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Calgary Entrepreneur Nominated for Award

By on March 10, 2011 in Featured, Rockstar Wedding Planner Legends, Wedding Industry News

Calgary, Alberta – Event professional, Ciara Daykin, has been nominated for the Canadian Special Events’ Event Professional of the Year Award. Ciara is the CEO and owner of Firefly Occasions, a luxury wedding planning agency in Calgary, Alberta. Daykin will travel to Toronto on March 25th to attend the Star Awards Gala. This is a national award and four other candidates have been nominated to compete from across the country.  

Amanda Smith, client of Firefly Occasions, states, “Ciara shares her knowledge and passion with everyone in her path.  Her contributions to the event planning industry are a paramount to her successes. She has enabled many others to achieve their personal business plans.”

The award is designated for outstanding event professionals who inspire others to achieve event success, and who stand out from the crowd by having made exceptional contributions to the industry over the past year.

Nominees must have created success stories time and time again while operating their businesses with the highest level of enthusiasm, accomplishment and professional integrity.

As a nominee, Ciara has also contributed to the growth and development of the event industry in Calgary and has gone above and beyond her client’s expectations.

“I’m thrilled to be nominated for the award and to have the opportunity to represent not only myself but also the Calgary event industry,” states Ciara.

To find out more information about Firefly Occasions please visit www.fireflyoccasions.com. To find out more information about the award please visit www.canadianspecialevents.com.

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Rockstar LIVE Scholarship Opportunity

By on March 10, 2011 in Rockstar Wedding Planner LIVE

We have heard from a number of people telling us how much they would like to attend Rockstar Wedding Planner LIVE Grace & Luxury on March 21-23, but don’t have the funds to attend.  So I have decided to hand out a limited amount of scholarships. I want big thinkers at Grace & Luxury and if you’re one of those planners that wants to come but just can’t swing the ticket price then send an email to us by clicking here.  In the email please include the following:

-Where your business is at right now

-What you made last year

-How attending Grace & Luxury would change your life

-What you want to make this year.

Don’t worry, we will keep numbers confidential, we just want to know where you’re coming from and what your goals are. Click here to apply for a scholarship. The deadline is this Saturday, March 12th at 5pm MST.

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THIS JUST IN!

By on March 9, 2011 in Rockstar Wedding Planner LIVE

Announcing… The 2011 Wedding Innovators of the Year Award Recipients

These amazing Innovators will accept their awards LIVE at Grace & Luxury in Las Vegas. You can still join them there by clicking here.

Sylvia Weinstock

She’s called the “Queen of Wedding Cakes”.  Sylvia Weinstock creates cakes for luxury clientele. Her client list includes Mariah Carey, Maria Maples, Eddie Murphy, Tom Arnold, Whitney Houston, Chynna Phillips and William Baldwin, Cyndi Lauper, Jane Fonda, Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, Wayne Newton and Oprah Winfrey. Sylvia creates more than 500 cakes a year in all shapes and sizes. All Sylvia’s cakes are custom designed and created according to the specifications of her clients.  Her cakes can be as tall as 12 feet high and feed as many as 5,000 people. Sylvia’s cakes have been all over the world, including Japan, Mexico and Saudi Arabia… even to Canada where one of her creations was featured at a wedding I planned.

Chris Easter

Chris is Co-Founder of the TheManRegistry.com, the web’s leading wedding resource and gift provider for grooms and groomsmen. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the company’s blog, GroomsAdvice.com. The Man Registry’s network of sites offers a male voice in an otherwise female-dominated wedding industry. Since 2007, The Man Registry’s “for men, by men” approach to wedding gifts, wedding showers, booking vendors and, of course, bachelor parties, has helped grooms realize it’s possible to have fun during the wedding planning process.

Easter has been quoted in national media including Details Magazine, The Knot, Fox News and Entrepreneur Magazine, and has appeared on The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch, The Tyra Banks Show and Playboy Radio. Easter was recently named one of the Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30 by Inc. Magazine. He has signed a book deal with Penguin Publishing to create a men’s guide to wedding planning that is due out in December of 2011.

