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Hello, Chillas.Welcome to the BrideChilla podcast, where we celebrate love and help you plan your wedding day.I'm your host, Leah Hasledge, and I'm thrilled to be here with you.
Whether you're just starting to plan or counting down the days, we're here to help you stay calm, cool, and collected throughout the wedding journey.
We've got amazing guests and expert tips for you, so let's get this wedding party started and embrace your inner BrideChilla.
Well, Chilla fans, I am so excited that today we have Megan Ely, who is the owner of OFD Consulting, and we're talking about a topic that I have always been curious about, and that is wedding submissions and how you can do it.
Megan, welcome to the show.
Leah, I could not be happier to be here, so thank you for having me on such a cool topic.
And you're an OG bride Chilla, so
There are no words for my love of this podcast.Yes, even though I'm in the B2B space usually, this is the only podcast I've been on twice talking about royals back in the day.
So shout out to anyone listening who might have heard those fateful episodes all those years ago.
And we're going to have you back on to talk more royal talk, so stay tuned for that.Really excited to deep dive on that.
But today with wedding submissions, for those that aren't familiar to what we're even talking about, can you explain what we mean by wedding submissions?
Sure.I appreciate this question because it surprises couples.See, here's the thing.I'm a publicist who works with the vendors, but we always pull in the couples as well.Most of the time, it's like, wait, what do you mean getting featured?
I love creating a baseline here a little bit further when it comes to that.What we're talking about is this.
You, the royal you of literally the couples listening today who have had gorgeous weddings, beautiful weddings, personalized weddings, all the things.
There are going to be times where, whether it's your planner, your photographer, venue, sometimes floors, like someone from that wedding may say, you know what?
I'd like to go ahead and take this great event and submit it to a blog or publication for consideration. And so you go through a process, which I know we'll get into, but the end result of that will be a feature in said blog or publication.
So think The Knot, Style Me Pretty.I mean, there's billions of places, Munilushi, so and so forth.
And so what the feature typically looks like, if we're really drawing that baseline, is gonna be great photos from the wedding, little bit of insight from the couple, list of the people who helped put it together.So that's what we're chatting about.
And so you mentioned the vendor coming to the couple and saying, hey, I'd like to submit this, obviously post-wedding.
If a couple already kind of is like, I want to make sure we get in a publication, can they go to any of their vendors and say, hey, can you help us out?Or can the couple themselves just reach out to Not Stop Me Pretty, brides, et cetera?
I'm so glad that we're starting with this question because I am going to be, I mean, let's start with me just bursting a lot of bubbles, but let's start with what the reality of it is so that couples who are eager can really be well-informed going in.
So here's the thing.99% of the time, the photographer owns the copyright to the images. Sometimes that surprises people.That's very standard practice.
So even if a couple, you know, you purchase for the day and the coverage, the ownership belongs to the photographer.And so really, as a whole, most publications are going to insist that the professional submit versus the couple.
Now, there are definitely going to be times, especially local publications, where they often want to hear from the couple. But it all goes back to permission-based here.
So if you are interested and you're a couple sitting here going, you know, I'd really like to have my wedding featured, start with the photographer.
Express, you know, the interest in potentially doing that and asking them if that's something that they're considering and so on and so forth. There are many reasons why people submit.
There are reasons why they don't sometimes too, but I will tell you most publications will, although they will, and I know we'll dig into this, they want insight from the couple.
They are not necessarily going to accept a publication from the couple because it gets very sticky, right?They don't own the photo.Like there's a lot of steps you have to go through.
It's much simpler when you've got the photographer or maybe the planner with the photographer's written blessing to go ahead and do it.
So obviously, You know, the first things you think of are celebrity weddings, super influencers and are like kind of givens, right? But like, can the average wedding that isn't six figures with an elephant and fireworks get in a publication?
I hope there's not a combo elephant and fireworks.I feel like that would be a bad combo.
I've seen some crazy stuff with weddings lately in publications.
Yeah, I know.So here's the thing.And this is where I want to dispel that you have to have a six-figure wedding or celebrity wedding to be featured. The fact of the matter is, there are an enormous number of options.Now, is it highly competitive?Yes.
I would not be doing my job here if I didn't say, listen, it's very competitive and not everything gets featured.But there are so many great publications out there for all different kinds of couples.These days, editors want highly personalized.
