Yippee!

We have a new logo! This is something I've wanted for a while now and I'm thrilled to unveil it here on the blog. Drum-roll, please...

TA-DAA!

I never thought a logo could make me so giddy with happiness. I've been looking for a graphic designer for a while, but was totally overwhelmed by the process. Combine that with an almost total lack of time to interview designers and you have inertia...complete and total non-progress on one of my business goals for 2008 and 2009: all new print materials. Then Frank found 99designs, a website with the mission of connecting talented graphic designers with business owners like me who need something designed.  It was so amazingly simple: we submitted a design brief ("clean, simple, tagline included...NO CAMERA GRAPHICS!") and included one of my all-time favorite images as an example of our style -- the famous Heath Fearless Bridal Sunflower Shot!!!!

We paid a small set-up fee and determined a dollar amount as the "prize" that would be awarded to the winning design. Then we sat back and waited...but not for long. Within a few hours, the first logo design was submitted.  Even though I wasn't crazy about the first design (Hello, people: "No camera graphics" means NO CAMERA GRAPHICS!!!) it was so much fun to open up my inbox and see that more designs had been posted. I'm telling you, it was like Christmas there for a whole week.

As the contest owners, it was our job to rate the designs and give feedback to the designers. While there were lots of cool designs submitted, it was Jon Whelan's design that won us over. Jon says he included the birds to represent nature (since I love to shoot outdoors). There are two of them (there are two of us -- brilliant!) and most couples are just that: couples. (Mother-in-laws don't count.) More "two" significance. The boy bird is giving the girl bird a sunflower which relates back to the picture and just so happens to be my favorite flower. (Happy. Colorful. Simple. Need I say more?). The type was clean and modern, plus he worked in the tagline "Life is sweet...remember it well." He even gave us a more modern take on the lime green color I love so much. All in all, the clear winner!

Then came the tricky part: paying him.

You see, Jon is in South Africa. How cool is that?? Unfortunately, though, PayPal won't send funds to South Africa.  OK...so I tried MoneyBookers. More hassle: MoneyBookers won't take US dollars. So now I'm thinking I'm going to have to fly to Cape Town to pay Jon $300. I was willing to do it and was even thinking I could write it off as a business expense until Frank snipped off that particular wild hair. I think his exact words were: "Great idea, honey, right up until the point we get audited."

( It was worth a shot.)

Luckily, I found Alert Pay and was able to transfer the funds to Jon. It was definitely worth the hassle and I highly recommend him. He even sent me the design before he got paid so that we could make a deadline for our upcoming ad in Weddings magazine. How awesome is that?!? If you want his contact info, shoot me an email and I'll give it to you: Elizabeth@sweetlifephoto.com. Jon is working on the design for our new business cards and letterhead. I can't wait to see what he comes up with!

We'll be working the new logo into the blog and website in the days to come (oh, who am I kidding -- it'll be weeks). Until then, I need the help of my loyal blog readers: I want my birds to have names. Yep, that's right. I don't want them to be "Boy Bird" and "Girl Bird" forever. So I'm announcing a contest. Send me your ideas for names by December 1st either by leaving a comment or emailing me. I'll pick the three most original pairs of names and then we'll vote here on the blog for the best names. The winner will receive a free engagement or Fearless Bridal session. So c'mon people, put your thinking caps on and name my birds! (Does that sound weird?)