Throughout my years working in the event industry, I have found that the best motto to work by is “work hard and be nice to people.” If you can succeed at both of these things, you’ll go far. This is where those good old-fashioned etiquette rules your grandmother taught you come into play through establishing social norms that help us know how to behave in every kind of situation.
With that being said, wedding PR has a similar set of rules to live by, and I’m sharing some of my favorite tips and tricks to get you started:
It’s Not “First Come, First Served”
When submitting to a wedding blog or publication, the majority of them require exclusive content, meaning the images haven’t been featured anywhere else. While you may have beautiful photos full of inspiring details that will have couples swooning, now is not the time to send them in mass to every editor you can think of and wait for the first one to bite.
Simply put, it’s in bad taste to submit a wedding, have it picked up, and then withdraw the wedding from those outlets because you found a better place for it. Instead, pick the blog or publication you think is going to be the absolute best fit for that wedding and send it to only that one. If they pass, then continue on to the next one and so on, until you find the right fit.
Get the Couple on Board
Yes, most photographers have a clause in their contracts that gives them final ownership and permission to use a couple’s photos at their discretion. However, it is still a good idea to run things by the couple to make sure there are no conflicts. You never know what’s happened since the wedding day, and some couples may have very good reasons to keep their privacy. Be sure to get a "yes" in writing before moving forward with any kind of publicity for the wedding.
Include Everyone
A well-executed wedding is a team effort, so there is no one person or vendor that can take full credit. When submitting a wedding for publication, it’s always in good manners to make sure that you have included every vendor that was a part of the event. Everyone, from the venue to the lighting pros and all the way down to the jewelry designer, deserves credit.
Say Thank You
Finding out that your submission was published is always the best feeling, so after doing your happy dance, you’re going to want to promote it all over the place. But before hitting publish on Instagram, take a few minutes and send your gratitude to the editor that made it happen. They likely had multiple weddings to choose from and ultimately picked yours, so it’s always kind to say thank you!
By taking these tips and keeping them in your memory bank, you’ll make this year the one that brings in more press with all of your swoon-worthy weddings!
Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding PR and wedding marketing firm OFD Consulting. She is a sought-after speaker, adjunct professor in the field of public relations, and a self-professed royal wedding enthusiast.
Photo by Aaron Watson Photography
