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Rebranding 101 for Wedding Industry Pros
In today’s episode, I’m diving deep into Rebranding 101 for Wedding Industry Pros. Think of this episode as a helpful checklist to guide you through the process of rebranding with confidence. Whether you’re a wedding planner, floral designer, photographer, venue owner, or stationary designer, I’ve designed this episode to help you figure out just how to align your rebranding project with your biggest goals.
I’m sharing the essential steps to ensure you set yourself up for success. From choosing the right time to work with a designer to clearly defining your goals and ideal clients, I’ll walk you through how to make sure your rebrand reflects your values and positions you to charge what you’re worth. Tune into the full episode above!
Must Know Steps for Rebranding as a Wedding Pro
- How to set yourself up for rebranding success by choosing the right timeline.
- The importance of brand strategy in helping you define your unique value.
- How a strategic rebrand can help you raise your rates and connect with high-end clients.
- Understanding your dream deliverables and setting a realistic budget for your rebrand.
- Why it’s important to keep your vision flexible when working with a brand designer.
Important Steps to Take on your Rebranding Journey
- Evaluate Your Calendar: Choose a time for your rebrand when you can fully engage with the process—ideally during your off-season.
- Clarify Your Goals: Be clear about your long-term business goals and how a rebrand will help you achieve them.
- Define Your Dream Deliverables: Whether it’s a new website, logo, or brand strategy, make a list of the services you need.
- Set a Realistic Budget: Know your numbers and be prepared to invest in the right designer who aligns with your vision.
- Keep Your Vision Flexible: Trust the strategy and design process. Your designer is working to bring your brand to life in the most strategic way possible.
Rebrand Your Wedding Business with Intention
If you’re ready for the support and guidance of a brand strategist and designer to help you navigate a thoughtful rebrand or refresh, I would be honored to chat with you. You can click here to book a complimentary consultation where we’ll dive into your business, your vision, and how I can serve you well.
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Please note this transcript has been auto generated and may contain typos.
Hi, friend, and welcome to the Brand Strategy Podcast, a show created to equip you with the inspiration, encouragement, and clarity you need to build a brand of your dreams. I’m your host, Bonnie Bakhtiari, brand designer, strategist, and founder of the Illume Retreat. From sustainable Strategy to heartfelt Encouragement. Each episode is designed to equip you with the tools you need to chase after your dreams because you deserve a brand that empowers you to do what you love, connects with your dream clients, and offers a deep sense of fulfillment along the way. So grab a cup of coffee and join me on this journey, won’t you?
Hey friends, welcome back to the brand strategy podcast where today we are talking about rebranding 101 for wedding industry pros think of today’s episode as a checklist if you will, a not at all comprehensive rundown of rebranding, what a professional designer wants you to know so that you can have the best experience. And so that at the end of your project you’re walking away with a new brand that not only reflects your values and positions you as the expert that you are but is one that inspires genuine human based connection with your ideal clients so that you can do what you love and you can charge exactly what you want as a result.
Now over the years that I have worked with those in the wedding industry, I have learned a thing or two about not only what it takes to craft that kind of polished elevated visual identity that inspires consistent connection, but I also know what goes into creating a brand that commands high-end rates and that truly does set you apart in an industry that oftentimes can feel a bit noisy. And you as a wedding professional, whether you are a wedding planner, you are a floral designer, you’re a photographer, you are a venue owner, you’re a stationary designer. I mean the list goes on and on and on! Regardless of your specialty regardless of your niche I know that simply because of the kind of work that you do the the season of life, so to speak, in which you are meeting your clients, I know that you pour a huge amount of care and consideration into every project you take on. I know that there’s a lot of planning that goes into the work that you do and the way that you execute at a really high level for your clients. And so now that you’re thinking about being the client and you’re thinking about working with a brand designer, a Strategist, a website designer, to take your brand to heartfelt new heights, I want to make sure that you’re taken care of and I want to make sure that your expectations are clearly defined and you know everything you need to know going into that process To make decisions that are best for you.
