How to Submit Your Floral Design Work for Feature: Do’s and Don'ts
A whimsy garden cascade bouquet tied off with a billowy ribbon.
By nature, florists are incredible creatives that have an eye for beauty and art.
You craft otherworldly installations and transform ordinary spaces with blooms and greenery in ways that have completely changed the course of wedding design as a whole.
That said, there should be no question that these ethereal wedding florals are deserving of praise. However, when it comes to sharing these weddings and events with publications of all shapes and sizes, there are some common mistakes that florists (and other event industry pros) often fall victim to.
To show off your client's dream day to the world, let's talk about the do's and don'ts of the submission process.
Do Research Publications
The great thing about wedding and event industry publications is that no two are alike. There is a large variety of regional and style-specific blogs, so it's important to figure out where the event or wedding you're planning to submit fits in.
“A publication’s Instagram page holds amazing insight into what kind of content they’re publishing.”
Start by browsing through the details of the day in question. Look at the photography style, think about location, and do your research on which outlets match up well with those factors.
A publication's Instagram page holds amazing insight into what kind of content they're publishing, so this can be an easy preview to see if the event would be a good fit. The aesthetic and posting consistency can tell you a lot!
Don't Skip the Submission Guidelines
Nearly every publication will have what's known as a "submission guidelines" page. This page will list the parameters of what the blog in question is looking for when they receive submissions.
Set aside some time to read through these rules carefully, as the page typically holds important information such as photo requirements, couple questionnaires, exclusivity policies, and more.
“Set aside some time to read through submission rules carefully.”
Fortunately and unfortunately, there isn't a one-size-fits-all list of guidelines from publication to publication. Some blogs, for example, may request fewer images to be submitted as a preview before they make an acceptance decision.
On the other hand, other blogs may request very specific information such as the couple’s first dance song choices or DIY details that may require you to follow-up with your clients.
The white anemones are the perfect adornment to carry the white from the foxglove up through the bouquet.
Do Follow the Exclusivity Policy
In circling back to the exclusivity policy, this is one element that you definitely don't want to mess up.
This policy will usually fall under "submission guidelines," but you may need to dig a little deeper to find what you need in some cases.
A blog will generally fall under one of two categories: exclusive and non-exclusive. Exclusive means that the publication is looking to have the first rights to feature an event.
Alternately, non-exclusive doesn't require that you give the publication first dibs to a feature.
However, it should be noted that exclusivity will often be accompanied by a timeframe of how long you should wait to resubmit once a feature has been published.
Do Ask for Permission
As a florist, you may or may not have existing verbiage in your contract that states you have permission to submit an event on behalf of your client.
That said, even if you do your client may not remember—so you'll want to loop them in early on that you have plans to submit their big day. Not only does this help with tracking down the small details, but they'll know to be on the lookout for communication from publications if needed.
Since you won't have rights to the photos, you'll also need explicit permission from the photographer to submit the event.
Some photographers may also intend to publish the wedding themselves, so this ensures that only one person is submitting instead of multiple vendors. But rest assured, you're more than welcome to collaborate!
Don't Submit Photos Incorrectly
When putting together the materials, photos are perhaps one of the most important elements that appeal to an editor.
They give a visual glimpse of the event, and for florists, this is your place to shine! However, the photo selection process can go south very quickly if you aren't careful in following directions.
“Photos are perhaps one of the most important elements that appeal to an editor. ”
Again, the submission guidelines will give you a number of photos that they're looking for (generally 50–100 images for most places), as well as the image requirements for size and quality.
You'll want to carefully cull the gallery, remove any duplicates, and place the best 5–10 photos at the top of the folder. Never dump a gallery of 1000 images on them and call it a day. That's the easiest way to receive a no.
Label the folder clearly and make it accessible through Dropbox or similar file-sharing programs.
See those precious sweet peas and the plump privet berries? Sometimes less is more when adding texture to your designs.
Do Triple-Check the Vendor List
Picture the most beautiful event you've worked on and think about how much time and passion was put into that project.
Now, consider how it would feel if that event was featured in a publication, and your floral credit was nowhere to be found. Awful, right?
Unfortunately, it does happen—and more often than you might think. To totally eliminate this possibility, make sure that you triple-check the list of vendors for the event you're submitting.
Track down Instagram handles and website URLs, and follow up on any details you aren't sure about. The vendors will thank you, and it ensures that no one has hurt feelings if they see their work without proper credit. Plus, they may give you special insight that you may not have had access to before.
Don't DM or Tag a Publication on Social Media
Editors will tell you that one of their biggest pet peeves is being contacted outside of the submission form and guidelines. Unless you want to hurt your chances of the event being featured, avoid tagging the publication on social media or sending them any DMs regarding your submission.
“Follow-ups should be reserved for email.”
Follow-ups should be reserved for email and only if/when your submission has reached past the point of the suggested response time.
Some blogs will say that you can expect a decision within 2–6 weeks, but others are backed up for 2–3 months. A quick check-in is appropriate, but never through social media.
Do Share the Feature Once it Goes Live
Publications love to see that you are equally excited as they are about the event being published, and you would be doing yourself a disservice by not sharing the feature!
Take to Instagram to promote the big win, and keep in mind that you should be tagging all of the vendors involved—especially the photographer if you're using one of the wedding images for your post.
Avoiding these common slip-ups and using these tips as a guide will help you tremendously. Your weddings and events deserve recognition, so don't hold back when it comes to tackling the submission process.
Photo Credits:
Design - Kelly Perry of Philosophy Flowers
Photography - Almond Leaf Studios
