Do YOU know how to be a good guest?

Being a gracious host seems a daunting task, but have you ever thought about how to be a perfect guest? When attending a wedding, etiquette is more important than ever! If you have never thought about your own behavior at a wedding, it's time to start!

The bride and groom have enormous amounts of decisions to make, and pressures to deal with during the entire planning process. It is your job as a good friend, and a good guest, to make your attendance problem free!!!!

*The FIRST thing you need to do as a good guest is RSVP promptly!!! Even if the groom is your best pal, you MUST send in your response card IMMEDIATELY! Equally important is to let a couple know you send your regrets. Also, follow through with your decision, no one likes a wedding crasher, and if you said you were coming, keep in mind the couple has spent non refundable money on you! It can cost upwards of 100.00 per head for food and beverage for each guest, so be courteous and show up! A bride and groom also painstakingly spend hours planning a seating chart. Can Aunt Martha sit next to cousin Bob? Pam doesn't get a long with Susan.....etc... If you make the seating chart, you better be seated ;)

*Second, USE THE REGISTRY! Couples spend hours selecting the things they need most to get their new lives started. It is also customary to send the gift ahead of the wedding to their address. It can be cumbersome to have to deal with gifts on the wedding night, especially if they are slated to fly off to a romantic honeymoon. So do not bring packages to the reception.

*Next, arrive early! It is customary to arrive for the ceremony at least 15 minutes prior to the time listed on the invitation. If you arrive late, do not sneak in during the ceremony. Wait outside until the couple begins the receiving line. On a side note, keep your congratulations brief during a receiving line. Everyone wants a chance to see the couple, and there is usually a timeline to keep in mind.

*Finally, here are some little tips to be certain you are "guest-worthy" at your next wedding. Don't drink too much. Just because it's open bar, doesn't mean you should overindulge. You don't want to take away ANY attention from the bride ad groom. Be on your best behavior. Dress appropriately. Don't wear white, off white or anything risque. Do not take pictures during the ceremony. Do NOT bring along a guest(s) that was not invited! Pay attention during toasts and first dances, and be respectful of all the vendors (DJ, photographer, wedding planner) that are working at the wedding.

The next time you attend a wedding, use proper etiquette and be a gracious guest. Remember, the day is about the bride and groom, not you!

Helping make your weddings fabulous! Tiffany

A Circle City Crowne Affair!

(the above picture was stolen from Jim Cerone :) Thanks! )

BUT!

Check out our SNEAK PEEKS of the Uh-MAZING photos from the always awesome Jessica Strickland!

We had the priveledge to be a part of this amazing, unique, classy and simply FABULOUS wedding that took place at Geist Christian Church with the reception to follow at the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis.

Megan asked us to create her dream wedding using a palette of creams, ivories, cappuccinos, lattes, persimmons and peaches. It truly was the PERFECT color combination for a late season summer wedding in the most elegant place in town! We used what I refer to as the "Chanel" of all flowers, phalaenopsis orchids, peach garden roses, persimmon roses, and peach calla lilies that would break your heart! OOOH! So pretty. Everything was adorned with crystals and supersized so that guests got that WOW! factor at every turn.

Jim Cerone kept our crowd hopping all night and was the perfect emcee to host this loving couple! Great job, Jim!

You can just tell that Megan and Julian are SO in love! Thanks to everyone on the team including Katie McHone and Megan Kissel at the Crowne Plaza, Jill Sowder with Westwood Paper Company, Northern Light Filmworks, and Heavenly Sweets!

