Beyonce’s new self-titled album came out Friday [I’ll be honest – I saw the Twitter notes, but didn’t really get the whole picture until I finally watched the videos over the weekend] and I’m amazed at how much the visual aspects via the videos add to the entire experience. In turn, this got me thinking about the power of visuals in communication.

Which is to say, visual images are one of the most critical components in how I see and process the world, how I visualize ideas, and how we ultimately work to communicate with our clients. [Side note: I process things through images, and I often imagine various scenarios in comic book form, complete with stick figures. A little bizarre, right?]

These personal videos that Beyonce put out explaining the “why?” behind her overall intention, specifically this first one for her newest album, are some of the most thought-provoking. This snippet especially:

“I see music. It’s more than just what I hear. When I’m connected to something, I immediately see a visual or a series of images that are tied to a feeling or a emotion. A memory of my childhood. Thoughts about life, my dreams, or my fantasies, and their all connected to my music.”

The idea of connecting, engaging with something and the associated flood of imagery is a pretty powerful statement, and really resonated with me. It’s refreshing to hear Beyonce talk about a similar experience, even though her work rests in a different medium.

And how does this particularly relate to wedding planning, or even event design?

We talk a lot with clients at the very beginning of wedding planning about how they want their wedding day to feel rather than jumping into logistics. Understanding the feeling and ambiance are paramount for our process, and also begins to touch on how our clients’ envision the day to flow. Compound this with our heavy use a lot of images to present ideas, gauge client’s interest or not in an idea or design. In fact, I always tell our clients that often the things or styles or details that they react strongly against are some of the most helpful means for us to find the right direction. We all are quick to point out things that we don’t like, even if we can’t verbalize the Why reasoning.

All in all, the idea of engaging the feelings and emotions and finding images that help represent those ideas is a way to focus on the things that are really important. There’s always the practical side of logistics and timelines, but in order to make something that resonates with you and your guests, it’s critical to us, and our process of collaboration, to find the things that really

[Should Queen Be get her own category in this blog? It’s not the first time I’ve posted one of her videos and I don’t even consider myself a super fan! This video on her thoughts on her brand, business, and being a woman business owner are still fantastically relevant today. Not to mention killer dancing? I respect her tremendously as a creative business owner. Go! Watch!]