Estes Wedding - September 12, 2009

Mr. and Mrs. Estes were married at the Union Gables B&B on September 12th of this year. Their focus was on family, friends, and fun, and by the end of the night they successfully enjoyed all three. The bride chose a bright color palette with an emphasis on orange, and we built a chocolate brown and ivory base to balance the orange 'punch'. I worked with this couple from day one and helped put every detail of this event together with them. Working along side Laura and I that day were some great vendors - Tracey Buyce Photography, Jordan from Heaven Scent Florals, and Thomas and his team at the Gables. This was another wedding that included the couple's dog (Lady - check out her orange booties!!). It was a great day for a great couple, and another wedding I am proud to have been a part of. Enjoy!

WPP Photo of the Week!

Love, love, love this! The photo is from Rob Spring Photography and the stunning centerpieces are from Kris Ann Blanchette of Fleurtacious Designs. This bride used such a soft color palette of pinks, creams, and gold. This photo instantly makes me think of a beautiful French countryside. J'adore!

Guys Attire

You already know that you can create a signature look with your bridesmaids dresses, but have you considered doing something unique with the guys in your bridal party? Although a black tux is classic and the most widely chosen attire for the groom and groomsmen, it is not your only option. Mix it up with a colored tux - think browns and tans - or go for a suit or a blazer and casual pants. What about some interesting tie colors and styles, vests, suspenders, or funky shoes? As long as it fits your style and your personality you have free reign to choose whatever you want. Here are some favorites from my past weddings....

Above photo by Joe Elario

Above photo by Emma Dodge Hanson

Above photo by Hillary Harvey

Above photo by Niki Rossi

Above photo by Michael Grace-Martin

Above photo by Shannon DeCelle

Above photo by Tracey Buyce

Above photo by Shannon DeCelle

Above photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman

WPP Photo of the Week!

Photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman

I love all weddings, but Saratoga weddings... Ooh, they are special... And Saratoga weddings that use the Saratoga State Park for a photo site? Ahhh... It's one of my favorite spots in the entire world. Hands down. Classic beauty. And a great backdrop for some stunning photos. I mean, take a quick look at this photo and tell me what decade it belongs in. Do you consider more than one??

WPP Photo of the Week!

Photo by Joe Elario Photography

32 tables to seat their 350 guests... Custom black and white checkered flooring... Clean colors on the tables and menu cards to match the place cards and table numbers.......

Add in a cool camera angle and you have one sweet picture!

Walley Wedding - September 5, 2009

I had the distinct pleasure of working with (the new) Mr. and Mrs. Walley as their Day-of Wedding Coordinator. They were married on Labor Day weekend at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga. I love this location - so stunning! And the bride and groom were stunning, too! The bride booked me over a year in advance, and was as detailed and meticulous about her weddings plans as any professional wedding planner I've seen. Sarah, if you ever decide you want to run my western New York branch of Wedding Planning Plus you're hired! Working along side me at this wedding was the ever fabulous DJ Greg Frasier, florist Kris Ann Blanchette from Fleurtacious Designs, and the great team from Classe Catering. Photographing this event was Rob Spring ( http://www.robspringphotography.com/ ) who was a blast to work with. I am very laid back and Rob has a similar attitude which is so perfect for journalistic style photography. Rob and I really clicked! It was a great wedding for a great couple and these are Rob's great pictures!

WPP Photo of the Week!

Hey, it's official!! Woop woop! :)

Photo by Shannon DeCelle Photography

A girl's gotta have her accessories

You know we offer invitations and stationery, but did you know you can get all of your wedding accessories and gifts through us, too? Quality products, reasonable prices, and quick shipping. We'll take care of everything!

Here is just a sample of the hundreds of items to choose from!

WPP Photo of the Week!

A cute and special moment caught between the bride and groom just after their ceremony. Photo by Tracey Buyce.

Stowe Wedding - August 21, 2009

I had the pleasure to consult on this Destination Wedding down in the beautiful Charlotte, NC area. The bride is a very good friend of mine from way back to our childhood which made the whole event that much more special to me. She chose a beautiful botanical garden location for the ceremony and reception, and kept her palette to a soft and natural green and purple. All of the design elements were chic and classy, and they blended together to create a backdrop that was both personal and elegantly simple. I love both the bride and the groom, and thank them so much for letting me be a part of their special day. Congrats you two!! :)

All of these photos were taken by a fabulous husband and wife photography team, Dean Forsyth Photography. http://www.deanforsyth.com/. Enjoy!

