The question is: is it even worth waiting for publication anymore?

It’s not about getting the wedding published anymore. At least, not as the main goal. Lately I’ve been thinking more about finding the kind of client who actually loves being photographed, someone who naturally shows up with the energy, style, and vibe that fits what I’m building. This doesn’t need to be every couple of course, just one or two a season who can become your next face of your marketing simply because they’re so aligned with your work.

There are a few ways to create that kind of content. Styled shoots can do it, sure. But real weddings are where the real magic is. Real connection, real emotion, real moments, content that doesn’t need to be manufactured because it already has life in it. That’s what people connect with anyway.

A few years ago, it felt like everything was about getting published. Get the feature, get the name recognition, get the badge of approval. This was my goal at the time too. I desperately wanted weddings published for the social proof, and I know how exciting that can be for both the couple and the vendors. But I starting to look at it all in a different light now. The shine of publication isn’t hitting the same when the process feels so slow and out of my control.

Recently, I’ve had weddings where a publication has accepted the submission… and then it’s just months and months of waiting. One wedding has been sitting there for nine months. Another one is in limbo with no clear timeline. It starts to feel ridiculous because I’m sitting on images I’m excited about, and the couple is sitting on memories they want to share, and we’re all just waiting for someone else’s calendar to open up.

The bigger question is: is it even worth waiting for publication anymore? Couples still love the idea of being featured, and I don’t want to pretend that part doesn’t matter. But from a marketing point of view, the momentum is strongest when everything is fresh, when the wedding has just happened, when previews are landing, when the gallery is delivered, when the couple is still buzzing.

Because we all know what happens after the wedding. The high fades. The wedding blues kick in. There’s that initial rush, then life moves on. A month goes by. Then three months. And suddenly that “we can’t wait to share everything!” energy isn’t quite there.. So if the goal is reach, connection, and building real buzz around your work, posting later, sometimes a year later, can feel like you’re launching something that already passed.

When you can publish straight away, everyone wins. The couple is excited. The vendors are proud and ready to share. The venue reposts. The planner posts a carousel. The florist shows the close-ups. The make-up artist shares the morning moments and suddenly you have this wave of attention happening all at once, while the wedding is still in people’s minds. That kind of group sharing is powerful, and I dare say it can outperform a feature that drops long after everyone has moved on.

Here’s the frustrating part: when you wait for publication, you’re playing by their rules. If they say jump, you jump. If they say wait, you wait. And if they change their mind, or delay, or reschedule, you’re stuck because you’ve agreed not to post. It can feel unfair, because the cost is real: you lose momentum, you lose visibility, and you lose the chance to ride the natural excitement of the day.

This has me thinking about the difference between setting your work up to be published versus setting your work up to be shared. Those aren’t the same thing. Publication is one outlet, one moment. Sharing is a strategy, a wave, a full launch where everyone is involved.

And yes, I can hear how “marketing” that sounds, and I get how it could feel a bit icky talking about someone’s wedding like it’s a campaign. But from my side, I want to share the work I’m proud of. The couple wants to celebrate their day. And certain couples genuinely love the idea of a coordinated release, photos, film, behind-the-scenes, vendor tags, all going live together. Not because they’re trying to be a brand, but because it’s fun, it’s exciting, and it lets them relive the day while it still feels close.

Also, some couples are naturally built for this. Sometimes you can tell from their profile that they’ll want to post, they’ll want to share, they’ll be excited about the images. Maybe they’re influencers, maybe they just love documenting life, maybe they’re the kind of people who celebrate loudly. Those clients don’t need a publication to validate the day, they just need the content and the moment to share it.

So maybe this is a new age. Maybe the move is to get it out there, get everyone on board, and skip the publication wait. Not because publications don’t matter, but because the timing matters more. Because the momentum is the marketing. Because a wedding deserves to be seen while it still feels fresh.

I’m still thinking this through, and I’m curious what you think. Are you still chasing publication? Are you feeling the same frustration with delays? Or are you leaning into faster sharing, vendor collaboration, and building your own “launch moment” instead of waiting for someone else to give you one?

Lei xx