Notice I didn't say highly budgeted, highly personalized.
There are gorgeous weddings that we've seen that are well into the six figures, but I have literally seen those ballroom, floral heavy weddings, which perfect for the couple, but we've seen them so many times on the editorial side that it won't do as well as some of these other ones that are just deeply personal.
People have taken the time to really think about themselves as a couple and what they want to do.
So really any budget, I mean, down to the elopements can, as long as there's that prior knowledge that it is very competitive, not everything gets published.
And if you have something truly that looks different, which can be, let me just say, I know this is hard because a lot of people pull from Instagram, Pinterest, they're pulling from weddings that happened a year ago or two years ago.
So they've already got kind of a dated from an editorial standpoint. thought on what they want to do.So if they really went in a direction that's quite different, the budget doesn't matter as long as it's well shot.
So the more unique, the better.
Unique and different and personalized.You know, these touches that you don't necessarily see every day, you know, color palettes that are different than, you know, hopefully I'm not offending anyone because I'm a big believer in,
The couples need to pick what they want at the end.Now if someone came to us and had this gorgeous blush and bashful wedding, it was all pinks and golds.
Blush and bashful, you must be a Steel Magnolias fan.
I am.I put it out there pretty quickly.You got me.But the couple loved it.It was the best day of their lives.That's amazing. The editors, I can't speak on their behalf, but I can tell you they've seen a lot of pink and golds over the years.
It's what we call a popular aesthetic.So it's just that kind of realistic, you know, of that.Something a little bit different, though, is it's always a welcome, welcome move.
So if you think of things that are kind of overdone, like I think like the multicolor smoke. that was going on for like a few, like the last couple of years, a lot of that.
You know, and it's not even the one component.It's more like colors and aesthetics.You know what I mean?Like it's, it's, I will say the editors tend to lean towards more outdoor events.That's not everybody.
But you know, the all white weddings, which are gorgeous, like we've seen a lot of those.We've seen a lot of pastels.What we haven't seen as much as bold colors and
different pairings of color and use a print, for example, you know, when you look at the cake, right?If it's an all white cake, if it's a naked cake, again.Oh, the naked cake.Yeah.I mean, I'm a frosting girl, so I was kind of ready for that to go.
But that's been done. Yeah, and let me say to your wonderful audience, you pick what's best for your wedding.
I don't want someone to pick something based on editorial, but just with the knowledge of, oh, this is something, you chose something that people really love right now and that's amazing, that might be a little bit harder from an editorial standpoint to stand on its own two legs.
So what are some common mistakes that couples make, or even professionals that might be listening, when it comes to submitting and planning, if you want to add some stuff to that too?
Yeah, absolutely.And you already alluded to it a little bit.The first thing is just submitting on their own.We have had some rogue couples who, I mean, it's not like, you get frustrated, but you're like, well, they didn't know.
They don't know what they don't know.So submitting on your own without all the proper permissions is going to make it complicated. right, especially if the vendor team is already working on something.
Maybe they have a publicist in their back pocket, whatever with that.So that's first and foremost.Also, if let's say at this point you're a couple who is working alongside the vendor.
So let's say they've been approached or maybe the couple reached out and said, hey, I really want to submit.What do you think?So they're working on a collaboration together, not making time.
for the write-up is definitely going to be a challenge because yes, it's the images, but it's also going to be the write-up as well about the couple.And so I find couples, of course, you're so busy.
You took all this time to plan your wedding and have your wedding and you got to work and you got things, maybe kids and puppies and cats. hats or whatever, but skipping that is a mistake.
Because even though the photos will do a lot of the talking, we really need the couple's insight in a timely manner to be able to do that.And that's the other thing is waiting too long is another mistake.
Typically, yeah, the shelf life is a year or less for most things.It's a rare exception, but you really want weddings that are less than a year old.And really, the sooner the better, right?Because you've got these big,
wedding seasons where lots of weddings all over the world are happening.And so it's like who can get to market first with the newer stuff is what we're looking at as well.
So, and I would also think too, if I may say from the couple's standpoint, so if you're working with a photographer, whoever you're working with, And they put together a gallery.
One of the mistakes I see, because oftentimes the couples will say, oh, can we can we look at the gallery before it goes out?I don't love that.I'm not going to say no.
