Google+ Submission Madness, A Thank You (or 300+) ...and Some Gushing - Southern Weddings

Southern Weddings

If you’ve been following me this week on Twitter, you know I asked photographers to send me their top shots for print.  Well, they did.  I woke up to 300+ submissions within 16 hours.  I’m going through each one personally and as I check off each email, a strong feeling has come over me:  gratitude.  I’ve worked my tush off, going 1,000,000 miles per minute for the last few years.  Somehow tonight it all hit me… the movie in my mind replayed and showed me how far we’ve come.  With the recent devastating Conde Nast closings, I’m even more struck by our unique place in the wedding market.  Brides, friends and vendors, we’re so grateful for your support in keeping us as a fresh, flourishing, fab magazine- strong and growing online and strong and growing in print! (cover image by Jose Villa)

In going through all of these submissions and incredibly sweet notes, I had to stop in the rush of all of this and give thanks.  I am so overwhelmingly grateful to have a job where people share their art with me.  Many of you confessed being nervous and that this was your first submission.  Many told me personal stories and made me laugh.  There were some mind-blowing submissions from people I had never heard of mixed in with some … uh… scary ones.  (By the way, after hours of scouring through submissions, I started posting #submission tips on my business twitter account:  WeddingRep.)  Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your work with me.  Even if I don’t pick an image of yours for this issue, just know that you’re on my radar.  I added a slew of new blogs to Google Reader and met some wedding professionals I can’t wait to follow.  I’ll be sending acceptance emails out late next week after I get back from Engage09 :: Encore. 

I wish I could personally hug everyone who sent images in.  As a thank you to those who submitted work to me in the last few days, I’m giving you a significant discount on print and online ads. (sorry, if I post the discount here, I’m afraid people will try to send me more submissions!  I’ve got my work cut out for me already! 68 more emails to go through…).  Email Katharine ASAP (discount ends in 48 hours) for the rates and available slots, which aren’t many at this point.

Last but certainly not least, I have a few VIP thank you’s…

Emily, Katharine, Whitney, Sydney, and Alyssa…  It’s a big couple weeks for us and you’re all working your tails off!  Words just don’t do justice to how much I love spending time with you ladies.  Em, I had so much fun with you in ATL.  Ladies and gents, this lady knows weddings!  She taught me more in those three days about blogs and the latest and greatest than I had learned myself in a year.  Katharine, thank you for keeping the SW engine running.  You are always raising the bar!  Thank you for your very sweet gift to me this week.  Made my week and I can’t wait to spend time with grandma busum.  Whitney, I light up when you walk into the office.  It could just be the fact that you’re my redheaded sister, but I think it’s just you.  You will rule the world one day and it will be very glamorous and gorgeous.  Thank you for always being so positive, happy and supportive.  Alyssa, we’re so glad to have you and Syd, you look good sitting at my desk girl!  Much love ladies as we launch this killer issue!  GO TEAM!

xo

Written with love by Southern Weddings
5 Comments
  1. avatar Jeremy Gilliam reply

    Hey Lara, thank you for the opportunity and changing the way editors interact with clients and content providers!

  2. avatar Lisa Jeffries reply

    Congrats, congrats, congrats!PS – There’s a reason (actually, more like 100) that SW is here and other publications are not. Keep doing what you do so very well :-D

  3. avatar Jenifer Simpson reply

    Great post!…I think one of the many things that makes SW so appealing is the constant influx of fresh ideas. It is what sets your magazine apart from the others. Can’t wait to see the new issue:)

  4. avatar Holly Steen reply

    Really it is a truly inspiring beautiful magazine for brides, vendors, and all those wedding lovers. Thank you

  5. avatar Victoria Joanne reply

    It’s great to read encouraging words from a "boss lady" so many people in the higher positions at companies really forget about how to interact with their employees and vendors. It’s refreshing to see someone who does. Keep up the fab job you’re doing. Having a wonderful group of girls to work with makes each day a fun time instead of a drudgery .

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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