Tips + Techniques


8 Tips to Getting Your Wedding Photography Published Now

February 3, 2022

By Rebecca Crumley

Updated on 8/7/2022.

The year 2020 caused widespread industry (and life) shifts. Two years later, seemingly every aspect of business continues to have residual side effects, from how weddings are planned to how to get those weddings published. While the general rules of pitching and placing real weddings in media haven’t necessarily changed, the process has evolved. Knowing what matters most to publications now, in print and online alike, will set the submission up for success.

If you haven’t yet revisited your strategy for getting your wedding photography published, now is the perfect time to research, evaluate and rethink how you can repackage your wedding submissions to gain the interest of editors.

[Read: Shooting for Exposure: Getting Portraits into Publications, on Billboards and Gallery Walls]

1. Make Your Match

Consider Instagram the most up-to-date way to interact with your favorite media outlets. Visit the desired company’s Instagram profile and read how the company’s bio describes their brand with very limited space. From this point, when it comes to determining how to get your wedding photography published, make sure your submission aligns with their mission. Read through feed captions to understand the voice and recurring takeaways. The more you can replicate the experience they’re providing their audience, the closer you will be to gaining a feature.

2. Submissions: Composition And Coloring Counts

When scrolling the outlet’s channels, take a close look at the consistency in the photography experience. There are hints in the body language of couples and the way details are composed. Color balance and the quality of light is a significant piece for creating a cohesive experience. Identify your key shots that match their style and replicate the same formula to create a photo edit in line with the brand’s visuals.

3. Find The One-Line Hook

Don’t underestimate the power of a headline pitch. This is the doorstep to getting in the editor’s mind. With an oversaturated market of beautiful wedding submissions, it’s up to the editors to find what’s new. So, start by hooking their curiosity and describing the event in an unexpected manner. Again, think about the words the publisher used to describe their brand and how you can title your event to match their style. If you need inspiration, look at recent headlines from the publisher’s real-wedding features. This will give you more indications to their voice, what is interesting to them; and how to tailor your pitch for their audience.

4. Print Is Almost Dead (So How Do You Get Your Wedding Photography Published?)

It’s sad but true; if your dream is a print feature, be honest with yourself that fewer publications exist than even two years ago, which means fewer opportunities. Do your homework to understand their editorial calendar, if there’s a specific theme to support their issue, and if they feature work outside of their advertising partners. Keep in mind, they’re typically working three to six months ahead of when the magazine will be on newsstands, so it’s not out of the question to submit fall weddings in the spring.

5. Send Your Wedding Submission Like It’s Going To Print

Even though most features will be digital, this doesn’t mean there’s a reason to be laissez-faire. Most editorial departments are running at a leaner capacity today than pre-pandemic, and it’s of the utmost importance to send concise information. Collect all relevant information from the couple about their courtship, proposal, wedding planning and overall highlights. Don’t undervalue the importance of collecting a complete wedding professional and fashion team list, plus providing each website and Instagram handle. Multiple replies and follow-up emails that add or correct information from your first point of outreach can be confusing to track, so be extra diligent in getting it right from the beginning. Additionally, provide the publisher with “mid” resolution files. If your files are only 600 pixels wide, that’s one more chain back and forth for high res that can be avoided.

6. When it Comes to Wedding Coverage, Status Sells

Have you noticed how increasingly magazines of all industries feature celebrities on the cover, or how influencers continue to take center stage? There’s a reason for that: it performs well! Any background on the couple (or notable professionals), like a large social presence, or how the couple may be impactful in their own community yields bonus points. Diversity counts here too. While you may not be in control of the team in place , being inclusionary where you can will count when it comes time for the submission process. 

[Read: How Portrait Photographers are Pivoting in the Time of COVID-19]

7. COVID-19 Planning Is Now Part Of Wedding Planning

If you’re missing the story of how the couple had to rebook, carefully plan catering, or how they creatively solved a complication, then you’re missing out on extremely useful tips for a wide audience. As much as publishers lead the way in explaining what’s happening in the events industry, it starts with couples and wedding pros sharing how they overcame difficult scenarios. It’s great when the evidence is in the photographs, but even text-only information provides editors with important details to share.

8. Party Prediction!

In the past, when photographers wanted to get their wedding photography published, magazines and blogs were focused primarily on the wedding day and less on the pre- and post-wedding events. But as multiple events are on the rise, so are themed parties. If you’re shooting them, include these highlights with your submission materials. However, if the parties weren’t as photogenic, forgo the detail shots and just include a handful of photos showing what the couple wore and the scene they set. This provides a service for fashion inspiration, as well as a venue idea at a minimum. If you’ve guaranteed placement for the wedding and the publisher doesn’t want to include the other events, it’s possible another publisher may be interested in featuring those. However, be very transparent to all publishers involved in the feature plans, including how robust the features will be and any anticipated publish dates.


Rebecca Crumley is a media consultant for The Bridal Bar. Prior to that, she was the Senior Director, Real Weddings, for The Knot Worldwide, where she worked for 16 years. The photo editor turned creative consultant and media strategist says that “photography powers the pitches I send and curate; the articles I write; and drives the curiosity for the reader to stay engaged.”