The Story Behind “Emerald and Ebony”
Some believe that names hold a lot of power, and that choosing a name is an incredibly spiritual process; that when you find the right name, you just know. But does the same ring true for business naming?
I can’t say I’ve ever really had much experience with naming. I mean, some soft toys when I was young, the odd pet that my parents let me claim ‘ownership’ of, as long as I promised to feed them each day (I see what you did there Dad!), and let’s not forget video game characters… But nothing as important as a business. And so, for a while, this one had me stumped.
How could I possibly embody everything that I wanted my business to be, in one simple and easy to remember name? How could I say, eco-friendly, nature-inspired, weddings, events, planning, budgeting, and style advice for NZ couples that love the outdoors and NZ nature, in one, maybe two words?
Of course, I did what every good novice does. I googled it. I read all about the rules of naming, things like, make sure your name makes it glaringly obvious to your customers what it is that you do. Keep it short so it’s easy to remember, use words that are relevant to your target audience…
And then I broke every one of those rules. Because, you see, when I knew, I knew.
I was sitting in the car when it came to me. Emerald and Ebony. And I dismissed it immediately. Well that hardly screams, “eco-friendly, nature-inspired, weddings, events, planning, budgeting, and style advice for NZ couples that love the outdoors and NZ nature” does it? I said to myself. But it wouldn’t go away.
Because, to me, Emerald and Ebony does scream all of those things. Let me show you a little picture.
In this picture, are mine and my husband’s engagement rings. (Yes, you read that right, and yes, the dual ring thing is a result of dual proposals – guess we were both ready huh?), mine – an Emerald, surrounded by rose gold and a few small diamonds making the shape of two leaves either side. My husband’s – driftwood and resin, with a streak of rose gold running through it. No, we didn’t collaborate, each ring was chosen by us, for the other, in isolation. And we both proposed in the same location – The Pureora Forest Park, where we parked up in our teeny toyota corolla, slept in the back and awoke to the dawn chorus of Kokako calling in the tips of the trees. But that’s not the point of this story…
To me, Emerald represents love, nature and sustainability because these things are all a part of what makes my husband and I the team that we are. And on a more obvious level, the colour green is a known representative of both nature and sustainability. My husband’s ring may not be ebony, but it is wooden, and so, Ebony represents the wooden and natural element. While the black colour of Ebony represents a desire to stand out from the crowd and do something a little different. Black isn’t your typical wedding colour, but why shouldn’t it be?
Oh and, who doesn’t love a little alliteration?
What are your experiences with choosing names? Do you find it hard to come up with names or is it something that comes naturally to you?
Tell me all about it in the comments!
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Emerald and Ebony – Planning Eco-friendly weddings in Taranaki and beyond.