Spotlight: INSIDE Weddings + Marilyn Oliveira

The glitz, the gloss and the glamour!  Almost every bride I meet has flipped through glossy page after glossy page of tons of wedding and bridal magazines; and they all say the same thing: “It’s So Overwhelming”!   But it doesn’t have to be.  Not all bridal magazines are created equal, and the key to wedding magazines is knowing exactly which ones to pick up off the stands.  Ultimately, it all really depends on your personal taste, style and vision for your big day.  And when speaking with senior editor Marilyn Oliveira of INSIDE Weddings at The Breakers during Engage 10!, she certainly stressed that the same principal applies if you’re an event planner or photographer looking to submit your wedding for publication.  You need to do your homework, understand the core focus of the magazine you’re trying to submit to and really evaluate if the wedding you’re submitting is the good fit for THAT PARTICULAR publication.   It’s also extremely important that you understand the submission guidelines of the magazine, and follow them to a T.  Remember, there are hundreds if not thousands of weddings vying for some real estate space on those fabulous magazine pages… so there’s no time or leeway for nonsense.

Marilyn was so kind as to share some of her INSIDE thoughts and tips on the magazine and submission pointers.  Happy Friday!!

Binita: Hello Marilyn!  Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at INSIDE Weddings?

Marilyn: As the senior editor of Inside Weddings, I cover the travel, invitations, discoveries, and registry features, as well as select and edit real weddings for the magazine. I also contribute to the blog on InsideWeddings.com, and fulfill the occasional speaking engagement on behalf of the magazine. Previous to working at Inside Weddings, I was the senior editor and editorial manager for WeddingChannel.com for five years.

Binita: There are so many different bridal magazines out there, and it can certainly be overwhelming for any bride.  What type of information and content can a bride look forward to when she flips through INSIDE Weddings?

Marilyn: Inside Weddings is the premier bridal magazine committed to featuring the most real weddings, as well as limiting advertisers to a select group of thoroughly screened professionals. Inside Weddings devotes half of every issue to showcasing the luxury weddings of real couples, and provides readers with a rich source of inspirational and aspirational images and ideas. The magazine is published quarterly and distributed throughout the United States and select international markets, including Italy, England, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Binita: This one is for the industry professionals… I’m sure you receive tons of wonderful magazine submissions.  What makes a submission stand out to you?

Marilyn: A beautiful location and exquisite details make a submission stand out the most. Devoting 6-10 pages to each of our real weddings requires us to focus on events with enough decor and ample details to fill those oversize pages. We want to inspire our readers with ideas for their own weddings, so visuals of amazing floral design, tabletop, and unique seating are extremely valuable.

Binita: As a wedding professional, what is the best way to have work featured in INSIDE Weddings?  Are there any best practices that you recommend?

Marilyn: We prefer to receive 100-150 images on a disk, with a submission form or vendor list attached. We will also accept submissions online through Two Bright Lights. We weigh everything from the geographical area of a wedding to how recently the event took place when considering a submission, so it’s extremely important to include that information with the photos. Please note that Editor’s Circle members receive priority, so be sure to mention if one of our members contributed to the event.

Binita: What’s the best way to keep up with or in touch with INSIDE Weddings and Marilyn?

Marilyn: Call me old fashioned, but a phone call will skip right over my flooded email inbox and achieve the fastest response!