Are you a professional wedding photographer who wants to get your weddings published and see your work on social media, popular websites, or in the pages of a magazine? Here are the things you need to know, along with the shots you need to submit, to maximize your chances of getting your weddings featured. Read on and don't miss our list of must have portraits, moments, and details.
*If you are a World's Best Wedding Photos member you may submit up to 5 weddings per year for consideration. We look for extraordinary photography and focus less on the details than most other outlets.
Step by Step Guide to Get Your Weddings Published
Be Sure You Can Get Permission
Do you have reason to believe that the couple and the planner will sign off on having the wedding published? Even if you've retained all copyright permissions, publishers require written permission from the couple and exclusivity rights from you and the planner if one was involved. Be sure all parties will be comfortable with their terms. Most magazines will ask that the wedding has not been previously published on a competitor’s site and a few will even restrict it from being shown on your own site or social media within a given time frame. Keep in mind that planners are often looking to get published and the one you're working with may already have ideas about the best outlet for your pitch.
Focus on the Story
Love stories with a unique twist offer the publisher a persuasive reason to showcase them. Childhood sweethearts, couples who met through shared hobbies, and stories of challenges overcome are just some of the themes that will get attention. When you have a unique and beautifully photographed wedding, it will move to the editor’s short list if there's also a fun, romantic or newsworthy story behind it.
Consider the Location
What’s not to love about a wedding in a Parisian cathedral, on top of a mountain in Switzerland, or on a beach in Bora Bora? The more exotic or interesting your location is, the more likely you’ll get picked up by a national or international publication. Photos from hotel ballrooms that show exit signs in the background and use pipe and drape behind the couple to hide walls are often dismissed. And, while a private estate or club may be beautiful, if it isn’t a place the magazine’s viewers can rent for themselves, it will be a bigger hurdle to get a “yes” from editors.
Match the Style of the Media
Look at their most recents blog posts or the last issue of a magazine to see the styles they are showing off. If you’re looking to get published in WedLuxe, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style or Martha Stewart Weddings, you’ll want to submit your most luxurious weddings with lots of impressive details. If you want to be featured in Destination I DO or Weddings and Honeymoons, you’ll need a wedding that the couple planned from afar. If you’re aiming for blogs like Green Wedding Shoes, Confetti, Polka Dot Wedding, Style Me Pretty, Ruffled, or Over the Moon, submit well-designed weddings, and for blogs like Rock n Roll Bride and OffBeat Bride submit alternative weddings featuring out of the box ideas. Looking for recognition closer to home? Choose local blogs or magazines that show the work of talented local vendors at the best venues and draw couples to your work right where you live.
Submit Extraordinary, Well-Lit Photos
Most publications want photos that brighten their pages, which often means a preference for natural light photography and photos captured with off-camera flash. Details taken under the same lighting conditions work well in collage style layouts, which blogs and magazines use frequently.
Include Vendor Information
As the photographer, you’ll need to source this information before or after the wedding. Some publications will allow you to submit photos without vendor information, but they will still require it if your wedding is chosen.
Use the Short List Below to Prepare Your Submission
Publications want to show the wedding from start to finish and because 99% of their readers are still in the planning stage, they’re looking for fresh fashion and decor ideas along with stunning portraits and emotional moments. The more well designed the wedding theme and color palette are, the more interest you’ll receive.
Here is Your Wedding Photo Submission Checklist:
Expect to submit 20 to 100 photos depending on the publication’s requirements. It's not likely you'll capture all of these shots at every wedding but the more you have (especially when it comes to details) the better your chances of getting your weddings published.
Moments:
- Getting Ready
- First Look
- Processional
- Ceremony
- The Kiss
- Recessional
- Reception Arrival
- First Dance
- Cake Cutting
- The Grand Exit
- Particularly Emotional or Funny photos
Portraits: Both Portrait and Landscape Orientation
(Be sure to show full length shots that capture the fashions, and a great vertical cover shot)
- Bride/s - 3 options
- Groom/s - 3 options
- Couple Together - 5 options
- Wedding Party - 3 options
- Family Groups - optional
- Guests Having Fun
Details:
- Aisle and Arbor
- Cake
- Bouquet
- Boutonniere
- Ceremony Site
- Extras - paper products, gifts, accessories
- Floral design; centerpieces, arches, arbors
- Invitations & Save the Dates
- Place Settings
- Reception Site - full room or area
- Rings
- Table Design
- Venue/Location
If you are a wedding photographer who needs help with copywriting, curating your photos or submitting your weddings, reach out to Art, Life and Business. And if you are a member of World’s Best Wedding Photos write to Blair@worldsbestweddingphotos to learn about the in-house PR services offered by Blair deLaubenfels and Jacqueline Tobin.
Ready to up your lighting skills, polish your portfolio, or launch your destination wedding business? We have the world’s best photography educators in our Educator’s Circle. Find a mentor that you vibe with on any topic you desire and take your work to the next level!
Authored by Blair deLaubenfels
Photos above, from left to right © Kylie Hinson Photography, Callaway Gable, Layers by Danielle Green, Julian Laurent Georges, The Crawleys