How to create a brand identity for your officiant business

Plus how to choose a name for your wedding officiant business and make a logo design that stands out, with advice from Officiant Nico Raineau of RomCom Weddings in Los Angeles

 

Has the wedding industry been feeling a little crowded lately? Are you struggling to attract new clients to marry, or having a hard time getting your officiant business off the ground? 

 

Chances are, you need a stronger brand identity! 

 

Your ‘Brand Identity’ is your business’s look and feel, the visual and emotional representation that sets you apart from other officiants. It’s your business name, your logo, your unique wedding packages, style, and skillset. It’s your signature look, your personality, your vibe. 

 

It’s you. And it’s the key to marketing your business successfully, and attracting couples that really connect with the services you’re offering. 

 

It’s step one in successfully marketing yourself as a professional wedding officiant! But how do you define your brand identity? You’re about to find out!

 

Follow the advice below from Officiant Nico Raineau to define your brand, choose your wedding officiant business name, and design a logo that helps you stand out from the crowd. 

 

Officiant Nico is the owner of the wildly popular RomCom Weddings officiant business, located in Los Angeles, California. Nico launched RomCom Weddings in 2022 and quickly grew the business into a recognizable brand. In a city known for its competitive wedding market, Nico found the key to standing out was to lean into the quality that made him special and make it his brand.

 

Nico says: “When I launched my officiating business, I kid you not, I had only ever officiated one ceremony. One. After some thoughtful copywriting and with the support of a local, booked-solid wedding planner, I started booking couples… I’m [now] on preferred vendor’s lists for some of the best wedding coordinators and venues in Los Angeles, earning me a lot of referral business in a competitive market, and I am proud to say I am a busy and popular officiant. And it’s only April of 2024, which means I did all of this before hitting the two-year mark in my business.

 

What I’ve done anyone can do, and if I’ve learned anything from this generous and welcoming community it’s that we have to lift one another up. We are not each other’s competition; we are each other’s support system.”

 

Read on to see how you can do this too, with a brand identity that’s uniquely you. 

 

 

Nico in a top hat during a fun Alice in Wonderland themed wedding ceremony. (Photo: Robbie Snider)

 

Create a Brand Identity for Your Wedding Officiant Business and Stand Out From the Crowd: 

Advice from Officiant Nico Raineau of RomCom Weddings

 

The key to defining your brand identity is figuring out what makes you weird… How to find your ‘one cool thing’

 

“My trajectory over the past couple years is the result of three principles that are marketing mainstays in my business… The first, and arguably the most important, is ‘Defining and Maintaining Brand Identity.’ So, let’s break that down.

 

The reason that I caught the attention of industry leaders and the reason local vendors have added me to their preferred lists so quickly is, essentially, this...

 

Above: The RomCom Weddings logo courtesy of Nico.

 

 

This is my logo.

 

This is my brand identity: RomCom Weddings – “The Romantic Comedy Wedding Officiant!” It’s my ‘one cool thing,’ and I have turned it into the basis of my marketing strategy. It’s on my Instagram. It’s on my website. It’s in my email signature.

 

Hell, I even have it on t-shirts that I wear to expos and conferences.

 

 

The RomCom wedding tshirt in action! (Photo courtesy of Nico)

 

Why? For the past 15 years, I’ve worked in the movie industry as a screenwriter and film director. My specialty within the industry is romantic comedies. I co-wrote a romantic comedy with my wife that I then directed, and that came out in 2020. And I continue to write screenplays and produce projects in the entertainment business. Nonetheless, I was still pining for more personal and professional fulfillment, and that is why I started my business as a professional officiant.

 

Read more: How Filmmaker Nico Raineau Fell in Love with Writing Wedding Ceremonies

 

 

Before launching my business, I was trying to figure out what my brand identity might be and how I was going to stand out in the crowded Los Angeles marketplace. So, I did the difficult work of looking in the mirror to determine what I can offer that other officiants in my area can’t. Not what they don’t—but what they cannot. What only I can offer. Otherwise, I’m not gonna find any business because there are plenty of talented folks already doing good work… 

 

That’s the first question you all have to ask yourselves in order to stand apart: what can I offer that fills a gap in the market?

 

I was speaking with fellow officiant Marie Burns Holzer who was providing me with some guidance… and she said, “Figure out what makes you weird.” 

 

So, I thought about it.

 

The answer didn’t come quickly, but I realized that what makes me weird is the fact that I write romantic comedies. Nobody else can say that. Nobody else can offer a personalized marriage ceremony written and performed by an award winning, rom-com screenwriter who specializes in telling love stories full of heart and hilarity. That’s my one cool thing.

 

The key to defining your brand identity is figuring out what makes you weird… your ‘one cool thing.’

