward to 2012. My cousin was getting married in Las Vegas. She had bought a wedding. Can you see that little message? Sorry about that. From a young age, I've always been creative.

Oh, okay. So fast forward to 2012, my cousin was getting married in Las Vegas. She'd brought a wedding package with the hotel, which included photography coverage of the ceremony and asked me to photograph everything before and after this.

I had never even been to a wedding before, so I had no idea what I was in for, but it was a perfect opportunity for me as there were only 30 or so guests, they were all family and friends, and I also knew that the photographer was capturing those all important ceremony photos, so I felt a lot less pressure and was excited to capture what I could. I absolutely thrived off the buzz and how much joy and emotion can be felt in one day.

And I knew in that moment, age 16, a wedding photographer was exactly what I wanted to be. I then reached out to a number of photographers and second shot a lot of weddings along, along with a few of my own weddings here and there all over the course of four years, developing my style and giving me a wealth of experience working at weddings. But I was always adamant I wanted to do quite a bit more traveling before setting up my own business. Fast forward again to 2016.

I went traveling with my partner to some of the most incredible places in the world, which included attending another cousin's wedding in Bali and capturing some amazing moments. This confirmed my love for destination weddings, all before launching my photography business in June 2017, just after returning home.

I was running my business alongside my full time role of events management for almost two years, giving me more experience in meticulously planning events before giving up my full time role early March 2019, and have been loving work ever since. Well, until the pandemic hit, but hopefully we'll be on the other side of that soon. And here we are. So let's dive into styled shoots. One of my biggest achievements so far, I most definitely styled shoots and all this is brought to my business.

I organized my first shoot late spring, 2019. And over the course of 2019 and 2020, I organized and photographed almost 20 styled shoots. Most in the UK with destinations, including Mexico, Cyprus, Jamaica, and Santorini. And if it wasn't for the travel restrictions last year, there would have been at least three more destinations on that list. Over these two years, styled shoots have generated a significant amount of income for me. Helped me up level my brand.

Expand my network and speak to my ideal client. How, you might ask? Well, I'm going to explain all the ups and downs, what I have done, and the outcome throughout this talk to show you how Styled Shoots have done this for me.

All Styled Shoots that I've done have been featured on these online bridal blogs and print magazines, but I'll be honest in that pressed features are never my main aim for Styled Shoots, but I do always try and get the shoot's features to get all businesses who worked on the shoot further exposure. So, yeah. Okay, so style shoots, what are they? I'm sure most of you are, but if you're not already familiar with style shoots, here is a general definition.

A style shoot is a collaborative effort of wedding suppliers who put their talents and resources together to create a stunning visual concept for a wedding. for wedding inspiration. Now, my natural love for planning and background and event management has given me a platform to knowing how to plan a style shoot in great depth and detail. So although you're here to find out how to plan a successful style shoot, by the end of this talk, you will see that there's a lot of work involved.

And if that's not for you, then just carry out the research to find a planner or photographer. to collaborate with who has a brand aesthetic that is exactly the vibe you're trying to achieve and reach out to them to help you plan. And a little side tip, don't give up if the first few decline your offer. I've got a little story behind this tip. So this is my first destination shoot held in Mexico. And let me tell you, it was not an easy task to organize.

Firstly, I should let you know that I was already booked for a wedding in Cancun, so my expenses were covered. I then thought, if I'm going all this way, why not do a shoot out there to increase my destination portfolio? So I created a dreamy mood board and sent it to around 40 ideal wedding planners through an Instagram private message who are based in the area.

I got a lot of rejections, but one morning I woke up to a message from my now good friend, Christine, who had loved my work and wanted to jump straight on board. My partner literally couldn't get a word out of me because I was too busy running around the house screaming with excitement that I was not only about to create something epic in Mexico, but with a style me pretty recommended wedding planner. Christy had never actually organized a style shoot before.

And although at the time I was currently planning to, I hadn't completed one yet either. So it was very new to us both. And there were so many setbacks during the process. We had to constantly adapt our design to suit all these changes. For example, the furniture being made for the shoot was not ready on time, and we struggled to get a florist on board because style shoes aren't really a thing in Mexico, so it was difficult to find someone who would part with their time and resources.

After constant messaging, emailing and voice noting back and forth for months, we managed to get all vendors on board and a plan in place. I flew out the dress from a designer in London, stationery and accessories from lovely local suppliers and booked the model through Instagram, searching through hundreds of Cancun model hashtags. And there were still occasions right before when I thought it would all fall through, but I just kept telling myself, I need this to happen.

