Mark & Bren in the news!!!

This is an article written about my couple, Bren and Mark getting married in July. It was published in the local McCoordsville/Fortville Reporter. They are both in the real estate industry and are sooo in love with each other and their jobs. I can't wait till the wedding day!!!
Enjoy....
By CHRIS SPECKMAN
cspeckman@greenfieldreporter.com

FORTVILLE — Selling homes is where Mark Forcum and Bren Flatter’s hearts are.
Not surprisingly, the real estate world brought the soon-to-be-wed couple together.
As a salesman, Mark sought out leads from Bren’s title company. The two first met for a business lunch, which helped lay the foundation for their relationship.
“Being a pesky salesperson, I called her back again with more questions,” said Mark, a Mt. Vernon High School graduate. “After bothering her one or two more times, she finally figured out that I was calling her on a social level.”
Ever since their first dates at a Broad Ripple restaurant and a race week event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway back in May 2007, the pair has been practically inseparable, aside from all the hours each logs at their jobs.
Mark proposed to Bren last June, picking the most unlikely of days to make his move. As part of Mark’s birthday celebration, the pair went out for dinner and a walk down the White River canal downtown. The following morning, he decided it was time to pop the question.
“I did it because I knew she wouldn’t expect it on my birthday,” said Mark, who works as a Real Estate Investment Professional at Century 21 Realty Group. “I knew she would think the entire day was supposed to be about me, so it would throw her for a loop.
“It was planned, but the plan didn’t happen. It ended up being better than the plan. I didn’t even have to take her out for dinner.”
Although Bren contends that her fiancé still owes her a dinner, neither has any complaints about the planning for their July 24 wedding, which will take place at Holy Spirit at Geist with a reception following at the Skyline Club.
Bren said hiring a wedding planner has made the process much easier to swallow.
“I still to this day do not understand why brides get all freaked out,” Bren said. “It’s really not that stressful, if you take one thing at a time.”
Bren said the planner has been a godsend because of the 70 to 80 hour work weeks she often contends with. Because of their similar career paths, her fiancé can relate.
“There was just something different about him,” Bren said. “He wasn’t threatened by how much I worked. He wasn’t bothered by my ambition, which was something that was very appealing to me.
“I understand why a lot of Realtors get married because of the weird hours and the demands that it comes with.”
The National REO account manager at Meridian Title said meeting her match finally convinced her being a pair beats being single.
“When I found someone who could let me be me and appreciated my work ethic, I realized that you can have the best of both worlds.”

Wedding Planner in Training: Week Two

Meet Megan: The CCP Intern

The past couple weeks I’ve been thinking about how everything I’m doing and learning at CCP coordinates with what I have been learning in college. As a student in Events Management, I love the internship part of the degree because it’s real hands-on learning. In class I learn the basics and the technical aspects of running an event. But, in the internship I’m doing much more and have the chance to really get involved in the process and the business. I already know that most of my learning will come from being here and that school was just getting me ready for that. You can’t be successful just by reading books, so get out there and experience it!

I have always been an organized person with a little creativity, but one of my goals is to strengthen my creativity so that I can better myself in the design aspect of wedding planning. So far my favorite part of being an intern at Circle City Planners is the design boards. Each week I’m given a color palate or style from which I put together pictures and ideas for the décor. Then, when a client wants a visual of their perfect wedding they can look at these design boards for inspiration. It’s the “look book” of weddings. This year one of the hot colors is teal, which I love! These design boards are helping me to grasp the style of CCP and to get my own creative juices flowing. Below is an example of a design inspiration board from www.stylemepretty.com. This is what we create for our clients using their color scheme and wedding style.

I’m learning so much already here and I feel like this is just the beginning of a great summer of experiencing the wedding industry. In the midst of all of the to-do lists, tasks, and errands which people would normally consider tedious work, I am noticing that I still enjoy doing these things because this job is fun for me. I can’t wait to do more, especially when I’ll be starting to work my first events in the next couple weeks. It’s an amazing feeling to be doing something you enjoy and to wish you had more time to for it. We should all be doing something we love and I’m on my way there!

