When it comes to marketing your wedding business, real submissions to top wedding publications are an amazing way to reach a new audience and generate leads. But submitting a wedding for feature can take anywhere from 1-3 hours, which is no small investment considering the never-ending list of things you have to do. So, it’s important that if you’re taking the time to submit your work to a publication, you’re not barking up the wrong tree, so to speak. 

Like any industry, wedding blogs and magazines can be broken down into tiers based on reach and economic positioning. To make it easy, we’re going to divide the wedding publications into three tiers:

Tier I- Elite and exclusive, this tier is comprised of the publications with the greatest reach, the highest standards, and the most competition. Here you’ll find most of the remaining printed publications, their corresponding blogs, and other online publications with substantial reach and a luxury audience.

Tier II- High-end, but less exclusive, these publications are mostly online. They are more inspirational than aspirational and put the focus on connecting vendors with clients. They publish more frequently and usually cater to a very specific style.

Tier III- Primarily online publications, these blogs feature a diverse mix of wedding budgets and aesthetics. Don’t be deceived by their tier status; some of these blogs have a remarkably high reach. If you’re looking to grow your audience, following, etc., these publications are great! Because they publish frequently and value diversity of style, they have a much higher submission acceptance rate. 

So now that you understand the tier system, let’s break it down by some of the most popular (most requested) publications. 

Tier I

Vogue 

Coming in hot with an IG following of 50.9m, it’s no wonder Vogue magazine is our most requested publication to submit to. But not every wedding is en vogue, so it’s important to be selective about what we (and you) submit to them so that when we do, they know it’s good. They are looking first for FASHION! And while couture fashion is nice to have in a submission, even a wedding featuring a designer gown may get passed up if it’s too basic. Vogue wants to be the first to “find” something, so give them that new-new, but captured with an artistic eye. Secondly, they want to take their audience on a journey, to feel what it would have been like had they been in attendance that day. Establish the setting, transition us from ceremony to cocktail hour and everything in between, capture the emotion…oh, and don’t forget THE FASHION!

Harper’s Bazaar

At 5.7m followers on IG, Harper’s Bazaar has a significant reach as well. They pride themselves on covering “the culture of fashion”. They want diverse stories, couples from every background. If you have a wedding featuring unique cultural traditions or a particularly meaningful destination, this could be a good option. But before you just start submitting just any international wedding, remember it is a fashion publication first and foremost, so once again–FASHION is key. Maybe the bride had a custom dress made by a renowned designer for her tea ceremony, or perhaps the groom is the heir to a famous shoe brand–you get the picture. Again, it’s important here to tell the story of the day through photos, and candid/editorial style photos will go further than traditional portraiture.

Brides

Currently, the wedding-specific publication with the furthest reach, at 1.3m, features in Brides are also coveted. Because every Bride is different, they feature weddings of just about every aesthetic, though they do lean more toward timeless/traditional because of their audience. They love luxury, so designer gowns, exclusive destinations, and great design will take you a long way in your submissions with them. 

Tier II

Style Me Pretty

The originators of the “light and airy” aesthetic, SMP is still going strong with a following of 1.2m on IG. Like their name says, they like “pretty” weddings. Weddings with light, pastel or neutral color palettes, bright outdoor ceremonies, and a lot of natural light in general. They also lean more toward luxury in regards to fashion, florals, venue, etc. They enjoy traditional portraiture and detail shots as well as some well-placed candids and prefer color photos to B&W. 

Carats & Cake 

Similar to SMP, Carats & Cake also enjoys the “light and airy” photography style but is more open to different color palettes, design aesthetics, and modern venues. With a wedding-specific following of 685k on IG, they also have a great reach and pride themselves on helping couples find their ideal vendors. 

The Lane

Don’t be fooled by the relatively low following (312k on IG). The Lane is based in Australia but is an up-and-comer on the global wedding stage. While they do prioritize wedding submissions in Australia, they are also open to exciting international destinations as well, especially in Asia. They have an incredibly defined minimalist, moody aesthetic and prefer editorial-style photos with interesting lighting and shadows. They also frequently feature B&W images and film photography. 

Tier III

Wedding Chicks

With just under 1m (979k) followers on IG, Wedding Chicks is a powerhouse wedding publication. They have an incredible reach and feature weddings of all styles and budgets, making their audience just as vast. More than anything, they want interesting content, be it unique fashion choices, non-traditional venues, or even a touching love story. 

Green Wedding Shoes 

Like Wedding Chicks, Green Wedding Shoes features a diverse range of budgets and aesthetics. Their following lands at 745k on IG. They serve as a resource for couples looking for vendors and wedding inspiration in general, so they’re a great option if you have a wedding that’s unique in some way.

100 Layer Cake

With a following on IG of 441k, 100 Layer Cake is mostly comprised of eye-candy. While they feature a wide array of aesthetics, they prioritize good design (i.e., big budgets). The weddings they feature usually have orante build-outs, grand florals, and luxury destinations. 

We know that’s a lot to process, but hopefully it can help you narrow down your options when it comes time to submit. Still on the fence about a wedding? Let us submit it for you! We can take care of everything from curating the gallery for a specific publication to advising you on which publications will be the most likely to give you that hard-won “yes!”.

Ready to start getting the most out of your submissions? Schedule a quick call with Katie, and let us take care of the rest!  

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