Would you call me crazy if I said—as a professional brand designer—there’s real value in DIYing your brand visuals at the start? In fact, 84% of small businesses use online design tools to create their brand visuals, and 53% rely on ready-made templates for their websites. (Source: Renderforest). When you’re launching your wedding business, this experimentation phase is valuable. You’re figuring out who you are as a business owner, and that knowledge is gold when you eventually do invest with a professional designer. Plus, having some kind of brand visuals, even if imperfect, allows you to market your business, book clients, and learn what resonates best. Real-world feedback helps more than anything to refine your business.
But eventually you will reach a point where your DIY brand stops serving you and begins holding you back. Maybe you’re hesitant and embarassed to send a potential client to your website. Or you start noticing more inquiries from couples who are price shopping rather than wanting to book with you specifically. Your work is beautiful and improving, but your brand visuals don’t reflect that level of excellence. These aren’t signs of failure, rather the opposite. Noticing these changes indicate you are growing and ready to evolve and scale. In this post, I walk you through 5 unmistakable signs you are ready to invest in professional branding.
Sign #1: You’re Embarrassed to Share Your Website or Market your Business
Have you ever cringed at the thought of a potential client inquiring on your website? Or maybe you know your pricing guide is so generic that it gets lost in the sea of other PDFs sitting in your potential client’s inbox? Research shows that it takes about 0.05 seconds to make a first impression (source). That’s faster than a blink to impress a couple enough to inquire with you.
Couples judge your professionalism the moment they land on your website. And here’s the truth: if you are embarrassed by your brand, they can sense that. Hesitation reflects a lack of confidence, planting doubt in their minds. They might begin to wonder “If she’s not confident in her own brand, can I trust her with my $30,000 wedding?” And that doubt right there costs you bookings. Because while you’re busy apologizing for your website, your competitors with polished brands are getting hired.
Sign #2: You’re Attracting Budget Shoppers Instead of Dream Clients
Frustrated with a lack of inquiries? Or maybe you are getting inquiries, but they just want to know your pricing, and then they ghost you after you send it. Your DIY brand could be screaming ‘affordable’ even though you’re not. Couples with a luxury budget expect a high-end experience from the get-go.
Here’s what could be happening: Canva templates and basic logos communicate beginner and/or budget-friendly. If you’re just typing out your business name in a generic font, you are likely becoming lost in a sea of competitors. Luxury clients look for visual sophistication because it signals experience. And if you haven’t invested in presenting your own brand professionally, how can they trust you to execute their high-end budget well?
Sign #3: You’re Constantly Changing Your Brand Colors and Fonts
A signature brand color boosts brand recognition by 80% (source). The same is true for brand fonts. The major key here is consistency. If you change your color palette every few months, are using 3 different script fonts on your website, or have an Instagram feed that looks like three different businesses, you’re undermining your own brand recognition.
You might find yourself in this position because you never took the time to choose brand elements strategically. During color exploration, I always tell my clients, we aren’t just choosing your favorite colors or font because they are pretty. The most important aspect of selecting these elements is understanding the psychology behind color and the feelings or emotions they evoke. This will form a deeper connections with your ideal audience and allow you to stand out in the wedding industry as trustworthy and professional.
DIY tools like Canva make it tempting to switch colors, templates, and brand aesthetics too easily. A few clicks and you have an entirely different vibe than you did last week. But that’s not building a brand; you’re chasing the latest trend. Real branding isn’t about what’s trending, it’s choosing aesthetics that resonate with your ideal audience and reflect your core values. And before you come for me, yes Canva is a wonderful tool to market your business, just not build your brand visuals. 😉
Sign #4: You Feel Like a Stranger in Your Own Brand
Do you ever feel like you’re forcing your brand visuals but something just doesn’t quite fit? Maybe you’re using a website template that is pretty but doesn’t match your personality. Or your brand colors are trendy, but they don’t reflect the romantic, intimate weddings you create. You spend months tweaking and customizing, trying to make things work, but no matter what you do, something still feels… off. You’re missing the piece that connects you to your business to help you form authentic connections with clients.