Keep tuning in as I share my experience as a Planner in Training with all of you!

Live your passion!

Meg, the intern

Wildflower Wednesday!!

I’m getting geared up for a great wedding weekend with three lovely brides! If the weather holds up, I’m sure they will be spending a lot of the day outdoors. As spring sets in, warmer temperatures are here to stay and as a bride, it’s important to consider how the weather affects your bouquets for the wedding.

When taking pictures outside, keep in mind that your bouquet is both out of water and in warm temperatures. Not all flowers are sensitive to drought and heat, but it’s a good idea to limit exposure to the sun and warmth as much as possible. Consider taking the majority of your outdoor photos without your bouquets. Save the last 45 minutes to an hour for fun floral shots.

*You cannot take a bouquet and stick it in a vase for it to take up water. The stems must be re-cut in order to drink, EACH time it is removed from water. So, again, if your photo session is several hours prior to your ceremony, keep the bouquet inside, in water, till you absolutely need it. It’s not just heat that will cause wilting, long durations of being out of water are just as damaging, so try not to have your bouquets delivered any more than 3 hours prior to your ceremony.

*Choosing the right flowers for the time of year is very important. Flowers such as hydrangea, tulips (any bulb flower), anemone, and certain types of roses and lilies can wilt very easily, especially in the heat. If being outdoors is important to you, you should consider choosing heartier flowers like cymbidium orchids, calla lilies, carnations, and tropical flowers.



*It’s not just your flowers that are sensitive to heat and drought. Consider your bridal party and your guests when you are going outdoors for the big day. How about using brightly colored parasols for your pictures instead of bouquets? Have fun paper fans do double duty as your programs for the ceremony. Most importantly, have lots of bottled water on hand for anyone who might need it.



Adding fabulosity to your florals, Tiffany

Chaslyn & Jason

04.24.10

Immanuel United Church of Christ

Historic Union Station & Crowne Plaza Hotel

The first wedding of the season for the CCP Weekenders went off without a hitch! Chaslyn & Jason had a beautiful ceremony in Lafayette with some of the most amazing music I have ever heard. Chaslyn looked just gorgeous in her one of a kind dress! After the ceremony, we traveled to downtown Indianapolis to the Historic Union Station & Crowne Plaza Hotel. The rain fortunately held out for most of the day and Dave Mason from ISPhotographic was able to get some great shots of the happy couple. As we entered the Grand Ball Room, Chaslyn & Jason were just in aww of how fabulous it looked. A special thanks to my team, Laurenne & Kelly who helped put the finishing touches around the room. Chaslyn just couldn't stop looking at all the gold details around the room and commenting on how perfect it looked. There is nothing like seeing the bride smile! The evening's festivities started with an amazing dance by the bride and groom as they were introduced as Mr. & Mrs. Jason DeVault and ended with what Chaslyn and Jason called the Newlywed Game.

Thank you to everyone that made this wedding come together! Katie & Megan from the Crowne Plaza, A Classic for the beautiful linens, Jill from Westwood Paper, Dave Mason from ISPhotographic, Gary Higgins, Heavenly Sweets, Our Backyard Flowers, Bob Foresman from Velocity Sound, & Shutter Booth for capturing all of the guests in their photo booth!

Chaslyn & Jason promised to bring back the sunshine from Maui!

Enjoy your honeymoon!