Stacie Francombe

After a successful career as a television Producer, Stacie launched Get Married in 2006, growing the company into a nationally renowned wedding planning resource, connecting brides and advertisers through three unique media platforms – online, television and magazine.

During her time at Get Married, Stacie developed and served as Executive Producer for Get Married with David Tutera & Get Married with Colin Cowie, both on Lifetime, then as host in its final season on WeTV & Wedding Central.

She was the visionary behind the publication Get Married – The Shopping & Trend guide for the Savvy Bride, serving as Editor-in-Chief, filling a gap in the bridal market, and growing the title into a nationally distributed quarterly magazine.

As Get Married’s Founder, Stacie was a sought after public speaker and industry insider, addressing wedding professionals and brides around the country, and appearing on CNN, Fox, WABC, and more.

Stacie also developed and hosted the successful web series Get Married in Times Square, planning and hosting the first of its kind wedding event on New Year’s Eve 2010.

Having sold the company, and after much soul searching, in February of 2011, Stacie stepped down as Editor-in-Chief to pursue new business ventures.

In March 2011, Stacie launched Celebrity Wedding Reporter {CWR}: Celebrity style for your walk down the aisle, because every bride is a star on her wedding day! On her personal blog she translates celebrity wedding trends and shows brides how to use these trends as inspiration for their wedding day details.

Stacie is also a Founding Board Member of an organization called Wish Upon a Wedding. Wish Upon a Wedding is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization that provides weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation. Often, couples facing such situations do not have the energy, time, money, or resources needed to plan their wedding. Wish Upon a Wedding takes care of all the details, offering couples a chance to relax and enjoy a very special day while surrounded by the love of their closest family and friends.

Want to hear what inspired their innovative wedding business ideas? Click here to attend.

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Learn How to Push Past the Fear

By on March 9, 2011 in Featured Events, Rockstar Wedding Planner News

I’m wondering if you’ve ever had a really GREAT idea.
 
Ya… just one right?
 
You’ve had LOTS! I know it!
 
But here’s my real question… Have you ever had a really great idea that you felt like would be so cool if you acted on but you didn’t because, well… you don’t really know why?
 
I know why!
 
Great ideas don’t get shelved because they’re not great enough. We put them aside because we’re afraid of what would actually happen if we acted on our great idea. What it would mean for our business and our life. But we often don’t think of the AMAZING things that could happen, we think of worst case scenario. Have you heard this before?
 
“Ya it’s a great idea but I don’t have the money for it.”
 
“Awesome idea but it’s just not the right time for me.”
 
“Wow that would be cool but I don’t have enough help to make that happen.”
 
“This is a HUGE opportunity. But I’m not well known enough yet.”
 
Those are all BIG excuses that are trying to protect you from taking leaps in your business and your life! I know because I have the same feelings when I’m about to make a big shift in my life BUT I’ve figured out how to overcome these feelings, push through with my big idea and achieve great success quickly. In fact, I was just nominated by CanadianSpecialEvents.com as Event Professional of the Year (I’m 1 of 5 event pros nominated for this national award!)
 
Would you like to know my secret? Click here right now.
 
If you want to push past your own self doubt and conquer the fear that’s stopping you from big success in your wedding planning business then I want you to join me on my no charge call TODAY:

 “How to Push Past the Fear That’s Stopping You From Having the Rockstar Wedding Planner Business and Life You Want”
 
When: TODAY, Wednesday March 9th @ 3pmPST/ 4pmMST/ 5pmCST/ 6pmEST
 
On this call you will learn:
-     The biggest move you can make to push past the fears you’re experiencing in your business and life that are stopping you from moving forward (this move is a bit uncomfortable but once you do it nothing will ever be the same!)
-     How I overcame a time in my life when I experienced the greatest, paralyzing fear I’ve ever had and ended up having my best year ever!
-     The way that you can make it easier and easier to get through self doubt and fear going forward (I’m not sugar coating this, the first time is always the hardest, but so rewarding)
 
I will also be revealing live on the call the names of the TWO other recipients of the Wedding Innovator of the Year Awards. (The first winner was already announced. Legendary cake designer, Sylvia Weinstock will be joining us LIVE at Grace & Luxury March 21-23 in Las Vegas).
 