As someone who worked as a wedding pro for years, I understand the importance of maintaining that like healthy relationship with the couple, even after the wedding and in a positive relationship.
But I think I see what couples do is they look at the galleries and they're very they think of it naturally as very emotional.
Yeah, they're not looking from the editorial aspect of it.
Yeah, they're not thinking about editorial.Oh, why do we have this?Why do we have that?I need these photos of me and my grandparents.
And it's like, I love your six photos of you and your parental figure, insert parental figure here, pictures, but we need just one.People are often surprised at how few people photos there are.It tends to be more detailed.
So I would say if the couple is in it enough that they're looking at the gallery and kind of, not even advising, but giving their final thoughts as much as humanly possible, removing that emotion from it.
And knowing that this is a business transaction.It's about details.It's not about all the family dances.It's not about the cutie patootie.Maybe one picture of the cutie patootie. you know, flower girl, and that's it.
So those are some of the bigger mistakes.I think, if I may say, this is me being a little bold.So I'm just gonna go out here and do this.Bring it, I love bold.
The biggest mistake, and this is me becoming a bit of an unlicensed therapist, is when couples, because we do work with, we don't work with the couples, but obviously, when they put the value on their wedding based on being picked up or not.
like at the end of the day.
I know that's not what you were quite looking for, but I'm like, let me, there's a door open, let me walk through it for a second, is you, the royal you of the listeners here, had an amazing day, hopefully, you know, memorable, all your loved ones, that's what's important.
The marriage is what's important, not whether or not you get a feature.And so taking the value of your wedding and having it as a direct line to whether or not you get published or where you get published or who rejects you,
You've got to let that go.And it's easier said than done.But I can't stress that enough.
Because when someone has their heart set on Vogue, and it's like, well, most of their weddings are famous people or attended by famous people, you don't have that element.People can get offended by that.
And I get it, because it's been touted as a happy state of their lives.I have other opinions about that.But that's not what we're here to talk about.
No, but we will in the future, because that should be addressed.
That should be addressed.But yeah. know that this is icing on the wedding cake.It is not, does not speak to the value of your amazing day.
So I think by you saying that, it's great points.Like you have to find the balance of making things personalized for y'all because you want that, right?
Anyways, like you're showing like this moment of the blending of your families and friends and your love and
If you do have kind of in your mind that like you potentially would like to be maybe publish or show the world your love, do your personalized thing, but don't make it so like, I'm only paying extra for this because it might up my chances.
But also probably let your vendor know, especially photographer, hey, If you think this will be worthy enough, I give you full permission to submit us, let us know what you need.
Having that conversation early, I will say most photographers, and all should, most photographers have hopefully worked with a lawyer and they have a contract that will say the use of photos can be used for marketing and you've already signed, like surprise, you already signed off on that.
when they signed with the photographer.So hopefully that's already taken care of.So if there's interest in that, absolutely getting ahead of time with them and just saying, hey, you know, I have interest in this being published.
If there's anything you need from me, so on and so forth.One of the things that we're talking about right now that's just really a big part of these submissions are going to be flat lays.So the idea of these really thoughtful details being shot.
We just brought in the amazing Amanda Weaver to talk about flat lays and you know a lot of it has to do with if there's a planner, there's not always a planner, providing those things but if there's not a planner it's going to be the couple providing the invitation suite and some thoughtful details from the day that can be shot from above looking down and to be added to really tell the story of the day.
So does choosing a vendor that has been featured in a publication before.Like you'll see a photographer saying, been featured in brides, Martha Stewart weddings, et cetera.Does that up your chances or not really?
That is an amazing question.I've never been asked.And many people should have asked me this question.So I'm like, well done, lady.Thank you.Well done.So here's the thing.Yes and no.Yes and no.
If someone has a robust press profile and you see As Seen In and all that, there is a very good chance they are media savvy.There's a very good chance they have a better idea of what the publications are looking for, right?
Like they'll have an idea, the importance of flat lays, what needs to be shot.So you can trust that typically.But other than that, there's no guarantee.And let me tell you why.Because you never know what's behind the As Seen In.
When it says, as seen in brides, was it a wedding?Or were they quoted in something?Was it a mix of both?How long ago were they published at The Knot?Was it five years ago?How long ago was it at Vogue or whatever?Green Wedding Shoes.