Thanks Rob!

On Labor Day weekend Laura and I coordinated a wedding for a LOVELY couple at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs. It was my first time working with their photographer, Rob Spring, and I was super impressed by his demeanor, approach and attitude with the couple and their families. Rob posted some sneak peek photos on his blog and left some kind words for me.

"Shannon Whitney from Wedding Planning Plus also helped to coordinate the day with her play by play keeping everyone on schedule. Unlike many wedding coordinators, Shannon was so relaxed and pleasant, it rubbed off on Ryan and Sarah, from the time I started photographing until I packed up to go home, they were grinning from ear to ear. Well done Shannon!"

Awww! Thanks Rob!! I'll be blogging about this wedding soon! To check out the rest of his post and see the BEAUTIFUL images click on the link below...

http://www.robspringphotography.blogspot.com/

WPP Photo of the Week!

Today is the first day of fall, and my FAVORITE time of year, so of course I have to post a fabulous fall wedding photo as this week's Photo of the Week. This picture was taken by Hillary Harvey and was at a wedding on the Great Sacandaga Lake on Columbus Day weekend of 2008. The bride had seen a picture of a stunning arch and the Best Man recreated it out of wood in the local area. How gorgeous is that?? The couple kept their guest list small and was under 50 people, and for their bridal party they went with linen pants for the guys and various rich fall colors on satin fabric for the girls. The weather couldn't have been any nicer and we were able to stay outside for photos in the wonderful late fall warmth. I just love this picture because I think it captures the season, the mood, and the couple's simplistic elegance all at once. Happy fall everyone!! :)

Our Favorite Guest Books

Photo by Out of the Ordinary Photography

Guests books are a staple at every wedding, as the bride and groom like to have a keepsake record of all of the guests who attended their wedding. Guests books always used to be, well, "guest books", but many couples are choosing to put their own spin on the concept and create a unique memento that is personal and more useful to them in the years after their big day. Check out some of the guest books we've been seeing lately.

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

At this wedding our bride and groom chose to have guests write well wishes on small pieces of paper and they had clear glass jars on the table next to the papers to collect all of the tiny messages. The paper was in shades of greens and pinks which matched the colors of the wedding. We've seen this at a few of our weddings, with a few variations on the same basic idea. Some couples take the jars home as-is and display them on their mantle or around their home. Other couples take the papers out and fill the pages of a scrapbook album that showcases other wedding keepsakes, as well. Either way it is a nice way to get personal messages from your guests that you can look back on for years to come.

Photo by Out of the Ordinary Photography

There is nothing wrong with tradition! A classic guest book is still an acceptable way to collect all of the names of the guests at your wedding. There are lots of beautiful books out there, like this one that had a beautiful silver cover and matching pen. Other couples of ours have decorated the cover of their guest book in the same color fabric and ribbon that they used in other areas in order to tie all of the accessories together. Whichever way you do it, just make sure you have a nice pen available and a back up, just in case.

Photo by Tracey Buyce Photography

This is a very popular idea and I'm sure you've all seen this at weddings! The signature frame is wonderful because you can truly display your guests' names and messages in your home after your wedding. There is no way of missing this when it's up on your wall! You can put any picture of the two of you in the frame, but if you've had the pleasure of doing an engagement photo shoot with your photographer then definitely use an image from then. Remember to take the glass out of the frame and have a permanent marker or pen that won't bleed through or fade. Also, keep the mat in the frame so you don't accidentally get guests to write outside of the border.

Photo by Michael Grace-Martin Photography

Here is another signature frame, with a picture from the couple's engagement session inside. If you have an easel it is a nice way to display the frame on your place card or gift table.

Photo by Tracey Buyce Photography

This is another great idea and one of our favorites - a Polaroid guest book! Yes, we know that Polaroids are phasing out and it's difficult to find cameras and film, but if you can get your hands on some then this is a super and your guests will love it! Put out a camera, a photo album, and a few pens and let them go. Guests can take pictures of themselves and sign the book near their image. What you get is a photo album full of the names and faces of all of the guests who attended your reception.

