When Portfolios Mislead: The Problem with Staged Floral Work
Why transparency matters when showcasing your floral work—and how staged images can set false expectations.
Styled shoots and floral workshops have their place in our industry. They’re beautiful, collaborative, and often a way to stretch creatively without the constraints of an actual event. But there’s a growing—and quietly contentious—trend that no one seems to want to talk about:
Using those images to promote your business as if they represent your real-life wedding or event work.
Here’s the problem. Styled shoots and workshops exist in a bubble. The timelines are generous. The flowers are unlimited and handpicked for perfection. The weather is usually ideal—or at least irrelevant because there are no paying clients nervously watching the forecast. And the “client” is often a model with hours to spare while multiple vendors fuss over every petal.
That’s not how real events work.
Why It’s a Problem
When those curated, high-control images are passed off as the designer’s actual wedding or event work, it creates a false expectation for couples. It suggests you can replicate that exact abundance, precision, and photographic perfection—on their wedding day, with their budget, in real time, under actual conditions.
It’s not that the designer couldn’t deliver beautiful results. Many could. But a styled shoot isn’t a stress test. It’s a set piece. And it’s far easier to create flawless work when there’s no ceremony start time looming, no 90-degree heat threatening to wilt the bouquet, no delivery delays, and no table linens arriving an hour late.
The Trust Factor
Here’s the real danger: credibility. When a client books you based on staged imagery, they’re buying into something that doesn’t fully reflect your live-event capabilities. If their day arrives and the work feels “different” from what they saw, that gap—no matter how small—breeds mistrust. And mistrust spreads faster than any marketing campaign can repair.
Pretty Instagram vs. Real Skill
A polished feed doesn’t always mean a designer can perform under real-world conditions. I’ve heard from those who hire “Instagram-famous” florists only to watch them struggle when asked to create live. A good eye is valuable, but without solid mechanics and practical experience, the work often can’t hold up—literally. Social media can open doors, but skill is what keeps them open.
Staged Work Done Right
I’m not saying styled shoots or workshops are bad. They can be inspiring, educational, and even necessary when you’re just starting out or rebranding. But if you’re going to use those images to promote your business, you owe it to potential clients to be transparent:
Label it clearly. “From a styled shoot” or “Created at XYZ workshop” should be in the caption or description.
Show balance. If you’re going to feature staged work, pair it with actual event work so couples can see your real-world portfolio.
Keep it proportionate. If 90% of your feed is styled shoots and only 10% is live event work, you’re sending a misleading signal about your experience level.
A Note About Brand Consistency
Someone reading this might glance at my own Instagram and think, But your feed looks like it’s all styled photos. Here’s the difference: my visual brand is built for consistency. I intentionally curate my feed so that the color palette, style, and tone remain cohesive—but behind the scenes, I have years of actual event work under my belt. Every potential client has access to full galleries of real weddings and events I’ve designed, so there’s no mystery about what I can deliver in live conditions.
There’s nothing wrong with having a polished feed that feels cohesive—as long as it’s supported by a body of authentic work that proves you can deliver the same artistry when it counts. The issue isn’t using beautiful staged images; it’s when they’re used to mask a lack of real-world experience.
Why This Matters for the Industry
Our industry already fights against the Pinterest Effect—clients expecting magazine-perfect results on a beer budget. Passing off styled or workshop images as real events only fuels the problem. It sets unrealistic standards not just for you, but for every florist in your market. And it devalues the expertise, planning, and troubleshooting that go into pulling off actual event work under real conditions.
My Take
If you’re building a business, build it on your work. Real timelines. Real budgets. Real moments. Staged shoots can absolutely be part of your story—but they shouldn’t be the whole book. Your portfolio should reflect what you can deliver on someone’s actual wedding day, not just what you can create in a perfectly staged fantasy.
Clients aren’t hiring us for what we can create in perfect, controlled conditions. They’re hiring us for what we can deliver when it matters most—when there are no second chances, no safety nets, and every detail must be flawless the first time.