So we'll find a solution to any problem and it will go ahead. I mean, worst case scenario, I had a model book and had the dresses and accessories with me. So a shoot would still happen somehow. After flying all of these items out there, trying to steam the dresses in the hotel room bathroom, making sure everything had traveled safely, getting a taxi to the venue, being the first ones there for the first half an hour, and praying that everyone, or at least someone, turns up, they did!

And it was unbelievably gorgeous. I actually had to pinch myself on the day that it had all come together so well. And I'm so grateful to the amazing team behind these images for being so good at what they do. It was a turning point in my business and a very memorable day. Once I got home, edited the shoot, got it featured in Wedding Chicks. I've got an influx of Mexico wedding inquiries and actually booked four dream weddings in Mexico at my full destination rate plus expenses.

So going back to my point, don't give up. Just make it happen and accept that there may be obstacles along the way. I've had to completely, I've had to find a completely new venue and secure a florist. Just days before a huge tutorial was due to take place in the uk all in peak wedding season. And this included print changes to stationary, all the delivery and travel plans. I have so many stories of unexpected mishaps, but you'll be surprised what you can do with a great team involved.

So just don't give up. So what are the benefits of styled shoots? I have a number of ways they can help any business in the wedding industry. Styled shoots will help build your portfolio. If you're just starting out, they're a great opportunity to build your portfolio and gain experience working with a team. Express your creativity and try new things without the pressure of paying clients. Show your capability. Niche your style. Elevate your brand and aesthetic.

Increase your brand awareness through features and sharing between supplier audiences, improving your SEO and Google ranking too, expanding your network. You can build relationships with suppliers who brand, whose brands align with your work, who may then also become industry buddies.

I've met so many like minded and wonderful individuals on shoots that have become close friends, people I speak to on a daily basis, share inspiration, understanding of the wedding industry, and who have really supported me and kept me moving, especially during the pandemic last year, well, this year as well. Work in ideal venues and ideal suppliers. Speak to your ideal client. And most importantly, book your idol client.

Ultimately, what you put out there to your audience is exactly what you will attract. If you put out rustic weddings, you will attract couples wanting a rustic theme. If you put out mansion houses, you will attract couples who are getting married in a mansion house. It's as simple as that. So whether it's a style shoot you're planning or you've been asked to be involved in a shoot, particularly if by an industry friend, make sure it's the right fit for you and your business.

Try not to share a mixture of different wedding styles as it becomes a bit confusing. And ultimately you want your customer's experience to be simple and easy. So they understand who you are, like you, trust you and book you. One of the main ways styleshoots can generate income is because you are providing the inspiration. So if you're specifically inspiring your ideal couples, they will of course want to book you. We are the industry. Clients don't always have the vision. So create it for them.

And another little tip, every now and then, just schedule time in to review your work and make sure that it's consistent in style and content for your ideal client across each and every one of your platforms. Okay. I hope you're hooked now and can really see the true benefit of style shoots. Any of these reasons can be the purpose of your style of shoot. And it's so important for your shoot to have a purpose, so that you can keep focused when planning and not stray away from your main goal.

When other creatives come on board and suggest ideas, the shoot designs and concept can easily change direction. Therefore, it's important to ensure you bring the right team on board, so that any new ideas are still in keeping with your ideal client and goal for the shoot. Depending on which purpose you choose, this will change the process of your planning slightly.

For instance, if your purpose is to speak to your ideal client, then you will need to spend more time carefully considering what platforms they're using what content they're already seeing and produce something that really wows them. This also means carefully considering your venue and every single supplier to ensure all brands align and will resonate with that ideal client. If your purpose is to get featured.

on a certain blog, then you're planning what will include heavy research of that particular blog to find out exactly what they're looking for, their tone of voice et cetera, to curate the perfect piece of content that they will not be able to turn down. Or if your purpose is to express your creativity and try new things. Then you might not need to worry too much about a venue as such, but maybe an epic location that's going to really blow your audience away.

So that is your first step to planning a successful styled shoot. Finding your purpose. Okay. So once you have your purpose, the next step is to start creating your concept, finding your inspiration and making your mood board for the shoot. This may change over time and as you bring suppliers on and incorporate their ideas too, but it's good to start somewhere. Sending mood boards to suppliers gives them a clear visual idea on the shoot, of the shoot style, and if it's good for them.

You can start by brainstorming and visualising for your shoot, looking at what's most important in the planning stage in relation to your purpose. And I'd always, always recommend finding inspiration from non wedding related resources before heading straight onto Pinterest. The reason for this is to make a concept that's different, as once you start looking on Pinterest, inevitably wedding inspiration will start to show up and your shoot will end up being similar to all the rest.

