Arkansas Bride
About Arkansas Bride
Since 1990, Arkansas Bride has been the No. 1 resource for Natural State brides planning their big day. It's not only the biggest bridal magazine in the state, but it is also the best online tool for soon-to-be newlyweds in search of vendors and inspiration. The magazine is published twice a year, with Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter issues. The editorial content includes a guide to 700-plus Arkansas wedding professionals, inspiring Real Weddings, styled shoots, beautiful floral and fashion shoots, and so much more! And a special supplement – Hot Springs Wedding Planner – is included inside each issue too!
About The Project
Mission: Deliver a mobile-first platform redesign for Arkansas's premier bridal publication, implementing a self-service vendor portal that automates the listing update workflow previously handled manually via phone and email—supporting 800+ wedding professionals and integrating with print publication processes.
Technologies Used: Laravel (PHP Backend Framework), Laravel Notifications (Automated Email Workflows), Laravel Authentication (Passwordless Login System), Tailwind CSS (Utility-First Styling), Revision Control System, MySQL (Database), Mobile-First Responsive Design.
Links
Before: From the Web Archives
After: From the Web Archives (Note: The site has since been rebuilt in WordPress; this archive link shows my Laravel build)
Summary
This was my first major industry project executed nearly independently, and it marked our team's transition from Bootstrap to Tailwind CSS as our frontend framework. The centerpiece deliverable was a sophisticated vendor self-service portal replacing a manual phone/email workflow for 800+ wedding professionals.
Key System Features:
- Passwordless Authentication: Vendors request secure, time-limited login links—eliminating password management friction while maintaining security through server-validated, expiring parameters.
- Revision-Based Workflow: Listing updates are saved as revisions rather than immediately publishing. The editorial team receives automated notifications via Laravel's Notification system to review submissions for quality and accuracy.
- Approval Pipeline: Editors approve or reject revisions through an intuitive admin interface. Approved changes automatically propagate to production, triggering confirmation notifications to vendors.
- Print Integration: The same vendor data powers both the website and the bi-annual print magazine, ensuring consistency across digital and physical publications.
This project required architecting a complex multi-stakeholder workflow with extensive edge case handling and thorough testing to ensure reliable operation at scale—transforming a manual process into a fully automated, self-service system.