Branding Your Wedding: The Details

Anne had such a great idea for this little series that I thought I’d chime in with some ideas too!  My favorite part of any and all weddings are the details.  In my opinion, the truly great weddings are not the big-budget ones, they are the ones planned and executed to perfection with a fabulous attention to detail. 

So how can you be one of those weddings? 

First, as Anne said, you must think long and hard about your event and your guests – how do you want your guests to feel?  Warm, sensual, romantic, modern, rustic, comfortable, formal, personal, sleek…  How do you want your event to look?  Bright, candlelit, vibrant, playful, vintage…  What color palette embodies your vision?  What type of venue does your decision lead you toward?

Second, consider what motif, theme, fonts, and art coordinate with the above.

Third, think about yourself and your budget.  How crafty are you?  What amount of time, effort, and money are you willing to put into projects for your event (either DIY or purchased)?  How many months are there until your event?

Once you have determined your answers to the above questions, it’s time to get started.  Let’s say that your wedding is going to be personal and simple, and slightly rustic.  You love nature and want to incorporate it somehow without having a garden ceremony.  Because you are having a small wedding, you are able to cater more to your specific guest list than you would be in a larger wedding.  You want everyone to feel included because they are your closest friends and family.  Perhaps your chapel looks something like this:

rustic chapel
{One Love Photo

You have a vision of a wedding in the early summer, on Saturday morning because you’ll be getting ready when the dew is fresh on the ground and the birds are chirping in the trees.  And then it clicks… birds.  It’s the perfect motif to carry through.  And your chapel is blue, so you’re running with that color scheme.

Now the catch to the motif is that you must be selective in how you use it.  Overuse, and it looks cheesy.  Underuse, and people won’t “get” it.  Therefore, not every element should contain birds, but enough should so that the event is cohesive. 

Your save the date or invitation is the first thing that people see of your wedding so it’s certain that you want to incorporate your motif there.  Because everything your guest sees is important (you are, after all, branding your wedding), it’s also important to use the same font(s) on every piece of printed material.  Pick them early, use them always, and never stray.  The font is one of the pieces that few notice when it’s right, but many will notice if it’s wrong.

bird wedding invitation
{Bella Figura}

The guests have their invitation and their clue of the theme, motif, and decor of the event.  They can also infer this by the venue you chose, the style of dress you indicated, and the formality of your invitation.  The next thing they are going to see is your ceremony decor.  We’re applying the keep it simple rule and your beautiful chapel decor is bird-free.  But I love this DIY bird’s nest ring pillow:

bird\'s nest ring pillow
{Weddingbee

There are slight and subtle non-visual things that you can do to keep the theme going.  Perhaps people notice, perhaps they do not, but you feel better for having thought of it.  Your love poem read by your cousin includes birds.  Remember, as A. said, people use all of their senses at your wedding. 

A moment of happiness,
you and I sitting on the verandah,
apparently two, but one in soul, you and I.
We feel the flowing water of life here,
you and I, with the garden’s beauty
and the birds singing.
The stars will be watching us,
and we will show them
what it is to be a thin crescent moon.
You and I unselfed, will be together,
indifferent to idle speculation, you and I.
The parrots of heaven will be cracking sugar
as we laugh together, you and I.
In one form upon this earth,
and in another form in a timeless sweet land

{Kulliyat-e Shams via Love Poems of Rumi}

The other thing that your guests see during the ceremony, your program (as part of your printed stationery suite), should include the same birds from your invitation on the cover. 

On to your reception.  Remember, your wedding is personal and simple, but slightly rustic.  Your tablescape should be the same.  I’m loving ranunculus and hydrangea.

slightly rustic and simple reception decor 
{Kenzo tableware via Toast and Tables}

Your noon-time reception should include tea, served in this beautiful bird-themed tea set!

bird china 
{Source Perrier via {frolic!}}

I would use birds in only two more places.  In your favors (which double as place cards):

bird\'s nest favors 
{Martha Stewart}

And this adorable cake topper (on a single-color cake, remember: simple).

bird cake topper 
{Cotton Bird Designs via Weddings Start to Finish}

Don’t forget that your thank you notes are part of your wedding stationery.

bird thank you note 
{Mulberry Muse’s etsy shop}

So there you have it.  You’ve branded your wedding, with a few simple details.

E.