What is a wedding stylist and do I need one?

For couples who dream of having a beautifully adorned and visually impressive wedding, but are time poor – or don’t quite have the creative knack, wedding stylists provide the perfect solution. We ask the question: What is a wedding stylist? Do I need a wedding stylist?

The role of a wedding stylist may seem a little ambiguous; however, what they do is simply defined: a wedding stylist is a person who will turn your creative vision for your big day into a reality. They handle all the aesthetic components, such as choosing the decorations and flowers but also handle everything from dressing the venue to dressing the bridal party. 

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Is a wedding stylist the same thing as a wedding planner?

No. While it’s true that there may be some crossover between tasks that a wedding stylist performs and those that a wedding planner would do, they are actually fundamentally different roles. A wedding planner is typically in charge of the overall organisation of a wedding; from the arrival of the cake to ferrying of the guests from hither to yon, and everything in-between.

Not unlike a professional stylist to the stars, a wedding stylist has a focused scope; he or she is responsible for the aesthetics of a wedding. This can encompass anything that has to do with the overall appearance of a wedding, from choosing the colours of the decorations and assisting in selecting bridal party looks, to helping find the perfect back drops for ceremonies and photographs.

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So, what exactly does a wedding stylist do?

What a wedding stylist does depends very much on what the bride and groom want.

While there are many couples who have a clear idea about what look they are trying to achieve for their wedding, there are many more who either don’t have the faintest idea, or would prefer to hand the reins over to a trusted professional.

Generally speaking, the more you are agonizing over the aesthetic details of your wedding, the more you will get out of hiring a wedding stylist. Specifically, those couples who want to turn over the stress of having to choose a theme, or those who admit to not having the slightest clue how to execute the look they desire, would benefit most from hiring a wedding stylist.

If you have a keen idea of what you like or have already decided on a few key elements for your wedding (like the colour of the bridesmaid dresses or the type of flowers you want at the event), a wedding stylist can provide a non-partisan opinion about your choices, and even offer some suggestions that might enhance your ideas!

A great example of this is colour. Often, people get stuck in a single mindset when thinking about what colours they would like at their wedding. A seasoned wedding stylist can offer suggestions as to how to make the most of your colour choices by strategically adding contrasting shades and unexpected touches.

What’s the first step in hiring a wedding stylist?

The most important first step in bringing a wedding stylist on board is to get to know your tastes as a couple. It is a great idea to put together a “mood board” (a collection of images that speak to both of you) to bring with you to give a potential wedding stylist an idea of where you are coming from style-wise.

Think of hiring a wedding stylist as an interview process. Visit as many as you need, listen to what they have to say, and make sure that in turn, they listen to you. Taking your time to find the right person for the job will ensure that you are bringing aboard a person who will work well as a member of your team – an essential element in pulling-off a beautiful and memorable wedding!

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