Photo by Jill Kaiser Photography

For this wedding the couple had purchased two books made specifically for Polaroid pictures. The Polaroids slid into the pages and guests had the whole page to themselves to write whatever message they wanted. During the reception my assistant went around and took pictures of every guest to make sure that they all made it into the book. After that we put the camera out for guests to do what they wanted with it. They definitely got some fun pictures!

Photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman Photography

Another really fun spin is to have a photo album of you with pictures that document the stages of your relationship. This couple had first starting dating in high school, so their pages showed pictures starting way back then. They had photos of their life out in Colorado (where they now live) and lots of fun family pics of the two of them with their dog. If you decide to go this route just make sure your pages have plenty of empty space for guests to write their messages. There are lot of websites that you can create your own photo books so go online and play around.

Photo by Shannon DeCelle Photography

And lastly, who says you even need to do a book at all? Why not have a guest plate?? This couple chose to use one of the signature plates from one of the local craft stores. The colors for their wedding was purple and silver, so they used purple markers for guests to write all around the ceramic plate. Then when they got home they were able to display the plate as artwork and a precious memory from their special day.

As you can see there are lots of options for guest books, and you can go wild and choose whichever option best fits your style, personalities, and needs. There are no rules - have fun with your wedding! :)

WPP Photo of the Week!

With the popularity of the new Rock Band game, I now find that on a daily basis I'm humming a slew of Beatles tunes and itching for a gaming system. I know, you're probably wondering what that has to do with this Photo of the Week. Although some may see it as a stretch, I can't help but think of Abbey Road every time I see this photo from one of my June 2008 weddings. This picture was taken by Niki Rossi - http://www.nikirossi.com/ - and is just simple, uncomplicated and beautiful. This was a very natural and eco-conscious wedding and Niki definitely captured the essence of this couple in photograph form.

All you need is love, love. Love is all you need... :)

Parker Wedding - July 25, 2009

Here is another wedding that I blogged a sneak peek for in July but now that I have all the images from their photographer I am thrilled to post this full list of their amazing wedding. These pics are courtesy of Tracey Buyce - check her out at http://www.traceybuyce.com/ . This was a stunningly fabulous wedding, obviously, as you can see from these pics of the entire day. A Sagamore setting, right on the shores of Lake George, with a modest guest list of 39, one large dining table, and a full on effect of design help from David Michael Schmidt at http://www.renaissancefloraldesign.com/ . Beautiful floral arrangements, elegant and chic reception space, gorgeous lake views, and a wonderfully loving couple equals one of the best weddings I have ever had the pleasure to work on. Enjoy these additional images!

Thanks for choosing me to be your wedding planner! You were such a great couple to work with, and I will definitely remember this wedding forever! :)

Mr. and Mrs. Miller - June 6, 2009

This couple got married this past June at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs. I blogged about them using some sneak peek shots, but now that I have access to all of their images I wanted to throw a few more of them up here. (For the full description of their event go back to their sneak peak post from July)

Their photographer was Heather Bohm-Tallman and all of these amazing shots are hers. http://www.hbtphoto.com/ Enjoy!

WPP Photo of the Week!

This is one of my favorite pictures because it has so much energy and shows all the life and love this bride and groom have for one another. The photographer, Holly Greene of Out of the Ordinary Photography, mixes up the editing with this color splash of her bouquet on the black and white image. I love the way that red color pops. Great pic!

Discounted Rates for Fall and Winter Weddings!

Wedding Planning Plus is offering our first ever

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We know how hectic this time is for you

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but you'll get it at a 20% discount

if you book one of our open fall and winter wedding dates.

Discount applies to full or partial wedding planning,

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Let us take things from here so you can enjoy every moment of your special day.

Offer does not apply to invitation, favor, or gift orders.

Dates are limited. New clients only. Call for availability and pricing.

Discount offer ends September 30, 2009.

You should attend your wedding, not tend to it.

Let us help you plan the wedding of your dreams...

_________________________________________________

Wedding Planning Plus offers wedding planning and day-of wedding coordination services throughout Upstate New York and New England.

Call us at 518-269-1243 or e-mail us at

Info@WeddingPlanningPlus.net for more information.

Wedding Planning Plus

www.weddingplanningplus.net

518-269-1243

WPP Photo of the Week!