A former client, Gigi C Weddings, struggled with this feeling when she contacted me earlier this year. She purchased a luxury event production company named Simplify Telluride after a few years mentoring with the original owner. The Simplify Telluride brand and website had a minimal presence and lacked a personal touch.
While the planning business has thrived, she knew it was time to adapt to create a brand and website that matched her expertise and formed a deeper connection within herself. She renamed to Gigi C Weddings as a nod to her childhood nickname, adding personal warmth to her brand while maintaining a sophisticated edge. The new brand and website clearly communicates that Gigi C Weddings is refined, professional and offers a high-end experience from the very first impression.
Before
After
Sign #5: Your Brand Looks Different Across Every Platform
Research shows that presenting your brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by 10-23% (source). Meaning that inconsistency is costing you real bookings. So, if your website, Instagram, and client proposals are all out of sync, you are leaving money on the table.
Here’s a quick challenge: open your website, Instagram, and a recent client proposal side-by-side. Do they look like the same business? Try your best to put yourself in your client’s shoes and answer honestly. Because your business deserves it! A few things to look for, or to ask yourself:
- Brand Colors – are you using the same color values across each platform or does it change frequently?
- Fonts – are you consistent with your typography or mixing whatever looked good at the time?
- Logo – Are you using the same logo (with consistent variations) or different versions?
Most wedding vendors DIY-ing tend to evolve different areas of their business separately over time. Your website was created when you first launched. Instagram gets updates more frequently as you experiment with what works. Maybe you purchased a proposal template, but never fully updated it to fit your brand, so it has some random fonts or mismatched colors.
It’s not intentional – it’s the reality when you’re building as you go. Couples planning luxury weddings notice the small details, and every mismatch gives them a reason not to choose you. Your experience should feel professional and intentional, not pieced together.
Ready for Professional Branding? Here’s What Comes Next
If you related to multiple signs above, you’re in the right place. It’s great to identify what might be holding you back so you can do something about it. Here’s my recommendation to move forward strategically.
Prepare Before You Invest
Before you work with a professional designer, I recommend gathering or brainstorming these items:
- Name your ideal client/target audience
- Clarify your values and brand personality
- Find examples of other brands and visuals (colors, fonts, logos, layouts, websites, etc.) you’re drawn to and why (Pinterest is a great place to start)
- Name your business goals for the next 3 years at least
- Gather current brand assets (even if you did them yourself in Canva)
How to find the right designer
Here are a few things I would look for when searching for a designer:
- Industry Experience – Do they work with wedding vendors?
- Portfolio Alignment – Does their style fit your specific aesthetic preferences? Do they offer versatility in their design style? Does all of their past work look the same?
- Process Clarity – Do they have a clear client process or does it feel like they are throwing things together?
- Communication Style – Do you feel comfortable talking with them? Do you feel like you can vibe with them and trust them?
- Investment Level – Are they within your budget range or willing to work with you on a payment plan?
Here are a few questions you can ask potential designers:
- What is your process like from start to finish?
- Can you provide any examples of past work for businesses like mine?
- How do you approach strategy vs. just design?
- Do you design just a logo? (If they answer yes to this, keep searching)
- What deliverables are included in your packages?
- What does the timeline look like for this particular project type?
- What do you need from me to be successful?
- Do you offer ongoing support after launch or do I have to pay for additional support?
What working with Lovendear looks like
I specialize in branding for wedding vendors because I wholeheartedly believe in what you do. It takes a true artist to create, capture, and plan events for people’s most memorable moments. And you deserve the same care and attention you offer your couples.
When you’re ready to move forward with professional branding and are interested in my services, fill out an inquiry form to get started. From there, we will set up a time to chat over video or phone (your choice). During this meeting, we will talk through your project needs and discuss which service offering(s) are a fit for you. I will prepare a customized project proposal with all deliverables, timeline, and payment schedule for you to look over after our call. Once you’re ready to move forward, you’ll sign the contract, pay the deposit and I’ll begin the onboarding process.
You have already built such an incredible business. It’s time to show up with confidence and attract the clients you’re meant to serve.
