Gearing up for that summer heat!

Congratulations to Andrea S.! Our newest alumni married off this Saturday at the beautiful Laurel Hall facility. An outdoor ceremony under one of our custom built arches (Thank you Tom!) and a quaint sit down dinner reception inside. So happy to be a part of your big day!

Nothing is more synonymous with "weddings" as is "summer"....And we are just starting to experience those midwest blazers, reaching almost 95 degrees last week! Hot tamales! With so many months of heat ahead of us, and so many "I do's" left to say, it is important to take special precautions for high temperatures on the wedding day.

*Put together tote bags for all the bridesmaids for the day of the wedding. Have water bottles, spritzers, hand held fans, and wet naps in each tote. That way the girls can spray themselves with water to keep cool, drink plenty of fluids, and dab off any sweat with a disposable towel.

*For outdoor ceremonies, be certain to provide fans for guests and a water station.

*Remember if you or your bridal party is drinking alcohol, they are more likely to become dehydrated. For those pre-ceremony celebrations, be sure to follow with equal parts water!

*Flowers are not meant to be in the heat and out of water for long periods of time. Plan your photo sessions around the heat of the day if you can. Designate one person to care for the bouquets throughout the day by recutting them and placing them in water in a cool area while not being photographed. Misting them with a water bottle can help too.

*If it is necessary to have your bouquets out of water for a long time before the ceremony, and you DO want to include lots of outdoor shots, you should consider ordering 2 bridal bouquets. One to take pictures with, and have one waiting for you at the ceremony when you arrive. Another tip: Don't go all white. White flowers are far more likely to show bruising and wilting than colored flowers. As a general rule, the hotter the day, the brighter the flowers...Dark pinks and oranges tend to hold up best under pressure and photograph great!

*Don't forget sunscreen for you and your bridesmaids. Your pictures are worth a thousand words. Don't let some of them be "man, your shoulders are RED!".

*Have a Plan B. When planning a wedding outdoors, there is always a Plan B in case of rain. Don't be afraid to enlist Plan B when it is just TOO hot. You want your guests to be comfortable and enjoy the day. If they are sweating their breakfast off, it gets harder to appreciate the ceremony and all its meaning. Plus, no one wants to be a sweaty bride :)

Enjoy the summer, and many blessings on your I Do's!

Stay cool :) Tiffany

A Wedding FULL of Color

Kyle and Caleb

May 14,2011

Scottish Rite Cathedral

The title says it all! When I first met Kyle and Caleb,

I never imagined that their wedding would turn out like this.

They told me they loved fuchsia, yellow and coral and they wanted everything to be personalized. After assembling Kyle and Caleb's DREAM TEAM of wedding vendors. We started personalizing everything. We started with the save the date cards and finished up with the monogrammed stir sticks. The monogrammed aisle runner for the ceremony was stunning.

The wedding day ran extremely smooth. During the ceremony, there were many laughs and even more joyful tears. Kyle and Caleb decided to incorporate the wooden box ceremony into their ceremony. And of course Kyle blinged out the hammer that sealed the box.

After the ceremony, all the guests gathered on the steps for Kyle and Caleb's GRAND EXIT. And boy, was it grand. Guests waved personalized ribbon wands, then the flower girls released fuchsia, yellow and coral wing tipped doves as Kyle and Caleb drove away in her dad's Ferrari.

At the end of cocktail hour Kyle and Caleb took center stage again as they danced their first dance as husband and wife as all of their guests watched from the balcony.

After dinner, there were more surprises when we turned off the chandelier and lit it up with the fuchsia spotlight. We also paraded late night snacks and Kyle appeared on the balcony to throw her bouquet.

Did I mention that over 7,000 roses were used for this wedding? All in fuchsia, yellow and coral.
Kyle and Caleb's wedding was absolutely stunning! Not one detail was missed. I was able to work with an amazing team of vendors. So thank you Ashley at the Scottish Rite, Renee at Thomas Caterers, Karen at Karen Hall and Co., Tiffany at Circle City Designers, Jill at West Wood Paper, Chris at Copper Moon Entertainment, Bob at Indy Visual, Jennifer at Jennifer Driscoll Photography,
Scott at Evans A/V, Beth at Yellow Rose Carriage and Cara and her staff at the Conrad Indianapolis and of course our staff at Circle City Planners.

Kyle and Caleb took a once in lifetime honeymoon cruise all around Europe .

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.”