- Enquire and book Send your wedding date and a rough guest count. I reply within two working days to confirm the date is free and send a short agreement. Half of the writing and design fee books your slot. Eight weeks or more before the wedding
- The interview We talk for 45 minutes to an hour on a video call. I send a handful of questions beforehand. We cover how you met, the proposal, the planning, the people coming and the stories your friends always tell about you. I record the call so I can quote you accurately. Seven weeks before
- Photographs and details You get a shared folder and a one-page checklist: photographs, names of the wedding party, timings, the menu and anything else you want printed. Please only send photographs you have the right to use. If a professional took them, check that your agreement allows printing. Within a week of the interview
- Your first proof I write the stories, lay out every page and send you the complete paper as a PDF. This takes up to ten working days from the day I have both the interview and your photographs. Five weeks before
- One round of revisions Read it together and send every change in one list: a name spelled wrong, a story you would prefer left out, a photograph swapped. I send a corrected proof within five working days. Further rounds are available at £60 each. Four weeks before
- Sign-off and test copy You approve the final proof in writing and pay the balance and the print cost. I order a single printed copy first and check the colour, the photographs and the folds before the full run goes to press. Three to four weeks before
- Printing and delivery The full run is printed in the UK on 55gsm newsprint and sent by tracked courier to the address you choose. It should be with you two weeks before the wedding, which leaves a margin if anything is delayed. Two weeks before
How it works
From first email to a box of newspapers in eight weeks
You give me about two hours of your time in total. Here is what happens at each stage and when.
What I need from you
- An hour for the interview, with both of you there
- Your photographs, as large as you have them
- Timings, names and the menu, even if some are still provisional
- One list of changes after the first proof
- Written approval of the final proof
Short on time?
If the wedding is less than eight weeks away, send your date anyway. A rush edition is sometimes possible for an extra £150, and the test copy stage can be shortened if you are happy to approve from the PDF alone.
After the wedding
The same process works for a paper that reports on the day itself. It carries the real photographs and the best lines from the speeches, and it makes a good thing to post with thank-you cards. Past couples receive £100 off a follow-up or anniversary edition.