Randi

Meet Megan: The CCP Intern

Many girls dream of becoming the wedding planner they see on TV or in the movies, like Jennifer Lopez's "The Wedding Planner." For me, I saw that as a fun job but not something I would ever have a chance to become a part of. I thought that it was something I would like to do but could not realistically make a career out of it. But, something changed and I realized that this is not only something I can do, but I really can make it a career. My "Ah ha" moment came when I planned my own wedding a year ago. I absolutely loved every aspect of the planning and designing. It became my passion. It is not all glamorous and fun, it is a lot of time and hard work, but I love it! I do not remember how I came to find Tonya and Circle City Planners, but I was impressed that a busy wedding planner would take the time to coach other people how to become successful at something they are passionate about. The more I learned, the more I wanted to become a wedding planner myself. I know that it would be an amazing opportunity if I could somehow become a part of this team... and here I am now! Today was an exciting day for me as I began my internship with Circle City Planners. I am eager to learn and experience all that I can in this business. I have met the whole team, and they are all wonderful ladies. It is very fast paced, and that is definitely something that I am used to. I am ready to dive right in and work hard. I am going to be working on adminstrative duties half of the time and working events the other half. I will learn all the steps in the process of planning a wedding and take Tonya's Diva Wedding Coach Course. I know that I am extremely lucky to be here and I am very grateful to Tonya, Darcie, Tiffany, and Carrie for having me as part of the Circle City Planners family. I just know that I will love learning and working with all of you!

Keep tuning in as I share my experience as a Planner in Training with all of you!

Live your passion!

Meg, the intern

Cincinnati Trip!

It’s almost Earth Day and I am very excited about being on television tomorrow! I have always been passionate about "being green", especially being a part of such a nature inspired business! Being "green" is all about giving back to the Earth, but I'd like to talk about giving back to each other. Few industries are really designed in such a way that your competitors are your friends. In fact, I can not think of any other than industry than ours! The "LOVE" business is really all about learning, teaching, growing, assisting, and inspiring others in our field. Last week, Tonya and I had the opportunity to go to Cincinnati to the Association of Bridal Consultants conference. Tonya was there to share her gift for "Finding Your Niche" in this market, and I was there to learn. We talked about internships that are really a must for the event planning world, and it amazed me that people actually provide internships to mentor their future competitors!!! I was blessed with meeting a fabulous designer at this conference, Kevin Ford, owner of Ford-Ellington Wedding Event and Design. He took an hour of his time to give me a tour of the grandest venue in Cincinnati (where he does many events each year), and gave me advice on how to run my consultations better. He also gave me advice on how to buy more accurately, where to get amazing rentals, and many other ideas to better run our business. I was also able to offer him a different perspective on some areas he needed to improve upon as well. He has graciously extended an opportunity for me to come out and shadow him and his staff on one of his events this summer. I am feeling very blessed that I met this man, along with feeling blessed to be part of an industry where giving back to each other is at the forefront. No other for profit business can be as defined as a giving community. As we celebrate our Earth this week, let us also celebrate each other, celebrate our passion for what we do, and celebrate our LOVE for being in the LOVE business!!!!

Don’t forget to watch me on the Fox 59 morning news Thursday at 9:15 am!!

Tiffany

Happy Anniversary Randi & Whitney!

Happy Anniversary to Randi and Whitney!! One year this weekend, boy how time flies. So I have to share with you my story about Randi! I’ve known Randi now for a little over two years, what a sweet girl. I helped her design her wedding and pull all the details together for her special day. I laugh because Randi and Whitney are the tallest couple I have ever known in my entire life. Every time they would come into the office, I would have to get on tip toes just to give them a hug (that was even with my high heels on!). The wedding was so beautiful, she was absolutely stunning (see the pictures, WOW), but our story continued. Randi knew she just loved planning her wedding and was a bit sad when it was over. After her special day was over, she decided to take my wedding planning course I offered last summer. I was NOT surprised when she found herself loving every minute and eating up the design part of planning. She was truly a natural at those checklists (that is the teacher in her). After the class was over, that is when my big AHA moment happened! Why not ask her to come on staff here at CCP and be my assistant at my events. Needless to say, the rest is history and Circle City Weekenders was born. Randi now runs our weekend division helping brides pull all of those last minute details together. She loves it and now is going to be working on a more full-time basis for us here at CCP. We are so thankful for her talents and Whitney’s patience as she transitions out of one career into this new one. I’m sure you have seen the cute pictures of this amazing couple, now what’s the next chapter for her? Rumor has it maybe BABIES?! Thanks Randi and Whitney for coming into our lives! Happy Anniversary to you!

Wedding Love and Hugs,

T

I "Do" Cam!!

The Do it Yourself Wedding Videography Solution!

