CCD gives back!

There is nothing more rewarding than being able to step back from our busy everyday lives and give back our time and talents to deserving members of the community. Wish Upon a Wedding Indianapolis has recently given us the chance to do just that!

We were lucky enough to be a wish granter for the second wedding put on by Wish Upon a Wedding Indianapolis earlier this month. As a wish granter, Circle City Designers was able to contribute stunning florals to help make Tom and Sally's wedding picture perfect!



It was spectacular to have all types of event industry professionals in the area come together to make Tom and Sally's big day as special as possible! Sally could not have looked happier walking down the aisle, and that is the reason we do what we do! We LOVE to do anything we can to make a difference in someone's big day, especially a couple as special as Tom and Sally!

Check out the video below put together by Jeff Dillow, another wish granter from Tom and Sally's wedding!

Tom & Sally {Married} from Jeff Dillow on Vimeo.

To read more on Wish Upon a Wedding, visit their website:

http://www.wishuponawedding.org

Ahead of Schedule

Erin & David ~ May 14, 2011 ~ Crowne Plaza at Union Station Grand Ballroom

What a great spring day to celebrate Erin & David. Both ceremony and reception were in the grand ballroom at Union Station and things could not have turned out better. Needless to say we were ahead of schedule the entire day!

Thanks to Kierstie Phillipo Photography for capturing some great images of the day and also showing off the great aspects of one of our favorite venues in the city.

Tiffany and her team at Circle City Designers did a fantastic job bringing in the bright colors of spring right into the ballroom. The oranges, yellows, and greens jumped right off the black and white decor. Everything was beautiful!

Once again Heavenly Sweets made a deliciously tasty cake which Circle City Designers accented with our signature damask linen.

Cheers to the bride & groom as they continue the celebration on their honeymoon!

Our Boilermaker Bride

Sara and Luke
May 7,2011
St.Mary's Cathedral and Purdue Memorial Union

Sara and Luke are an AMAZING couple. Right now, they are soaking up the sun in Hawaii. Here is a teaser video of the wedding. I'll be posting more pictures soon.

Sara & Luke's Wedding Day Teaser from MVP on Vimeo.

The Royal Couple of Indianapolis

April 30,2011
Gwen and Tyson
Tabernacle Presbyterian Church and Indiana Historical Society

Gwen and Tyson are CCP's royal couple. They have the sweetest families ever and it was an absolute joy to be a part of their wedding. Even though we hit a few snags along the way, Gwen's wedding was stunning. Gwen had the idea of using her family's silver serving pieces filled with flowers for her centerpieces. This served as the inspiration for the rest of wedding. Everything was beautiful shades of purples, from the giant monogrammed "C" to the personalized table numbers and even the lavender infused ceremony programs.
Gwen and Tyson's ceremony was so unique. After the mother's walk down the aisle, the ushers came and lit candles for the congregation. Once all the candles were lit, 3 of the cutest little ring bearers came down the aisle ringing bells for Gwen's big entrance. As Gwen and her father walked down the aisle, the church was completely lit in candle light.
At the reception, the Historical Society was beautifully uplit in purples. The tablescapes were all different but cohesively went together. The speeches from Gwen and Tyson's friends and family were heartfelt and at the same time funny. Dinner was excellent and The Dave and Rae band rocked it. The dance floor was packed all night long.
At the end of the night, we broke out the glow sticks and danced to "Don't Stop Believin." Guests were then treated to a late night snack of Hot Box Bread Sticks. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.

The newlyweds are now soaking up the sun in St. Lucia.
Thanks to my team of Circle City Designers, MBP Catering, Jennifer Driscoll Photography, Card Ink, Twisted Scissor Salon, Antique Limo, Dave and Rae, Wip Salon, Holy Cow Cupcakes, Carey Limo and of course to the best intern ever, Emma Bennett, who set up the reception by herself for the 1st time!!! Way to go EMMA.

This is a MUST READ blog today! Thank you to our soldiers!!!!!!!

In light of the recent events, I struggled to try to write a blog about weddings and fun and sparkles and fairy dust today...And then I thought of my friend Tiffany Stoner, with Nathaniel Edmunds Photography. Her and her husband, Tim, and her brother Nate, have created this beautiful, touching, and pristinely done book documenting their family's experience during Tim's deployment as Commander of his MEDEVAC unit. It has been set up to have proceeds benefit children whose parent(s) are serving are country in the military. It truly showcases the hearts of its authors, and the underlying commitment that they have to each other, their family, and their country. Beautiful photography, poignant stories, and touching moments that make us all sit back and feel proud to have people like Tim Stoner fighting for us. They are an inspiration to us all to have created such a loving, strong bond with each other, their four children, and to have the grace, strength and courage to share their story with the world. Thank you so much for sharing your hearts with us!!!!!! On a day like today, marking history, victory, and gratitude, this is a MUST read today. Enjoy!

Excerpt from FamilyPrint
www.familyprint.org

Saturday | August 11, 2007
THE ELEVENTH HOUR

It's here. It's finally here...we are in the eleventh hour.

We are currently completing our dessert flight training and will be crossing-the-berm soon. the eleventh hour is producing more energy, anxious energy, within the soldiers. Some people release this extra energy by working out, some pack and repack, some clean weapons - again, some read, some listen to iPods, many are joking with their buddies, smoking, chewing tobacco, and some simply sit in solitude.

This window we are in is having quite a diverse affect on the group. You quickly see how people deal with enormous amounts of stress: in public, by mentally escaping, or by remaining quiet.

Most of the soldiers want to end the training, and end the waiting by 'going forward' and 'getting into the fight'. I too, just want to go.

