NOTE FROM SHAY: This episode was recorded longggg before I found out about Rocky Mountain Bride’s editor Erika Oltmann being married to known extremist far right conservative Joe Oltmann. Oltmann’s very public, vitriolic, and hateful views do not align with my own in any way and I no longer view RMB as an inclusive resource for couples getting married, and I no longer affiliate with them in any way as a vendor.

19 Rocky Mountain Bride Editor Mackenzie Stevens on Allll Things Magazines and Submitting

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MACKENZIE STEVENS

Mackenzie Stevens is the Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho editor for Rocky Mountain Bride. It isn’t a secret that I absolutely love Rocky Mountain Bride and hollyyy heck guys, Mackenzie demystifies her job as an editor so beautifully and gives such an amazing look into the magazine and printing world as well as a ton of tangible tips on submitting, specifically what Rocky Mountain Bride looks for in submissions.

Finding the right path

Mackenzie grew up right outside the small town of Red Lodge, Montana. Both of her parents are entrepreneurs, so she went into adulthood knowing that she wasn’t interested in working in a cubicle. After suffering a bad leg break while studying at Montana State University, Mackenzie went home for six months to heal and reflect on what she wanted to do with her life. Next came cosmetology school and a job working in that field, where she learned that cosmetology wasn’t forever but creative business was. She moved on to Denver to attend the Art Institute of Colorado where she found her “happy medium” between business and tangibles, and creativity. She took graphic design classes as electives, not realizing that they would serve her in her future career laying out magazines. When Rocky Mountain Bride posted an internship opportunity, Mackenzie applied and got it, and worked her way up in the company from there.

It struck me how Mackenzie followed her intuition in every phase of her journey and didn’t put too much pressure on any specific decision — she simply tried things until she found what fit.

Rocky Mountain Bride Submission Tips

Don’t worry, I grilled Mackenzie for the juice on submitting to Rocky Mountain Bride! Her biggest piece of advice for those wanting to submit to magazines is to prioritize story.

“I really like seeing the small details that are important to the couple like the signature cocktails named after the dog at home, the fun of the day, the personal aspects of the wedding day that are true to the couple are what I prioritize when looking at galleries. I love authentic and candid — weddings are a celebration and being able to showcase celebrations that show the people, the family, the space, and the vendors’ hard work is really important. ”

— Mackenzie Stevens

Remember, the magazine is meant to serve couples through the planning process and to provide inspiration! Attractive couples on mountain tops are great, but 40 images like that in a row aren’t going to be interesting to readers. Think feelings, details, personality — how would you describe the wedding to a friend?

Submit, Submit, Submit!

When asked what her advice is for those who are intimidated by the submission process, Mackenzie said: Submit, Submit, Submit! The worst thing that can happen is that the gallery you submitted isn’t the right fit for that time — whether the venue has been featured recently or the style has been shown a lot or the season isn’t matching up with the content they need at that time.