For starters, this particular shoot is the epitome of why I want to write these lil’ ol’ blog posts!! Like, if I could, I would just post images from this elopement all day every day but that’s not the way instagram works. Or maybe it is?? Obviously, I don’t know the secrets because Instagram shows my posts to approximately .04% of my followers. But I digress.

Onto the good stuff.

Reason Number 1:

Styled shoots are such an amazing creative outlet if you have a business that involves a lot of client work. They allow me the chance to think outside the box and push the boundaries for materials and design! Don’t get me wrong, I adore my clients and there of course adventurous couples looking for unique and different wedding details. But I think of styled shoots as more of one of those HGTV challenges where you have a theme and parameters but can really bring to life all of the fun things in your head you’ve been dying to create!

This modern boho beach elopement was hosted by The Golden Creative. They are actually a shootout concept currently comprised of two incredibly talented and incredibly kind photographers. I just love their vibe and what they are bringing to the table: see jaw-dropping images below. This team of vendors did such an incredible job.

Are you kidding me! That dress, those florals, the perfect golden light. The invitation suite I created for the elopement was a sea of neutrals with pops of sepia and possibly my favorite custom envelope liner to date. My envelope liner collection/obsession is growing by the day and I just live for getting the chance to use the bolder ones!

I designed a special monogram for Lo and Jasmin and the L and J happened to magically fit together like two peas in a pod. I love it when that happens. We played with special invitation shapes and scale to keep it oh so fresh and interesting. And I have to say, loved the finished results so very much.

Reason Number 2: Marketing!

I allot a portion of my advertising budget for styled shoots. I have found they are the most effective form of marketing for a bespoke full service stationery business like mine. Not only do you get content in the form of pretty photos but since everyone involved is typically pretty enthusiastic about what they created, there is a good amount of posting and reposting and blogging and reeling and many times, a feature. There is just something so satisfying about seeing all your hard work published!!

Bloom and Boom Florals created the most perfect, romantic bouquet that I am still drooling over.

Reason Number 3: Networking!

I also get to work with a full team of talented vendors in the industry and I have found this aspect to be invaluable. Personal connections and referrals are worth their weight in gold. Plus, from a pure human standpoint, how nice is it to work with other fellow peeps that love the things that you love! In my experience, working on styled shoots has led to long term friendships, friendor-ships and for the cherry on top, a ton of referrals.

Taupe on taupe is my love language. I just LOVE how delicate these custom vow books turned out.

All this being said, I have learned many lessons over the years regarding shoot collaborations.

Initial email: when the planner or photographer reaches out to you, if this initial email is not thorough or very last minute, you can assume the shoot might not be well planned and may not be worth spending your marketing budget on.

Sure, there are exceptions to this but it is a good general rule of thumb! That may sound harsh but as a stationer, you may be contributing 100’s of dollars and many hours of design, production and communication so you want to make sure it’s a good fit with experienced vendors.

Even more importantly, make sure the mood board fits with your aesthetic and that you love the photographer and planner's style! There is no reason to contribute to a shoot that does not align with your branding because you will never be able to share those photos. And that is silly.