 

 

Nico gives love a big thumbs up after giving this couple their 'happily ever after' wedding. (Photo  Sergey Green)

 

 

Finding your ‘one cool thing’ takes work. It takes thoughtful introspection. It also requires you to research the colleagues in your area and determine what makes them weird, because that’s helpful in discerning what makes you different from everyone else. 

 

And please, seriously, do not be afraid of leaning into your oddities and idiosyncrasies! Embrace your inner nerd! Because you know what, if you are passionate about it, the people who love that thing will find you. In fact, I promise you, they will rejoice that you exist. Don’t be afraid of niche. You might worry that it will limit your clientele—it won’t.

 

How to choose a business name that says something about you

 

Once you figure out what your one cool thing is, the next question is how to make it your selling point. 

 

Now, I suspect some of my colleagues might disagree with me about this, but I believe that the name of your business should, in some way, advertise your one cool thing.

 

I see a lot of officiants out there who’s businesses are just their names. Like 'Officiant' or 'Ceremonies by' followed by your name. Truth be told, that doesn’t tell prospective couples much about you. Advertising your business with only your name works if you have many years to build your reputation, if you go to every trade show and knock on every venue door in town…

 

But if you’re just getting started, or you’re looking to rebrand in the digital space, your name is not going to be enough. And your name probably isn’t your one cool thing. It’s not what makes you weird. (Except for my pal over at Lhegendary Weddings, whose name is literally Lhegend Carter! I mean, that is cool. Only he can capitalize on offering couples a literal ‘Legendary Wedding!’ And he does, very successfully.) 

 

Point being, the first thing that a couple discovers about you is the name of your business and your social media handle. So, what does that name signal to the couple? You have a single fleeting moment to grab their attention and to make them think, 'Huh, that officiant seems interesting or fun or awesome. Let’s go to their website, Instagram, Knot account.'

 

Does your business name have that effect?

 

 

Nico's ceremonies live up to his 'brand identity.' They're filled with love, laughter and fun. "We’ve all been lied to," he says. "The ceremony is not some boring tradition we have to slog through before the party can start. THE CEREMONY CAN BE THE PARTY!"  (Photo: Stewart Marcano)

 

 

I write rom-com movies, I tell the couple’s story as a romantic comedy on their wedding day, so, I’m ‘the Romantic Comedy Wedding Officiant.’

 

If you’re a witch who offers ceremonies in Salem, Massachusetts like Tara McMullen-King, then you’re ‘Witchy Woman Weddings.’

 

Or, even simply, if you just want to entertain folks and make them laugh, then look at my guy Mark Allan Groleau up in Canada—his business is called ‘Unboring!Wedding.’ It’s not complicated, and yet it tells you exactly what he’s about. (And yes, he puts the exclamation point after ‘Unboring’ and before ‘Wedding’ just for extra emphasis.)

 

You don’t have to overthink it, but you do need to think about it. 

 

Related: Examples of Wedding Officiant Business Names for Inspiration and Easy Marketing

 

Don’t forget about a website…

 

And you need to make sure the website URL for that business name is still available before naming your business! 

 

Because building a website is important. You need to corner the market for your ‘one cool thing’!

 

Read Next: How to Start a Website for Your Wedding Officiant Business

 

And you need to create an eye-catching logo design! 

 

Once you land on your business name, I suggest you design a logo! 

 

When designing my logo, I used 99 Designs. It’s a great option if you don’t personally know any graphic artists. The 99 Designs website connects you to graphic designers across the globe and gives you the option of different price points that grant access to less or more experienced designers. 

 

Or, you can poke around the site to find a designer you like and hire them individually to work with you. It’s a wonderful resource!

 

That’s it… Now that you stand out, you can get back to the wonderful work of marrying people 

 

Once you determine the gap in your market, define your one cool thing, name your business to reflect that 'cool thing,' build your website, and design a unique and eye-catching logo that advertises what makes you weird…

 

You have your Brand Identity!"

 

 

 

Watch Nico's full presentation below! 

 

This article is an excerpt from Nico's recent presentation for AMM's Officiants Online training event, 'Marketing Your Individuality: How to Stand Out as a Wedding Officiant.' Watch the full presentation below to learn more about marketing your 'maverick' and using your individuality to book more wedding clients.

 

 See more upcoming virtual officiant events by visiting Officiant Accelerator Virtual Events and learn from expert officiants across the country! 

 

 

 

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You might also like: 

 

• Wedding Officiants: Let's Talk Business Cards

 

• How to write a compelling minister profile or personal bio

 

• How to Get Your Wedding Published on AMM’s Wedding Wall

 

Illustration by Jessica Levey

Everything you need to know about wedding officiant business cards! What to include, the best design for your brand, and more! Read the full article here.
 

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