Introducing Wisteria Gray Wedding Planning: A New Chapter for Bootique Weddings & Events

The initial idea for Bootique Weddings & Events was sparked in 2021; right in the middle of the pandemic, as I was coming to the end of my degree and having a bit of a panic about what I was actually supposed to do next.

Someone mentioned that I should look into working in weddings and, honestly, it was a bit of a lightbulb moment.

I rushed ahead. I had a friend design a logo, patented the name and started imagining what this little business could become. I hadn’t even really considered starting my own business before that point, so the whole thing was tucked away in a folder on my laptop until, two years later, I finally felt brave enough to go for it.

I gained some vital experience first, worked really hard at networking, studying and contributing to the wedding industry, and slowly started building up my portfolio with my first few couples. I will be forever grateful to those couples for trusting me with one of the most important days of their lives.

It has now been two years since I launched Bootique Weddings & Events publicly.

And, somewhere along the way, I outgrew it.

I outgrew the name, the logo and, perhaps most importantly, the message behind the brand. Over the last two years, I have refined the type of service I deliver, the couples I want to work with and the weddings I want to create.

And the branding needed to grow with me.

Wisteria Gray Wedding Planning is the start of a new and hopefully very long lasting chapter for me.

Why The Change?

I really went back and forth about whether to change my business name.

I had personally started to hate the name Bootique, whilst my family, clients and some of my closest supplier friends absolutely loved it. But I had quite literally started to get the ick when introducing the business, and I knew that was probably a sign it was time for it to go.

Bootique came from my nickname, Boo. But I don't introduce myself as Boo, so over time I became a little detached from the name.

That doesn't mean changing it wasn't scary.

I was (and still am) nervous that changing the name would mean losing some of the recognition, relationships and networking I had worked so hard to build. There was also the small matter of changing a business name across approximately one million different accounts, platforms and documents. (The checklist is never ending.)

But ultimately, I knew it was the right thing for me.

Which then raised the much harder question...

What do I change it to?

This was no easy feat. It took a few months before I made the final decision, working with my business mentor and then the incredible Andrea from Thoughtfully Wild Studio to really figure out what I wanted this new brand to say.

I knew my business was about more than just planning a wedding.

I want to give couples their ideal English garden wedding, right here in our incredible county of Shropshire. I want to bring couples from all over the world to experience it and showcase just how amazing Shropshire, and the incredible businesses within it, really are.

I want my couples to feel like they have a friend helping them plan and coordinate their wedding.

Someone they can trust.

Someone who knows the area, knows the suppliers and understands what it takes to bring all of those little details together.

And, ultimately, someone who will do their absolute utmost to deliver the wedding day they have worked so hard towards.

When Andrea asked me what my couples actually want from me, this was my response:

“They want to have a wedding in the classic English countryside. They want to be surrounded by their friends and family and make the most of a long weekend for the celebrations. They want their wedding to be meaningful and not just another Instagram or Pinterest trend. Their wedding is going to be personal and have touches throughout the celebration that are bespoke to them. They want to hand their wedding planning over to someone who knows the best suppliers in the area and are happy to do so.”

Once we had worked out the type of weddings and clients I wanted to attract, we could finally start thinking about the name.

The Meaning Behind The Name

Wisteria

I wanted the word Wisteria to immediately make you think of a classic, Bridgerton inspired Georgian manor.

English blooms. Overgrown gardens. Florals climbing across old brickwork. A slightly romantic, slightly whimsical feeling.

That is exactly what I wanted the brand to feel like.

Gray

Gray is a family middle name, passed down through the generations, and is currently shared by both myself and my mum.

I also love the way it brings a subtle sense of regality and elegance to the name, which fits perfectly with the weddings that inspire me.

The name didn't instantly feel right.

But once Andrea put it together with the logo, illustrations and colour palette, I started to fall in love with it.

And then suddenly, it felt like mine.

The Logo

The development process with Andrea was honestly amazing.

I could have quite easily gone onto Canva and designed something myself, but I know I wouldn't have been able to bring the professionalism, clarity and variety to the final brand that Andrea did.

We expanded on my existing colour scheme whilst still making sure the new branding felt like me.

I knew I wanted to keep my signature teal as the primary colour because it was something I genuinely loved about my original branding. It felt important to carry a little piece of Bootique with me into this next chapter.

The logo itself feels whimsical, garden-inspired and yet still elegant.

I don't position myself within the luxury wedding market, so I didn't want the branding to suddenly feel like I was pretending to be something I'm not. Instead, I wanted to elevate the brand whilst keeping it feeling like me.

The additional illustrations and stamp seals add that extra touch of Regency inspired charm.

Think wax sealed letters.

Bespoke floral wallpaper hidden behind a cupboard.

An old Georgian manor surrounded by an overgrown English garden.

It's romantic without feeling too polished. Elegant without feeling stuffy. And, most importantly, it feels like Wisteria Gray Wedding Planning.

So, What's Next?

Nothing really is changing, and yet everything is at the same time.

For my existing couples, everything will remain the same. Your planning experience, the way I work with you and the support you receive from me isn't changing — I want this to feel like a completely seamless transition.

Behind the scenes, though, lots is happening.

New systems are being trialled. Elevated planning proposals are being designed. The website and online presence are being developed. And I'm creating a brand that finally feels like it represents the business I have grown into.

This rebrand isn't about leaving Bootique behind completely.

It's about taking everything I've learnt over the last two years and building something that feels much more like where I'm heading next.

Wisteria Gray Wedding Planning is still me. Just a little more grown up.

And I am so, so excited to bring you along for this next chapter.

Beth x