Journey to Rebranding: Part Two

Before the Christmas break, I introduced a new series: The Journey to Rebranding. This post is the second in the series, and if you missed the first one, click here to read it!)

Once I narrowed down my imagery and finalized my inspiration board and colors, I got to work on both my logo and brand board. I felt strongly that I wanted the words “Bella Carta” to be hand lettered. I knew going into this rebrand that hand lettering was very popular, and maybe not quite as timeless as some other options. That said, I’ve always loved calligraphy – talented calligraphers always make it seem effortless, and I adore that no two letterers are alike. Calligraphy is a true, and rare, art form, and I felt strongly that having my logo lettered with a slightly whimsical tone would keep my brand authentic and approachable.

Back when I was pregnant with the twins, I had been searching Etsy for the perfect calligrapher to help me make a custom art print for their nursery. I stumbled across West Sheridan, and we got to work on the print that now hangs in their room. Fast forward a few months, while attending the Emily Ley Playbook Webinar - Nicole popped up in the attendee list - and we reconnected. She was probably thinking, who is this stalker that remembers working with me 6 months ago?! =) I emailed Nicole a week or two later, sharing my ideas for a rebrand, and asking her if she’d consider hand lettering my logo. What attracted me to Nicole in the first place was her whimsical, imperfect lettering (and her sweet disposition!) and she got started on the first round of my logo. After a few tweaks, and the decision to add an alternate logo, this is where we ended. Nicole was a dream to work with, and in the many late nights I was working on the rebrand and the new website, looking at this logo made me know there was light at the end of the tunnel.

With my inspiration board complete, colors chosen and my logo files in hand, I set to compile a brand board of all of the key elements that would make up Bella Carta Boutique. I searched for patterns & textures I thought best fit my brand, as well as fonts that could play off each other well. Being able to carry each element of your brand through to your website, print collateral and the client experience is so important, so I spent a lot of time experimenting with all of these elements until I found the perfect combination.

Confession: I love this brand board. I have a copy of it printed on my desk, and sometimes just pull it out of the folder to take a look. It is such a sweet reminder of the hard work that went into building this brand over the summer, and was the first time I actually considered offering branding as a service to clients. The entire process, and especially the methodical planning of each element, really speaks to my type-A heart, and hopefully some time this year I will begin offering this service to other small businesses!

Check back next week for Part Three in this series! 

Are you new here? Hi! I’m Jillian. Wife & mom, and small business owner. Bella Carta Boutique is a custom design studio, specializing in invitations, announcements and stationery for all of life’s most special occasions. We are located in Northern New Jersey, but serve clients in New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and can ship worldwide. If you’d like to work with us, or learn more about what we do, click here!