Real Can Still Be Styled

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the world of wedding blogs, it's important not to overlook the importance of words, especially in the context of real weddings.

Phrases* such as:

• "an architect"
• "a buyer"
• "a graphic designer" "freelance graphic designer"
• "graphic designer and artist"
• "a graphic design major"
• "illustrator/graphic designer"
• "interior designer" "an interior designer" "an interior designer" "an interior designer"
• "an interior designer by day and paper genius by night"
• "in PR"
• "visual artist/graphic designer"
• "own my own clothing boutique"

And why are these phrases important? Because if you miss them and look just at the pretty pictures you can inadvertently set a bar that you think your wedding needs to jump over. When looking at their beautiful weddings, remember that in each of these jobs/hobbies, people think (and obsess) about visual impact. Their weddings - with or without intending to - have been styled.

Does styling mean a wedding is less authentic? Not necessarily. One of my favorite weddings - Lauren's (Miss - now Mrs. - Scissors on Weddingbee) - is both visually stunning and authentic. Lauren is a graphic designer and photographer. (Check out her blog, I Love You Very Much, for recaps of her wedding.)

So why do I notice what the bride and groom do for a living during the day and by night? Because I'm in marketing (and a photographer to boot). Words and images are my lifeblood. And while I'm not always aware of it, I have noticed that before even one wedding photo has been taken, I've been visualizing backdrops, thinking about how colors will complement and contrast with one another, and editing to keep details uncluttered.

Are we going overboard on styling? I don't think so. On one hand, I'm not draping a bar - I'm leaving the wood and gray mosaic Formica alone. But on the other hand... yes, I did include dark brown wood tones and gray/silver in our color palette. 

*Phrases were repeated so that I could link to the related weddings.