Also, were they published because of their efforts or because of someone else's efforts?So if you see a venue and it says, as seen in, and it's like all these great logos, well, OK, but in every one of those instances, the photographer submitted.
So they have no line of direct line communication with them. So that's what it, I know that, and I'm so glad, that's such a thoughtful question because it means they're probably media savvy, but you're only as good as your last submission.
So I even say, even on this side as a publicist, people are like, well, with your relationships, you can get into, you know, insert media here.
Yes, it's helpful to have relationships, but it's really about the fact that we know what they're looking for and we'll send what they're looking for.You know what I mean?
Yeah, it's not a guarantee, but you have a one up than anybody else.
Like any other job, if you have the knowledge, it gives you a leg up.
So I would say if you are a couple and you have interest and you happen to notice that your photographer or venue or planner or whatever has pressed, just know that there's going to be a media savvy to them to get you started, which will be helpful.
Or they've brought in, they could have bring in support with someone like myself as well.
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So to kind of go off of what we've already talked about before, but can you kind of elaborate more on what kind of stories and unique elements that editors are generally looking for?
Well, at the end of the day, you actually kind of answered it because it's a little bit of a gray area of like, what is unique to them?
You know, we're sending out one right now where there's a gentleman who he made all of his, he had multiple outfit changes and sewed them all himself. That is incredible.That's incredible, right?
There are ways that, you know, you've got pet lovers who, you know, they couldn't bring their pets.Maybe I'm a cat lover myself.They couldn't bring the cats, but they have such creative ways.They've worked them into the day.
You know, they have gorgeous wraps on the dance floor that were unexpected.Linens that look a little bit different.
The story itself could be related to, well, we selected this color palette because we were inspired by these paintings we saw when we were in Rome and that's what really, you know, we're big travelers.
We had one where, well, this wasn't one of my weddings.Someone shared this with me when I was down at Nice, Raleigh.So shout out to the Nice Triangle.And it was a travel theme and the groom was very involved with it.
And so what they did is all the announcements for the night were prerecorded ahead of time, like typical wedding announcements, but by the groom and he sounded like a flight attendant.
Like it was just, so like, I mean, you can't, that doesn't showcase as much when you're doing like a wedding submission, but like, that's the kind of stuff that we're seeing.
But you can write in the details, like you mentioned description and the importance of it and storytelling, because content matters as much as the context, right?
Absolutely.We had this one couple where these gentlemen got married and it was this kind of, it wasn't quite Bridget.It was more off the beaten path because Bridgeton's a very popular theme and all this stuff.
And what they did is they had all the guests.I don't know how they got the photos of everybody, but the planner, Festoons, they were amazing.But what they did was they had all the pictures of the guests. and they turned them all into cameos.
Like, you know those cameos?And everybody would pick up the cameo as part of their place card, which was very unusual to do that.So now when you walk in, it's not just your place card, but it's going to be literally of the time, of the 1800s,
of a cameo of each of the guests next to their place.And yeah, shout out Festoon and Flourish just did that.Yeah, so that's the kind of stuff that we see.
You know, oftentimes when couples get married at someone's home, there's a lot more flexibility about what you can do.So those are some examples of some like cool stuff.
Obviously some a little more higher involvement budget, but then some of them a lot more lower key and not as budgety.
Yeah. So you don't have to always do like the big flower wall with the champagne glass coming out of it, which probably costs a fortune.
Sure.And it's been done a million times.And it's not to say it cannot, I've seen them and they're gorgeous and they're fun, but there's other things people can, they can take that wall and do, and what else can you put on there that people can take?
What could be different?It's a sunny day and you get the sunglasses up on the, I don't know, you know, people can decide what they're doing, but.
So any professionals that are listening, and some couples that are getting married might also be in the professional space, that maybe have never submitted before, what's a key tip for them when it comes to submissions?
Honestly, it is an unsexy tip.And I know PR is sexy, but this is an unsexy tip.The best thing you can do is get organized, is to really understand your goals of what you're looking to do and map out the year.
Like you as a wedding pro, so speaking out to our wedding pro friends right now, our couples who are also wedding pros as well,
Looking ahead to the year and saying, okay, if editors are looking for fresh, inspiring, well shot, because no two photographers are the same.
