Two Bright Lights

What Two Bright Lights does

Two Bright Lights (TwoBrightLights, Inc) is a cloud-based submission and publication platform that connects photographers, event vendors, and videographers with editors at hundreds of wedding and lifestyle publications. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Francisco, it operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Knot Worldwide Inc. The core platform enables users to upload image and video albums (up to 2,000 images per album) and submit them to a curated network of blogs, websites, and print magazines. Core products include Open Gallery (a reverse-submission module powered by image reading technology that auto-categorizes uploads and lets editors search and request content), Client Questionnaire (vendor and story collection), Matching Tool (personalized publication recommendations), Built-in Vendor Tagging, Editor Profile Pages, Editor's Request, in-platform Messaging, and Real Time Updates. The technology stack includes image recognition for content discovery and native integrations with Dropbox, ShootProof, Zenfolio, and SmugMug for frictionless photo import.

The business model is subscription-based with a freemium entry point. Pricing is publicly disclosed at $16.95/month or $169.95/year for premium submissions to 500+ publications, while users affiliated with The Knot family of publications receive free upgraded accounts for submission to those titles. Go-to-market is predominantly product-led and self-serve, supplemented by content marketing via the WeddingPro blog, organic social (Facebook, Instagram), and word-of-mouth referrals from a user base of more than 37,000 photographers and 36,000 vendors that has collectively enabled over 100,000 editorial features. Distribution is materially augmented by The Knot Worldwide's broader wedding-industry network (The Knot, The Bump, The Bash, HowTheyAsked). Revenue figures are not disclosed; the company does not publish funding history and operates with a small (1-10) headcount, consistent with a lean operating model under its parent conglomerate.

Name

Two Bright Lights

Legal name

Two Bright Lights

Website

https://www.twobrightlights.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Two Bright Lights is the simplest tool for photographers, planners, and other creatives to get the work featured in hundreds of blogs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photo Submission and Editorial Publishing Software

NAICS

Photographic Services (54192), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Party Photography & Videography Services (HSACACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reception Planning & Guest Experience (Seating, Favors, Hospitality) (HSACABAM), Cloud Editing & Finishing Platforms (NLE in cloud, conform, color) (MPAHANAA)

Keywords

• Photo submission platform
• Wedding publication software
• Editorial content distribution
• Creative submission tools
• Image recognition publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Premium Subscription - Annual: Annual subscription model offering access to submit to hundreds of publications. Discounted rate for annual commitment.
2. Premium Subscription - Monthly: Monthly subscription model with higher per-month rate but no annual commitment required.
3. Basic/Free Submission: Free submission to The Knot family of publications. Premium subscription required for 500+ additional publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Two Bright Lights operates a cloud-based submission platform that enables photographers, planners, venues, and other wedding industry creatives to upload photo and video albums and submit them to editors at hundreds of wedding and lifestyle publications. The platform streamlines the publication workflow through automated content categorization, client questionnaires, vendor tagging, publication matching, and direct editor messaging, with a reverse-submission Open Gallery feature allowing editors to discover submitters directly.

Product overview

Two Bright Lights is a cloud-based submission and publication platform that connects photographers, planners, venues, and other creatives with editors at hundreds of wedding and lifestyle publications. The core platform enables submitters to upload image albums (up to 2,000 images per album), submit to publications, and track publication status. Key modules include Open Gallery (reverse-submission discovery), Client Questionnaire (for collecting client stories), Matching Tool (personalized publication recommendations), Built-in Vendor Tagging, Real Time Updates, Editor Profile Pages, Editor's Request (content requests), and Messaging. The platform integrates with Dropbox, ShootProof, Zenfolio, and SmugMug for importing photos. Pricing is available at $169.95/year or $16.95/month for submitters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Two Bright Lights Platform Cloud-based all-in-one platform enabling photographers, planners, venues, and other wedding industry creatives to upload photo and video albums (up to 2,000 images per album) and submit them to editors at hundreds of wedding and lifestyle publications. Tracks submission status, manages editorial workflow, and streamlines the publication process from upload to feature.
• Open Gallery Reverse-submission feature that enables submitters to opt their uploaded albums into an automatically discoverable gallery. Editors can search and discover content using image recognition technology, then request to publish specific work directly. Protected by watermarks on previewed photos and direct content use approvals.

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• DropboxcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration allows submitters to quickly import albums from their Dropbox accounts, facilitating seamless photo upload workflow.
• ShootProofcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration enables photographers using ShootProof to easily transfer their galleries to Two Bright Lights for submission to publications.
• ZenfoliocoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration allows Zenfolio users to connect their galleries to Two Bright Lights for streamlined submission workflows.
• SmugMugcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration enables SmugMug users to import their photo galleries directly into Two Bright Lights for publication submissions.
• The Knot Worldwide (Parent Company)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo Bright Lights is owned and operated by The Knot Worldwide Inc., a leading wedding industry marketplace. This provides access to The Knot, The Bump, The Bash, and other wedding brands for content distribution and user acquisition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SmugMug: Photo hosting, portfolio, and ecommerce platform for photographers. Directly comparable as a TBL integration partner serving the same photographer customer with portfolio, storage, and selling capabilities.
• Zenfolio: Photo gallery, proofing, and ecommerce platform for professional photographers. Comparable as a TBL integration partner serving SMB photographers with overlapping gallery and delivery workflow functionality.
• ShootProof: Photo gallery and business management platform for professional photographers. Directly comparable because it serves the same photographer SMB customer base with delivery, proofing, and now storefront tools — overlapping both integration partnership and workflow positioning with Two Bright Lights.
• Pic-Time: Cloud-based gallery, album design, and sales platform for wedding and portrait photographers. Comparable as a SaaS workflow tool sold to the same wedding/portrait photographer segment that TBL serves, with overlapping feature scope in delivery and client experience.
• Pixieset: Online gallery, website builder, and studio management platform aimed at photographers. Comparable as a subscription SaaS product serving SMB photographers in wedding/lifestyle categories with workflow and client-facing tools.
• Junebug Weddings: Wedding editorial publication and vendor directory featuring real weddings, styled shoots, and vendor showcases. Directly comparable as both a publisher sourcing content from wedding creatives and a venue where TBL users get published, occupying part of the same content marketplace.

Broad incumbents

• HoneyBook: Business management and CRM platform for wedding and event creatives. Comparable because it serves the same small-business creative customer base (photographers, planners, vendors) with workflow tools, though its focus is client/contract management rather than editorial submission.
• The Knot Marketplace: The Knot Worldwide's flagship wedding vendor marketplace and editorial site. Directly comparable as the parent company/sister brand providing distribution, free submission tier, and editorial demand to Two Bright Lights, and as the dominant wedding vendor discovery platform.

Emerging players

• Here Comes The Guide: Wedding vendor directory and editorial site with inspiration galleries. Comparable as a publisher and lead-generation destination for wedding creatives that overlaps the demand-side of TBL's network.
• Aisle Planner: Planning, CRM, and proposal software for wedding planners and venues. Comparable because it serves the same wedding-vendor SMB customer segment with workflow SaaS, partially overlapping with TBL's vendor personas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/twobrightlights
• Instagraminstagram.com/twobrightlights
• Xx.com/twobrightlights

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Two Bright Lights