Sweet and Simple

Mollie and John
July 23,2011
St. Luke & Indianapolis Museum of Art

What a great wedding! Mollie was such a great bride to work with. She had a traditional Catholic ceremony and one GREAT reception.
The bridesmaids' dresses were so fun and it was the first time I had ever seen a "print". They were perfect for her summer wedding. Mollie then created custom clutches. Mollie had said from the beginning that she wanted a party and that's exactly what happened.
After the very emotional ceremony, Mollie, John, and their bridal party jumped on a mini bus that took them to the IMA. There they were able to get some amazing pictures, even though it was super hot outside. At six o'clock their guests arrived and they were able to enjoy cocktail hour with them. After the ballroom doors opened, guests were still able to mingle as they went to various food stations around the room.
The 1st dance was one reception tradition that wasn't left out. However, Mollie wanted to cut the song short so the party could get started. The plan was for her and John to dance alone for about a minute, then the band was to start a fast dancing song and their bridal party was going to join them on the dance floor. Myself and the band leader didn't think this idea was going to work, but BOY were we wrong. As soon as "Dyomite" started, everyone got out of their seats and headed straight to the dance floor. The dance floor was packed the entire night. It was an AMAZING party.
A big thanks to all that made the Mollie and John's day a success. Joe from Kahn's, Nicole from the IMA, Joel Cookston photography, Tiffany at Circle City Designers, Shannon from St. Luke, Patrick Wimp Videography, Kiralee of Eyemax makeup, and Zanna Doo!

The HOTTEST wedding of the year!

It was a dreadfully hot week, exceeding 100 degrees most days. I was so nervous about the flowers holding up. An outdoor wedding at a family's beautiful home was just too tempting to stay inside! At the end of the day, my team did a great job at bringing out the flowers at the last possible minute, and they looked FABULOUS!

We worked with Scott Evan from Evans Audio Visual on creating the most GORGEOUS backdrop for "I Do's" I have ever seen! A gorgeous tented reception occured in the back yard with dinner catered by Hoaglin's Fine Catering. Beautiful bursts of yellows and ivories gave this wedding some Southern Belle charm. Evans brought in crystal and iron chandeliers that broke my heart they were so beautiful! I have stolen a few pictures to give you a sneak peek at this incredible day! Tonya put the finishing touches on everything and did a great job at keeping this whole shebang a SECRET!!! None of the guests knew the couple was getting married! I was honored to have worked with such a great team, for such a great couple!!!!

Adding fabulosity to your flowers, Tiffany

A sweet goodbye !!!! A letter to those interested in the event industry

A sweet letter to future candidates from my departing intern, Kim. We love you and have appreciated working with you this summer! Best of luck to you!

This summer I have had the AMAZING opportunity to be an intern for the best floral designer in all of Indianapolis (shoot, and probably in all of the US!) and hang around some pretty great people in the Circle City office!

If you think these internships are your average desk job, you are mistaken! Some days there will be blood

and sweat, but the reward is incredible. I have learned more this summer than I did during my undergrad courses - there is nothing like getting hands on experience that will stay with you for years to come! Not only was there design experience, but I got to dip my feet in to the marketing world a little bit by helping with social media and writing some of these great blogs too!

One of my favorite things about each wedding has been working with different venues and vendors and getting to know Indianapolis even better. CCP/CCD always does an incredible job of creating unique weddings that are PERFECT for their clients! They take the time to really dig in to the personality of their client in order to make their big day flawless, and that is the exact passion that drew me to CCP/CCD in the first place.

I am so proud to be a part of a team that has a reputation for FABULOSITY and am so thankful for the opportunity I have been given! You would be downright silly to pass up the chance to intern with CCP/CCD! :)

Best of luck to future interns with this FAB company!

xoxo, Kim

Marketing Intern candidates - email hello@tonyashadoan.com

Circle City Designers Intern candidates - email tiffany@circlecitydesigners.com

Circle City Planners Intern candidates - email ashlee@circlecityplanners.com

Ritz Seminar Pics!

Darcie posted all about our night at the Ritz on Monday, but I wanted to showcase a few ofDave Mason's photos for you all to see! Great job! And, my flowers aint too shabby either :) Happy Wednesday!

A Night at the Ritz

Last month Circle City Planners and Circle City Designers we invited to the Ritz Charles for a meet and mingle with Ritz Charles brides. Tiffany designed floral arrangements for show tables and Tonya gave a presentation on How to have a LUXE wedding on today's budget. Brides of the Ritz were able to try numerous hors d'oeuvres along with specialty drinks. Our friend, Dave Mason took these pictures.... and the event code is ritzcharles2011.
Enjoy!!!!!