So with my years of experience as a brand strategist and designer, I want to just kind of walk you through a couple things that I think will set you up for success. The kind of things that I believe, from my perspective at least, will equip you to get the most out of a rebranding project and will ensure that you are partnering with the right kind of professionals to help you execute that vision. So with that in mind, let’s get into it!
All right first up my tip is to really think about how to set up your project for success from the get-go and one specific way you can do that is to look very analytically at your calendar and be very honest with yourself about your availability I have worked with wedding pros who were trying to fit in a full rebrand like full visual identity brand strategy custom website design copywriting like the whole thing In the thick of wedding season and let me tell you It’s hard. It’s hard for them to have that additional workload added on in the midst of you know, back-to-back weddings on the weekends and so sometimes life happens. Sometimes that is truly the only time you have available or maybe you are an incredible human that just like thrives with an overflowing plate and that is exactly the kind of like demand on your time and energy that you want to experience, you know, everyone’s different.
But for most projects I recommend finding time during a slow season finding time during your off season where you can really dig into the process with my clients because we start every project with brand strategy as the cornerstone of the work that we’re doing we take a lot of time to really do that research and to dig deep into your specific business and learn what sets you apart and what you stand for and how your work is different and exactly who it is that you serve and all of these things take some time and it’s also a collaborative process, right? Like I can’t start with a new client and just like imagine this stuff I need to I need to partner with my clients and and kind of pull that information from them so doing that at a time when they have the availability to hop on strategy calls with me when they have the capacity to sit down and work through like pre-session homework that I send over that is so incredibly helpful And I find that when my clients are able to invest in that initial strategy process It provides so much clarity not just for me as the designer, but for them as the business owner like I have received such incredible feedback from clients saying that like wow I never you know before sitting down and working through these exercises or before hopping on a call with you and talking through these components of my brand strategy. I never had that much clarity around you know, what makes me different or the unique way that I approach the work that I do and how that sets me apart from others or they’ll walk away with a newfound appreciation for the why behind their work and in a lot of cases because of that newfound insight I’ve even heard that for my clients who choose to write their own copy, copywriting becomes so much easier because they have this clarity. They have these messaging themes clearly defined they have ideas about keywords even and you know specific phrases that that work for their ideal clients and that feel very reflective of who they are and the unique story they have to tell. So all of that being said, that’s a process that takes time so I highly recommend looking at your schedule and like ideally kind of setting yourself up with a schedule that works for you.
Now one note about that every designers availability is different. So you might have your heart set on working with like one specific designer and their availability doesn’t quite perfectly align with your availability. That’s something that I encourage you to think about like is is it does it have to be this designer or it’s nobody or Is there some flexibility there in terms of who you work with or can your timeline be changed in any way so that you do kind of get to work with that dream designer? But it’s still done in a way that that works for you. So, you know do you kind of like go into that a little bit a little bit loosely and I also want to say that from the perspective of a professional designer.
And be realistic about your time frames. Like if you’re wanting to launch yesterday and you come to us today and you’re inquiring about getting started, you know, right now that might not be feasible. So be flexible if you can be open to you know working with a person that you feel aligned with and you can trust that their approach is going to deliver the results that you’re looking for. So speaking of having a realistic timeline and in my last episode I was talking about getting your brand ready for engagement season. This is going live and it’s October. December and all of the engagements that happen during the winter holidays are coming up soon, and so if you’re wanting to launch a brand at the top of the new year that you know January 2025, depending on the scope of your project, that may or may not be possible.
And so I recommend to be really proactive about a rebrand please please reach out to the designers that you’re interested in working with and get on those discovery calls with them or have those coffee chats with them sooner rather than later because in a lot of cases, I can speak for myself at least, I know that in my schedule I have a lot of flexibility in the sense of you know I’m happy to book out in advance in a time frame that works with your slow season. Like if you’re wanting to use if you’re wanting to get started in January and you’re wanting to use that slow season to rebrand your business and to dive into that strategy work and the design work that comes after, you know, that is definitely something that a lot of designers can do. But also you know going into a project like a full rebrand… that is a labor of love and it’s very collaborative. So I highly recommend having a conversation with the professionals that you’re interested in working with specifically and asking them questions about what is their time frame? Like what is their turn time like so not only how soon can they get started, but when you work together depending on the scope of your project how long does that usually take for them? And then from there you can figure out things like okay like a tentative realistic launch date. So going into that and just having those conversations that is going to set you and your designer up for success.
