branding

Branding :: New Website Launch

0 · Jun 26, 2017 ·

In 2014, I attended my very first floral workshop with Kelly Perry of Philosophy Flowers. She became the sweet voice of encouragement that believed in me, and pushed me to believe in myself. I nervously signed up for her Team Flower Workshop not really knowing where I was heading, but understanding that there was a void in my life and in the flowers that were being presented to my brides. I wanted to capture the garden, to put it in a vessels and allow it to add joy to a table. I wanted to allow clematis vines to trail from a bride’s hands or loosely encircle and arbor. I had visions of what it was like planting flowers each summer with my mom, but couldn’t quite figure out how to translate that into my event designs or how to bring that to life on a wedding day.

Photography: Heather Payne Photography

The Day’s Design is turning 5 years old this September, and this will be my fourth summer with floral design as part of my service offerings. That decision to learn more about flowers changed my world. It made me appreciate nature, my surroundings and see the beauty of Michigan in a whole new light. However, as much excitement as I feel when I find a rose with the most perfect muddy – champagne hue, the real excitement comes when I see the tears of joy in a bride’s face when she looks at her wedding flowers and knows that today will be the best day of her life, and I was privileged enough to be a teenie tiny part of that.

I think a huge part of moving forward is reflecting back and understanding where we came from. I’m not dwelling in the past though, but using it to build the future. I’ve been sharing a little behind my rebranding process and it has made me a little nostalgic. It’s also made me appreciate a lot of people that have helped me along the way. I’m eager to celebrate 5 years of business. In the meantime though, I’m excited to share my new website. My business has evolved much since those early days of burlap and lace. There are beautiful new projects and weddings that I’ve been holding back and there’s a dose of freshness, which I think beautifully represents who I am and what The Day’s Design is today.

I’d also like to send a huge thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey, from new flower friends, to both Northern and West Michigan’s amazing community of wedding planners. Plus, a little extra love to those photographers whose images you will find on my new site – Ashley Slater Photography, Cory Weber Photography, Katie Grace Photography, Kelly Sweet Photography & Samantha James Photography. Hire them, they’re amazing! And don’t forget to go look at my new website!!

Branding :: Mud

0 · Jun 23, 2017 ·

Mud. From the earthy, wet fragrance to the magic that grows within it, there’s something fascinating about mud. It’s definitely underappreciated and so often taken for granted. But this is the canvas from where all of our sweet little blossom grow. This is the place where roots dig deep and stems grow tall. This is where it all begins.

As I have been working with Ciarra, of Silver Fox Calligraphy, on some of my new branding, we started with the flower. I had her create a delicate little forget me not, as a reminder of the perfectly periwinkle colored blossoms that would take over my grandma’s lawn each spring, as well as much of Northern Michigan’s other woodland areas. We didn’t exactly create my various branding pieces in logical order, because from that flower I realize that some of my other elements felt “off”, they just weren’t at home with one another.

So she reworked my logo design. I began describing what I wanted, not really knowing what I wanted. I used words like elegant, organic and whimsical. I wanted sophistication and simplicity. Ciarra created some magnificent pieces of art, I can only imagine the hours she spent with nibs and watercolors in her hand bringing my vision to life. In the end, there was one thing missing and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then I realized, my logo need to be the color of mud. It’s not charming or chic or any of the other words that I think I should use to describe my wedding style, but it’s the beginning. It’s unpretentious and raw. The soil is where is where the seeds start, where the weeds grow and the most pure canvas for God’s artwork to be displayed.

Botanical Stationary | The Day's Design | Cory Weber Photography

Photography: Cory Weber Photography | Stationary Design & Calligraphy: Silver Fox Calligraphy | Design & Styling: The Day’s Design

I’m keeping it quiet until I get a couple of the bugs worked out, but you can take a little sneak peek at the new and improved, The Day’s Design website here which shows off my new logo and lots of new flowery goodness that I’ve been holding back.

Happy Friday!

You can also read part 1 & 2 in this branding project here and here.

What’s in a Name

0 · Mar 6, 2017 ·

Branding | The Day's Design | Ashley Slater Photography

Photography: Ashley Slater Photography

Back when I was in high school, I had this girlfriend who knew exactly what she was going to name her children. She had great taste and the names she picked out were adorable. But I couldn’t help but wonder about her determination to use these names. What if her future husband didn’t like these names? How could she be sure they’d stand the test of time and she’d still like them in 10 years? I suppose I just didn’t have her same confidence.

This friend doesn’t currently have children, although I’m sure they’re in her future, I will be curious to see if she’s waivered on her naming decisions throughout the years.

The idea of naming something has been on my mind a lot lately. As a mother of two children, I can attest to what a challenge it is picking the right name. You worry about the uniqueness, the life consequences of your choice, if others will like it, the way it sounds, the ease of pronunciation, the spelling, the meaning and significance and making sure that your cousin hasn’t chosen the same name – after all her baby will be born a month before yours. As difficult as it is to name a child, it’s just as crazy difficult to name a business. Sometimes even more so, because you’re trying to brand yourself and get a certain message across.