So try to be inspired by different elements to bring your shoot design together. You can find inspiration from the venue itself if you already have one in mind, fashion, a book or storyline, interiors, TV. I mean, we can all expect a lot of Bridgerton inspired shoots coming out soon.

So you can then brainstorm the atmosphere, the location, the types of supplies you're looking for, the look of the models, some keywords that you want your shoot to portray, The colors, different looks within the wedding that aren't often covered in style shoots, etc. And this is the foundation for your shoot. And from here, create your mood board. So this is to keep the shoot on track and to make sure the purpose of the shoot is kept front of mind when planning your details.

Here are a couple of examples of my initial mood board and final images to show that by sending out a clear vision, suppliers have a better understanding of the look and style, can interpret the overall concept perfectly, as well as adding their own creative input. No matter the purpose of your style, I think it's really important that each shoot has a story.

A story helps your design, it helps you design the different looks that will be within the shoot and always helps with marketing to your audience as people always connect better with images that have a story. So this is a great time to write a short story or descriptive paragraph about the overall wedding style, including any important details. And this will also help inspire the suppliers who will then join the team.

It may not be your main purpose, but if you would like the shoot featured too, make sure you consider where you would like to get the shoot featured in this initial stage and build the concept with your desired blog or magazine in mind. And make sure you pick a blog that is in line with your your brand. You can add inspiration from your desired blog into your mood board. Okay, so step three is setting your budget for the shoot.

This should come from your marketing budget and will cover expenses such as models, props, travel expenses, food, drink, posting products back to suppliers, etc. Models can cost anywhere between time for prints to over 500 a day. I usually budget between 100 to 300 for both models per shoot. I'm not going to go into too much detail right now as I'll be talking about finding your models a little later on.

There's also an opportunity here when setting your budget to look at the overall amount and what you can put towards it. If you can't cover the whole budget, you can ask for a small contribution when pitching your shoot to your suppliers to help towards say cost of models. This obviously has to be reasonable and it's important to look at this before contacting suppliers as once they're already on board, it's not fair to ask them for contributions.

I'd also avoid asking those who are already spending out large amounts of money on the shoot, including like the florist, right? So once you've done your research, got some ideas in place, written a short story, finished your mood board and set your budget, it's time to get your team on board and plan all the logistics. So ideally six weeks is the minimum amount of time to plan a successful style shoot. This can change depending on how elaborate the shoot is.

I have been known to put together a shoot in less than 24 hours before and we have some amazing, amazingly accommodating suppliers. And this was to use up some beautiful flowers that would have otherwise died. However, if you're planning a really elaborate shoot, you might take a couple of months to get all of the logistics in place.

No matter the purpose of the shoot, I always think it's important to ensure that all suppliers have brands which align, having a similar style, ideal client, and suppliers should be carefully chosen to be involved with this in mind in order for the shoot to be truly successful. This is especially important if the purpose and intention of your shoot is to speak to your ideal client.

If this is the case, I would advise against doing a general StyleShoot shout out post asking if any suppliers want to join a StyleShoot as this is not the best way to find your suppliers.

You can however make this very specific towards a certain type of supplier, like I'm looking for a fine art calligrapher to work on StyleShoot inspired by the history of dot dot dot and attach a mood board to the post, but it's still important to check all of their socials and brand visuals to ensure that that their brand aligns with yours as well as the overshoot concept and the purpose.

You will also find that by having a team with all brands align in that the suppliers will be much more invested in the shoe and commit fully. So there is less likely to be last minute dropouts. Suppliers can bring so much to the shoot and go above and beyond your expectations by picking the right ones. They can completely up the game for your style shoot.

When reaching out to work with suppliers, especially if you don't know them or haven't worked with them before, follow them before you're getting in touch with them, engage with them and share their work to get on their radar. Then when you're ready to get in touch, be friendly, clear and concise. Introduce yourself and the shoot with your short story. Any suppliers already on board, mood board, and allow them to contribute their own creative freedom in line with the overall shoot style.

If you're not the photographer, I would make sure you bring this supplier in first. It will be a lot of time and investment for them, so it's really important they are fully committed to the style of shoot. It's also important to clarify from the offset any important details. such as copyright, sharing of the images if they can capture behind the scenes, etc. Ensure there is always clear communication throughout the process.

If suppliers are posting products out, ask them if there are any specific images that they need. For example, the hair and makeup might want images of their the hair and then the makeup as well to add to her portfolio or an accessory designer might want them in a flat lay as well as And also ask how much time that they need to set up. And this will help you when you're planning your schedule. So you're prepared and can estimate the timings more accurately.

