Cue the Champagne Event Planning and Design, formerly A D.I.Y. Affair Weddings and Events, has rapidly become one of Chattanooga’s most knowledgeable, highly rated wedding and event planning firms among clients, and well respected among wedding industry peers in planning, coordination, and design. I was so thrilled with Shaun Cox, the founder of Cue the Champagne approached me last year wanting a rebrand. She was changing the company name and naturally wanted a completely new brand identity design. She was referred by another client, and so that made it doubly fun!
Shaun Cox is the dynamic owner and principal planner at Cue the Champagne Event Planning + Design. Launched in 2011 after her own wedding planner walked out on her wedding day, Shaun has built her empire by niching her market on wedding coordination and the behind-the-scenes logistics. A three-time award winner of the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Wedding Wire Couples Choice Awards, Cue the Champagne is known for its flawless execution, keep-it-real approach and down to earth commitment to clients. Shaun has educated wedding industry peers at Cultivate Retreat and Behind the Veil Wedding Planner Intensive. Shaun leverages her Chattanooga-based wedding and event planning business by serving area couples and mentoring fellow wedding and event planners around the country.
In our initial discussions, Shaun mentioned that she wanted the logo to be iconic, very memorable, very standout, strong, bold, classy, and timeless. She didn’t want it to be trendy where people will look at it next year and be like ” that is so out”.
Her moodboard and color palette reflected that vision.
LOGO & BRAND IDENTITY DESIGN
Shaun knew from the start that she wanted a classic monogram for her logo. These were the logo design options she considered. She chose the first one, with some edits.
Here is the final logo design, including the primary logo, secondary logo, and submark variations. I also designed a custom pattern for her brand.
The stationery suite carries on the look in her presentation folder, letterhead, business cards, notecards, and envelope design. I used her custom pattern on the notecards and presentation folder.
WEBSITE DESIGN
Their website had to emphasize that they are not a design company, but rather an event planning company that makes sure every little detail is in place, and the the events flow smoothly. The layout is simple and organized, and the navigation is clear and easily accessible.
Shaun wanted the overall message to be that they are an experienced and established firm at the top of their game. The overall look we were going for was modern , chic and polished/professional. This was achieved through the use of professional quality images, a consistent layout, and lots of white space.
The complete home page layout has several sections, giving site visitors an overview of their company. (She has since edited the copy.)
The most highly styled page is the services page. I had fun adding the lace background!
Do check out the website! This is one of my favorite projects because of the overall style and elegance not just of the brand identity design, but also of the client. Shaun was even kind enough to leave the most amazing testimonial I ever received. It was such a privilege to have worked with her!
If any entrepreneur is out there and you are on the fence about hiring Pat of Fancy Girl Designs, listen to that inner voice that is telling you to do it. When I reached out to Pat I had just finished working with a copywriter and I had increased my rates for my services but there was still a great disconnect. The disconnect was that the visual aspect of my brand was lacking and far off base from what my company is about and the visual aesthetic of what I knew our ideal client would expect to see upon landing on our website. The big grey area didn’t give me the confidence and clarity that I needed in taking my growing business to the next level. I needed my website to speak to my client and if I was had put all this other hard work into my business with identifying my target client and creating compelling copy that whistled in my clients ears then I also needed a website that with be the gleam in my clients’ eyes and Pat of Fancy Girl Designs was just that and more.
I love my website, it’s romantic, timeless and east to navigate. She made the process so easy. She was always responsive, I never had to worry about what was going on in my project because she always made me aware of next steps. Once my website was ready and I had questions on some of the mechanics of using my new platform she was right there to walk me through it. She even was able to connect me with a invaluable resource that converted years of my blogs from another website host that I was leaving and coming to WordPress. All these things took away the anxiety I had about changing platforms. Pat designed my logo and website and I couldn’t be more pleased. I am proud of my company and our brand image, no more website shame for me. Thanks so much Pat, you impacted my business success more than you could ever know.
– Shaun Cox, Owner of Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design
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