The visual picture of a boxer comes to mind. Just before the bell rings, many boxers begin to jump around, shadow punch and move - exuding energy, concentrating and increasing focus.

We have plans, and contingency plans, for everything, bus we simply do not know 'what's next'. We've never been here before. The State of Indiana has never sent a helicopter unit into combat, in any war, ever. We were not handed an overall strategy, an operational plan, or tactical plans. There has been no playbook, we have defined, built and refined it along the way.

The team is highly capable, and confident - amazingly confident.

As I write, tears begin to well up in my eyes. I will not hide them.

WE ARE READY.

.....
FamilyPrint is a book focused on One Family’s Unique Reflection During War. It has also been established as a nonprofit organization assisting the children of deployed soldiers.

Army National Guardsman Major Timothy Stoner, commander of Indiana's first BlackHawk unit in Iraq, and his wife Tiffany chronicle their journey into and out of war.

Stemming from the blog established as their primary means of communication during wartime, FamilyPrint: One family's unique reflection during war, tells the story of this
family of six.

Trading wingtips for combat boots and managing four children under the age of six, Tim and Tiffany transform their difficulty into an experience of graciousness, growth and gratitude. “The dialogue drew in our families and supporters and touched so many people’s lives,” says Major Stoner, who was awarded the Bronze Star during his deployment. “It became our compass and the foundation for what created this book.”

Not only does FamilyPrint depict this candid wartime experience with words, but also via the breathtaking photography of Nathan Rowe, who beautifully captures the agony of separation and the utter joy of coming home.

Indiana’s Governor, Mitch Daniels says, “When a National Guardsman deploys there are truly two people at war: the soldier who goes to fight the enemy and the spouse who stays behind to face, in many ways, an equally difficult task. Tim and Tiffany Stoner’s new book is a useful reminder of the debt we owe to both members of any National Guard Family.”

The Journey: HRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The day is here and Catherine Middleton is now the Duchess of Cambridge. Read about all the insider details revealed today as Kate and William said “I DO”!

THE DRESS- Kate took a page out of Grace Kelly’s book. She looked breathtaking in her wedding gown by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen. Her look was completed by stunning jewels and accessories fit for a princess. Sister Pippa and bridesmaids looked amazing too! Pippa was also wearing Alexander McQueen.

THE JEWELS- She adorned her long locks with a 1936 Cartier halo tiara lent to her by Queen Elizabeth. This was the Queen’s 18^th birthday present. Her earrings where designed by Robinson Pelham and given to her by her parents Michael and Carole Middleton. The leaf design was taken from elements on her tiara.

THE MEN- Prince William and his brother Prince Harry bother were dressed in formal military attire. The 28-year-old prince choose to wear the uniform of Colonel of the Irish Guards with a Forage Cap.

MOMENTS- The new HRH Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had many touching moments together during the ceremony. They really displayed their true love for each other throughout all of the "Pomp and Circumstance". This also happened to be the song they made the four minute walk through the Abbey and made their debut to the public.

THE EXIT- Kate & William made their special exit on the same 109 year old State Landau carriage the Prince Charles & Princess Diana used in 1982.

SURPRISES- The happy new couple must have consulted with us because they surprised their guests on not one but two occasions. The much anticipated KISS turned into TWO while the crowd outside Buckingham Palace asked for more. Then as William & Kate exited the palace, William drove the happy couple in an Aston Martin decorated with balloons and streamers.

THE HATS- Let's just say I could have watched the hats all day! Some extreme and some demure, but it was definitely a requirement to bring out your most interesting design in the hat department.

Check out People.com for the fashion and the touching moments we all love about weddings!!!

XOXO!

2 more days!!!! OH EM GEE! Royal Wedding Buzz!

Everyone is jumping on the Royal Wedding bandwagon! 2 more days and all of our questions will be answered! According to a recent article, news stories (as indexed by Bing) are up nearly sevenfold to 7 million per day since the beginning of the month. Blog posts have more than doubled from 46.7 million on April 5 to 102.9 million, according to data obtained from Trendrr. Over 5,000 "royal related" tweets are being generated per hour this week! Literally, EVERYONE is talking about it! Another interesting rumor is that Americans are MORE invested in its coverage, are talking about it more, and capitalizing on it more than Britain. We just LOVE weddings! You Tube has been hit 12.8 MILLION times to catch this spoof of the Royal wedding party entrance. LOVE IT!





Speaking of "crowns".....We wanted to share with you this amazing video provided by Jesse Wallace of Copy and Paste Productions, It is a "room flip" at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Indianapolis. The staff there is AMAZING at handling both ceremonies and receptions, and pulling off this rapid fire room flip while guests enjoyed cocktails on the other side of the curtains. The Crowne Plaza is a great space for your own regal wedding!

20 Second Crowne Plaza Flip from Copy Paste Productions on Vimeo.

Thanks you, Jessie Wallace, for creating this FAB footage, and SO quickly!!! This is from our wedding this weekend! Congratulations Eden and Anthony!!!! We were honored to be a part of the big day!!!! Our own Randi Neukam was the planner for Eden and Anthony's big day and did a tremendous job! She captured these great photos during the day! Enjoy! Thank you to my Circle City Designers team for creating such beautiful flowers for the wedding and reception. We used a bi colored rose called "Roulette" to wish the couple to be "lucky in love!" And the burgundy Black Baccara roses and Stargaiser lilies looked perfect in the Crowne Plaza's Grand Hall!

We LOVED that the couple chose Dave Matthew's songs to play during the ceremony and to honor their special dances at the reception! We wish you the best on your new marriage!