From Cocktail to Compass:
Branding a Destination Party with Purpose
When local business owner Anna Daily decided to celebrate a 25th wedding anniversary, a 50th birthday, and her husbandʼs retirement, all rolled into one amazing Costa Rica destination party, she knew it deserved more than generic clip art. She wanted a visual identity that felt as intentional as the celebration itself.
Summary
Client
Challenge
Anna came to me asking for a logo for her destination birthday-anniversary-retirement event in Costa Rica. She knew it deserved more than a piece of generic clip art. She wanted a visual identity that felt as intentional as the celebration itself. Anna had chosen a name, “A Daily Dose of Pura Vida.”
Solution
Introduction
Anna Daily is a powerhouse entrepreneur who wears many hats with style and intention. As a restaurateur, she’s built a thriving restaurant group where my husband and I have been loyal patrons—and where I’ve had the pleasure of designing menus and promotional materials. But her entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t stop there. Anna also co-owns an HVAC company with her husband, manages one or two other business ventures, and finds time to champion woman-owned businesses while supporting local community causes. She’s the kind of client who gets design—she understands that good graphic design isn’t a luxury, it’s a strategic investment.
Over the past year, we’d developed a productive working relationship through her restaurant projects, and we’d also connected at a woman-led networking event held at her establishment. By the time she approached me with this new project, we’d already built good rapport and mutual respect.
Anna’s world is one of celebration, community, and purpose. She and her husband share a love story that began at a bar, have matching compass rose tattoos marking their journey together, and are now approaching three major life milestones simultaneously: a 25th wedding anniversary, a milestone birthday, and her partner’s retirement from the HVAC company. Rather than celebrate these separately, Anna envisioned something bigger—a destination party in Costa Rica that would bring together the people they love to mark these achievements in style. It was the perfect moment for a cohesive visual identity.
The Challenge
Anna reached out to me because she needed a logo for her destination celebration event, “A Daily Dose of Pura Vida.” She’d seen firsthand how I work through our restaurant collaborations and trusted my ability to translate her vision into compelling design. More than that, she believed I’d understand the emotional significance of what she was creating—a personal milestone that deserved professional, thoughtful branding.
Her brief was deliciously layered with meaning. She wanted a logo that would express the location of the destination party and create genuine excitement for the event among invitees. She wanted to play with her last name, “Daily”, as a clever wordplay integrated into the design. The logo needed to be incredibly versatile, capable of working beautifully on everything from water bottles and t-shirts to invitations and websites. And she wanted me to weave in the details that mattered most: a cocktail glass (honoring where she and her husband met), the compass rose from their matching tattoos, and a beachy color palette of tans and blues with pops of coral and turquoise. It was a creative puzzle with real soul, and I was excited to solve it.
The Process
I started the process with a discovery call to clarify the audience, goals, and how the logo will be used, then translated that into a clear creative brief.
The client had already started a Pinterest board of ideas for the event. From that collection, I developed two stylescapes, creating a color palette that reflected colors from the images. The client loved both stylescapes, but one had a bolder, more vibrant palette. Anna chose the punchier direction with pops of turquoise, peach, and coral.
Then the real work began. I sketched, refined, and built three logo variations, along with product mockups—think tees, water bottles, and event signage—so Anna could see how the brand might show up in Costa Rica. After a round of small tweaks, we took an extra-important step: color in the real world.
I met Anna in person with Pantone chips in hand to lock in the exact turquoise, coral, and supporting hues. Screens and desktop printers seldom match up; Pantone color formulas are the industry standard. That meeting turned into a relationship milestone too—she hugged me, told me how much she trusted my eye, and later raved about my attention to detail.
When she needed those chips before flying to Costa Rica and I was out of town, I even arranged for my husband to drop them off, so nothing would slow her down.
The Outcome
Providing Anna with this cohesive logo and brand identity system did far more than just give her a pretty graphic to use on invitations. It gave her the foundational visual language she needed to keep her entire party planning process focused and on-brand. A strong, interlocking logo set creates cohesion across every touchpoint—from the digital invitations to the printed materials to the merchandise—and elevates the entire event to the level of a destination wedding. Guests who may not know each other yet will instantly recognize the branding on apparel, welcome packets, and signage, creating an immediate sense of belonging to something special. They’ll feel like members of an exclusive club, which is exactly the experience Anna wanted to create.
Anna is already using the brand identity system to guide her party planning decisions. The logo has become the visual anchor for everything she’s creating, ensuring that every element—from vendor communications to merchandise orders to digital materials—speaks with one cohesive voice.
“Pura Vida” means “the good life” in Costa Rica, and it’s used as a greeting and expression of well-being. By naming her event “A Daily Dose of Pura Vida,” Anna has created something that promises not just a party, but a philosophy—a celebration of the good life shared with the people who matter most. The branding will be a cherished souvenir for Anna, her husband, and every guest for years to come, a visual reminder of this extraordinary milestone moment.
“We are sincerely appreciative of Shari’s unwavering commitment to our business objectives. We have partnered with Wild Olive Design across multiple brands, and in every engagement, Shari has demonstrated a keen ability to listen, understand our vision, and deliver a final product that authentically reflects the essence and values of each company. Her clear communication and exceptional attention to detail consistently ensure a seamless and efficient process from concept through completion. We highly recommend her services.”
