Allison Kornberg Walch’s Blog: How to Be Featured in a Wedding Magazine or Blog

Thursday March 15, 2012 8:15 AM
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Hillary Mayberry/The Knot.com

Every bride’s wedding is cover story worthy. After all, the walk down the aisle is the ultimate red carpet moment no matter how far you may actually be from Hollywood.

To look back on your wedding in more than just an album – we’re talking getting featured in major glossies like The Knot! – we reached out to the ultimate source: Weddings Photo Director of the Knot herself, Rebecca Crumley. Crumley has seen it all when it comes to Real Weddings submissions. There have been underwater vows, sky diving and rock climbing ceremonies, Lady Gaga impersonators, flame throwers, cancan dancers, celebrity bridesmaids, and more. So how can you catch her discerning, “hard” eye like the wedding celebrity we know you all are? Here are her Do’s and Don’ts for getting your submission to the top of the pile.

Woodward+Rick Photographers / TheKnot.com

Do Send Detail Shots of your wedding. Crumley will often receive pitches from brides describing how spectacular their wedding is going to be without the photos to prove it. “Until we see those photos, nothing is a guarantee,” she says. Aim to include shots of the cake, flowers, and venue that will serve as inspiration for other brides. “We love when there’s a new venue that ‘s really exciting, or when you take a space that’s not traditionally a wedding venue, or something that goes the extra mile where you say, ‘Wow, I’ve never really seen this,’” Crumley continues. A venue with breathtaking views, or one that leverages several interior spaces, are editorially noteworthy.

Don’t Just Send Portrait Shots. Portraits are great and beautiful, but they just won’t cut it in terms of carrying the complete visual story of your big day. Snap pics taken from father back to provide “a little environment.”

LoveNancyNeil.com / TheKnot.com

Do Be A Trendsetter. Shelf life is important for any magazine, so make sure your wedding theme and overall vibe has staying power. “The content I am working on now will be out at the end of the year and then those magazines will be on stands for six months, so [the wedding] really needs to be the next step ahead so that it is still current and drawing the readers in,” Crumley asserts.

Do Invest in a Good Photographer. Style of photography can make or break a submission. At The Knot, Crumley is always looking for photographs to be as straightforward as possible. Certain shots with different color usage, such as vintage tones and washes, can come off as too edgy for The Knot’s editorial pages. The magazine also prefers pics that do not have angles and are not cropped too tightly. “I don’t want to see a tight shot of the cake because, ‘Is it two tiers or is it four tiers?’ If you’re missing that, it loses part of the impact.” Specific photographers adored by the Knot include Elizabeth Messina, who has a celebrity clientele and is “like the mama of wedding photography,” and Jasmine Star.

Don’t Be Scared to send in photos. And if you are, submissions can come from a variety of sources, such as your mom, wedding planners, and photographers. “If your dog could submit it, we’d take it,” Crumley jokes. Each photographer is welcomed to submit up to five weddings for each season of submission reviews.

Most importantly, Don’t Get Discouraged if your wedding isn’t picked up by The Knot or another publication. Editors have to be critical as part of their job, but whether they choose to feature your big day or not is no judge of the splendor of your big day. “Remember brides, this is your wedding day, it’s not a media event,” Crumley explains. “Don’t forget the heart of what it really is.”

Xo,
Allison

Allison Kornberg Walch can be reached via email at [email protected].