And thinking about what other things will set you and your designer up for success. I highly encourage you to think about What your goals are for your rebrand? So how will this decision help your business grow a lot of the time when I am? Chatting with a potential client and we’re talking about the vision for the rebrand or for the new brand I hear a lot of big-picture goals and that makes me so excited because as a designer and strategist that gives me the insight that I need to start thinking about exactly the kind of brands that will be required to help my client reach those specific goals. So if you are thinking that you want to rebrand because you want to reach high-end clients that’s important information. That’s important information for you to know but also for your designer to know if you’re wanting to craft the kind of brand that positions you as the go-to expert in a crowded industry. You know, that tells me okay so not only do we need to think about how we’re positioning you but we also want to be very strategic with things like SEO and keywords and some of the messaging that would be a part of that project and how we’re positioning you online so there are lots of things that will Influence the kind of work that is required in order for you to reach the outcome that you want but being honest with yourself about how you want to grow and how you believe your brand will help you get there. That will provide a lot of guidance not only for you but for the professionals that you need to work with in order to make that happen.
In some cases you might find that you think that you need to do this big huge rebrand like for example, I was chatting with someone a couple weeks ago and they were saying I’m concerned that I might need to change my business name. And we started talking about it and I realized that you know, they were essentially overthinking it and it wasn’t that their business name was the problem. It was that it wasn’t a naming issue It was a messaging issue. The the name of the business wasn’t the problem. It was the lack of clarity around how to communicate a unique value proposition and how to stand out in a crowded industry that was actually the issue. So like going into conversations with that information, it can inform some of the choices that are required in the long run.
Now, you know your goals you are, you know your availability you are getting realistic timelines outlined for yourself Now is the time to start making a list of your dream deliverables. So just a minute ago we were talking about You know, what’s the outcome that you want to experience and how will this new brand help you? How will that change your life for your business and what long-term goals? Can you reach as a result? So from there from your perspective, what are the things that you need to have in order to make that happen? some examples of that would be brand strategy visual identity so visual identity is going to include include everything from logo design Alternate marks colors, you know type hierarchy All of those kinds of things are going to go into visual identity. You might need a new website you might need Unless you have skill and interest in writing your own copy custom copywriting could be you know a part of it. Do you need printed materials? Do you need packaging design? There’s a lot of different things to to think through but you sitting down just kind of initially and starting to come up with a list that can help you in a lot of different ways in terms of finding the right kind of designer that can do all of that for you. Some people some people can do everything and they can offer that very all-encompassing sort of service. Some cases depending on your needs you might need to hire out multiple creatives or you might need to hire an agency who have multiple people in-house who can do those things for you. and also knowing your dream deliverables will help you figure out what a realistic budget is.
So once you start to figure out what it is that you actually want or need, let’s think about what’s the investment required to do those things and to do them. Well now I have over the years I have not only worked with incredible wedding industry pros at different points in their journeys. And so they had different budgets, but also as a service provider in the creative industry, I have myself been at different points in my career where I had different resources available to invest at different levels. So if you’re thinking about doing, you know, this like really deep intensively custom completely comprehensive rebrand that covers everything from strategy to web design copywriting and printed materials, but your budget is like $20, that is going to be not impossible but that is going to be a creative challenge. And whereas if you’re looking at doing this very comprehensive process and and project that can range depending on who you’re inquiring with now.
Looking at your budget and only you can really make that that choice you if you have a CPA or a bookkeeper or a financial professional and that’s maybe the only other kind of person that could have that conversation with you. It’s important that you know your numbers and you know, what works for you. I never like to encourage people to go into debt to do something like this this is an investment in your business. However, and so for some designers that is inexpensive investment, but I say, you know, I say don’t go into debt. Honestly, I’m gonna actually retract that that’s me projecting what I how I look at it and how I would choose to do it or not do it but everybody has a different relationship with money. And so I’m actually this is me in real time realizing that I’m not gonna put myself in your pockets. So you do what works for you and you do what you feel comfortable with that’s really what I’m trying to say. You invest an amount that you feel comfortable with and that works with your budget.