There are times where people go cheap on the photographer and that is their choice and the indoor shots aren't great or something.But take a look at your season and maybe there are like three to four that really stand out.
What you're gonna wanna do, again, unsexy, go to your calendar or your to-do list, whatever you do to keep your stuff organized, and map out and say, okay, I've got one wedding in April, in November, and one in July.These are the dates.
Two weeks prior, I'll get with the photographer just to say, hey, we have interest in submitting, you know, da-da-da-da-da.Like, that's the first thing is just get those organized and pinpointed for the season so you can start small.
Start with two or three.Not everything is submitted, you know. Membership is up to eight weddings a year for any given pro because I tell them not every wedding is going to get featured like that's just how it is.
You know, pick what's really going to stand out.
Yeah.Pick what's going to stand out and have early conversations with the team.Understanding, of course, that the photographer owns the copyright.So if they move forward. and you're not the photographer, then that's their right to do that.
So let them.They have to.They get to legally.
Going back to your deadline for submissions, so say your wedding is a fall wedding, which is really popular, right?September, October.
You get it submitted, we'll say, work with the photographer, get it submitted within like a month of that, you're getting into winter at that point.How soon then can you can see it in the publications, generally?
Yeah, so seasonality can be tricky.I'm gonna answer this two different ways, if that's okay.If you are in any season, but your wedding is seasonless, right?Like you're not covered in pumpkins in November or something, right?
Seasonless, then typically, I mean, it could take eight weeks for the photos just to come back.I mean, it depends on the photographer, right?So it could be a month, two months. to each their own on that.
From there, the process can go very quickly if everyone has the bandwidth to jump right in.And then when you submit, expect, now this, again, this is season list, so let's remember this.
You can expect an editor to take almost eight to 10 weeks to get back in touch, bearing in mind if you went with a stretch goal and there's a smaller chance of getting picked up that you do the stretch goal
and you hear from the 10 weeks since turned down, then you have to move to the next thing.
So I would say hopefully within the year, you would be published, but it does take, now, if your goals get published sooner rather than later, then maybe you go for a less competitive spot, and it's a lot faster.
Now, if I may answer that a second way too, because with the seasonality, let's say you had a wedding in September, and it's filled to the brim with mums and pumpkins and ghosts, I'm just kidding, not ghosts, but you know what I mean?
There could be a ghost story behind it, a haunted mansion, Years ago, I had a wedding.I almost booked a wedding on Halloween, and I was so close, and then it didn't work out.I was so bummed when I did.I know.I was like, that could have been so fun.
But there were kids involved, so I understood.Now that I have a kiddo, I understand why they didn't do it.But anyways, so if you have a wedding that when you look at it, it is very much of that month.That's a September, October.That's a fall.
That's a spring.That's a summer.And it's just all the thematic.You have to be mindful that editors often work several months ahead. So when we get a wedding that is, let's say, a New Year's wedding, right?
Because it's very wintry or like a holiday act.What we're going to say is, okay, we can pre-work on some of this, but we're not going to submit it, depending on the outlet, until August or September of next year.
Because that's when they are going to be looking at winter.So it just depends.If you're season-less, just know it's still probably either answer is going to take up to a year.But if you have something that's very heavy in a particular season,
you typically wait almost like six, nine months to send it out.So it comes to the editor at the right time.
So does that matter between like an online only publication like a Green Wedding Shoes versus a in print like Knot or Loving?
That is a complicated question, but that's a good question.So when it comes to online, I mean, every editor is different, print or online, but typically with online, we're usually sending it two, three months out before said season, right?
Print is a totally different beast.Print is glorious. Print is a heartbreaker.If I had a Facebook relationship, which I know I'm aging myself with the Facebook, I'd have in a complicated relationship with print.
Because I love print when it comes out and it's amazing, but it's complicated because you work so far ahead.So, you know, every, you've got to see for the publications, how many times a year does it come out?Is it quarterly?
Most time it's quarterly or twice a year.Very rarely do you see six times a year, but a lot of local too.You know, it just depends on what the publishing schedule is. The fewer in a year, the longer of the wait.
So what you're gonna see is if it comes out twice a year, well, you're gonna have to, let's say a publication just came out, again, just making this up, a publication at the time of this recording, end of May, what you're gonna see is that they may not be, like it just went live, they're not looking at new weddings until August.
