As many of you may have heard, Style Me Pretty abruptly announced yesterday that they are permanently closing their doors/website at the end of this month. I have been so lucky to have many weddings and styled shoots featured on SMP over the years- and as a result, many of my future clients found me via their gorgeous site. I want to thank SMP for how they have encouraged the wedding industry to grow over the past decade.
What bothers & confuses me is that when it closes, all of the posts will go away too… I feel terrible for the lovely people that work for Style Me Pretty – they are losing their jobs without any notice…and that’s just WRONG. There are many articles right now on the web speculating as to who, or what, or why to BLAME…but this I know for you sure, the way that wedding professionals will be getting noticed is changing…and I’m optimistic it will bring honest and happy moments back to the forefront.
However, many in the industry are rumbling that styled shoots should go by the wayside like SMP…. and here’s where I beg to differ… as an artist who has been in this decade over a dozen years- the styled shoots that I was honored to photograph they helped to CULTIVATE me to the artist that I am today. They allowed me to push my boundaries creatively. They formed some of the deepest & meaningful friendships that I have today. I only do a one or two styled shoots per year- and I’m always excited to do them…because there is ALWAYS something new that I’m trying to master or play with. And as a result, I can bring that experience to my clients on the wedding day.
When other vendors spend hours and hours creating their craft- so we can all have a cohesive vision- it’s just thrilling. Really, so satisfying it makes me giddy. To push boundaries. To trust each other… it’s just a magical experience when it all falls into place…. I heard from a colleague the other day- that a wedding professional stated the ONLY reason they do styled shoots is to get PUBLISHED. I find this crushingly sad- I do styled shoots to push myself as an artist, to be a better photographer for my clients, to connect with vendors face-to-face… not to be published. When they do get published and recognized, I certainly celebrate. But when they don’t, I don’t get super down – I know that I had fun, was inspired & created something magical. So, my ramblings just saying- please, I hope that the styled shoot doesn’t die with Style Me Pretty… because I love creating pretty things to look at with my friends.
This is from a shoot last Spring- created with my industry friends for a fun and vibrant 60’s vibe with a nod to Liberty of London. We dodged raindrops. We climbed ladders. We hustled…and most of all- we had FUN. And bonus to me, all these images make my heart happy as a photographer and I think if you follow my work- you can see where it overlaps :0)
{and double bonus, I’ve worked real wedding with all these vendors and they are all the bee’s knees & I’m honored to call them my friends}
Design & Planning: Kate Dawson Events
Florist: Valley Floral Company
Cake: Bentley’s Bakery
Hair: Kerry Armstrong
Makeup: Jennifer Perellie
Letterpress: Gus & Ruby
Rentals: Peak Event Services
Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen
xoxo
