My Logo Inspiration
A couple weekends ago I coordinated a wedding at Sodo Park and the lead caterer and I had a heart to heart moment about our mothers. We were talking about how we both got into the coordinating business and how our mothers were the driving force that pushed us and encouraged us to try to do what we love, just like any mother should. Then we realized that both our mothers had passed away after losing their battles to cancer. Her mother had just passed away and my mother passed away three years ago. My mother, Sue Mak, had this knack for making absolute strangers her best friend. She was so open and warm that everyone always felt like they knew her and just would spill their entire life story to her. After she passed away I have tried to come out of my personal bubble and try to touch peoples lives the way she did. After talking to the caterer at Sodo Park, I felt like I had made a new friend and we both gave each other a big hug and felt my Mom in that moment.
My mom helped me coordinate a couple weddings for friends when I was first starting. After each wedding, we talked about how great it would be if we could plan weddings for a living. We even talked about trying to turn her property into a venue location out in Kingston. But life happens and time passed. I thought all these ideas we had were just huge ambitions and dreams. I had to pay the bills and had no any idea how to start a business on my own. Then three years ago we found out my mom had stage IV colon cancer. We had no idea how serious her illness was and thought she would beat it like every other obstacle she faced in her life. But just five short months later, she passed away. Her life and her death was a huge moving force for me to decide to take a leap of faith and start this business I have always dreamed of doing. After all, she always told me to go follow my dreams and that I could be and do anything I set my heart to. So I did.
The first step for me was to come up with my brand and logo. It was easy for me to want to create a logo that embodied my mother and her spirit. The first thing I decided on was to include a daisy, since those were her favorite flowers. I asked her once when I was little why daisies were her favorite flower, since I always thought they were so simple and there were so many other fancy flowers out there. She just smiled and said they were her favorite because they are such a happy flower. And for those of you that knew my mom, she loved life and laughter. Her life theme song was "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin. I can still see her speeding around in her car rocking out to that song in her sunglasses. And she is right, they are a happy flower!
I also wanted to incorporate yellow into my logo since that was her favorite color. I think if my Dad would've let her, the whole inside of our house would have been painted yellow. I designed an initial logo, but realized fast that I needed help. So I reached out to a friend at a graphic design company, Mark Johnson. I told him my ideas and he helped make my logo bloom into what it is today!
The whole reason why I love coordinating weddings is because I get to be a part of such a special day for a couple. I get to help make their dream wedding come true. Whenever I am driving to my next wedding, I always get this urge to call my mom and tell her what I am doing and where I am headed. I know she can see me and that she is there next to me at these weddings. I can feel her love at every one.