And they may not have a decision until October.And if it's a no, you're many months out. So it's just a longer waiting game.I always tell people, get into the mindset.Print is fabulous.I love when we get print.
Just know that you'll be limited in terms of like, you've just got a long wait, but you're limited also in terms of the amount of images, number of vendor credits, things like that.But go for it.I mean, if someone's into it, do it.Like, print's fun.
Oh, and actually, something you just said. With submission, you're not submitting to multi at one time.You're submitting to one.
Oh, yes.Can we talk about exclusivity?Yeah.Yeah.So here's the thing, too.When you asked about what mistakes people make, I should have mentioned some people take it like a softball and toss it at a crowd and expect everybody to go for it.
Who wants it?I remember years ago, he came to me and he was in a local market and he's like, oh my gosh, guess what?I got this wedding in three publications locally.I'm like, oh God, that's terrible.
One thing was it was like the cover in one, it was featured in another.I mean, that was a huge misstep.So exclusivity is this. Most publications online print everything in between.They don't want to be scooped.I mean, it's like an old newsroom.
They don't want to be scooped.They want to be the first one.So the majority of them will require exclusivity that says, when you send to us, you don't send anywhere else until you hear back from us, with rare exception to that.
Exclusivity could also mean once it's published, you can't submit it anywhere else for three months after, four months.In most places, you don't have a lot of non-exclusive. So it's a one shot.
That's why I say start with your big gets and go from there.Now, exclusivity could also mean, and I'll just touch upon this, it's so rare, but the question inevitably comes up, should I share?What if I share my wedding on social?
Here's the thing, it's your darn wedding.Like for the most part, most of these editors understand that, but there are gonna be exceptions.If we're talking about a high profile couple, going to people.com. You wait.New York Times, you wait.
Martha Stewart and Vogue, you wait.Otherwise, most places, unless you're dealing with high-profile celebrity, you can share a few photos.But the exclusivity is also that understanding as well.Oh, that's a great, great tip.
Yeah, I would think that a lot of people not knowing, again, you don't know what you don't know, right?It's well-meaning.Like, hey, let me submit to this blog and Brides Bridal Guide and just see who wants me.
And it's like, can you imagine, like what happens when two people say yes within two days and you're like, oh, well, not anymore.Like what it does, the couple, it doesn't really put a burden on them because there's no further skin in the game.
But what it does is it puts a burden on the photographer attached, the planner attached.Like if that seems like a hot mess, that hot mess submission is gonna be attached to them.
And I can't speak on behalf of the editors, but I know personally, if I see someone who's paired with a hot mess, I'd be a little less likely to work with them.
Yeah, that's a great point.Any other tips when it comes to wedding submissions and planning your wedding day?
Sure, I would say if submitting is on your radar.First of all, I want you to fall in love with your photographer no matter what, but just know that photography does play a role in that.
And I'm not necessarily saying you have to spend a billion dollars.I mean, obviously spend what you can spend, but photography does matter, especially if you have an indoor location or locations.
making sure the photographer can really light a room and understand because a lot of people say you need good photographers who they say they're natural light photographers which is fine and that's how they brand themselves but then some of them you put inside a ballroom and the ballroom looks like a hot mess you want to be mindful of that.
When planning if there is not a planner you want to be mindful of what details could you send along to the photographer to shoot so be mindful of that as well.Be ready with a full list of vendors.You want to make sure everybody gets credited, right?
I mean, that's a fun part of the day, credit where credit's due.I will say the question often comes up, if I may, I'm gonna ask myself a question in my life.
What do you do if you have a bad relationship with one of the vendors, you don't want them credited?Unfortunately, you still have to include them. You have to include them.It becomes very sticky otherwise when it comes to that.
So those are just a few of the tips.And I think the biggest thing, again, not to lean too much into therapy here, is have fun with it.Again, know that this is a bonus.This is not a guarantee.It doesn't speak to the value of your day.
It's just something that's fun to do if everyone comes together and is able to make it work.
Just an extra question before we wrap here, but what's the most overlooked detail that couples tend to have at their wedding?
The overlooked detail in the sense of... Like, they don't think to add this to the wedding or they put too much emphasis on it.Like, what's the most, like... What detail do you think is just, like, the most overlooked?
