Behind the scenes of my photography rebrand
Let me preface this post by saying: rebranding an established wedding photography business is no joke. This project has occupied me behind the scenes since November of last year.
The amount of work that goes into something like this has been challenging and trying on my patience. I’ve been pushed outside of my comfort zone more times than I can count.
But after 4 years of being a full-time wedding photographer, I feel like I’m finally stepping into my own. I’ve taken ownership of my voice and where I stand in this quirky industry. And it feels good.
Thank you to all of the creative powerhouses who helped bring this rebrand to life. This has been a real labor of love and I’m excited to share this journey with you. Only good on the horizon.
My Niche: Intimate Wedding & Elopement Photography
Like this rebrand, this full-on leap into a niche in the wedding industry has been a long time coming. At first, I quietly introduced it into my “title” and a few captions on social media. But now I’m diving in, with my whole heart.
The majority of my work within the last two years has already been capturing small wedding days and elopements. I just feel like somewhere along the way, my voice got stifled trying to effectively reach all of you.
Elopements and intimate weddings feel so much different than big, traditional weddings…because they are. My couple’s priorities are different. And from experience, I know they require a more hands-on photography approach as well.
Intimate settings like these highlight relationships and connection. The emphasis is on the people, not the production, and every person in attendance is someone very dear to my couples. It’s a huge privilege to be welcomed into your inner circle like that.
Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the big weddings I’ve been able to capture throughout the years. I am so grateful for all of the couples I’ve been connected with. If we worked together in that kind of setting, it’s because I love the people that you are.
This transition felt natural and I know I’m at a place to serve you an even better experience because of it. You can start by checking out some of my newest resource articles on the blog!
- 10 Reasons to Have an Intimate Wedding
- 5 Reasons You Should Just Elope
- How to Plan a More Meaningful Wedding Day
Brainstorming Logo Ideas
Alejandro Gomez, the illustrative genius behind The Lovely Savage, designed my new logo. To me, Ale’s work carries a sense of nostalgia and timelessness….like artwork you would find in an antique book. Surrealism meets realism. Any of his creations could easily translate into a badass tattoo.
I wanted to give Ale some creative freedom in the design process to produce something unique. Honestly, I had no idea what I actually wanted or what felt like the best representation of my work. Instead of looking at examples of other logos to model, I created a mood board of quotes, colors, and music. (That he either hates or loves me for)!
It was important to me that this design could stand to be admired by itself, without my name as a focal point. One of my favorite parts of the wedding photography process is delivering tangible goods to my couples, like albums. This element of my brand needed to feel more fluid to be included, instead of just stamping my name everywhere.
And for kicks, let’s not forget the most important reason I decided to forge ahead with a new logo. One of my good friends pointed out to me last year the irony in the old design. Two stalks of wheat bordering my name….AND I CAN’T EVEN EAT WHEAT. I’m celiac. Yup, it was definitely time for a change!
The Dragonfly and What it Means
So Ale let me feed him all sorts of rambling ideas. After a few weeks of trading inspiration, he came up with the dragonfly. It surprised me, then the meaning immediately resonated.
In almost every culture, dragonflies symbolize change, adaptability, transformation, and self-realization. To borrow from pages on the interwebs about dragonflies:
“A dragonfly’s flight across the water represents an act of going beyond what’s on the surface and looking into the deeper implications and aspects of life.”
Woah. Kind of hit the nail on the head there. The more I read into this creature, the deeper I connected with it. I love that Ale also incorporated a trio of flowers. The number 3 has its own spiritual significance…and the flowers kind of resemble a magnolia (one of my favorites).
Copy and Content That Feels Like Me
You want to know what the scariest part or rebranding was for me? Writing new copy! DUN, DUN, DUUUN!
I had a serious problem of letting go of old words…like a hoarder. The copy of my old site sounded pretty, but kind of emotionally distant. I’m all about connection in my work and for a long time, that copy just didn’t sit right.
I may be a deep feeler, but I’m not all business when it comes to my business. I have a dry sense of humor and a more playful nature when I’m being my realest self. I wanted my couples to feel like they could get to know me, even before reaching out.
That’s where Allison came in. Allison Gower is one of my friends from college and a self-proclaimed writing guru. She built her talent for words into a business and helps creatives from all kinds of industries unlock their true brand personalities.
When it comes to asking for help, I’ve got problems. Reaching out to Allison was a HUGE step. She gave me all kinds of brand homework that made me get real deep with myself. I felt like I had mini epiphanies every time we sat down to brainstorm content.
If writing about yourself or your brand is something you struggle with too, I can’t recommend Allison’s services enough. She will give you a path and a purpose.
Not Just a Website, An Experience
I owe the biggest thank you of all to Phyllis Sa Design. She is the mastermind behind my new website. She has been nothing but steadfast, kind, and incredibly patient with me, even when I continually pushed deadlines. (So sorry, but you’re a saint!)
I’ve been burned in the past working with large website design companies…they just can’t deliver the same kind of hands-on experience. Every project is a notch in the belt to them, routine and mundane.
It was so refreshing to physically meet with Phyllis to talk strategies (she is local to San Diego!) In the brainstorming phase, I emphasized how much I wanted my website to feel like an experience. I wanted the content and images to compliment each other, set with a simple and functional design.
We tried to hit all of our own pain points with user functionality. No static dead ends or hard to read text. There is always something new to explore and a roadmap to follow!
Thank you again Phyllis, for all of your hard work.
And last but not least, a shout out to my friends Kadi Tobin, Corinne Alexandra, and Yannick Zurflueh for the photos of me and Andrew around the site. You guys rock!
If you made it through, thank you for your time and being here with me in this new chapter. There is SO much other good stuff to explore around the website! Get to know me better and what the experience will feel like, or check out some of the new stories on my blog!
– Paige
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