WEDDING BELLES EVENTS
BRAND STRATEGY ✷ LOGO ✷ BRAND IDENTITY ✷ WEBSITE ✷ PRINT & DIGITAL COLLATERAL
Katie founded Wedding Belles Events so that she could do what she loves for a living and create a lifestyle that would accommodate the family she and her husband were planning for.
Wanting to move quickly, she threw together a logo and website “knowing that it wasn’t long-term.” Less than a year later, Katie hired me to develop her brand and redesign her website.
Katie had worked really hard on her business and wanted her brand to represent that—she felt that it currently didn’t reflect the quality of her service or her professionalism. And in a saturated market, she needed to stand out.
After clarifying her vision through a brand strategy and moodboard, we developed a rustic, romantic brand identity based on her philosophy that “weddings, like relationships, can be imperfect but completely beautiful.”
To portray this in the logo, I combined a script typeface with a distressed texture.
The circle in the abbreviated logo mark symbolizes eternity (like a wedding band), while also hinting at the rustic aesthetic of a branding iron.
“Anika brought my vision to life, while adding lots of coolness of her own. I absolutely love it.”
KATIE ✷ EVENT PLANNER
After launching her new online presence, Katie saw a huge boost in her website’s ranking and client inquiries.
Soon, she was working 30 weddings a year and turning many clients down.
Eventually, Katie grew her business to a team of three and shortly after, they were featured in WeddingStar magazine.
Cue the champagne toast!
KATIE ✷ EVENT PLANNER
“You cannot put a price on your online presence and the perception of your brand—you just can’t. The value it will bring is tremendous. When you put that much thought and effort into your brand, it tells people that you care that much about your product or service.”
Q&A
What was your process like for creating your initial branding?
I didn’t really think that much about my brand at first—I was just trying to get up and running as quickly as possible.
I purchased my first website from Fiverr. My husband created a logo for me (he’s an engineer, not a graphic designer!) and I picked out a few stock photos. Looking back, they were super dated and I was like, “why did I pick that?!”
Why did you decide to rebrand?
It was just time; I had thrown my website and logo together knowing it wasn’t long-term. I was ready to look more professional. I had worked really hard on my business and I wanted a brand that reflected that.
How has your new brand and website affected your business?
Honestly, a huge part of why my business has done so well is because of my branding and website. So many clients come to me and tell me how much they love my website. I get emails every week from brides wanting to get started without even knowing my pricing. Some will even change their wedding date to fit around my schedule!
Was there anything you were surprised by?
I was amazed at how highly ranked my website was in SEO after the redesign—even though I haven’t been active on social media or my blog. I’ve had people tell me that Google uses my website to promote their services to other wedding planners in my area, like “don’t you want your website to perform as well as Wedding Belles?”
How has your rebrand affected how you feel about your business?
After my rebrand, any bride that emailed me I felt like I didn’t have to sell myself. Most people that come to me now are ready to work with me, and that makes me feel really good. My website and brand has sold them before they contacted me!
What advice would you give other entrepreneurs considering a rebrand?
Your website is like your business card times a million. You cannot put a price on your online presence and the perception of your brand—you just can’t. The value it will bring is tremendous. When you put that much thought and effort into your brand, it tells people that you care that much about your product or service.