Something comes to mind, but then it's like, do I say it?I don't... Okay. No one's going to judge you.I don't want people to be self-conscious about their day.
But there are times where, and this is the Megan, look at me bringing Megan Markle into the chat room here.
But there are times when there is someone wearing a dress, and that's not always the case, where I think, man, I wish they'd put a steamer on that dress because it's so wrinkly.Yes. Or the fit is just slightly off.
Or the fit, or the fit's slightly off.And listen, listen.No, this is an important detail.You preach, Megan.You preach.I know.
I was going to say, with, we've had dresses that are not quite, and let me be the first to say, like, I'm going to be in a vulnerable moment for our bright chillas here.I gained 20 pounds after buying my dress, and that was not fun to pay for that.
having to have things.So I'm just like putting myself out there very vulnerably.
That's why it's almost hard for me to say something because I'm just like, well, I've been there where you're just like, you know, my dress fit on the day of, thank goodness I had the right alterations.
But making sure you want to feel your best on your day.And that could also be, you know, I'm talking about dresses, but also,
You know, anyone wearing a suit as well, making sure, you know, that it's fitted the right way, that it's steamed, all that, to the best of your ability.And I know things happen as someone who things happen too.But those are noticeable details.
I mean, listen, it happens to the best of us.Princess Diana got out of her carriage and it was a wrinkled mess, but she was a goddess to me.
So it happens, but I would say that's a detail that, especially if you don't have a planner to like jump in and help you with that.I would say also, this is pickier.And if someone hears this and says, well, I don't care about that.Good.
Don't care about it because this is my Roman empire is the too heavy of a, like on the linens. those awful creases.
Now, I don't expect to have a linen person come in and steam everything, but there's gotta be a point there where you have these beautiful table setups and then you see these awful lines going through it.That does bug me, but it's not like-.
That end of the world, that's a detail.
Yeah, yeah, it's a detail.But those typically dresses, I mean, Meghan Markle looked beautiful on her wedding day.Her dress was a little too big on her.Yes.And maybe she lost weight at the end, but she had all the resources for that.
I felt bad about that.So that's just a small thing.I want to be careful because I don't want to push on appearance because I just want people to feel good on their wedding day.
You're not alone on that, Megan, because on another wedding podcast I've hosted, Weddings Unveiled with Leah, I had a wedding bridal and Hollywood red carpet alterations woman on.
And I asked her favorite or least favorite celebrity weddings. Her lease was Meghan Markle's the dress was great But it being an alterations person the fit was off and it just she just couldn't get past it Yeah, I co-sign with you.
Not just Meghan Markle.Yes in general cuz like I'll notice it with brides, you know, it's just like Yeah, you know, fix it.
My mom kindly gifted me my dress, but I was shocked by how much I had to pay in alterations.But, I mean, part of it was because I made it tough on them.
But alterations are expensive in general.
Alterations are expensive, you know, and having all that, so just being mindful of that.But a good old-fashioned steam, like we're talking about a good old-fashioned steam is what we need.
Well, thank you, Megan, so much for all these great tips and advice.
Absolutely.Thank you for having me.
Feel free listening to reach out to Megan.Megan, where can we find you?
You can find me at OFDConsulting.com, also Instagram OFDConsulting.Don't find me at TikTok because I'm just looking at cat videos and Bridgerton videos and all that.I do exclusively work with vendors.
So if you are a couple, you can always reach out to me as a couple.But I would have to offer references for that since we only work exclusively exclusively with the pros.
Well, thank you so much Megan.It's been a pleasure talking all things with you today.
Thank you.I'm so happy to be back.
Congrats on bright chiller.
Thanks for joining us today.Be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts so you never miss an episode.Give us a follow on social media and visit TheBrideChilla.com.
To leave a question you'd like to hear answered on the show, head to SpeakPipe.com forward slash BrideChillaPodcast, also linked in the description. BrideChilla is a production of Evergreen Podcasts.
Thanks to our producer and engineer, Grace Sienna Longfellow, and our executive producers, Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando.And of course, a special thanks to Alicia, our OG BrideChilla, and Megan Ely of OFD Consulting.I'm your host, Leah Hasledge.
Until next time, chillas.
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