Côte Designs
An event-design studio that looks like one
The current site is a clean Squarespace template, functional but generic, the kind of theme any florist could be running. The redesign is a quiet, editorial portfolio in the tradition of small design studios, one event at a time, slowly photographed, bespoke to the studio's actual aesthetic.
The brief
Côte Designs is a coastal-leaning event and floral design studio working out of Aiken. The current site is a clean Squarespace template, functional, but the same theme any wedding florist could be running. For a studio whose whole pitch is bespoke work that “sweats the details for you,” a default-template site is a quiet credibility leak.
The brief was simple: a custom editorial site that actually reflects the studio’s own aesthetic, instead of leaning on a default Squarespace theme.
What changed
- Real, written copy. A working philosophy (“we accept twelve events a year”), three honest service tiers with starting prices, and a seven-step process from first inquiry letter to printed event volume.
- A portfolio that breathes. Six “volumes” laid out in a magazine-style grid, with editorial captions and tonal cover images in place of a default photo gallery.
- An inquiry form that fits the studio. Sectioned, generous, with an open question at the end instead of a five-field default contact widget.
- Bespoke, not theme-bound. Custom typography, custom layout, a navigation built around the way the studio actually presents its work, rather than the rails a template imposes.
Visual direction
A quiet, editorial palette of bone, sage, dusty taupe, a touch of petal pink and ocean haze, paired with a tall display serif for headlines, an italic serif for accents, and a clean modern face for body. The whole feel is closer to a small print magazine than to a wedding-vendor SEO page. Generous space between sections; the studio’s restraint becomes the visual language.
Easy to keep up to date
The portfolio, the pricing tiers, and the press mentions are kept in a short, plain-text file. Adding a new event takes one entry and one cover image. The inquiry form sends a clean email to the inbox. The owner can keep everything current in five minutes, or hand it off on a small monthly retainer.
What I’d add next
- A password-protected “private volumes” gallery for prospective clients
- A short journal for the studio’s seasonal write-ups
- Real photography in place of the concept covers as each new event ships