Your Wedding as a Masterpiece: Beyond a Single Day
As an Atlanta wedding photographer who has guided countless couples through the intricate world of wedding design, I’m passionate about creating weddings that aren’t just beautiful—they’re magazine-worthy. Getting your wedding published in a magazine or wedding blog is a total dream come true. While every wedding is beautiful and meaningful, the harsh reality is that only a handful make it into top-tier publications like Brides and Martha’s Weddings.
The secret sauce? It’s all about your wedding design. We’re talking about how unique your design is and how seamlessly that design flows through every single aspect of your wedding day.
If you’re dreaming of seeing your wedding in print, there are some key things you’ll want to think about from the very start of your wedding planning journey. Let’s dive in and make your wedding publication-worthy!
Crafting a Publishable Wedding: Your Strategic Approach
The Dream Team: Your Design Collaboration
Your journey begins with assembling a collaborative design team that transforms the vision of your wedding day into a cohesive masterpiece. This isn’t just about hiring vendors—it’s about creating a unified team with the same vision for your day.
Your wedding planner is the head of your vendor team. They are the ones who will communicate your wedding vision and make sure that it’s executed properly.
Key Team Members:
- Wedding Planner/Designer: Your creative director and most crucial team member. Remember, not all wedding planners are designers. Seek a professional who truly understands design.
- Florist: Translating design concepts through botanical artistry
- Photographer: The storyteller who captures every intentional detail
Recommended Wedding Design Teams:
- Gathering Events
- Luxe Atlanta Events
- Stunning and Brilliant Events
- Suzanne Reinhard Weddings
- AMV Weddings
The Mood Board: Your Design Blueprint
Create a wedding mood board that showcases your inspiration for the day. A mood board is more than just pretty pictures. It’s a strategic tool that:
- Defines your wedding’s overall style
- Guides font selections
- Determines color palettes
- Inspires floral and decor choices
- Ensures visual cohesion throughout your entire wedding day
Pushing Creative Boundaries
Top wedding publications are looking for designs that break the mold. Your wedding should be unique—something they’ve never seen before or an unexpected twist on traditional wedding elements. We’re talking about cool details that make people stop and say, “Wow, I’ve never seen that before!”
Think beyond the standard wedding playbook. Cool place card displays, unexpected attire, and personalized details that tell your love story are exactly what editors are hunting for. Instead of scrolling endlessly through Pinterest, have a real conversation with your wedding planner about what truly inspires you.
Are you obsessed with fine art painting? Passionate about nature? Fascinated by antiques? These aren’t just random interests—they’re potential goldmines for creating a wedding design that’s authentically you. Let your imagination run wild! Your design team is there to help shape and refine those creative sparks, not shut them down.
The goal is to create a wedding that reflects your unique love story. Maybe that means incorporating a painting technique into your table design, using botanical elements that have special meaning, or styling your attire in a way that tells your personal narrative. Don’t be afraid to be different—that’s exactly what will catch an editor’s eye.
Pro tip: I recently had a bride get married in Lake Como. She’s from the Philippines and wanted to incorporate part of her home in her destination wedding day. She used pearl shells that are commonly found in the Philippines and added it to their design details, wardrobe, jewelry, cufflinks, and more. Let your ideas flow freely—your design team will help refine and use them.
Strategic Publication Targeting
Different publications have distinct personalities:
Brides Magazine
- Fashion-forward approach
- Emphasizes design and emotion
- Focuses primarily on the bride
- Has a diversity pledge (e.g., avoiding problematic venues like former plantations)
Martha’s Weddings
- Design-centric
- Timeless aesthetic
- Focuses on the entire couple
- Values hosting and sophisticated design
Both want images that tell a story but they want to tell different aspects of that story. Make sure to do your research beforehand and communicate with your wedding planner and photographer on which publication you’d like to get your wedding published in.
Top Wedding Publication Targets:
National Wedding Publications:
Atlanta Wedding Publications:
Investment Priorities for Publication
According to industry experts, strategically invest in:
- Exceptional Photography: The critical storytelling element
- Stunning Floral Design: Creates visual impact
- Cohesive Design Details: Consistent aesthetic throughout your wedding design
Getting Your Wedding Published
You’ll be contacted by your photographer to complete a detailed questionnaire about your wedding and love story. This is your chance to share the details that made your day unique. You’ll then submit your questionnaire and then the waiting begins.
Once your wedding submission is accepted, you’ll receive a publication date for when your wedding will go live on the publication’s site. And trust me, this is a moment worth celebrating! Not only will you get to see your special day featured in a prestigious magazine or blog, but you’ll also have the opportunity to inspire other couples who are planning their own weddings.
This journey is about so much more than just getting published. It’s about framing the most significant day of your life, creating a timeless narrative that captures the essence of your love, and potentially helping other couples dream about their own wedding day.
When that publication date arrives, celebrate big! Share your feature with friends, family, and anyone who will listen. Your wedding isn’t just an event—it’s a story, an inspiration, and now, a published work of art.
Ready to Stand Out?
Your wedding should be more than just a traditional celebration. It’s an opportunity to tell your love story, be creative, and inspire countless others.
Are you ready to get your wedding published? Let’s craft something extraordinary together.
Looking For Your Luxury Wedding Photographer?
Contact me to set up your first call. We can then talk all about how you see your wedding day unfolding.