With the iDO cam you can have a professional edited wedding video at an amazing price! If you are trying to decide if a wedding video is in the budget, please check out the site below and see what the "I Do Cam" has to offer! What a great way for your guests to feel connected when sharing this special day with you!

www.idocam.com

Wedding Love and Hugs,

T

"Eco- Chic" Weddings

Earth Day is next week on the 22nd and even though I have discussed this before, I am currently working on several “Eco-Chic” projects, so I was juiced up to talk about it again! I have always wanted to be as green as possible in my work, and one would think that working with flowers would automatically make you an Earth Friendly person. But, there are so MANY things that need to be considered! When you are planning your wedding with a “green” theme in mind, here are some floral rules of “thumb”.
*If you purchase your flowers from a local florist who uses wholesalers or orders direct from other countries, you are guaranteed to be using products that have been heavily sprayed with pesticides in order to cross our border, and have used several modes of transportation, leaving their carbon footprint on our Earth.
*Choosing flowers that are grown locally at the time of year you plan to be married severely reduces that carbon footprint. Local farmers don’t need to use as many pesticides because they are not nearly as mass produced, and have less distance to travel.
*Farmer’s markets are a great resource for inexpensive flowers, but you have less selection, and would need to plan to do your own flowers. If you want your florist to put on the show, ask them what products they buy locally instead of what’s shipped in.
*In early springtime, not much has started blooming; consider forcing your own bulbs over the winter so they are ready to go come spring.
*If you are getting married in the winter, you will find Indiana isn’t growing ANYTHING green so, this is the time you consider creating centerpieces out of natural products like branches, evergreens, berries, and dried flowers. Soy candles with local made evergreen wreaths make for beautiful centerpieces!
*When creating your centerpieces, be sure your florist does not use floral foam, plastics, or any chemicals to treat the flowers.
*Wrap bouquets in natural, organic materials like sisal, burlap or hemp.
*Recycle all glassware, rent vases from a florist so they are reused, or allow guests to take them home so they can be re-enjoyed.
*If you can find some help in achieving this, have all your flowers from the wedding be taken to local charities, hospices, or non-for profits so they may be used again instead of wasted.
*Ask your florist if they compost their discarded flowers.

Adding eco-chic FABULOSITY to your flowers, Tiffany!

Top Ten Wedding Dresses of 2010

Still looking for the perfect wedding dress? Check out the top ten wedding dresses from 2010! From J.Crew to Oscar de la Renta you will sure find something that inspires you!

1. Amsale

2. Lazaro
3. Vera Wang
4. Romona Keveza
5. J. Crew

6. Douglas Hannant

7. Monique Lhuillier
8. Jenny Yoo
9. Ines Di Santo
10. Oscar de la Renta

Wedding Love and Hugs,

T

Credits: www.chatterberries.com

Glam Up Your Wedding Day Look Like the Stars Do

Thanks to industry image stylists and consultants, many celebrities have learned to accentuate the positive using glam tips regarding hair, color and fashion style in order to put their best face and foot forward. On your wedding day, you will be the celebrity. Glam Up Your Wedding Day Look Like the Stars Do, and shine like a star.

• Know Your Body Type - Accentuate the positive! Play up your best feature. Ball gowns work best on body shape types that have a narrow waist and nicely prominent hips. Empire, A-Line and T-Length gowns and dresses compliment most body shapes, and flows away from the body to form a slight “A” figure. From the full-figure to the petite, these styles are classic, and commonly accommodating. The Mermaid or Fishtail gown is typically well fitting, and best suits body shapes with small busts and small waists, while enhancing the hips. Many gowns look beautiful on the hanger. But finding the one that shows off your assets while detracting from the areas you’d rather not accentuate, is the one that will cause jaws to drop, and will leave an indelible mark on your guests.


• Select Your Suitable Color - Wear colors in tones that are suggestive of your day, classy, glamorous, sexy, modern, contemporary, or traditional. While you want to wear colors that polish your pretty, the tone helps to give you more flexibility. Coordinating complimentary colors adds impact.


• Wedding Hairstyle – Ensure that your coiffe compliments (not conflicts with) your entire profile and style, (ie. your gown, makeup and face structure).


