If you’re recently married/are tying the knot in the next couple of months and have always dreamed of having your big day featured in a wedding magazine, here are three ways you can up your chances for appearing in ours.
By Kaitlyn Murray, editor of Engaged
1. Actually submit!
It can be easy to forget in the aftermath of all the wedding day chaos and honeymoon bliss, but we can’t consider your wedding for publication if we never lay eyes on it! The process is fairly simple: Just go to https://www.engagedsne.com/submit-your-real-wedding/ and fill out some basic details about your big day, including your vendors and your favorite memories. Then, follow up with an email to kmurray@rimonthly.com with a sampling of your wedding photos (just remember to put your name and wedding date in the subject line; I’d hate to mix your photos up with another couple’s!). Note: individual attachments work, but your photographer’s wedding gallery link, a Dropbox link or a Google Drive link is preferable. That way my inbox won’t implode from capacity limits and also our team will get to see as much of your wedding as possible, which better informs our decision. As for what we’re looking for…
2. Remember the three D’s: Diversity, Details and Distinction.
While we do love ourselves some waterfront Newport nuptials with navy blue and pale pink accents, we’re always on the hunt for diversity. And by diversity, I mean a variety in couples, themes, colors, locations, etc. We want to inspire our readers with the weddings that we share, and so that means including not only nautical themes, but also rustic and even fandom-based themes. Not only young, white and/or straight couples, but also older, POC and/or LGBTQ+ pairings. Not only mansion weddings, but also backyard affairs and elopements. Not only catholic ceremonies, but also Jewish and Hindu traditions. We want inspiration and representation for everyone! (But if you do fall under the Newport category mentioned above, please don’t be discouraged—we feature classic/trendy weddings too!)
And in that vein, you may notice that our real wedding pictures often highlights close-ups of the cake, the signage or the guestbook…. Basically, we’re suckers for details! I cannot even count how many couples have told me that they were inspired by something they saw from a real wedding, whether it be a peg board filled with doughnuts or a full floral crown.
Finally, we want distinction. What makes your wedding stand out from the rest? Maybe your spouse’s vows rivaled Noah’s speech from the Notebook; maybe you had your fur baby act as ring bearer; maybe your venue was eccentric; maybe your gown was fashioned out of an old prom dress; or maybe your entire reception was the result of an impressive DIY party. The more unorthodox, the better! We realize that everyone’s big day is unique, so just make sure that your submission truly reflects your style and story.
3. Check in with your photographer.
I say this for a few reasons. One, if we’re considering including you in the next issue, we will also be reaching out to your photographer for permission to print their images. It’s always nice when they already have a heads up we might be in contact! Two, most local publications (including us) require exclusivity, and so you may want to have a conversation with your photographer about whether they plan to submit your photos elsewhere. It’s a bummer when we fall in love with your wedding and then find out that it’s already been promised to another magazine. And three, e depending on the number of submissions we get, the review process may take a while on our end, so it will be a good idea to ask your photographer to keep your wedding gallery (or Dropbox link, Google Drive link, etc.) up and running a little longer than usual. While I promise we will definitely get around to looking at your submission, a link that expires after just 30 days can hold things up a bit!
Still have questions? Feel free to drop me a line! I’m looking forward to hearing from you and learning more about your big day. x