I always think it's important to bring a videographer on board to maximize your coverage, as well as helping tell the story in a genuine way that can connect with the audience. And again, make sure their style aligns with your ideal client. Another supplier, which is often not included is a stylist. This is so important to make sure the overall style and look comes together.

This can be either an independent stylist or some florist or stylist as well, but just make sure there's someone in charge of general styling. And also ensure that there are enough hands on deck. Things such as unloading and setting up can often take longer than you think. So if you can get any friends or assistants to help with that part, you won't regret it. And time, then more time can be spent creating and capturing the all important beautiful content.

Some venues can be really tricky to get into as they host a lot of shoots. So if the purpose of your shoot is to work at a particular aspirational venue, then you'll need to get completely involved in every aspect of that venue. Their website, their socials, find their tone of voice.

Who they speak to and align with that see what other shoots or weddings have been done there before You could perhaps offer a unique color palette Or shoot concepts so they have some show stopping content which stands out but still speaks to their ideal client And really sell them the benefits of the shoot to make them look good To make them, you know, make it the desirable opportunity that they can't turn down. Okay, so model.

So as I mentioned earlier, models can be quite an expensive cost for whoever is planning the shoot and often the most difficult part to organize. I have found the perfect combination to be a real model couple, two people who are used to being together and cosy in front of the camera, and allows the photographer time to try new things and focus on other details of the shoot too, not just a couple portraits.

You can also just have a bride model or if your, if your focus is on bridal portraits and other wedding details. This will bring down your costs, but without the romance of a couple, the shoot story will never be complete. There are a number of ways that you can find models.

Friends can model, but unless the photographer has the time to direct them through a series of posing techniques I often find models save time as well as giving much more variety in images and move more naturally in front of the camera. Instagram using the search function or just searching through the hashtags like London module, et cetera. There are also lots of Facebook modeling groups where photographers and models can find each other's work.

You can put a shout out list in with shoot details like the day, the time, the concept, what they will gain, and images to use in their portfolio or press features, etc. And lots usually message you to find out more. This also adds as a great backup option if your original models ever pull out as you know that there are a number of other models that are possibly still available on the same day.

You can contact model agencies with your mood board and exactly what you're looking for, as many new models will be willing to model for free and build their portfolio. There are also websites such as Starnow or Contact Agency, which are free websites where you can book models directly. And a little tip, I have found that those with experience in acting actually give much more to the shoot, because unless models have a lot of experience in bridal modelling, some can be a little serious.

So I found actresses and actors fit the role of the bride and groom really well. If you're planning a destination shoot, there are many other logistics you'll need to consider, including traveling, especially with supplies, products, and possibly your own expensive equipment if you're a photographer or videographer, visas. The weather and how this will affect your shoot, just to name a few.

Make sure you have a planner on board for any destination shoot who is either based in the area or has lots of experience there to avoid any obvious issues such as language barrier, et cetera. Okay, so moving on to your shoot plan. Now you have all of your suppliers on board, you have a better idea on the looks you'll be creating during the shoot time, so now it's time to create your shoot plan.

You can put this into a PDF document to send to all suppliers, ideally at least one week before the shoot takes place. So that everyone is on the same page and knows exactly what is expected of them and it allows the chance for anyone to notice anything missing from the plan, etc. Make sure that it includes your shoot details, like the day, the time, etc. Purpose of the shoot and where you plan to get the shoot featured. Supplier credits.

A list of both Instagram and Facebook so that you can all follow each other in advance of the shoot. And this also makes it easier to tag everyone in behind the scenes images and videos on the shoot day of the shoot itself. You also want athe time, etc.Al mood board and short story and any keywords.

Also, who is attending the shoot itself, who is passing products to somebody else, a schedule for the day, a detailed shot list, and any helpful tips, including directions, where to park, unload, access to food and drink, toilet facilities, and contact numbers for the main shoot organizers. You can, of course, go into much more detail depending on how elaborate the shoot is. You can have a page for each look or even each supplier.

But it's definitely good to put it all into one document ahead of the shoot so that everyone can really visualize the shoot coming together and they have all the information that they need. It also allows the chance for getting any last minute things that you may need, and checking with all suppliers to make sure that everything and everyone is okay. I tend to print a couple copies of the plan to have a paper version to hand, and as a reference on the day.

You can also make a packing list after you've done this. So you can gather everything you need the day before the shoot and make sure nothing is left behind. And remember that no matter how much you plan or prepare, there is always a possibility for something unexpected happening. I've tried to eliminate as many hurdles as I can from my past experiences, but to give you a little insight, these past experiences have included.

