Styled Shoots vs Real Weddings
Here at Wedding Sparrow HQ we love to see original inspiration on our pages and whether that means it is via an editorial or a real wedding, we’re open to all forms of pretty. We know however, that not everyone is a fan of editorials or styled shoots and they are often considered as contrived, less authentic and even fake.
With this in mind, we thought we’d have the discussion ‘Are styled shoots inspirational?’ at the Wedding Sparrow watercooler, and here are some generalisations that we often hear…
“Styled shoots are unoriginal and contrived” - We don’t generalise here at WS and we see a LOT of editorials travel through our submissions system. Not all styled shoots are boring and contrived. They are considered an art form if done right and a way of expressing creativity. They also are meant as inspiration. This is key to bear in mind. They are not meant to be recreated in their entirety, so to us it is not about being "attainable". I would bet that many real weddings have gathered inspiration (knowingly or unknowingly) from styled shoots they see (whether in magazines, blogs, or other art forms). Creating an original editorial can be quite difficult with the sheer volume of 'inspiration' we are exposed to on a daily basis. Just how we create something original is key and something of a much larger blog post discussion (come back soon for this one!). One important point to remember includes taking inspiration outside of the existing wedding community for a start. This is often how we come to see very similar works being submitted to us (and us not being able to feature due to lack of differentiation). Look at art, history, people, literature, science, religion, other creative fields. Keep your creative mind stimulated with new and different subjects. This also helps you create new and unique work in your field.
“Styled shoots lacking emotions like you see in a real wedding” - As far as the emotion in real weddings, we agree it is unmatched, but a styled shoot isn't trying to compete with that love and emotion; they are merely a source of creativity and inspiration. And the emotions we have seen conveyed in some editorials are just jaw-droppingly awe inspiring!
“The style and models are ‘unrealistic’” - Now this is a pretty big debate and can take all sorts of angles and deviants. Are you inspired by Vogue magazine and the yearly Fashion Week catwalks? Now I’m no stick thin fashion model and I certainly don’t envisage myself wearing some of the ‘artistic’ outfits we saw on the Alexander McQueen catwalks, but I am still inspired by the shows and the styles of the clothing I see. It’s art. It’s ultimately how we interpret it. We then see that high end fashion diluted down to the high street where we buy the latest in style. Do I sit and cry into my coffee over the fact I am not 6ft tall and 100lbs? No, I’m long over that dream. We see the creativity, the art, the ways the fashion can inspire us. The key? Keeping the inspiration original (another blog post on this coming soon!) so we don’t, as an industry, saturate it with the same old styles and images.
We’re surrounded by Pinterest, amazing editorials, and downright perfect people living perfect lives all the time. Should we take it as gospel? No. We should be educated enough to know that these are curated shoots to take inspiration from only. No replication or repetition. Just downright beautiful wedding pretty…
We'd love to hear your stance on editorials in the wedding industry so please drop your comments below to discuss!
Photography: Laura Gordon Photography
