ENAMOURA – The art of creating a wedding editorial

In the columns of Madame C's Blog, we have a weakness for wedding inspirations with unique atmospheres. Whether it is sewing, Mediterranean, romantic ou modern, each editorial brings its own perspective. For future brides and grooms, it is a precious source of inspiration. For wedding professionals, a means ofexpress their creativity and build lasting relationships in the wedding industry.

When Christophe Serrano expressed the wish to collaborate together on the creation of a wedding editorial, it seemed interesting to us to mix our universes. For this professional photographer with an elegant and ultra-coded universe, twisting his style with more modern codes was a real gamble.

In charge of artistic direction, our editor-in-chief, Clementine Marchal was influenced by the fashion. In this editorial, each imagined look tells a story, a moment of the wedding. The storytelling comes to life in the style of the protagonists. It was a very rich exercise, a unique experience. The shooting team was extraordinary and I thank them all for their boundless trust. We lived this moment with great pleasure and good humor.

To spice things up, this editorial was filmed over 4 days in Provence as part of a Empara training intended for wedding photographers who wish to create a wedding editorial.

The opportunity to discover in preview the beautiful images of Christophe Serrano et Emmanuel Amou accompanied by our top 10 tips for creating a wedding editorial.

Creating a wedding editorial: Why?

Le wedding The wonderful thing about it is that magnifies life. Be hired as a wedding professional, it is signed a spiritual pact with all the beautiful values ​​of marriage. Beyond being a simple executor, each professional offers his know-how et his know-how.

When you start out as a wedding professional, impose his DNA is vital. It create also a strong network is essential. Starting out in this world also means looking for a new professional family. The one with whom you will grow and flourish. Going through the creation of a inspiration shooting (or commonly called editorial) is an ideal way toexpress your creativity and build lasting relationships with other professionals.

Subsequently and throughout your professional life, create a wedding editorial will become an unmissable event. A (re)creative interlude where each professional will find their means of expression and will allow them to put their ideas and current desires into images.

The aim is to create new inspirations and trends, intended to inspire future brides and grooms.

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Creating a wedding editorial: For whom?

To fuel your creativity, to inspire the future brides and grooms you are targeting as customers, and if it is relevant to your communication objectives, why not publish it on a wedding blogzine?

Organizing a well-crafted photoshoot requires a lot of energy and a significant financial investment. Publication can be one of your goals to make your editorial shine in the most beautiful way possible. However, don't limit your DA based on the blogzine you're considering. We are often surprised to receive an inspiration board before designing an editorial to ensure future publication on the blog. The magic of an editorial doesn't lie in the duplication of images skillfully picked from Pinterest  but to the personal expression of what you would do with it.

Isn't that the whole point of the creative process?

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial: Create the unique

be bold. The creation of an editorial is built above all to be inspiring.

The trap that a certain number of professionals fall into is to follow current trends rather than exploring new ones. Often for fear of displeasing or doing badly. Banish that nasty imposter syndrome et do you trust. With time you will understand that your strength comes from your uniqueness.

Take risks and step out of the frame. Spend time sourcing your inspirations by selecting your favorite atmospheres. Search colors, shapes et the subjects that inspire you. Don't compromise on details and above all: treat yourself. Creating is a source of infinite joy.

For each project, Clementine Marchal systematically starts with a pinterest board that she exchanges with the shooting team. Putting a visual on an idea allows us all to go in the same direction. It is a very effective tool that we also recommend to future brides and grooms who are embarking on organization et the decoration of their marriage.

Once these inspirations are gathered, Clementine Marchal creates his MOODBOARD in words and images. Often she focuses on details that open her up to other ideas.

For this painting with sunny notes, she started from a fashion positioning. Each bride's look tells a moment of the wedding : the preparation, the engagement session, the welcome dinner, the day and the evening of the wedding. Daughter of the Mediterranean, she was inspired by wonders of the sea : shells, sand, mother-of-pearl, pearls. She had in mind a organic and mineral atmosphere.

Create a wedding editorial © Madame C's blog

Create a wedding editorial: The importance of place

Just like in organizing a wedding, the choice of the shooting location is essential. It will be at the heart of your atmosphere so take the time to choose it carefully.

For this shoot, we opted for an old chapel in Provence that has been converted into a vacation home. A place with a spiritual universe and a breathtaking view of the village of Saignon. Crazy crush on this place!

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empar

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Creating a wedding editorial: Take the time to choose your team and coordinate it

The mutual desire to work together must be full and complete. This is the basis of all quality work. In addition to alchemy, it is also essential to choose your team according to the atmosphere drawn. We would have the unfortunate tendency to work, instinctively, only with so-called "professionals"   » rather than with universes selected according to theDNA of the shooting. Just one piece of advice: Don't give in to the easy way out and be very demanding about the selection of your partners.

Once the team is complete, take the time to communicate with each person to find out their respective expectations and needs. Also keep them informed of your progress as you go.

In order to properly schedule the interventions of each partner, prepare a road book with the detailed shooting schedule. Each set up will be the subject of careful preparation that will need to be well timed. Be generous in your estimates and remember to carefully evaluate the time dedicated to reception, installation, makeover, dressing of models, break times and dismantling.

On the day of the shooting, remember to highlight the work of each partner.

As in a wedding, there will always be mistakes or adjustments to be made on the big day. Adapting is part of the game, stay calm and keep smiling. This moment must remain enjoyable for everyone.

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Creating a wedding editorial: How much does it cost? 

From a few hundred euros for an editorial with a simple atmosphere to several thousand euros for more elaborate atmospheres, there is no real rule in this matter. Everything will therefore depend on your budget and the time you have available for the project. If each professional invests their time and know-how, certain expenditure items remain unavoidable:

• If it is not a reception venue, the rental of the venue
• Flowers
• The decoration
• Accessories
• The stamp of professional models
• Team accommodation, meals and transportation

Creating a Wedding Editorial: Who Pays for What?

Do not confuse collaborative shooting, where all partners have a common goal, and brand shooting with a targeted marketing objective. In the first case, it is a fair collaboration where all costs can be shared. In the second case, it is up to the client to settle the bill. Each professional thus works at his service.

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Creating a wedding editorial: What are your communication objectives?

The creation of images often responds to a desire:

• D’enrich your portfolio
• De upgrade to a higher range or rebrand
• D’establish its brand image with a specific clientele
• to be referenced in a professional wedding family
• D’enrich your professional network

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial: How to get published on a wedding blog?

Creating a Wedding Editorial: Managing No or No Response

It's never pleasant to receive a rejection, let alone receive no response at all. As Editor-in-Chief, Clementine Marchal felt guilty for a long time, then admitted that her days were only 24 hours long. For 18 years, this appointment with Madame C's blog has required daily in-depth work. While it is a very beautiful showcase, it is also very energy-consuming. And in 80% of cases, it is unpaid since these publications are distributed for free.

Over time, the editorial line has asserted itself. It was necessary to make choices and sometimes give up atmospheres that were no longer in line.

NO is in no way a value judgment of your work.. It's a reasoned choice that takes into account only the needs of the platform. And there are a whole host of factors that impact the acceptance of a report: the style, the story, the seasonality, the uniqueness of the shooting, the number of shootings submitted at the same time… If it's NO today, it might be a YES tomorrow.

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Create a wedding editorial © Christophe Serrano for Empara

Creating a wedding editorial: What’s next?

Producing beautiful images can be addictive and the idea of ​​starting over is usually in everyone's head. We like the idea of ​​staying qualitative and not multiplying the number of shootings. Everyone will find their own rhythm.