I have a couple people in my life lately who have been bouncing naming ideas off of me. And it’s made me reflect back to when I was naming my own business and how I finally settled on The Day’s Design.

Truth be told, it was a decision I didn’t make with much confidence. I certainly wasn’t full of resolve like my high school friend. I was thinking a lot about weddings and I wasn’t really sure where this little entrepreneurial adventure was taking me yet. I actually am a licensed cosmetologist, and much of my early wedding industry experience was doing hair on site for bridal party members. I had an interest in wedding planning and a degree in hospitality. I also had an interest in flowers. Suddenly there was an opportunity knocking at my door for paid floral services and assistance with an event. It was an awesome prospect that could potentially launch me into my future. So I realized I needed business cards and my business needed a name on said card.

Regardless of what direction my business ultimate landed in, it was going to revolve around the wedding day. This is the day that little girls dream of their entire life. So The Day’s Design was born. I had a couple other ideas picked out, and honestly I can’t even remember what they were now. It was kind of like throwing darts in the dark, and that’s where my name landed. But it seemed good, not too fluffy but wedding-ish. And the best part was I could keep the name whether I decided to pursue hair or wedding planning. I had a logo and business cards made and I was in business (kind of) as The Day’s Design :: Event Styling.

It was another year before I became officially official – quit your day job and register a DBA official – but this year will mark 5 years of official The Day’s Design business. It’s come a long long ways since those early days of really girly designs and my burlap and lace website.

It was around year 3 that I really began to define myself and understand my own aesthetic and what I wanted to create. Really, I’m still honing in on that, constantly evolving to be the best version of myself and my brand. But around that time I wondered if I should change my name. I knew at that point that I definitely wasn’t pursuing the cosmetology aspect and my name just seemed like 3 boring words thrown together.

I did a lot of thinking and soul searching during this time. Again, I think branding is something that will constantly and forever be evolving throughout the course of one’s business. I realized I could be dissatisfied in a couple more years with whatever new name I decided to choose. However, I still wasn’t convinced. Then one day as all these thoughts were swimming around in my head, there was another thought that joined. I was reminded of a song I used to sing as a child, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

This is the day. Suddenly my business name had dual meaning and it felt right. God creates every day, the good ones and the bad ones. He has made every single day in our lives, including your wedding day. And we rejoice and celebrate on that day. My business is filled with a heart of celebration and I was at peace in my naming struggle.

I’m going to hold out until fall before I ring the bells of 5 years celebrating. There’s more brand evolution and a new website coming soon. But for the moment I seeking contentment and celebration in each and every day that passes.

Winter Stationary

0 · Jan 16, 2017 ·

I’m trying to dial back to the basics of my business. I’m trying to focus on what I love. I think that’s the core of my brand, just me being me. I love just sharing my passion and hope that someone else likes what I’m doing. And obviously in my journey I am running a business so I must always keep that in mind, but carefully without betraying who I am and balancing this with what best suits my clients.

I’ve been working with Ciarra at Silver Fox Calligraphy on some branding elements that will reflect this. I love pretty paperie and beautiful wedding details, but more than that, I love when there’s a story and some meaning behind those details. It’s what I preach to my clients and I think I need to start setting a better example for them. With that in mind, Ciarra has created a few special pieces for me that really hit home and are the core of who I am and what wedding planning and floral design is all about for me. I will show all the details in the coming months, but for now, I’d love to just share my winter stationary that I had her design for me.

I haven’t counted the exact number of birch trees on our property, but there are a lot. And their paper white bark just makes me happy every time I look out my window. With a blanket of white surrounding them, it’s a peaceful and serene scene. I want to share this sight and yet preserve it for myself. So I sent Ciarra this photo and asked her create a watercolor card.

She captured it perfectly each time I send out a little note, it makes me so happy. I paired the cards with deep dusk blue envelopes and simple white liners that have a wood grain texture. I also had a stamp made with a flower she sketched especially for me so I can add a sense of nostalgia with a golden wax seal.

I absolutely love snail mail (both sending and recieving!) if you read this post and would like to see a card in person, I’d love to send a piece of happy mail your way, email me at shelby@eventsbythedaysdesign.com with your address 🙂

FAQ :: Do You Have a Website?

0 · Dec 3, 2014 ·

It seems like everyone and their brother knows something about wedding planning these days. There’s a list of people a mile long claiming to coordinate weddings and have similar such hobbies. But for some people, it’s just that – a hobby.

There’s nothing wrong with this hobby. In fact, planning and decorating is something many people enjoy and many people are good at. However, it’s not something that all people can make a living doing. And it’s often because of these “hobbyist” that I’m not taken seriously as a professional.

