„BRING YOUR BESPOKE
VISION TO LIFE!“

  

The wedding industry is driven by creative souls who thread along the lines of contemporary and modern styling, with a touch of boldness. With a generous amount of timelessness, they subtly shift the limits of the traditional, curating new ways for couples to express their essence. In order to realize their vision, they use various tools, among which one of the most important ones is styled shoots. 

In essence, styled shoots have become the source of today’s wedding inspiration. They are a vital component of many envied vendors and awe-inspiring concepts. The purpose is clear – inspire and attract dream clients, upscale aesthetic expressions, inspire other creatives, and most of all – develop and establish an authentic brand presence.

If this speaks to you and your soul is itching to unleash its creativity, then I strongly suggest tailoring your own styled shoot. Not only will it bring you collaboration with like-minded professionals, but you will also forge a strong bond with them. However, to translate this idea into reality, you will need an array of well-versed and skilled vendors.

But how can you get them on board for your project, narrow down your ideas and help your collaborators understand your concept and visual aesthetic? Easy, through a meticulously designed mood board. In order to gather your inspiration, you will need a styled shoot mood board template where you will convey your message.

Not sure how to approach the subject and make the perfect mood board? I am here to provide you with full guidance on the matter, leaving you fully equipped and ready to create the best visual representation of your styled shoot ideas.

 

1. Why do you need a Mood Board for your Styled Shoot?

 

Think about the power of having a well-defined idea and seamless creative direction for your styled shoot. When you are visually stimulated on a subject, you will understand the message better, and so will your vendors. When you present them with your mood board, both you as a photographer and your chosen creatives will be on the same page, resulting in a cohesive desired outcome. Furthermore, this authentic board is the embodiment of your personal style, the ambiance you wish to evoke, and the elements needed to realize it. It carries the emotion, vibe, and overall feel so you can infuse your collaborators with it more easily.

Your mood board will feature anything from inspiring images from your shooting location, bespoke florals, wedding attire, makeup & hairstyle, to posing inspiration, the perfect lighting conditions, and the overall mood you wish to portray, and of course, the atmosphere you wish to capture. This will serve as a starting point for the story that is about to unfold. Gradually, by combining these elements, you will reflect the essence of your shoot, color palette, dream aesthetic, and naturally, the complete style and direction. { By doing this, you will seamlessly bring everyone on the same page and align them with your vision. }

2. Before you start visualizing your idea, set your direction for your photoshoot

 

First things first, be open about ideas. Let the wedding inspiration come from many sources, and think outside the box. Unleash your mind because you never know where you will find the best creative source. Sometimes it can come from a specific material, maybe a pattern or a texture, different forms, nature, etc. { If you wish to collect Pinterest photos for your styled shoot mood board, don’t limit your artful mind to only wedding-related pins. Include different types of imagery that you find inspiring. }

Secondly, ask yourself – what is the message I wish to convey to my fellow vendors? Try to support your visual representation with words, poems, short snippets, quotes, or your own thoughts. It also can be a collection of descriptive words to complement the theme. { Keep it simple in order to convey a clear and visually sound message. }

 

3. What you will need to include in your styled shoot mood board

Regardless of whether you opt for a mood board template or wish to create it from scratch, you will need to begin adding imagery. In this way, you will start shaping the feel of your styled shoot. “A picture is worth a thousand words“ – when working with creative vendors, this is especially true and essential. The vital element here is to be cohesive with your theme. A graphic template for wedding photographers can be especially handy in this case.

For example, your photos will define everything from colors, textures, tones, and cropping. To narrow down the theme, you can add color swatches that will embody your desired feel and reflect the personality of the shoot

{ You can directly pick any color from the photos you have included in your styled shoot mood board. This can be simply done in Canva. }

 3.1 Try to design separate pages for each important vendor you have chosen

3.2 Include a timeline to achieve a smooth process on the shooting day itself

3.3 List every vendor that is included in your shoot. Create a list and add their social media profile and contact information

4. What Should your Styled Shoot
Mood Board look like? 

Sometimes LESS is MORE – including many photos can not only dilute the essence of your aesthetic but can also confuse the viewer. Furthermore, try to include some text to present a clear explanation of your idea. For example, you can write which emotions you wish to cultivate, what kind of ambiance you wish to evoke, express your thoughts about the mood, etc.

{ Divide certain areas for easier digestion. Each of them can include more details. For example, you can have a separate page for styling which will feature only attire, accessories, the hair & makeup style, etc. In this way, you will provide your MUAH with a clear picture. }

The key to your styled shoot mood board will be the composition. Make sure to highlight your key element. That will serve as a handy element that will anchor your board. Mix and match with sizes and positioning. The key element can be larger to indicate importance, and the lesser ones will represent the relationships with it and with one another. You can easily achieve this with cropping. { Allow your visuals to breathe by leaving some negative space on the board to highlight the point. }

5. Finalizing your Wedding Styled Shoot Mood Board

Double-check everything before you send the board to your chosen vendors. If you wish to make sure that you will bring them on board, first consider the following – analyze the chosen images to make sure that the mood board reflects the right feel and vision. Some changes may need to be made, so don’t skip this step.

When you feel that the styled shoot mood board is complete – it will feel cohesive down to the last detail. Then, you will have a powerful tool to serve as a reference for your photoshoot. It will be a perfect representation of your ideas – a visually compelling asset to lure amazing vendors to join you.

To kickstart your process, I designed a Styled Shoot Mood Board Template in Canva that will help you create a new and authentic board to present to your dream vendors. It shortens the creation time immensely, enabling you to translate your thoughts quickly and easily. If you think my tool can help your process, you can check it out here.

You can easily use this Canva template for photographers and tweak it to personalize it to your preferences. Make it YOURS and bring your bespoke vision to life! I assure you that you will find this styled shoot mood board template handy and easy to use. Head over to this link and begin cultivating your artistry!

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