Your Ultimate Guide to Understanding What Branding Is and Why You Need It 

Hey! Welcome back to the Kelly Ryann Co. blog! This is the home of professional branding and website design for wedding vendors! Are you a wedding photographer? A florist? A wedding planner?

You’re among friends.

I’ve worked with all sorts of wedding professionals, helping them stand out in a crowded market and connect with their dream couples! And I can do it for you, too. 

My last blog gave you 10 questions to ask yourself about your wedding brand. So today, we’re going to dive deeper into:

• What branding is

• Why it matters

• And the details behind my very own brand package!

What is Branding? 

Here’s a hot take. As a wedding professional, you’re not selling a product or service. You’re selling an experience. 

Sure, if you’re a wedding photographer, you’re 100% going to deliver a stunning gallery of photos. But more than that, you make your couples feel relaxed in front of the camera. You let them be in the moment while you make sure that each special moment is recorded. 

If you’re a wedding florist, yeah, you’re going to deliver flowers. But what you’re really doing is creating an atmosphere! You’re turning a normal venue into a fairytale. 

If you’re a wedding planner, of course, you’re going to help your couples plan and execute their wedding day. But really, they’re paying you for peace of mind. You are there to make sure your couple can be fully present without worrying about the wedding cake falling over. 

See what I mean? 

Well, this is the power of branding. Your brand shows clients what kind of experience you offer. It sets you apart from those who sell the same service. And it helps your clients associate your name with the services you offer. 

When you invest in professional brand design, you get: 

• A business identity 

• Clarity in your marketing efforts

• Consistency across all marketing channels 

• Alignment with your dream clients

• The ability to stand out in a crowded market

• An elevated client experience

So the real question is, why wouldn’t you invest in professional branding?

Branding for Wedding Pros: A Kelly Ryann Co. Specialty 

Fun fact: when I started my business, I focused solely on web design. But I quickly learned that web design isn’t complete without branding. 

I can’t make a website look and feel like you if you don’t know what you want your business to look and feel like. I can’t design something that reflects who you are as a business owner if you haven’t figured that out yet, either. 

And so I learned how to create brand identities for my clients! I learned everything that went into creating a strong brand. And sure, a lot of it is about color, spacing, typography, etc. But even more of it is about who you are. 

Your brand is about why you started your wedding business. Your brand is about the people who helped you get here. Your brand is about the lifestyle your business lets you live. Your brand is about your passion. 

Your brand is all about YOU.

For a lot of small business owners, that can feel intimidating. I get it! I don’t love being the center of attention, either. But whether you like it or not, your wedding business is an extension of you.

This doesn’t mean you need photos of your face everywhere. (Though having at least one goes a long way in building client trust! But we can talk about that later). This just means that you get to let your creative side loose. It means being yourself and finding people you just click with. 

When branding is done well, you should feel relieved. You should feel confident and excited! It’s like watching your kids nail a piano recital, or get the last goal in their little league soccer game. 

Hey, that’s your business! Look at it go!!

My Branding Strategy for Your Wedding Business 

Over the past two years as a full-time brand designer for wedding professionals, I’ve established a unique, strategy-first approach to designing a wedding brand. 

I always start with an in-depth questionnaire followed by a two-hour brand strategy meeting. This might sound like a long time, but I promise, we will have plenty to talk about. This call is like business therapy – it’s where you share your biggest dreams and all the ways you want your wedding business to look, feel, change, and grow.  

In this meeting, I share some behind-the-scenes about branding and how we give your wedding business a simple, recognizable, memorable look. 

Next, I send you the Brand Brief. This is an all-encompassing document about you, your wedding business, and your brand. I include everything I learned in our brand strategy meeting and the way I’m picturing your brand. This is like a how-to guide and brand personality all wrapped up in one document. 

Then it’s time for me to start creating! (Woohoo!) I pull together a mood board, a color palette, typography suites, pictures, doodles, and anything else that feels like you. I’ll send all this to you to make sure we’re on the same page.

After we’ve clarified your vision, it’s time to deliver your complete brand package. If you weren’t already excited, you definitely should be now. 

The Complete Brand Package Deliverables 

With the complete brand package, you receive: 

1. Strategy Session

We technically just covered this. But it’s like, really important, so I’m mentioning it again. Everything we do with your brand starts here. Because I believe so strongly that your brand is an extension of you, I’m not content with just sending you a questionnaire. I need to get to know you! How you talk, what makes your eyes light up, the parts of business you hate… all of it. 

2. A Full Logo Kit 

This includes your primary logo (the one you’ll use the most) and a secondary logo (a smaller, simplified version of the primary logo). You’ll also get a brand mark, which is a small visual associated with your brand! 

This example shows a logo kit designed for Jeslyn Yvonne Photography, a western, ranch-style wedding photographer in Reno-Tahoe. This design was made in 2023.

3. Branded Color Palette 

You’ll receive four to eight colors that best represent your brand. Use these colors in your marketing to keep all of your visuals cohesive! This goes a long way in establishing yourself in an industry, being recognizable and memorable, and looking like the pro that you are!

Jeslyn’s color palette above represents her darker, warm editing style and uses a lot of the colors we see in the Reno area. We also made sure to include two high-contrast colors (the darkest brown and off-white) to allow for accessibility on her website and in her marketing materials.

4. Typography Suites 

Fonts are a huge part of what makes your branding feel complete and cohesive. I will give you a few fonts that work well together and instructions on how to use them! Some fonts work best as titles or headings, while others are great for body text. 

5. Additional Marketing Items 

This is a Kelly Ryann Co. special! Once your branding is complete, I’ll send you a list of additional services. I only recommend services that I think will benefit your business. This can include:

• A brand service guide 

• Social media templates to show off your shiny new brand!

• A copywriting guide or recommendation to a copywriter I know and trust

• The list goes on! Contact me to find out what else I’m currently offering. 

Social media templates created for wedding planner, Kelsey from KB Weddings.

Branding Benefits All Sides of Your Wedding Business – Why Wait? 

Well, friends, that’s the gist of it. If you’ve been following along on Instagram, getting my email newsletters, or reading the blog, you know how passionate I am about branding. And if you haven’t been… you should totally click those links and connect!  

If you want to have a successful wedding business, you need strong branding. I didn’t make the rules. But I can sure as heck make those rules work for you!

So are you ready to find out what all the fuss is about? Give me a call and we can talk about it, face-to-face!

XO, Kelly