Photography: Hetler Photography

What I would love for you to understand is the level of skill and business savvy it takes beyond being able to make a pretty centerpiece and find coordinating linens.

It takes ownership and pride. You have to lay claim to your work and own up to how you make a living. There was once a point where I would kind of mumble something about coordinating a few weddings when someone asked what I did. Now I scream it loud and proud. This is who I am, this is what I do.

It involves being business minded. I hate having to sell myself and my services. But unfortunately people don’t usually book you without any prior knowledge or at least being made aware how you can help them and why the need you.

It takes a commitment to staying in business, even when times are tough. It’s not all ruffles and roses over here. Some months are slow, but I still have to pay for my website, advertising and general business needs. I must be willing to take it all in stride and push forward. I can’t simply give up but rather push myself to be a little better every day.

So commonly I’m asked if I have a website. I think this is a significant sign of seriousness. Facebook pages are awesome because they’re free and they can be easily updated, but they lack a certain level of commitment. People look at you differently when you can hand them a business card and web address. And once they see my website, I’m knocked out of the hobbyist category for good. So making it a good website really counts.

The New Brand Conundrum

0 · Jul 25, 2014 ·

I’ve been working with Anchor & Ink on a new logo design for a couple months now. Chelsi oozes talent – her painting, her lettering, it’s all simply fabulous.

I approached her because I don’t feel my current logo, and complete branding/business for that matter, truly represent me. Now I know I’ve rambled on before about my style, etc. but it’s hard sometimes to dig deep and recognize who you really are and what you really want. And on top of that, I think who you are evolves over time – a time that might be shorter than you think.

I have never been a fan of pink. I mean it’s cute, fun and at times romantic but it’s never really been my cup of tea. But for some reason a couple years ago I was crushing on it, hard. So I have pink business cards and doses of it scattered throughout my website. Did I deviate from who I am or was there a time where I actually was that person? I think my old self is starting to creep back and suddenly the only place I want to see pink is in flowers and on my baby girl. But I’m still very open to working and creating with the color as it seems to keep sneaking into my events. Blush and gold seems to be every bride’s fantasy and I’m perfectly alright with that.

So where does that leave me? Well that’s a question I’ve been asking for a while now. Designing a logo is hard. I’m a difficult client. Hmph.

This is my current branding, which I am reevaluating after much much much soul searching. I’m digging deep to figure out who I am and who I want this business of mine to represent. But in the end here’s what I’ve discovered when it comes to marketing — I’d rather go play with flowers!

All pictures by the wonderful Bradley James Photography.

Soon, very soon, I’ll show you what’s in the final works. I just put my big girls pants on and made a couple of decisions — because it’s the middle of wedding season, what else do I have going on right now???

Inspiring a Brand

0 · May 13, 2014 ·

I want a brand inspired by the beautiful things that surround me every day. I love natural elements and think that nature provides the best color palettes. But it’s not just nature that surrounds me, its family, love, my home and those who I hold dear.

I love walking into a venue or space and feeling completely overwhelmed with its beauty – it can be a bank, a ballroom or a walk in the park. Inspiration is everywhere. I have an extremely hard time defining my style because I love it all! And personal details make my heart go pitter patter.

I was asked to pick 3 words to either describe my brand or how I’d like my brand to be perceived. However, this has truly proven to be a difficult task. I adore garden inspired parties with relaxed blooms and casual elegance. But black tie affairs with lush gowns and overflowing florals get me pretty geeked as well. And if you want to talk unique venues in urban spaces or lofty environments, well I can dive right into that conversation too! Modern, retro, vintage, woodsy & natural and yet classic? I can’t pick!

I do however, have some design staples or rules that seem to always apply to my events.

Include a natural element. Even super modern and clean events should include something from nature, just to soften and add some realness to the space and prevent it from feeling too stark. Some examples might be natural wood, leafy greens or even flowers. Burlap, bamboo and other natural fibers are also great choices.

A touch of black will add depth to the space. While not everything in my portfolio has something black in it, I do think this a good rule of thumb to remember. It doesn’t have to be something big, it can be as simple as the writing on your menus, but just that slight touch will add a little edginess to the overall design.

A girl can never have too much sparkle. Or maybe you can – sometimes less truly is more. But either way, I like to incorporate something shiny into all of my designs, I just can’t help myself! I think the contrast sequins or glitter provide against a raw and natural birch bark is amazing! And glitz kind of makes me weak at the knees! Isn’t this why we adore chandeliers hanging in trees so much??

And I’m a little bit fancy. I don’t really care much for mundane and ordinary things. So I add a pop of fancy and unexpected. While I definitely love my tattered and torn blue jeans, collection of heels is pretty rocking too. The two combined just make me saw “wow”.

Remember this shoot I put together last summer with Bradley James Photography? I tried to capture all of the above and while my style is in constant evolution, I think this does a pretty great job of telling my story.

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