Can’t wait? Sign up here for access to this breakthrough call.
 
Love and wedding planning success,
Ciara
P.S. And remember, this free call is happening today!
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Sunny Mexico

By on February 15, 2011 in Blog, Ciara's Updates, Events, Rockstar Wedding Planner LIVE
Well 2011 continues to be a fabulous whirlwind for Rockstar Wedding Planner and Firefly Occasions. Sy and I took a working vacation to attend a friend’s wedding in Mexico this past week. It was so great to get to the warm weather and just relax.
  
Just in case you missed it, I want to invite you to register  for THE luxury Wedding Planners Business Event of the decade, Grace and Luxury by clicking here.
 
The big news is two-fold…
 
One is that this is the last Rockstar Wedding Planner LIVE I’ll be throwing for Wedding Planners to teach you about how to attract the High-End Bride and plan opulent weddings. 
You see, my wedding planning business has grown significantly over the past year and I need to give it more of my time and attention. As much as I want to help wedding planners I really love to help luxury brides come up with amazing ideas for their weddings.
 
But don’t worry. There will still be ways for us to connect.  In fact, I’m making a huge announcement at Rockstar Wedding Planner LIVE this year that you don’t want to miss.  
 
The second is that I am giving all Grace & Luxury attendees ALL of my business building products for Wedding Planners valued at $1,519.79.
  
Once again, here is where you get tapped into your new successful business…Grace and Luxury.
 
Love and wedding planning success,
 
Ciara
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How to Set-up Your High-End Wedding Planning Business Videos

By on February 2, 2011 in Blog, Ciara Recommends

Have you heard about our Internet sensation for Wedding Planners yet? It’s called, How to Set Up Your High-End Wedding Planning Business. I personally designed this content rich, free 5 video training series for Wedding Planners ready to take control of their own destinies and create a business they love. You can still register here for this no-obligation series which serves as a taste of what you’ll get at the Grace and Luxury extravaganza in Las Vegas in March.

Grace and Luxury is a full-disclosure event when I will openly share exactly how I work fewer weddings, make income in the upper 6-figures, and have more fulfillment than I have ever had in my life. Best of all, I’m going to share exactly how you can do this too! Click here to buy your ticket so you do not miss out on this amazing opportunity!

I’m looking forward to laying out my step-by-step system for serious Wedding Planners like you at Grace and Luxury!

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Nevada Wedding Association

By on February 2, 2011 in Blog, Rockstar Wedding Planner LIVE

One of our amazing sponsors for Grace & Luxury will be the Nevada Wedding Association. Our contact, Joni Moss of LV Wedding Connection (Stay tuned for more on Joni) has been so amazing and helpful. LV Wedding Connection and the Nevada Wedding Association are sponsoring an amazing private tour of three high-end Las Vegas Wedding Chapels for Grace & Luxury attendees who purchase the VIP Lunch Upgrade. Find out more about the VIP Lunch Upgrade and Grace & Luxury by clicking here.

To learn more about this wonderful sponsor, check out the Nevada Wedding Association website.

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Love is in the Air… But Are They Planning Their Wedding Without You?

By on January 28, 2011 in Articles, Blog, Uncategorized
Ah, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. It’s internationally accepted as the most romantic holiday of the year…only to be outdone in romance by her wedding.
 
As you know many engagements happen at the end of the past year or beginning of a new one. If your potential bride didn’t get engaged over the winter holidays of Christmas and New Years there’s a very good chance she could get her ring on Valentine’s Day. (At least that’s what she’s secretly hoping!)
 
As a high end wedding planner, this isn’t the time to lay low. You must make sure your bride recognizes your value as her wedding planner. Stay on her radar. Most of all let her know you really care about her. After all she’s relying on you to bring her dreams alive for the most important day of her life… her wedding.
 
Here are some simple ways to stay on-top-of-mind with your current brides and future clients:
 
1. Get a jump on your Valentine’s Day cards to past clients and your hot list- Valentine’s Day is February 14 every year. So be smart and get your cards in the mail EARLY. I’ve personally noticed a huge drop in Christmas cards over the past few years. Fewer and fewer people seem to take the time to send cards. That means YOU’LL stand out when you take the time to be thoughtful. In fact there is a current service called SendOutCards.com that does the entire mailing for you at a very reasonable rate. You simply choose from their thousands of store-quality greeting cards and create any message you like. They will mail the cards for you. It couldn’t be easier to send fun mail that gets you noticed.
 
