A romantic wedding photography re-brand

If it is not already very clear, I love working with people who pour their heart into what they do. These people always inspire me. People who are super passionate about what they do and how they make others feel. And that’s exactly Alanis for you.

Alanis is a wedding photographer but she’s also a beautiful storyteller, a memory catcher and a grounding, steady presence in the whirlwind of a wedding day. She captures those joy-filled moments on your wedding day that reflect the true essence of who you are.

Alanis “is a visionary” - as commonly described by her past clients. Her expertise in lighting and composition, her attention to detail, and her commitment to honesty & authenticity in every aspect of her work, already gave her a beautiful point of difference in the market.

And lucky me, to be given the task of reflecting all of this talent, compassion & uniqueness firstly into a brand strategy that felt authentic to Alanis, and then translate this into a visual identity that captures all of this specialness. (Yes I am human, and have fleeting moments of overwhelm at this task, but once you experience the fun, satisfaction and immense pleasure in doing this for wonderful people, I am hugely motivated to acknowledge my overwhelm and kindly say: I can do this!)

I also honestly feel so honoured to be able to do this for wonderful people.

Before

Alanis had been photographing weddings for a few years already when we crossed paths (and I was lucky enough to meet her for coffee before our project started, when she came down to melbourne from sydney!) but she had decided she wanted her brand to more authentically reflect the things that make her unique - not just her love for photography, but for her ability to see beyond the surface details and capture what really matters. She needed her branding to feel deeply like her - authentic, warm, with a touch of nostalgia. She wanted to stand out in a sea of wedding photographers and attract couples who share her love for raw, unfiltered emotion and timeless, vintage-inspired details.

And most importantly, she wanted her brand to reflect what her couples always say about her: that she’s not just a photographer, but a calming, supportive presence - someone who makes them feel at ease, like an old friend guiding them through the day.

During

To create a brand that fully embodied Alanis’ values and passion, we unpacked a lot of stuff in the brand strategy stage. I focused on some of these key elements:

True Essence

Alanis is all about capturing real emotions, her couples true essence & the deep connection between the two of them. So we wanted to make sure her branding reflected this.

Vintage lover

With her passion for nostalgic details and film photography (hello, Super 8), Alanis has a distinct style that speaks to couples who adore all things vintage. We leaned into that love of the past - timeless, grainy textures, warm earthy tones, and a romantic yet natural feel that speaks directly to her dream clients.

“Alanis is a visionary”

Alanis has a gift for light, composition, and capturing what’s real - her clients speak of this often. She prefers timeless, deeply personal images as opposed to following trends, that feel just as magical decades down the line. She’s not just documenting a wedding day, she’s preserving a love story for generations to come.

Connection always

Alanis’ couples don’t just love her photos - they love her. They describe her as a calming, grounding presence on their wedding day, someone who makes them feel safe, seen, and understood. So we made sure her branding reflected that: warm, inviting, and deeply personal, just like she is.

Ease & Calm

Weddings can be chaotic, but Alanis is the kind of person who makes you take a deep breath and feel at ease. She brings a sense of calmness to her work, helping her couples stay in the moment instead of worrying about where to stand or how to pose. This feeling of calm became a huge part of her brand identity - it’s one of the things that makes working with her so special.

—

After I created her brand strategy, I then moved onto her visual identity with this delicious brand strategy as the foundation for it. When I first start crafting moodboards, I always look for common themes, and something that kept popping up for me with Alanis was the concept "Looking through a window into your soul."

Because that’s what Alanis does - she captures something deeper, below the surface. Her work isn’t about perfect angles or Pinterest-worthy shots. It’s about the feeling of the moment, the rawness & the intimacy.

So, I built a moodboard around this concept focusing on some of these details:

Fine lines & soft textures – Reflecting her artistic yet down-to-earth style.

Earthy, muted tones – Ochre, rust, and fresh sage to evoke warmth, nostalgia, and a timeless feel.

Romantic typography – A balance of classic serif fonts and clean, modern hand written styles to reflect her vintage love, in a contemporary way.

Hand-drawn stencil elements – Bringing in a sense of quirkiness, depth and individuality.

This was one of the two moodboards I created for Alanis, which we used for inspiration.

I always create two moodboards to choose from in my brand strategy, and both are so fun to create. The second one was based around the concept “I see your true essence below the surface”. We ended up using some elements from each moodboard (which is not uncommon and I am all for this!).

This was the 2nd moodboard I created. Gosh I love moodboards.

Alanis gave me this feedback about the Brand Plan document after our journey together:

“When you delivered the brand plan with the two initial visual identity concepts, to see the visualised concepts based on my values, ideas and dreams, it was one of the most memorable moments”

We then kept working on the visual identity elements together over the course of a few check in’s - refining and building more things in. There were some elements Alanis really loved and others she wasnt so sure about this - and this is totally ok and part of the journey! We also played around with colours and experimented a bit with some outside-the-box ideas. This stage can be tricky because sometimes it’s a bit scary to break away from tradition - and I get that! But it is also one of the lovely strategies we can use to stand out in the marketplace.

After

“You’ve taken my business to a whole new level, transforming it into something that truly reflects my values, passion, and authentic style. It now radiates authenticity, warmth, and genuineness, perfectly complementing my images rather than clashing with them - something I was initially quite concerned about.” - Alanis

(This feedback means so much to me!)

This journey helped position Alanis as a wedding photographer who offers something truly unique in her field. Her updated visual identity now speaks directly to her ideal clients: vintage-loving, down-to-earth couples who seek a genuine representation of their love story. The combination of her calming presence, supportive approach, and artistic vision has carved out a special place for her in the wedding photography market.

This is a lovely overview of some of the visual design elements.

Here’s how the visual identity elements relate to the strategy:

Logo & Monograms: The hand-drawn style of the logo reflects Alanis' focus on capturing the essence of her subjects, emphasising authenticity and creativity. The organic shapes and soft curves give a natural, relaxed feel that aligns with her calm, supportive presence during shoots.

Colour Palette: The warm, earthy tones such as Fire, Rust, Ochre and Fresh Sage capture the vintage aesthetic Alanis is known for, while also offering a timeless and grounded feel. These colours ooze nostalgia and connect with her vintage-loving audience, reinforcing her unique positioning in the market.

Typography: The combo of heading & body copy fonts gives the identity a classic and elegant feel, resonating with the vintage and timeless aspects of Alanis' style. The serif fonts also bring a sense of sincerity and depth, while the clean sans-serif alternatives provide balance and modernity.

Stencil icons: The hand drawn stencils bring a sense of handcrafted uniqueness, reflecting Alanis' attention to detail and the "look deeper" theme from her moodboard. The stencils give a nod to the artistic, natural, and timeless qualities she strives for in her photography.

Alanis’ visual brand now reflects HER true essence just in the same way that she see’s other people’s true essence. It also reflects everything that makes her special: her warmth, her art, and her ability to hold space for real emotions. It sets her apart as not just a wedding photographer, but a storyteller, a memory-keeper, and a deeply compassionate presence on a couple’s most important day.

To Alanis: THANK YOU! For letting me inside your beautiful world and giving me the honour to create something beautiful for you and your business. As you know, I found this journey so special to be a part of, and I loved it all. Can we just create things together forever??