Discover the best wedding-themed Substacks for planning your big day, from real bride insights to expert tips on music, decor, and traditions!
A year ago, we didn’t even know Substacks were a thing. But, now? Oh, they’re most definitely a thing. All of our favourite influencers have caught onto this emerging platform which allows you to create your own posts - just like a magazine - and build a bank of written content, flexing your journalistic and content skills.
Bringing together both words and images, Substack is like having a blog, a magazine, a newsletter and a form of social media, all rolled into one. For readers, it’s the chance to hear about the topics and get insights from their most favourite creators in weekly drops, and for the writers, a mix of subscription options make this a viable income source as well as a valuable way to connect to their community.
While Substack is already huge across lifestyle, politics, news and fashion - the world of weddings is just starting to catch up. But, there are some Substack creators that we think you should check out already.
Whether you sign up as a free user and gain access to select, public posts, or only commit on a month-by-month basis until you’ve tied the knot, adding some wedding-themed Substacks to your inbox is a lovely way to brighten your day and get excited all over again, whenever a new one lands.
Here’s some ideas from genuine brides sharing details about their own weddings, to wedding magazines offering a different slice of their content for you to enjoy. And, watch out for the hire-able bridesmaid who steps in as an Agony Aunt every week - that might just be our favourite!
Behind The Veil with 100 Layer Cake
Professional wedding advice from the editors of US-based magazine, 100 Layer Cake.
There’s a high chance that this Substack’s name already rings a bell, especially for brides who have been big on researching every wedding platform across the web. Coming straight from founder Amanda Dawbarn, the 100 Layer Cake Substack shares all the same style of inspiration, tips for before and after your big day, real wedding ideas and much more, that the online magazine does. After beginning in the US in 2019, 100 Layer Cake has continued to reach over a million brides per month, with mainly American-focused content that we can enjoy, too. So, what’s different about the Substack? Behind The Veil, as it’s called, brings you short notes, a chat function, quick links to industry pros and, of course, plenty of posts. While this Substack is absolutely about weddings, it also offers broader ideas on events and parties with curated shopping guides, as well as trend reports and travel ideas. We loved their deep dive into food as decor with examples like bread baked into beautiful shapes, ribbons and bows made of courgette shavings and bouquets of cabbages and lettuces, hued in pink. There’s also some great posts in the Archive on why Italian style is so in this year and why glamping could be the honeymoon you’ve been looking for.
1-800 Bridesmaid
Hear from the hilarious Maid of Honour who rents her services for brides on their big day.
With over 90,000 subscribers, this is one of the most successful wedding Substacks so far and we can see why. 1-800 Bridesmaid has a quirky name and an even quirkier concept, written by the real-life rent-a-bridesmaid Jen Glantz. Jen is based in Brooklyn, NYC, who - after being bridesmaid for her friends again and again decided to try and make it as a stand-in bridesmaid. After putting her advert out on Craigslist, she received 250 responses within 24 hours, and since then has built her brand around being the best friend of any bride. That was in 2014 and today she’s been on news shows all over the world, worked with thousands of clients and hired a team of professional MOH’s to help her - as well as writing three books, becoming an influencer and launching her Substack.
1-800 Bridesmaid is addictive because she shares a new Agony Aunt-style story every week offering her own opinions, as well as those of her readers. One week it might be the guest who was asked to leave a wedding after wearing a cream dress and doesn’t know what to do next, or the bride who can't tell a long-term bestie that she won’t be maid of honour, even though she’s expecting it. It’s juicy, that’s for sure - and you can vote on the answers yourself, which is so validating when you see how many readers agree with you!
Wedding MusicLetter
Still searching for your perfect song? Let this expert help.
Wedding MusicLetter comes from Matthew Campbell, the founder of website My Wedding Songs, where he shares a huge amount of resources across books, printables, a newsletter and podcast with advice on how to pick the perfect wedding song, as well as put together a musical concept for your day overall. Across Matthew’s Substack you can expect posts from Bridgerton-worthy playlists, the best songs for a first dance, alternative wedding music ideas like rock and roll, electro or country, as well as monthly chart toppers and his own personal favourites. If you don’t consider yourself a music expert and have been wondering what will get guests on the dance floor, as well as have them chanting ‘one last song’ at the end of the night, this could be a good one to subscribe to for a couple of months.
Wedding Substack - Planner Thoughts
Ever wondered what the day of a fancy wedding planner looks like?
Nicki Taeymans is an international wedding planner based in Switzerland, and she just started out on Substack, sharing her advice as a big day coordinator who has worked on all sorts of nuptials, across the globe. While she mainly works with American couples looking for their dream destination in Europe, she speaks five languages fluently and so has travelled extensively for her job - which sounds so exciting!
So far, Nicki has been sharing some logistical quandaries around what exactly is a wedding concept, how to decide on your non-negotiables, the key to working out your wedding budget and essentially, the first steps to take after you get engaged. We particularly loved her post on wedding traditions and which ones are worth keeping, and which ones definitely need to be ditched - something our couples often ask us about. For some, cutting the cake is a huge moment, while for others it just slows down getting onto the dance floor. It’s questions like these that all couples need to ask themselves to get the balance between not missing out, and only spending their budget on the things that really matter to them.
The Ceremony Edit
We love this bride's personal account of planning her own Italian wedding.
While The Ceremony Edit Substack hasn’t been going long, damn it’s cute. We’re wild for its girlish-yet-chic aesthetic, flurry of up-to-date posts and real-bride perspective, all written by Madison Bennett who planned her own wedding in Lake Como and fell in love with the industry. Taking cues from the Substack name, you’ll find regular Registry Edit posts with shoppable ideas across homewares, lifestyle and fashion, as well as the Dress Edit which also gives the download on designers you need to know about.
As Madison adores Lake Como, you’ll find loads of nods to this gorgeous part of the world with a full guide on where to stay, what to do and what to eat - but it doesn’t stop there. She’s also put together some aesthetically-pleasing posts on Pellicano in Tuscany and the South of France, for ideas on where to spend your honeymoon. The Ceremony Edit is just like having a best friend who’s about to tie the knot, at the same time, and with the same taste as you.
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