Lauren & Brandon
October 24,2009
Grace United Methodist Church & Johnathan Byrd's

What a glorious fall day to have a wedding. Lauren and Brandon are great couple. Lauren and I meet way back in May and have been planning ever since. Lauren had most of the major stuff covered but wanted help with details. I was excited to hear that Openfield Photography was their photographer. I've never worked at Johnathan Byrd's before and was thrilled to be able to work a new venue. Lauren and her maid of honor Abby are quite the crafty. They made just about everything including invitations, monogrammed aisle runner, menu cards, place cards, wreaths, and list goes on. It all looked wonderful. On Friday after leaving the rehearsal I was a little nervous because it went so smooth. I always say a chaotic rehearsal makes for a great wedding day! But Kim and Pastor Coleman were great and had everything under control at the church. On Saturday, all 300 plus guests arrived and enjoyed a beautiful ceremony filled with music and scripture reading. Karen at JP Parker did a wonderful job on the flowers at the ceremony and reception. She even sent over her assistant to church when we had a boutonniere crisis. At the reception, the decor look AWESOME! Joe from Johnathan Byrd's was great to work with and the food was delicious. Tim from Circle City DJ did a great job. The dance floor was packed all night long. There was a CCP first, during the bouquet toss Lauren threw the bouquet so high that it got caught in ceiling. Everyone was cracking up!!! This wedding was filled with family, friends and fun. Lauren and Brandon, thank you for letting me share in the festivities. Now the couple is off on their honeymoon!

Here Comes the Bride, IMA Thursday night

Here Comes the Bride.com presents WEDDING FASHION TRENDS 2010

A Runway Show Featuring Collections by Birnbaum & Bullock

To celebrate the grand opening of the Leslie Jones Wedding Studio for Birnbaum & Bullock, here comes the Bride.com will host WEDDING FASHION TRENDS 2010, a runway show featuring the latest couture gowns from Birnbaum & Bullock, The Steven Birnbaum Collection, and Robert Bullock Bride. WEDDING FASHION TRENDS 2010 will take place Thursday, October 29 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 Michigan Road. The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. Guests will be the first in Indiana to view the stunning craftsmanship of Steven Birnbaum and Robert Bullock while also having the opportunity to mingle with Indy’s most in-demand wedding industry professionals.
"We are so excited to be partnering with Leslie Jones on our first Birnbaum & Bullock store outside of New York City,” says Steven Birnbaum. "Leslie has been flying clients in to meet with us in New York for years, and now we get to come to them. We like to think that we are bringing a little bit of New York to Indy.”
When the Leslie Jones Wedding Studio for Birnbaum & Bullock opens its doors on Friday, October 30 at the French Pharmacie marketplace (823 ½ Westfield Boulevard in Broad Ripple), brides will have the chance to work with Steven Birnbaum and Robert Bullock to find their perfect dress. Gowns range in price from $450 to $7,000. Appointments with the designers are available October 30 and 31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
With 30 years of experience in the wedding industry, Leslie Jones is no stranger to couture wedding accoutrement. Her family owned Bridal Boutique of Carmel from 1977-2000 and continues to own and operate DC Designer's Tux Shop. She founded Leslie Jones Weddings, a full-service event planning business in 2000 and, in 2008, launched herecomestheBride.com, an online directory of Indianapolis area wedding professionals, each invited to participate based on their reputation for impeccable style, innovative spirit, and integrity.For more information or to make an appointment, contact info@herecomesthebride.com.

Mr. and Mrs. Ferg marry their Sweet Pea!

Nicole and Adam

St. Matthews Catholic Church

Indianapolis Museum of Art

October 24, 2009

Where does the time go? I often look ahead at my wedding calendar and the next thing you know it's winter and they have all been married, but this wedding was a special one in my career that I will cherish. Adam and Nicole are dear friends of ours here at the Shadoan's. Adam and Mike work together at Automatic Pool Covers. I have known Adam for years as they travel on business quite often. In fact, Adam often complains about Mike's snoring. I told Mike as a wedding gift he should buy Adam a pair of ear plugs!

So needless to say, when Adam proposed to Nicole they came into the office to get the planning started. St. Matthews (as I found out) is a very small community of great Catholics. Everyone in the congregation seems to know one another. I felt at ease with Father and Pat, the wedding coordinator. The church filled up quickly as the guests piled in to watch Nicole and Adam tie the knot. It was so neat to have my husband in the pews, I actually got to sit down and be a witness! Father told us at the end of the ceremony, we didn't have to come back for mass on Sunday that the ceremony counted! Thank goodness (you know I slept in on Sunday).

