I have to tell you a story…
My name is Carly Totten, and I’m a copywriter and social media manager for the wedding and lifestyle industries and an event planner for couples (and their parents, wedding party, family, and friends – sanity for all!). Quite honestly, I’m an accidental entrepreneur. If that doesn’t make sense to you (and, honestly, why would it), let’s all rewind and start this story closer to the beginning.
Since I can remember, I was always the young dreamer who had different career aspirations than her friends. I said I wanted to be an interior designer from the time I was eight until just after my sixteenth birthday, and I also always stopped to imagine the how, why, and joy behind each and every event I happened upon when I was on vacation with my family. My love for interior design as a career faded, but my love for art and details has never wavered. A minor in Event Planning was a must, and my B.A. from Rider University proudly says Journalism along with one of my greatest achievements, summa cum laude.
I’ll forever be grateful for my internship at Brides.com + Brides Local Magazines because my editors took a chance on me. I’m certain my “I’ll do anything you ask” attitude helped my cause! Because of that experience, I was asked for my advice on how to create a social media presence, industry professionals sought out my writing for their websites, and then I was asked to create a marketing plan for an event planner. During an ill-fated job search, the girl who lived to play “store” when she was little had become an entrepreneur. It’s always funny to me to think back and realize the things we loved when we were little weren’t just fun things to do – they were the things that would write our someday stories.
I live to learn the “why” behind your story as a business owner but also as a person. Who you are is more important than what you are, and that needs to be shared online and whenever we meet in person. I write because it’s a creative way for me to process anything and everything, and I love sharing the stories of others around me. I plan events because they still fascinate me, but I also want you to experience the start of your legacy without a care in the world. Words and details matter because they have the power to bring you joy to share with others.
I am a copywriter, social media manager, and event planner. I’m kind, creative, and likely to make you laugh. I love marriage more than weddings, I live to travel even though flying is my least favorite activity, and I’m constantly curious about everyone around me. I’m an accidental entrepreneur, yet I think Carly is Inspired was always meant to be. And, I am grateful every day to be right here because that means I have the privilege of working with you.