More than two million Americans do it every year. Most of us will do at least once in our lifetimes, and some twice, three times, or even more. But you needn't be a newlywed to write for bridal magazines -- and with dozens of national and regional publications published throughout the U.S., there are plenty of markets that need freelance material.

Breaking into this niche area requires thinking beyond story ideas like "ten things every bride must know" or "how to plan the perfect wedding." Here's how to crack this lucrative field whether you're male or female, engaged, married or even happily single.

Look to Your Life

While you needn't have a spouse to write about weddings, if you've recently gotten engaged or married, you do have the advantage by virtue of your real-life experience, and you can even use this fact to get your foot in the door for certain types of stories -- like "The Confident Bride," a Bridal Guide column that focuses on wedding planning problems.

"The column benefits from a personal anecdote to start with, and a personal voice throughout," says Denise Schipani, former executive editor at Bridal Guide. "What we've found through trial and error is that writers who are currently going through the planning process themselves, or who have done it within the past year or so end up doing the best job."

However, most editors won't hold your single status against you as long as you research and write interesting, compelling stories. "Writers need not be married to apply. I believe a good professional writer can tackle any subject matter with finesse," says Patricia Canole, editor in chief at For the Bride. "Today, writers are open to many resources, the Internet being the most utilized. My only contention is that you make sure your resources are factual and timely." While you're likely to see more female bylines than male in most bridal magazines, editors are open to hearing from male writers as well, and in fact actively seek a groom's perspective.

Give it a New Spin

Just because bridal magazines tend to rehash the same types of stories -- wedding planning, decorating and furnishing your new home, getting along with your in-laws, budgeting and financial topics -- this doesn't mean they want to use the same approach over and over. The more creative and original you are with your query, the better.

Nicole Burnham Onsi, a Boston-based freelancer who specializes in bridal-related topics, makes an effort to keep up-to-date on the bridal industry by reading magazines and lurking on message boards where soon-to-be and recent brides post their experiences. She then often takes an "evergreen" type of topic and gives it a new twist.

"You'll notice that most bridal magazines do all the basic planning articles in-house. If you pitch a story on the different types of invitations brides can order, how to select flowers, et cetera, you're likely to get a rejection letter," says Onsi. "Look at the less obvious issues brides face, then be as specific as possible in your query. For example, ‘Getting Along With His Family' might not work, but ‘Five Strategies for Getting Along Better With Your Future Mother-in-Law' might."

ASJA member and freelancer Leslie Gilbert Elman, who writes about bridal and travel topics, agrees that coming up with unique story angles is essential. "In a sense, you're not coming up with new ideas. You're repackaging the ideas that work," says Elman, who lives in Manhattan. "Say you're writing about managing money as a couple, which is a perennial bridal magazine topic. One time you might cover the subject using real-life case studies of three or four couples and how they handled their finances after the wedding. When you're asked to revisit the subject, you might repackage it as a his-and-hers money management quiz. For a third time around you can spin it in another direction by writing a Q&A with a financial expert. The information in the article won't change substantially, but your treatment of it will."

Target the Market

While they may look similar, each bridal magazine has its own unique voice. Show that you've captured the magazine's essence in your query and you're more likely to nail an assignment. "I like to see that the writer has taken the effort to look at the magazine and study the material and style to see what we're all about," says Canole. "So many times, writers propose articles which are inappropriate for this magazine."

Most editors prefer queries over finished manuscripts -- they simply don't have time to read them. "The best way to break in is to be targeted, specific, and persistent," says Schipani. "For example, a writer might see that we have done features using real brides to illustrate a point -- say, on how brides have planned their long-distance wedding. Using that info, she might query me on a story to do with saving money for the wedding, and propose an idea in which she talks to four recent brides who have spent varying amounts on their weddings, and will profile them as well as write a sidebar on wedding budget tips. After a brief description of how she would handle the story, she should then tell me what her experience is, and then enclose clips. That's the perfect query!"

Track Down Compelling Sources

Editors at bridal magazines expect you to come up with both expert and "real people" sources. You may interview former and future brides, wedding consultants, psychologists, financial professionals, religious officials, and vendors like caterers, florists and musicians. Finding the best sources may also require a little legwork, depending on the nature and complexity of the story.

"This can be tough -- in the past, I interviewed friends or friends-of-friends. However, now that I'm at the age where I don't know too many newlyweds, I have to be a little more creative," admits Onsi. "I talk to bridal consultants to see if they've had clients who fit the profile I'm looking for, I occasionally ask people I've met online on bridal message boards if they're interested in being interviewed, and finally, I ask neighbors and relatives if they know someone who fits my criteria."

Elman also casts a wide net to locate sources. "I always try to find a geographic mix of interview subjects. Weddings, and attitudes toward weddings, are quite different from region- to-region throughout the U.S. For experts, I go to groups such as the American Psychological Association. They generally provide lists of experts who are good interview subjects and amenable to talking with the press." There are also similar associations for financial planners, wedding consultants, florists, photographers, and other wedding professionals; try searching on the Internet or check The Encyclopedia of Associations, available at your local library, for relevant groups.

Pulling it Together

When you're writing the article, keep the bride's perspective in mind. Don't be preachy or suggest that there is only one right way to do things. While you'll want to offer plenty of service-related information, for the most part, keep the tone of your articles light. "Brides are stressed out as it is," says Canole. "Adding some humor to an article, whether it's dealing with relationships and in-laws, planning a reception when your parents want to invite everyone and his mother, and even a honeymoon travel piece can reveal that it's okay if some things don't go as planned."

Be aware of the stress the typical bride is under and what she wants and needs to know. "Brides face the same problems year after year, generation after generation. Though most of them have little experience in planning events, they are faced with planning the biggest event of their lives," says Elman. "They have to manage their stress. They have to cope with difficult family relationships (which seem to become ever more difficult in the months leading up to a wedding). They have to set up house -- maybe even buy a house -- decide how to manage money as couple, and plan for the future."

Consider Reprints1

One of the benefits of writing for bridal magazines is that many of the articles are evergreen, or timeless, and offer reprint opportunities. (Make sure you read your contracts carefully to confirm that you're retaining reprint rights to your work first, of course.) Smaller circulation or regional publications may be interested in purchasing reprint rights to stories originally published in national magazines -- I've resold many articles this way. While reprint fees are usually lower than what you were originally paid, it's easy money for little additional work.

As a bridal writer, you may be constantly covering the same ground but don't forget that your audience is always new. "Most women read bridal magazines only in the 18 months or so leading up to their weddings," explains Elman. "After they're married, they're pretty much through with bridal magazines, and a new crop of readers take their place."

Even if you're dedicated to a single lifestyle, you must enjoy writing about weddings and bridal topics to succeed in this field. "Your readers consider this the most important time of their lives," says Elman. "You have to feel the same way."