• Wedding Vintage Flair, Classic Style in 2010 – This season’s bridal fashions transcend time and dictate the current trend, and have many brides opting for vintage-inspired gowns, and accessories. The look is the look of glamour and haute couture, as seen on the runway and in celebrity weddings these days. Be creative, resourceful and frugal by shopping boutiques, vintage and consignment shops. Don’t rule out great purchases at exclusive designer houses for unique fashions. Whatever your budget, shoe-string, or unlimited, these options are sure to satisfy your fashion flair and style palette.


• Putting Your Good Foot Forward- It is just as important to make sure that your shoes fit properly, and are as comfortable as they are fabulous. They ought to be comfortable enough for you to walk around in for a few hours without compromising good foot health. There is nothing worse than seeing someone dressed beautifully, but walking like they are on hot coals because of aching feet. Foot health is very important. Be kind to your feet and they will be kind to you. Alternatively, you can slip into more comfortable wedding slippers at the reception, after your wedding planner bustles your gown, altered with the shoe adjustment in mind. A good wedding planner will help you with these options. Likewise, if you plan to change your attire later on during the reception, you may want apply these healthy tips so that you can dance the night away!


• Star Quality Bride - Own your look, your style, your flair and your aura. Polish your inner self by praying, eating right, drinking plenty of water regularly, exercising, and getting plenty of rest while enjoying your engagement. It will cause you to glow outside, as it will inwardly promote fitness and a healthy attitude with star-like qualities. Live healthy and glamorous and you will shine like a star on your big day, and everyday.

Wishing you LIFE and LOVE,



Wanda Williamson

Wedding and Life Celebration Consultant

www.sheerelegantevents.com

plan@sheerelegantevents.com

Yellow/Damask Wedding Decor... Love it!

I have mentioned this color scheme not once, not twice, but three times in the last few months, not only because I truly believe this is the HOTTEST trend in the wedding world right now, but also because I totally think it’s a great choice for flowers! It’s modern, it’s chic, it’s classic, it’s romantic, its girlie, but not TOO girlie, it’s summery, it’s stunning, it’s bold, but not overdone, and it’s simply screaming FABULOSITY!!!!!

Yellow flowers. Black and White accessories. Damask Print linens. Check!
Flowers to use for late spring/early summer: Tulips, daffodils, anemone’s, ranuculous
Flowers to use for mid/late summer: Roses, Asiatic lilies, yarrow, and hydrangea.
Flowers to use for early/mid fall: Sunflowers, celosia, billy balls.





Picture Credits:
www.bride.ca
www.katieandryanwedding.wordpress.com
www.primadonnabride.co.za

Awesome Bridesmaid Dresses

Are you still looking for the perfect bridesmaid dress? Check out the link below to see all the great bridesmaid dresses Alix and Kelly has to offer!

http://alixandkelly.com

San Diego BABY

Tonya and I ventured out to San Diego back in March for 8 days for a Bridal Conference. The first 2 days we were masterminding with our Legends group. It was intense couple of days each wedding planner in the group got up in front of the group and talked about their business. We then gave out suggestions on how to improve each business. Its unbelievable how valuable this is, Tonya and I got sooo many ideas just from listening to other wedding planners. There is 110 things in our journal of things to do. Last year when we out to LA for the same conference, we accomplished almost everything of the list!!! So get ready CCP and CCD fans for the AWESOME things coming!!! The 3rd day was our day off!!! Tonya and I agreed that we wanted to do something that we had never done before so we decided that we were going to SURF!!! It didn't go exactly how we planned (sometimes weddings are like that too) but we did it Mid-west style. This was soo much fun!!! We will need to post another posting just on surfing. The last 3 days was the LIVE event. The conference was mainly focused on running the business. We learned a ton about branding, media and how to accomplish our goals. One of the sessions focused on designed which was GREAT! Tonya and I had sooo much fun together! We laughed, we cried, we missed our children and husbands but most of all we were together. I will say this about the trip: I never spent 8 days and nights with Tonya before, she is exhausting!!!