In the mean time, Randi and Laurenne (the dynamic duo, CCWeekenders) got the ball rolling at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It was Randi's birthday; WOW! what dedication. The room looked amazing (thanks David from McNamara) and the food was unbelievable. As I arrived, I gave out a few last minute instructions and then I was able to sit down and relax as a GUEST. What a guest?! Yes, a guest!!!! Freddie, from Kahn's Catering, and Vanessa, from the IMA, helped us get those last minute details finalized for the big reveal. Nicole and Adam were very pleased. Mr. and Mrs. Ferg (Ferguson) were able to relax and visit with their friends as the night progressed. We had a cigar bar and a fire pit outside for the guests to enjoy. Thanks Mike for being in charge of the fire! Darci from Bodell Photography (thank you for the amazing shots) was such a delight and the band kept the party moving into the night; Zanadoo rocks! What a fun night! Here's a shout out to my new friends at St. Matthews. I might have to come visit even though I'm not Catholic.

Wedding Love and Hugs,

Tonya

Starry Night, Jen's Big Wedding!

Jennifer and Brandon

October 10, 2009

The Canal Walk Vermont Street Plaza

This was a special wedding for Tonya and I. Jen has worked with for Circle City Planners for the past 2 years. She was first working closely with Tonya in the office, but lately has been helping me on the weekends with my weddings. So Tonya and I teamed up to help Jen plan her BIG night. Tonya took on the initial stages of planning, and I came in at the end of things to finalize the details. This was also special for me because Jen and Brandon said their vows in the exact same spot that my husband and I did five years earlier. CCP has done several weddings on the canal and it can not be said enough, the site is beautiful but its a BEAST! Everything has to unloaded and taken down 3 flights of stairs to the canal level, but in the end its all worth it! Jen planned a 7:30 evening candlelight ceremony. Although it was chilly this was the first outdoor wedding that I didn't have to worry about rain. The setting was magical and so romantic. I didn't keep an exact count but I think there was over 200 candles burning. The minister did have a hard time reading ceremony script so next time I must remember to bring a book light! After Jen and Brandon said their "I Do's" everyone walk acrossed the bridge to the reception tent. My team and I had it decked out in burgundy, eggplant, platinum and beautiful floral prints. There were, of course, tons of more candles. The main focal point was the bar. It was elevated and with black bar stools around it. The band was great. The hors'douvres were wonderful. The party was a complete success! I'm so happy for Jen and Brandon and it was a delight that I could help them.

~Darcie

Jay Fundraiser Wins Big!

October 17, 2009

Jacque Jay and her family hosted a lovely Caribbean night to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Saturday night. The evening took place at the Conrad hotel. As the guests arrived the steel drums played and the bidding began on several, large silent auction items. Local businesses graciously donated items to help the cause. No surprise, but the food was outstanding at the interactive food stations (see pictures). The staff at the Conrad do such an amazing job "doing it right". They never say "no" which I love! By the end of the night the Jay family raised over $8000 for the cause. Way to go girls, thank you for allowing me to be part of such a worthy event.

Special thanks to Tiffany who donated the flowers. Perfect.

Wedding Love and Hugs,

Tonya

Jen and Brandon

October 10,2009

The Canal Walk

This was a special wedding for Tonya and I. Jen has been with Circle City Planners for the past 2 years. She mainly helps me with my weddings on the weekends. She

Did you Hear the News????/

Modern Bride and Elegant Bride magazine closes it's doors

This was just announced that the publishers Condé Nast will be closing several magazines that include, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride, among others. What a heartbreak.

Our hearts go out to the employees that will be directly affected by this reduction.

Wedding Love and Hugs,

T :(

Brick Sheek

Danielle and Jason

October 3, 2009

Zionsville, Indiana

From the first time Danielle and I met we hit it off. I loved her ideas about the weddings, and she loved mine too. Jason proposed to Danielle in Lincoln Park in Zionsville, so naturally that's where the ceremony was held as well. Danielle wanted to keep everything local so ALL of her wedding vendors except for me were from Zionsville. This was an outdoor ceremony, so of course I kept my eye on the weather all day. It was chilly, but the rain held off! Danielle and her dad arrived to the ceremony on a horse drawn carriage. The site looked great it had just enough decor. During the ceremony it did drizzle a little but I thought it added to the atmosphere. Once Jason and Danielle was pronounced man and wife all the guests walked with them down Main Street to Nancy Noel's Sanctuary where the reception was held. The cocktail hour was planned to be outside on the porch but because of the chilly weather, we invited guests inside to warm up. The decor at the Sanctuary followed the theme from the ceremony. The place cards were on little park benches so CUTE! The centerpieces were different on every table which was really fun. Instead of a candy bar we did a nut bar, guests loved it. And instead of a champagne toast we surprised guests and did a hot spiked apple cider toast. Speaking of surprises during the parents welcome speech Danielle's mom and dad surprised her with a painting from Nancy Noel. It was Danielle's favorite from the gallery! Dinner was fantastic! We served a rustic soup and a trio of chicken, sausage and lamb with potatoes and veggies. For dessert everyone was served an individual chocolate pastry. On each table we added pumpkins with chocolate inside; I couldn't believe how real the pumpkins looked. Our DJ, which was Danielle's brother-in-law rocked it. Everyone was up dancing all night long. It was a GREAT party! I was so happy that I was apart of this wedding. Thank you Danielle and Jason!

