On the whole styled shoots in the wedding industry tend to be the brain child of either the photographer or the stylist. They have an idea or a concept in their head that they want to see realised and so set about planning a shoot to do this.

But any wedding supplier can and should organise a styled shoot, we are all creative and all have our own skills, products and styles to showcase. And what better way to do this that surrounded by a team of suppliers with a similar style and ethos.

Photo: Helen Rose Photography

Here are my 7 reasons why planning your own shoot is a good idea:

1. Content

The most obvious way a shoot is helpful is content. If you organise a shoot you will receive a gallery of content that you can use in your business in whatever way you like. This content can be reused over and over and in so many different ways. For example a winter shoot can be pulled out year after year and used on your socials to be seasonally relevant, no one will remember that it was a shoot you shared the year before. Also you can use the pictures to write your own blogs for your website or for others websites. Just remember to give credit where credit is due!

2. Networking.

Organising or being part of a styled shoot is the best way to network in the industry. I have made so many friends through shoots who I now consider part of my 'team'. We can call on each other whenever we need help, are planning another shoot or just need a vent or a chat if we’re having a hard day. The more shoots you organise and the bigger your ‘team’ gets, the easier it is in the future as you have a group of people who you know work well together that you can call on and vice versa.

3. Exposure within the industry

Styled shoots help to get your name out there in places and to people who may otherwise never hear about you. Whether that’s through social media, a blog post which uses the photos or a magazine publication. The more people that see the photos the more people will know about you and your business.

4. Increased audience size

When one person shares a picture there is a limited number of people who will see that based on their audience size, how engaged that audience is and the algorithms of the social platforms. But if you have multiple people sharing the same content, tagging others in that content who will then repost and share aswell, the reach for that one piece of content is immediately and infinitely bigger. And that’s what happens with a collaborative shoot, whenever any of the photographs taken on the day are shared all of the suppliers must be tagged for credit reasons anyway, but this also alerts them to the post so then they can then share too increasing it's reach.

It's all about 'Collaboration not Competition'

5. Marketing

Getting your name out there and your brand recognised is a must if you want to grow, improve your business, and increase sales. Having beautiful on brand content showing what you do in a good and professional way is the best way to do this. Once you have pictures from a styled shoot you have organised that show your style and your products or services in the best way possible, these pictures can then be used in any number of ways to help market your business. Advertising material, social media posts, on your website, leaflets and business cards, the list goes on.

Photo: Helen Rose Photography

6. PR

There is often some confusion when it comes to Marketing and PR, but they are very different. Whilst marketing is about increasing sales by promoting products and services, PR is about you and your brand and promoting a good brand image and letting your customers get to know, like and trust you so they are more likely to buy from you when they come across your marketing. Styled shoots can help to elevate you as a person and a brand. By getting to know others in the industry and creating a good impression they will then talk about you favourably and even recommend you to couples or for other shoots and opportunities. Publications in magazines and on established and trusted blogs can also help to elevate your business profile.

7. Complete creative Freedom

Organising your own styled shoot is THE best way have complete creative freedom and to design and try something that you would never be able to do ordinarily for a client or quite often when taking part in someone else’s shoot. When fulfilling a client brief there are always constraints depending on what they want and their ideas and look for their day, colour schemes. But with your own shoot, you call the shots, you can go crazy and try out new and out there ideas. Couples will love to see this and it will give them ideas and inspiration, and they will pick parts that they want to incorporate for their weddings.

Photo: Helen Rose Photography

So if you're a creative wedding supplier who has been wanting to go for it and organise your own styled shoot, but you're not sure where to start, not sure you know enough people or how to get them to buy in to your idea. Why not book a spot on our Collaborative Content Workshop on April 27th. Here you will get the chance to plan your own mini shoot as part of a small group of suppliers and showcase your own products. There will be props, florals and bridalwear to choose from to create your set-up using our models. Our professional photographer and videographer will then shoot all set-ups and you will receive all the content from the day to use however and wherever you want. This is a great starting block for organising your own future shoots and a way to easily create some amazing content and meet other suppliers.

If you want to know more or to book a space then click here now and we will hopefully see you there!