French Country Inspired Logo and Rebrand for Family Portrait Photographer
Jun 11
This girl was my competition.
Then she became my client.
Then she became a close friend.
Can I get a big heck yes! For #communityovercompetion??
Project Background
I met Jessica Vallia when we were both wedding photographers in the exclusive collaborative wedding studio, Trulife, here in Colorado Springs.
Yeah, we were competing wedding photographers in the same small market.
But I met this girl once and just knew we HAD TO be friends. She is one of the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful people I’ve ever met… and she also happens to be a ridiculously talented photographer.
A few months after our first encounter Jess sent me a Facebook message asking about rebranding. We met at Trulife Studio for her brand consultation she said, “I have a secret…”
I was kind of nervous… then she said, “I don’t want to shoot weddings anymore.”
I laughed and replied, “OMG, me neither!”
So, there we sat in our joint wedding studio, both sharing our desire to retire as wedding photographers. She was ready to focus her entire brand around her passion for capturing heirloom quality family portraits. I was ready to focus entirely on helping other women brand with confidence and success.
Competition > Client > Close Friend… I love it!
Project Goals
Jessica was ready to ditch her pre-made etsy logo (which was rose gold — and she told me she doesn’t even like pink! It’s just what “everyone else was doing…”).
She needed branding that was authentic to her and able to seamlessly communicate with her ideal client. So she decided to go with my Premium Branding Collection, the Social + Media add on, and Brand Portraits. We started with her Branding Collection, which is really the visual foundation for any other branding.
The Branding Experience
When I sent Jess her mood board (which is the first step in the Branding Experience — it’s a visual representation of the mood and feel of the brand), she said she couldn’t believe it, it looked just like her home decor. Perfect!
Jess’ personal style is French Country, and I wanted to bring this into her brand — because it’s just so “her.”
I created several French Provincial inspired logo designs, and Jess decided on this one I drew by hand. It’s a nod to French damask — but also representative of a shabby chic chandelier… and it “secretly” incorporates her initials (JV).
The funny thing is, when I showed up to shoot her Brand Portraits, and stepped into her office, I saw her gorgeous shabby chic chandelier — that looks just like her logo!
After designing her main logo, I created the rest of her visual branding system, including secondary logos, submarks, watermarks and also established her brand colors and fonts. Then I designed her custom brand stationery, which included her business card, notecard, thank you card, and wax seal.
Once her Branding Collection was complete we moved on to her Social+Media Add-on. I created a multi-page style guide that Jess can customize for her clients, giving them wardrobe and style advice for their sessions.
Then I created her social media graphics, including a Facebook profile and cover image, and multiple templates for her Instagram posts and stories. This way she can share posts and updates and still be perfectly on-brand!
After we wrapped her Branding Collection and Social+Media we shot her Brand Portraits — and I’ll be sharing those in another post!
In Her Own Words
Why did you originally reach out to Moriah Riona for design help?
I have tried the DIY approach several years in a row now and hadn’t found a voice that was representing my business.
What were your goals?
I wanted a seamless look for my website & social media
What was your favorite part of the Branding Experience?
The skype reveals! They were literally so amazing, each phase of the designing process just got more and more exciting to see it all come together
What were three other benefits you found of the Branding Experience?
I feel like the biggest three benefits were having her professional design opinion, having constant communication for the experience (being able to voice any concerns or changes at each level), and having multiple contacts for each level to make sure my brand was perfect for my client
Would you recommend Moriah Riona and The Branding Experience? Why?
Yes! One I have already recommended you everywhere ha! I would tho because it is such a unique experience that I hadn’t found anywhere else (and I’ve looked for a few years).
How was your overall experience? Did we accomplish your goals?
Yes, and so much more than I expected!
What would you tell someone who might be “on the fence” about hiring Moriah Riona?
I would tell them they have nothing to worry about, she will rock their design world! This may be the best investment into my own company I have made other than my gear.
Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Her excitement shows just how much she loves what she is doing, that makes it even more wonderful at the reveals! I cannot be more grateful for all of her hard work and professionalism during this process.
So, what do you think of Jess’ new look? Are you ready to rock your own brand? Get in touch!