2. Stay in front of her with timely blog posts and articles- Your couples are eager to read about ways to make Valentine’s Day special. You’re a perfect resource for them! So put it in a blog or article. Need some help to jog your memory? Here are a few suggestions:
  • Memorable ways to propose
  • Your 5-10 favorite celebrity or historical weddings
  • Unusual gift ideas for him or her
  • Stories of fantastic or disastrous Valentine’s Day celebrations
  • Top 5-10 destination weddings or honeymoons
3. Map out an entire marketing plan just around Valentine’s Day- Creating marketing promotions in advance is a great habit to get into. When you plan promos around a holiday you have a ready-made reason to reach out to her at least once per month. To get the most bang for your buck it’s best to have the end result of the holiday be something exciting for her. Be sure to prime her for 1-2 weeks before Valentine’s Day so she looks forward to hearing from you. You could:
  • Ask her opinion on a topic related to the holiday or take a poll then release the results on Valentine’s Day;
  • Offer to share your expertise about Valentine’s Day or romance in a free teleseminar, video or audio tips;
  • Hold a contest for the best story, picture, proposal, or any other romantic ideas;
And more…
Once you get your groove on and think about the joy of Valentine’s Day I’ll bet you’ll be flooded with your own ideas.
 
4. Share the love – enjoy the attention- We all like to be thought of and we all like to receive gifts. Your wish list of top vendors are no exception. When you want to get noticed, put a little more effort into an elegant, memorable gift. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just thoughtful. Not only will you be remembered, but the next time you want to make an appointment with your favorite vendor, you may just find you’ve been moved to the head of the schedule.
 
5. Keep your romance alive too- Your brides love to live vicariously through someone they admire. As a Rockstar Wedding Planner, that someone is YOU. Part of your positioning is to create an aura of loving yourself. Whether you’re in a relationship or not, be sure to take time for some pampering and spoiling…not just of your loved ones but of you! When you show yourself love, you are setting a great example for her while feeding your own soul.
 
 
Ciara’s Rockstar Advice
 
The word “planner” is in our job description. Yet it’s so easy for many of us to be caught off-guard and unsuspecting when it comes to our plans for how we are going to fill up our sales funnel. While there will always be surprises we aren’t prepared as much for as we’d like, there are steps you can take to be ready for those speed bumps.
 
Take daily, weekly, and monthly inventory on what is on your calendar so you can break your items into manageable bits. Keep lists because it’s much easier to refer to something written down than trying to carry all that you do in your brain. And visualize often about how you want things to turn out. (Visualizing is one of the most powerful secrets to my success.)
 
Don’t wait until the last minute to scramble putting something together that isn’t as good quality as you’re capable of. When you plan ahead you look together and organized so you can wow their socks off! If you need time to make this yearly plan, give yourself three days with us at Grace and Luxury.  Make a plan to woo the high end bride this year.”
 
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Look What We’re Up To!

By on January 28, 2011 in Blog, Ciara's Updates

Woo hoo! This weekend Firefly Occasions was honored by winning Best Booth of the entire Calgary Bridal Fair (January 23, 2011). There were a lot of inspirational booths there, so we’re even more pleased we were voted to receive this distinction.

(You can see pictures on our Firefly Fan Page.)

Well, Rockstar Wedding Planners Innovate! And we’ve definitely been busy providing you with innovative ideas to grow your high-end wedding planning business in our video series. Click here to see the tips if you haven’t already.

Soon we’re Vegas-bound March 21-23 for Rockstar Wedding Planner LIVE, Grace and Luxury: How to Attract, Work With, and Be Referred By The High-End Bride. If you haven’t registered yet, I recommend reserving your space ASAP while there are still some seats left. It’s a great opportunity to meet other High-End Wedding Planners ready to claim their own High-End Bridal Clients.