Having models pull out two days before a major shoot,much you plan or prepare,stones that were not forecast in an outdoor setting where we had to dry everything carefully trying not to ruin the acrylic stationery, a male model who forgot their shirt even after being reminded numerous times, and then led to driving around a very small foreign island in a hire car on the day of the shoot trying to locate. a white shirt and pen extortionate amounts for it. And that doesn't even scratch the surface.

So just be prepared to adapt and think on your feet. Okay, so shoot days are usually long and tiring. So start it right by waking up in plenty of time, having a good breakfast, wear something practical, including your footwear, but don't forget that there might be behind the scenes photos and videos taken. Check your packing list and make sure you have your design brief with shortness and all the details.

Try to arrive first so that you can unload anything you have, and then meet all the suppliers as they arrive and help them if necessary. For the photographer, remember to check your shoot plan throughout the day, keep on track of timings, shoot both a mixture of portrait and landscape where possible, and don't forget the details.

All suppliers present can get lots of sneaky behind the scenes images which can be sent into a group whatsapp So everyone has something to share even for the suppliers not present on the day Once you have completed your shoot, make sure you leave the venue or location exactly how you found it Tidy up and take all rubbish away with you and make sure there is no mess As this will help build a positive relationship with you in the venue after the shoot package up all the products

neatly To send back to suppliers promptly as they may need the item for another shoot So don't delay that you can send a friendly Thank you email for participating with a reminder to send back to send behind the scenes images into the group chat and keeping the team updated with when the photos will be released Okay. Cool. Delivering photos and videos. So it's great if possible for the sneak peek to go out the following day after the shoot.

This is when anticipation and excitement is high on social media, the behind the scenes will still be showing on supplier stories, so it's great to get some of the finished content out there as soon as you can for all suppliers to share and shout about.

Make sure that along with the gallery link, the credits are in the email to one list for Instagram and one for Facebook to make sure that each and make sure that each post credits the whole team, not just who's featured in the photo, and this is to increase exposure for everyone in terms of delivering the full gallery. Most blogs are actually okay with suppliers sharing content, so there's often no need to wait to release the images before a feature is secured.

Just remind suppliers to not share all the images at once and to hold back some of the killer photos for when the shoot does get featured. Okay, so submissions. So blogs receive hundreds and hundreds of submissions a day. So be prepared that this can be a lengthy process and you need to give some seriously killer context to the shoot to win them over. Each blog submission is each blog submission process. is different. So your written content will change depending on what they are looking for.

Some blogs have a set of questions you need to answer, whereas some ask for a few descriptive paragraphs. Make sure you read exactly what the blog is looking for and read some of their recent features to help achieve the tone of voice and make sure that your content is helpful to future couples as ultimately that is the purpose of these wedding blogs. Make sure that you start your submission with a personal message, ideally addressing with the correct name.

You can usually find this in the about page. Just look for who's in charge of editorial submissions. before introducing your shoot. Over time, if you build a relationship with the blog, then this won't be necessary. If or when the blog accepts your submission, keep your team updated with the submission progress by sending them the feature date and badge along with a link to the gallery and or video again with the credits.

Remind them on how to credit and ask for the whole team to really promote the shoot on feature day to improve the exposure and reach for all involved. Keep a track of where you have submitted your shoot or shoots. Write down the time frame they say they will get back to you by and pop that date into your diary so you can keep on top of submissions and ensure that there are no unnecessary delays. And there's no need to stop after one feature.

Some blogs will accept non exclusive content, so just make sure that the shoot is, so just mention that the shoot has been featured where and when, and make sure you wait out the gross period from your first blog before submitting again. And don't forget that exposure is not just provided in the form of blogs. As all suppliers involved have aligned brands, they should be sharing the content everywhere, blogging, welcome guides, socials, et cetera, with reference to all businesses.

That reach alone can be so beneficial to finding your ideal client through this amazing content, securing their confidence in you. Okay. So from every shoe I've organized or been a part of, I've learned something new to add to this process. I could honestly go on for hours longer. So this really does only scratch the surface and is a snapshot of my proven process to a successful style shoot and how they can fast track your business to securing your ideal clients.

To finish, I just wanted to mention a few key tips that most people forget, which I think make a style shoot a real success. These are finding your purpose of your shoot, finding inspiration from non wedding related resources, having a story, selecting the suppliers carefully, sharing the photos before the shoot is featured, not just picking any random blog, but making sure it's the right fit for your ideal client. And don't forget to push the limits and have some fun.

So yeah, if you haven't already, please go ahead and follow my Instagram page for lots more tips and style shoots and resources. so much for watching