I just can’t even tell you how many people I asked about this topic. I’ve had an idea in my head for months now for a styled shoot. One done my way, my vision, just something to stretch my wings and challenge the concept of “pretty”. Yet every time I asked someone who has done one I got super little feed back. Aside from “Just overshoot” I had not much to go on. So, now after completing mine and submitting it for publication I wanted to share my thoughts!! No mine wasn’t perfect but I was so excited for how it turned out. I hope that when you decide to do one these tips help you!! I strongly encourage all my creatives to do it, push the envelope, and create something that makes YOU happy!

1. Be original and unique!! So many of the vendors I ended up working with were excited about the shoot because they hadn’t heard of the idea! Let’s be honest, we’ve seen blush and hold or burlap and lace a thousand times now. If you want to do that, you’ve got to tell it in a way we haven’t seen before!
2. Hiring a planner goes a LONG way! I was so thrilled to work with Misty Saves the Day for this and she brought a wealth of knowledge to the table. Literally, thanking my stars I causally mentioned my idea to her and those little wheels started turning!!
3. When you hire a planner be very clear from the get go. On budget, vision, wants vs needs vs would be nice! Misty was really clear and was able to communicate that to other vendors too! It was important to me the vision stayed just that, MY vision!
4. Allow your creative team to use their expertise in their area for your shoot! I absolutely adore Palette of Petals and their work. I told them my idea and inspiration but allowed them some leeway. I don’t know flowers y’all! Like barely how to trim a rose bush, so I trusted these two would work within my idea but bring it to life! Your creative teams want to do different stuff too! They want a diverse portfolio and sometimes to create just to create!
5. Get images back quickly! I didn’t sit on my shoot for weeks. I edited them and sent them out ASAP! I want my creatives to use them!! They worked so hard too and deserve images to work with. Most of them donate their talents in exchange for it, so be punctual and respectful of that.
6. Lastly, love it. With your whole heart LOVE every image. I just cried going through my images seeing my vision come to life. It was incredible and I am so so grateful to everyone who worked with me! They trusted my idea and I trusted them. Together, we made incredible images that I just cannot WAIT to show you!

Hopefully soon I can share the full gallery with you. This shoot checked off two of my wish list items and made me so thrilled with what’s to come!! I LOVED doing this and would definitely love to get some more under my belt. So, if you are interested in collaborating, please email me! I would love to hear about it!

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