SIMPLY ME: Rebranding Adventures #1 and The N + C Love Shoot

I have some big news for Simply Savannah. I have been a little nervous to share this because it's a big step for me and the company. So I started working with Molly Jacques to have her re-do my logo and not only that but help me re-brand completely. When I first purchased the company from Layla I dabbled in trying to do the branding myself, but honestly I just never was in love with it and never felt like it was what I wanted. I wanted something that was reflective of me and my personality and my style. And on my own I could not accomplish that look, so after a few months I decided to bring in a professional that I admired so greatly. I love Molly Jacques' work and have been following her stuff for a few months now. It is very whimsical and soft and I think what I love most is that it is handwritten and unique, so no one else will have something similar or in the same font. That was really important to me & why I decided she is the perfect person to help me start on my adventure down the rebranding process. 

Another huge decision I had to make and which is why I also waited awhile before investing in a professional is because I wasn't sure if I was going to keep the name Simply Savannah Events or not. And I'm glad I waited because I decided that I wanted to change it and make it more mine. Simply Savannah will still always be a part of the company + I plan to incorporate it in other ways through our packages and services that we offer. And of course the company is based in Savannah, so having that as part of the company is really important. As well as the fact that Layla built a reputation and a name with that company so I think it would be wrong to lose that association.

That being said, there are a few huge reasons why I decided to undergo a big change. The first being that my boyfriend is in the military. And we all know what that means... being in one place for a long period of time may not be the reality. Although as of now he does think we will be here at least the next 5-10 years, but still... you really never know. The second huge reason is that I don't want to be limited to Savannah. Landing our first wedding in Pennsylvania for this October opened my eyes to the opportunities + possibilities out there. I am a dreamer, if you couldn't already tell and one thing about me is that I have always told myself that no matter what I need to follow my dreams. Adventure, travel, and new experiences are what make me happy and so I realized that this can be part of my business. I wanted to have a brand image that does not portray me as a wedding planner just in Savannah, but rather a wedding planner + mostly wedding designer that does weddings wherever just because you like what we are doing and our style. So I know this is a big goal + I know goals aren't accomplished overnight, but this is a goal that drove me to the decision to make some major brand changes now.

Two days ago I received in my inbox the 5 logo design concepts from Molly. I absolutely love what she came up with and was instantly drawn to #3... it is so perfect and everything I could have ever imagined! She used my Branding pin board to draw inspiration from, you can check it out here   I cannot wait to reveal the final outcome!!! So along with that I am going to start working with Love-Inspired to re-design the entire website + blog... This was a pretty easy decision for me once I decided to have Molly re-do the logo for me. A year ago Layla + I traveled to Jacksonville for the Cultivate Conference hosted by Flaire Events and there I met Amber Housley. She did a talk on the importance of strong branding and also talked very highly of Making Brands Happen. They work closely with Love-Inspired to re-design websites for creative professionals and I knew immediately that if I were to undergo a web re-design that it had to be them that did it for me and there just wasn't any other company that I was interested in checking out. It is going to be an exciting journey that I could not be more happy about!!! 

And on that note, I thought what better time than now than to share a very special love shoot with you all! Me + my boyfriend traveled out to this awesome hidden spot back in the woods by where we used to live with the incredible Alexis Sweet for this mini love session. It was such a gorgeous day and we went out there right before sunset. If you don't already know this, I am obsessed with the desert and so I got some succulents + cactuses and put them in recycled tin cans for a little picnic scene which we also used candlesticks in my boyfriend's vintage Coca-Cola and Sprite bottles. I love how it turned out! It was simple but really cute! I could not be any happier with how the pictures turned out + Chris was such a trooper. Alexis made us feel so comfortable being in the spotlight and being kissy, smoochy, cuddly. Next step is me turning these into canvases and lining our hallway with them. (Insert Chris here saying seriously do we have to do that?!) Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Oh and by the way if you are wondering if my hair caught on fire being so close to those candlesticks the answer is yes, yes it did catch on fire and yes it smelled awful. I think Alexis captured that too but I'll share that later on... haha! Oh and also if you are wondering if that is just some stray dog wandering around in our pictures the answer is no, that is my beloved adopted doggie Winnie! Ain't she cute?? 

If you're engaged... or even if you're not engaged I would highly suggest a love shoot. It is so much fun and is so nice to just get away for a few hours and spend time together being lovey dovey together. Plus, who doesn't want tons and tons of pictures while you're still young? Plus it's such a great way to document your love story along the way. I know Chris + I will be doing one every year (that is if I can convince him...!!!!) 

{Photo Credits} Alexis Sweet Photography