planning
Creating your logo, developing a design, outlining a mission...
sounds like you’re launching a new product, right? Well, you
are—your wedding! We chatted with three marketing experts,
garnering tips and tricks to help one couple figure out their
signature brand. Our guinea pigs, Alissa and Sean, started
thinking of their big day like companies do, turning all of their
scattered ideas into a fab, cohesive style sure to leave a huge
impression on their customers...er, guests. >>
Illustration By Nishant Choksi
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When it comes to deciding what says “you” as a
couple, nothing pre-packaged will do. By Jenn Drury
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how to
“brand” your
wedding
how to brand your wedding cont.
Review Brand History
Where did you both grow up? How did you
meet? What are some key moments in your
relationship? This is the time to think about
the unique experiences that make you who you
are as a couple. For Alissa and Sean, that means
growing up in the same area of New York,
known for its farms and vineyards. They use
this “legacy” aspect as the foundation of their
brand, choosing a vineyard as their venue.
how to brand your wedding cont.
Create Your Tagline
Alissa and Sean are tasked with coming up with
a simple phrase to ID their brand. The couple
resolves that “Hometown Comfort Meets City
Chic” sums up their day, and discards Sean’s
“Party Hardy in the Hamptons.” Once they put
their wedding ideals into words, the decisions
they make—music, flowers, favors, cake—have
to reinforce that tagline.
Know Your Audience
Find Your USP
Quiz Your Customers
A company that’s looking for insight on its
product consults the people who interact with
it most. We sent Alissa and Sean to their friends
and family to help with their brand-building.
Alissa’s maid of honor, Cindy, said it best:
“You’re the ultimate city couple. I always go to
you when I need a great place to hang out.” In
just two sentences, Cindy adds an important
nuance to their already developing brand.
Bridge the Great Divide
Let the butting of heads begin! Imagine the
drama that two company leaders create when
coming together to form a unified message.
For Alissa and Sean, this means finding ways
to incorporate each other’s ideas while staying
true to the day’s message. Example: Although
Sean isn’t getting his subway map napkins,
Alissa says yes to a signature cocktail called
The 456—the subway line by their home. >>
Once you’ve identified your couple brand, stick
to it. If Alissa and Sean switch gears in the last
few decisions leading up to their wedding day,
they’ll lose the valuable brand identity they’ve
worked so hard to establish.
Size up the Competition
Be aware of your “competitors”—as in, friends
getting married the same year. McDonald’s
wouldn’t tell Burger King what’s in their special
sauce, right? With their friends about to tie the
knot too, Alissa and Sean decide to keep some
trade secrets to themselves—including a funky
photo wall and wine-tasting station.
Be Authentic
You’ve heard this one before: Don’t fake it!
With this, Alissa and Sean ditch a few extra
out-of-the-box ideas along the way, including
having tall centerpieces with hanging crystals.
Alissa loves the look, but it doesn’t fit with the
“hometown comfort” portion of the brand.
Have a Company Meeting
It’s key for every employee, from the CEO to
the intern, to understand the company mission.
In the same way, there are lots of people with a
hand in your wedding. You want to make sure
everyone is on the exact same page. Alissa and
Sean start by giving each vendor their tagline
and a “creative brief” that includes a collage,
color palette, photo flip-book, etc.
Communicate Visually
When you walk into an Apple store, see an iPod
or boot up a Mac, you instantly know what
brand you’re connecting with. Same should
be true for your wedding. It’s important that
everything from your save-the-dates to your
thank-you notes clearly represents the same
brand image. Alissa finally admits she has to
scrap the idea she had for her save-the-dates
because they don’t “match” her invites. >>
Extend Your Brand
These days, a new brand has to extend beyond
what’s expected. For their wedding, Alissa and
Sean make an “extension” of their own—the
after-party. They reserve a room at a lounge
and rent a karaoke machine. Keeping with their
hometown-meets-city vibe, they serve modern,
mini versions of comfort foods.
Special thanks to Lance Erickson, executive in
residence at American University Kogod School
of Business, Washington, DC; Leslie Singer, chief
creative officer and cofounder and, HSDominion,
New York, NY; and Aubyn Thomas, author of
Customer Inspired Marketing: Change the
Game and Become the Brand They REALLY
Love and senior marketing executive
click
>>
See stylish wedding theme ideas at
TheKnot.com/weddingstyle
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Sure, a wedding’s about committing to each
other (just a minor detail), but it’s also about
hosting a heap of people to share the special
moment. Although guests shouldn’t influence
your every decision, make sure you keep them
in mind when you’re planning details. Case
in point: When Alissa suggests going with a
vegan caterer, Sean can hardly control his gag
reflex. He reminds Alissa that while her tofu
menu might be great for her and her soy-loving
maid of honor, most of their guests would enjoy
(what’s the word?) steak.
Keep It Consistent
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Your USP is your Unique Selling Proposition—
the thing that makes you stand out. Think of
it from a company perspective: IKEA gives fun
home solutions at affordable prices. Alissa and
Sean want their wedding to show what makes
them them, so they introduce another element
of their relationship: New York City, where they
live and also fell in love. To add city elements
to their country wedding, the couple opts for
a modern color palette and details.
how to brand your wedding cont.
the new monogram
Three ways to make your
“label” uniquely you
A couple’s logo is like a company logo
in that it speaks to guests. Here are three
ways to make your symbol unique.
simple silhouettes
Put a vintage spin on
your monogram with
silhouettes made to look
like the bride and the
groom. Face them toward each other with
your joint last initial below, and carry the
design from your ceremony programs all the
way through to your favors. Where to get
’em? Well, we’ve got you covered on that one
(insert our shameless plug here!). Check out
TheKnotShop.com to order.
Drink Disks/stirrers
Serve up a specialty
cocktail in an unexpected
and pass them around
with disks or stirrers. Stamp an element of
your brand on the disk, like a cityscape, shell
or tree along with both of your first names.
Cupcake Toppers
Opting for cupcakes in
lieu of, or in addition to, a
traditional wedding cake?
Let your guests take a
bite out of this monogram style! Adding your
joint last initial to the top of each dessert is a
delish way to make your monogram pop.
FROM TOP: Alison Gootee; PEN CARLSON PHOTOGRAPHY; BRUNK PHOTOGRAPHY
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glass, like a Mason jar,
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q&a mama drama
My fiancé’s mom can’t seem to keep her nose out of our wedding plans.
She even went out to “choose” invites without me! Can I say something?
Here’s the thing: Your future mother-in-law is probably just excited about the
wedding. She might even think that she’s doing you a favor by handling the
invites. Give her the benefit of the doubt by clewing her in on your wedding
plans and even inviting her to come with you to meet vendors. Make it clear
that you value her opinion but that you and your fiancé will ultimately make
the final choices. Chances are, she just wants to be part of the process.