At Michelle Bonnice and Colton Flores’s wedding in Austin, Texas, in September, guests were given custom menus with a thank-you note from the couple; drank espresso martinis from an ice luge with the letters “M” and “C” carved into its side; and left with party favors of koozies featuring an illustration of their dog.
It was all part of Ms. Bonnice and Mr. Flores’s vision for their nuptials. “I wanted guests to feel like they were being invited to our event, for me and my husband, with our brand showing who we are,” said Ms. Bonnice, a 30-year-old engineer at Salesforce.
Like Ms. Bonnice and her husband, many couples are choosing to have so-called branded weddings, in which numerous elements are customized with a couple’s logo, illustration or other personal touch. They can range from small details, such as monogrammed place settings, to larger, more elaborate endeavors, like light fixtures that beam bespoke designs onto the dance floor. According to a recent survey by The Knot of nearly 10,000 couples, 63 percent felt that personalization was the most important part of their planning process.
To make their branding dreams a reality, Ms. Bonnice and Mr. Flores worked with planners at Simply XO Events, a wedding planning company in Austin, who created a nine-page inspiration board with various designs and suggestions for personalization. They ordered items from Etsy and other vendors, some free (a logo on guests’ photo booth pictures) and others on the pricier side. (Custom graphics displayed in front of two bars were over $2,000.) The end result “turned out great,” Ms. Bonnice said. Her only regret? Not having their logo appear on the aisle during the ceremony, too. “If I could have afforded that, having another custom moment there would’ve been really cool,” she said.
For some couples, the purpose of a branded wedding is to have a clear, cohesive representation of their shared values and their lives together. Others hope to stand out in a sea of cookie-cutter events or emulate the high-end look of celebrity weddings — and many are willing to shell out the money to do so.