And in my experience investing in done-for-you branding at a high level does have a very clear and measurable return on that investment and I’m so incredibly honored that over the years my clients after launching are able to not only make back their investments quickly oftentimes within a couple of days, but they’re able to exceed that initial investment and and watching the way that they’re able to raise their their prices and consistently connect with high-end clients, you know, I’m talking like double triple plus like their previous price points. They just keep raising them and raising them and it is the best feeling because when you have a brand that positions you as the expert that you are it commands this level of respect and if you’re doing that well, and you are communicating how your work provides a direct transformation for your ideal client. Then the people who are able to invest are are showing up and they’re they’re not only inquiring but they’re booking and it just as a designer, it’s a great feeling to see my clients experience that kind of success. And I am just endlessly humbled to get to play any small part in that process for them.
So that is a very wordy way of me saying know your budget. And it’s okay to be flexible, it’s okay to go into some conversations or to land on some websites and not really know what you’re looking for. I definitely recommend like doing your research and figuring out what you think is is the industry standard for the level of work you’re looking for and and then having conversations if you’re interested with designers so that you can see more about their process. As an example you know, I can very easily speak to my own process as the designer, but with every project I take on payment plans are the norm where I am NOT gonna sign on with the client and require a massive like project fee up front. Instead, there’s a 25% retainer payment which is 25% of the project total and then the remaining project balance is split into monthly payments and that 25% retainer reserves the project reserves the start date in my calendar, makes it all official, and then the remaining project balance being split into monthly payments that extends it throughout the actual scope of the project and so what that does is it ensures that my clients are able to You know complete that investment in a way that works for them, but also we are coordinating the delivery of final assets with final payments, so you know it it’s not like a it’s not a situation where a Lot of money is due up front and and things are not Delivered in a timely fashion, you know, it’s that I Think that every person every service provider does it differently, but especially for those of us who work with People over extended periods of time like your your client process extends over months and months and months payment plans just make it easier for everybody.
Yeah with that in mind have conversations and look at your money look at your numbers figure out what feels good What works for you and you should have a lot of options without information in hand. Okay, then thinking about your Dream deliverables thinking about your ideal timeline the the budget that you have available Thinking about all of these things Hopefully at that point in time you have had a conversation or two with your dream designer You are finding people who are a great fit Maybe you’ve even signed on with someone which is so exciting. And now it’s your turn to be the client and Your designer should have a process in place that walks you through everything that’s needed You should not have to be sending emails asking. Hey, what’s next or what do you need for me? Your your professionals should absolutely have steps in place that and they preemptively are answering any questions and that are guiding you through every single step of the way. At least that’s how my process is set up.
But one thing that I do want to encourage you to think about is When you are the client and when you are working through a rebranding process with your newly booked designer Who’s going to guide you through this incredible process? I want you to Keep your vision loose what I mean by that is If you are working with a designer who does strategy as part of their process It does not make sense for you to come into those conversations Already knowing exactly what you want the visuals to look like because in a lot of ways strategy informs the design decisions that are required to bring your project to life.
One way of thinking about this a couple About a month or so ago, I think I was on a discovery call with someone and I’m just this incredible wedding industry pro and She and I were talking and about her project and she asked me a question of you know Hey what would you say that your design style is like I’ve been chatting with people and I you know spoke with another designer who was Really talented, but she said that her designs were always muted and it was always neutrals and that was like those were the brands that she excelled at creating and that was her like signature look. And First of all, like absolutely no shade, No disrespect to designers that have a signature aesthetic. I love that for you And I love that you are carving out a niche for yourself as the go-to people for that specific aesthetic. But I will say personally My design style is the design style that is required to bring my clients project to life in the most strategic way possible. So while I personally might you know trend towards more like fine line illustrations and very feminine classic design, That is not going to be the solution Aesthetically for quite a few of my clients brands. So it wouldn’t make sense for me to try to superimpose my style Into that clients project.