Frankly this event could change your life.  Click here to learn more and purchase your ticket. I hope you’re coming.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner so I hope you enjoy my article, “Love Is in the Air, But Are They Planning Their Wedding Without You?”

Love and wedding planning success,

Ciara

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11 Rockstar Wedding Planner Tips

By on January 17, 2011 in Articles, Blog

New Year, new you! It’s time to get this year off on the right foot. Please allow me to share some teeny-tiny business tips with major-massive business results. They won’t take you long to do but you’ll be glad you did!

 
1. Audit your website- When a potential bride comes a knockin’ she’s likely going to be visiting your website early in the game. Go through it with fresh eyes as if you’ve never seen your site. Be sure it loads quickly, is easy-to-follow, and that you have a clear call to action.
 
2. Move ‘em from the back to the front- We all have our list of things we plan to get to “someday”. Sadly many things get pushed back so often they never get done. Solution: Figure out three things you’ve put on the back burner and move them to the front.
 
Young businesswoman sitting at table with yoga and meditation.3. Keep YOU healthy- If the head honcho is down with poor health the business is going to suffer. Stay on top of your annual maintenance like doctor and dental visits. Do whatever you like to do to stay in tip-top health including eating well, exercising, and sleep.
 
4. Organize, organize, organize- You’re in charge of your schedule, so be sure you take control right out of the gate. When you’re reacting to things you can never be as effective as when you are calling the shots. Put the big dates in your calendar and work the smaller ones in on YOUR TIME.
 
5. Block out vacation time NOW- You’ve witnessed firsthand how quickly dates fill up, right? So plan what’s important to you in the year ahead and put those dates in ink. If you’re not rejuvenated you won’t bring you’re A-game.
 

6. Failing to plan (your knowledge) is planning to fail (in business)- The most successful Rockstar Wedding Planners invest in themselves to keep cutting edge in their businesses. That means we are lifelong students. Figure out which events serve you best and save those dates now. (By the way, attending the “Grace and Luxury” event in Las Vegas March 21-23 mixes a vacation with business-building. Impossible to go wrong! Click here to learn more.) 

7. Give yourself a pay raise- More often than not wedding and event planners tend to undercharge and end up making only pennies per hour. (I know! I did this for years myself.) Have an honest look at your program packages, then a separate look at how much money you want to make this year. Often we can be our own worst enemies. (Psst! I have secrets to share with you about getting over this hurdle in Vegas at the “Grace and Luxury”.)
       
8. Create a vendor and venue hit list- We all have our dream connections in business. Think of who you’d really like to meet and build a relationship with in 2011. Don’t hold yourself back or think small. Be bold and imagine that “big fish” you’d love to reel in. Start by writing the list. The “how” to connect will come later.
 
9. Set up the environment to invite in big ideas- Sounds a little woo-woo but it’s true…we all attract better ideas when we allow our surroundings to support them. Sy got me a cozy daybed with pretty pillows recently. Not only can I chill with Declan but I scattered around artwork I love and my journal so I’m ready for relaxation or inspiration. Trust me, it works!
 
10. Spend 15 minutes per day decluttering- Clutter actually takes up space and energy in your mind. You don’t have to conquer it all at once. Just take a short block of time everyday to get rid of old mail, outdated products, or even clothes you don’t wear anymore. When you create the space for new things to come into, the Universe works with you!
 
11. Be the Rockstar that you are!- Pamper you a little. Figure out something that feeds your spirit and put it into your calendar STAT! If you love massage, get a regular massage. If taking care of your nails makes you feel elegant, go to a salon. If it’s a quiet date with yourself where you can just think, ask yourself out and go on your own! The bottom line is you need to reward yourself regularly so you have something to look forward to. Not to mention…you deserve it. You’re a Rockstar!
 
Ciara’s Rockstar Advice
       
Hanging on to past grudges really only hurts you. This is a New Year and it can be whatever you want it to be. I don’t want you to suffer. After all, you’re a Rockstar. So do yourself (and me) a favor and let go of any bad habits that are holding you back, take responsibility for anything you’re not happy about in your life so you can move forward, and forgive those who need forgiving. You have the power to make 2011 be your best year ever!
 
P.S. And if you really want to start your 2011 off right, sign up for my video training series. Click here for more information
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