How to Design and Produce a Wedding Inspired Photoshoot

Designing a wedding inspired photoshoot is more than simply assembling beautiful details, it’s about crafting a story, building creative energy, and pushing your artistry to new heights. In this post, I’m walking you through my 5-step process on how to design and produce a wedding inspired photoshoot as a photographer, using my recent editorial at Monserate Vineyards & Winery as an example. 

Why Produce a Wedding Inspired Photoshoot?

At the core of every wedding inspired photoshoot is a deeper purpose. For me, producing editorial wedding photoshoots isn’t simply about beautiful images, it’s about telling stories and making space for creative expression. 

So before diving in, I always start by asking: Why am I doing this?

Maybe you have a need to create or have dreams too big to keep inside. Or maybe it’s simply the desire to build community and collaborate with other professionals. Whatever your reason, defining your why is the first step in understanding how to design and produce a wedding inspired photoshoot as a photographer.

1. Find Your Inspiration

Once your purpose is clear, focus on what inspired you. This is the heart of every wedding inspired photoshoot. Maybe it’s trinkets or scents found while traveling the world. Maybe it’s heirloom belongings that inspired one to create or add polish to look. Or maybe it’s fashion forward attire that pushes one to think beyond the mediocrity and trends. For me, I begin collecting details like color palettes, textiles or bold stationery.  

When you're designing an editorial, inspiration begins with the client you're targeting, their interests, values, and the kind of experience they want to create. In an editorial, ask yourself: How can I cultivate the essence of the couple as characters? Build a narrative that reflects their imagined story.

Can’t think of where to start? My go to is pinning my favorite Pinterest posts or cutting inspiration out of magazines and bringing it all together to create a visual narrative.

2. Define the Story You Want to Tell

Once you have your purpose and have gathered inspiration, it's time to define the story you’re going to tell. From the color palette and textures to the florals and models, these elements must move as one. This is where planning a wedding editorial becomes more than solely styling, it becomes story telling. 

As a photographer, I always create a large format lookbook in advance that breaks down every visual element. I learned early in formally studying architecture how to present a cohesive body of work that clearly defines the process, decision making, and end goal. It’s a creative roadmap that helps me stay focused on the story, composition and artistic goal. This technical approach includes using Adobe InDesign to curate the lookbook through text and imagery. It’s an essential part of design and production for a wedding editorial.

3. Choose the Right Location

Selecting the right setting is one of the most critical decisions when planning a wedding inspired photoshoot. The location is not simply a backdrop, but it becomes a character in your story. Architectural details, natural light, surrounding landscape and even the type of clientele the venue attracts, should all align with your theme and tone. Whether it’s a romantic vineyard (like Monserate Winery), a modern art gallery or a historic estate, the venue should complement your creative vision and elevate the overall aesthetic.

When considering how to plan your wedding inspired editorial, think about how the space will photograph. Are there built-in design features? Will the lighting enhance or challenge your vision? This step is especially important when learning how to design and produce a wedding inspired photoshoot as a photographer, because the environment you select directly affects everything from composition to storytelling.

Choosing a venue is also a powerful opportunity to build relationships with the property and their staff. Introducing yourself, sharing your vision, and executing a thoughtful photoshoot can open the door to future referrals and collaborations tied to the venue.]

4. Build the Dream Vendor Team

Bringing together a team of likeminded creatives is, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding aspects of producing a wedding inspired photoshoot. Collaboration is at the heart of this process. Over the past few years, I’ve been intentional about joining industry networks and connecting with other professionals on social media. It’s where you learn who is who, who does what and in what capacity.

For this particular photoshoot, we had the opportunity to collaborate with NWLA Bridal Boutique in Santa Monica. Nadia, the owner, graciously provided couture gowns from designers like Petra and Lihi Hod, which elevated the entire look alongside Friar Tux, which added depth to the visual story we were telling.

Florals were another major component. We aimed for large-scale, intentional installations that felt organic to the space. I partnered with Averi of Jasper & Lane Events to bring all the design details to life. The partnership between a photographer and planner is crucial for producing a wedding inspired photoshoot. Averi crafted a production timeline for the day that included vendor arrivals, a photography shot list, and a creative sequence that allowed us to capture both behind-the-scenes content and the editorial narrative in real time. Our media team was exceptional. The goal wasn’t to solely document the visuals; it was to tell a story that showcased every participating vendor and honored the design evolution from concept to completion. Film, photography, and social content worked in tandem to reflect both the beauty and the behind-the-scenes effort that went into the production.

When you're learning how to plan a wedding inspired editorial, remember that every team member, whether it's the planner, florist, stylist or stationer, plays a vital role in bringing the photoshoot to life. The magic happens when everyone comes together with a common goal, based on the initial vision and runs with it by putting their trusted spin on it.  Pro tip: When wrapping up, always return the venue and all rented materials in pristine condition, your reputation depends on it.

5. Post-Production and Promotion Tips

Once the photoshoot wraps, your work isn’t over, postproduction and promotion are essential steps in honoring all the efforts from your team. This is your chance to polish the final visuals and ensure that every vendor is properly credited. For me, it’s a non-negotiable to tag all collaborators, share written acknowledgments and ensure everyone receives the recognition they deserve. Expectations are essential within vendor collaboration, if not, there will be missed opportunities and misalignments.

Timely delivery of the gallery is key, especially if your goal is publication. I prioritize a quick turnaround so we can begin the submission process while the creative energy is still fresh. The sooner you can present a polished gallery, the more momentum you build around the photoshoot, both within your team and with potential media partners.

One of the most strategic ways to elevate your wedding styled photoshoot is to submit it for editorial publication. The big thing here is seeking publications that will broaden visibility and showcase the team's services and expertise to a greater audience.

Final Thoughts: Telling Stories Through Styled Photoshoots

When you approach a styled photoshoot with purpose, vision, and collaboration at the core, you open up space for something truly meaningful. Whether you're just starting to explore how to plan a wedding inspired photoshoot or refining your creative process, the key elements remain the same: a clear narrative, a team of passionate creatives and an eye for detail.

From here, you can scale your production up or down, adjust your vendor list to fit your concept, and continue growing as both an artist and a storyteller.