No instead what I do is I look at the strategy work that we’re doing and then I look at Okay, what is the what are the design decisions that will inspire trust from my clients ideal client? What are the design decisions that will honor the vision that we’re creating here? And so that is is very much it’s kind of like this very living breathing like organic kind of process and So for me everything from color to type to illustrations all of that comes from that initial strategy work so Working with someone who comes in, you know, like on day one and is like I am picturing this Very specific aesthetic with these very specific colors and there’s no flexibility Well that makes things kind of complicated so instead if you could kind of reframe your perspective of Okay, I want to work with a designer who’s going to create the best brand for me and the kind of brand that is going to inspire The results that I’m looking to experience that it’s gonna make that happen That’s what’s gonna be best for you in the long run now with that being said Especially if you are rebranding if you are working with an existing brand and you’re wanting to make changes there are Opportunities in a lot of cases to keep some design elements So your color palette for example could carry over there could be elements of an original Icon or sets of illustrations or logo marks that could be tweaked It’s entirely possible though that if you’re going through a really big pivot and you’re completely Trying to target a brand new ideal client that None of that might carry over.
So what I’m what I’m saying is I I ask you to be flexible and I ask you to be curious Throughout the process and be an engaged and active participant through the design process so that your designer can point you towards the the Essentially the graphic solutions that are going to help you reach your goals. That’s as designers. That’s what we’re doing We’re you know, not just pushing pixels around and it’ll be illustrator all day We’re trying to create visual solutions that are going to Align with the goals that you have.
So to recap what we’ve been talking about so far I encourage you if you’re going through the rebranding process as a wedding pro to Be honest with yourself about your availability and to book your project when you can fully engage in the process Because if you have the capacity and the space to dive into a process like this, honestly, you can have a lot of fun with it and Be realistic in your timelines and you know talk with with designers talk with your Ideal service providers to figure out what is doable know your goals going into it so identify how this is going to help be clear about what your dream deliverables are so that you know the scope of the project and be honest with yourself about your budget so that you can make investments that serve you best and Keep your vision loose.Be flexible. Have fun with it.
Of course, that’s not like the end-all be-all when it comes to rebranding But if I can just be your like friendly neighborhood brand designer for a second and kind of give you a little crash course About this process I think that those are some things that are gonna set you up for a really big success as you’re Entering into that season and you’re going to rebrand your incredible business and if you’re looking for some support throughout that process, I would absolutely love to walk with you through that journey and I would be so incredibly honored to be considered as your brand strategist and designer.
I can be reached at BisforBonniedesign.com/contact that is the quickest way to fill out that form and then you can book a complimentary consult call with me where we can chat more about your vision and Your project and you know what you’re dreaming up and how I could potentially Serve you throughout that journey.And so with that being said, I currently have some availability in my design calendar booking new branding projects and would love to chat with you I hope that today’s episode leaves you with some food for thought some good things to consider and That you’re able to move into the coming months with more clarity around how you want your brand to evolve to continue to serve you and your incredible couples through the coming months in years. You know, this is a time of year when a lot of us were focusing on finishing strong, but it’s also a great time for us to start to be strategically thinking about what do we want to experience in 2025, and what are some of those goals we want to pursue? And potentially rebranding your wedding industry business could be one of those things! And if so, I hope this episode sets you up for success. And if you’re interested in learning more about working together, I can’t wait to chat with you. Thank you so much for sharing part of your day with me in this way. And until next time, I’m cheering you on from Waco.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Friend, before you go, I would be so grateful to receive your feedback on the brand strategy podcast. If you enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general has helped you grow your brand, I’d really appreciate it if you left us a review in iTunes. Your positive reviews enable the brand strategy podcast to continue to grow and reach like-minded creatives just like you. Thank you for all your support and encouragement as together we pursue building brands with purpose and intention. Until next time, I’m cheering you on from Waco.
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