Why do women’s retreat hosts need lifestyle branding photos for their retreats?

And should you hire a photographer to come with you on your retreat to capture everything?

There has been an increase in popularity in retreats. Many business owners are hosting them both locally and nationwide. Retreats from business growth to personal growth with lots of relaxation and of course to create connection with other like minded individuals. 

Retreats are amazing and powerful! And you want your photos to create an emotional impact and evoke feelings of “That is what I want/need in my life!”. Your copy is going to play a huge part in your marketing, but another big piece will be those supporting images that story tell the raw feelings and vibes that you as the host creates.  

You, as the retreat host, need to show up authentically and create a brand awareness around your retreat transformations. Even if your location backgrounds change, the types of people you attract and what they feel within your retreat will still be the same. 

When you bring a photographer to your retreat, you no longer have to worry about documenting anything and neither do your guests, unless they want to for themselves. Hosting a photographer on a retreat will give you the full experience and give your guests beautiful photos of the memories they created. 

Another option is to create a stylized retreat photoshoot. This would be piecing together each offer that you do and then doing a mini session of each piece, with still the intent to be lifestyle and letting moments play out, but condensed into one day. We are still recreating the visual storytelling of what it is like to be at a retreat with you. 

If you plan to recreate a retreat in photoshoot, you would ask friends or past guests who are your ideal target market to be your “models”. We would also get specific with outfit recommendations to everyone and be more intentional with the photos we are intentionally capturing. 

Either way, however, you build photography into your retreat business by either bringing a photographer along to capture the retreat and adding the cost into the ticketed price or recreating a “retreat” photoshoot. Both are going to end with you having personalized and branded marketing material for your retreat. 

These retreat photos are then added to all your marketing materials, to support the copy, and show the visual transformation of guests who attend your retreats. A few places to use the photos would be all across your social media photos, creating a retreat sales page, newsletters etc…

Case Study with The Secret Garden Estates Retreat Space in Stanwood, WA

The Secret Garden Estates, owned by Emily of Living Wild

We did a stylized recreating retreats and practices that can held within the space. Emily asked 6 of her friends, who also do a variety of spiritual business be her "guests" for the retreat. The house has a variety of spaces including 4 separate sleeping room, 1 community room with more sleeping spaces, a yoga/meditation room, music room, kitchen and dinning room as well as a living room with a fireplace. There are also outdoor space which have a covered area, a wooded area, an open under tree area and garden spaces that you're welcome to pick anything.

The Yoga or Mediation Room

In this space we had 5 different stories to tell.

• Yoga
• Meditation
• Red light therapy
• A breathing class
• A sound bath

The Music Room

• A group music circle

A Bedroom

• Hape ceremony
• Sound ceremony

Dining Room & Kitchen

• Preparing food
• Herbs
• Herb rituals
• Tea ceremony with friends

Community Rooms on Main Floor & Basement

• Details of the space
• Community connections

Outdoor Spaces

• Community fire pit
• Ceremonies in nature
• Women's circles
• Community gardening & gathering
• Forest nature walks

Photographing The Secret Garden Estates retreat and ceremony photos was a beautiful experience. Women coming together to support, uplift, empower and connect with each other and themselves is the most powerful thing to photograph.

Now all of these photos are available for Emily to use on her website, Instagram posts, Instagram stories, newsletters, sales pages etc. For this space I also did take some room photos, however I know for most retreats you'll not have access to the space like this and have to use room photos provided by the location host.