Mr. and Mrs. Washington Tie the Knot

Christina and Justin

Columbia Club

October 3, 2009

Have you ever thought where the saying "tied the knot" comes from? Well after all of these weddings I finally figured it out! Here we are at the rehearsal and the minister takes his scarf off of his robe and literally ties it around the couples' hands as they are kneeling at the alter. He prays for them and then unties the scarf. This wedding tradition comes from medieval times where they were not allowed to untie it until they had consummated the marriage. Rev. Grey explained the saying to me after the rehearsal, boy I learn something new every wedding.The new Mr. and Mrs. Hage live in Virginia and work for the government in DC. They are such a neat couple. Justin was the planner in the relationship and Christina loved every minute of it. They were married at Christ Church Cathedral on the circle. You know that little church that you drive by on the circle and wonder who goes to that cute, ornate, historic church. Well, that's it! I know you are waiting for the CCP first. Well, I had one...and it freaked me out a bit. It takes a lot to frazzle the Tonya, in fact I thrive off of the rush on a wedding day, but this one tops the cake (no pun intended). Christina, right before she started to walk down the aisle, started to panic. Seriously, I thought she was going to pass out. She started crying, turning red, and pacing. So what did I do? I knew Justin was the calm, to her storm. I kept reminding her that she was going to see him soon. I told her to keep her blinders on and look straight ahead for him. It was only 20 seconds down that aisle. She could do it. She continued to panic. "Stay Calm," I reminded myself. It was one of those moments in the movie where the bride needs to talk to her groom. I looked at the clues of my bridesmaids, which told me she has a tendency to freak out right before special moments. She doesn't like the spotlight. Did I mention I've never had that type of panic? But, I knew she was going to be okay. I remained calm, that's my job, and got her down the aisle. We took several deep breathes (thank you Pilates instructor) and walked in calm, cool, and collective. That was a scary one, but she did and did it well. She was stunning! You could just see the guests eyes light up when she walked down that aisle. What a proud moment for her mother and her new husband.The church was located right next door to the Columbia Club; it was so convenient for the guests. I just love the Club. The couple chose the venue based on the political history of the club; what a perfect fit for their passion...the government. Each table was named after a special monument in Washington. Of course, the White House was the head table. Randi, my assistant, had to brush up on her history skills when placing the table names with the pictures. She only missed two; I thought that was better than what I could have done. Melody from Carpenter Photography and her husband did an outstanding job taking us on the streets of Indianapolis and the War Memorial. I can't wait to show you the pictures (the wind was so cold). She knew how important government monuments meant to the couple, so you really paid special attention to those details when capturing their images around the city. I was able to catch a glance at one of the pictures and I seriously thought it was taken in front of a historic monument in Washington. It was so neat! I promise I will post those pictures later.Nick/Scotty (never understood his real name) did an excellent job with the service at the reception and of course, our friend AJ never left a detail unturned. Things were very smooth and the event went into a crazy dance party later in the night thanks to my newlywed friends Jeremy and Sarah (DJ's Direct). A special thanks to Randi who did an outstanding job and allowed me to leave early to celebrate my honey's birthday. Good times! Great job once again team! Justin, let me know if you are looking for a job. You are some planner.

Wedding Love and Hugs,

T

Shortest Event Ever

So this is another Circle City Planners first. We did an event that lasted 30 minutes!!! The Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association asked us to showcase a venue for companies that were coming in town for NCAA tournament next year. We were so happy that we were paired with the Crowne Plaza. We wanted to WOW the companies, so we teamed up with Evans Audio Visual and created two different looks in the grand hall of the Crowne Plaza. The first space was the more formal elegant party and the other space was the FUN lounge feel. We served Coke floats (Coke was one of the companies). In the lounge area guests sat on modern black leather couches. There were also cool coffee table cubes that had the CCP logo lit up in them. Before guests left they stopped and filled chinese take boxes full of nut and Hersey's chocolate. It was a fun day but like a said it was only for 30 minutes.