This is a stunning picture of the bride and groom outside their wedding location, the Union Gables B&B in Saratoga Springs. Their photographer, Emma Dodge Hanson, caught the beauty of the couple and of the historic mansion, in the night's twilight. This was a wedding I coordinated back in 2007, and if you ever go into the Gables look for this photo hanging on the wall inside the front parlor.

Oh What a Night

I just got home from a very memorable wedding that I have to blog about. I may never get the pictures back to post but the story is too good to not mention. This bride and groom chose their home and backyard gardens for the site of their ceremony and reception. They've been working for months to get the grass, flowers, shrubs, and trees ready for this one day. I've seen them in action, and they definitely put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the work there. And it paid off! When I was down to the house a month ago the gardens were in full bloom and they were stunning. Perfect backdrop for the perfect wedding.

Fast forward to tonight, or last night, I should say. Fast forward to Hurricane Danny and all of its rain. And where the gardens and the flowers and the lawn become, well, flooded. Under water. Completely soaked. Then add 100 people walking all over it. The result - MUD.

Every bride wishes perfection on her wedding day. Although we always have a backup plan for rain, most don't expect rain and mud and slop and filthiness on their big day. This is the kind of thing that would crush most couples, devastate the bride, cause panic among the guests, and completely ruin their wedding day - assuming they didn't just cancel the whole event all together. We're talking about that much mud. Even up until an hour before the wedding the groom and groomsmen were using giant squeegees to push the mud and water out from under the reception tent. They had a wet vac out and were trying to vacuum the grass around the dance floor. The groom's 70 year old father was working a drainage pump to try and push the water across the driveway and away from the wedding site. This is the amount of mud that would have some brides thinking about calling the whole thing off. It was a lot of mud.

But to this bride and groom it didn't matter. They had the right perspective all along. They didn't get bogged down in details, held back by weather or circumstance, and they weren't going to let anything get in the way of their perfect day. Because the day was perfect because of people not things. It was perfect because their family had come in from all over - including some from Italy - to be there for them. It was perfect because of their friends and neighbors who gathered there for the union. It was perfect because she was marrying the man of her dreams and he was marrying the woman of his. And no hurricane or rain storm or Woodstock-like mud pit could get in their way. The bride picked up her dress, threw on some big rubber boots and walked proudly down that aisle. And she was as gorgeous a bride as I've ever seen.

I have worked with many many brides who stress over things like ribbon colors, hair pins, best man toasts, fussy bridesmaids, invitation font, and every other detail that is painfully tiny. Sure, these are important, but if you step back and remember what you're really there for - you are joining your life with that of another person and pledging to love them and be with them for the rest of your life - and you keep that a focus throughout the planning - then everything will be fine. I promise. I know it. And I believe it even more after tonight...

To tonight's bride and groom, Michele and Eddie - you are beautiful people and you had a beautiful wedding!!! Thanks so much for letting me a part of your special day. I would love for all of my couples to have the same carefree approach to their wedding day that you did. You guys made it great because of the wonderful people you are and I know you are heading into a lifetime of happiness together. Love you guys!! And send me pictures!!! :)

WPP Photo of the Week!

Who doesn't love a great cake?? This was made by Angelina Tallman (Cakes by Angelina) for a wedding we did last fall on the Sacandaga Lake. This adorable seasonal cake had at least one layer that was a rich chocolate flavor (does that give away the fact that I had a piece??), was covered in a simple white buttercream frosting, and decorated with cute little fondant leaves in shades of browns and oranges. It was just as delicious as it looked! Angelina is a wonderful baker and I recommend her to a lot of my brides - and with cakes that look this cute that taste that good there's no reason not to! :)

(Photo by Hillary Harvey.)

Martensson Wedding - June 26, 2009

Mr. and Mrs. Martensson were married on June 26th of this year at Saratoga National Golf Club. They came to me almost a year before their wedding and hired me on to help them with their wedding planning. Little did I - or they! - know that a few months later the groom would be offered a job in Washington DC and they would be moving out of the area. Never fear, their wedding planner is here! I decided to go into hyper speed to use the most of their time and book as many of their vendors as we could while they were still local. We got a lot done in those short months! From there it was a piece of cake to do all the rest of the planning long distance. (How did we all function before e-mail?) These two were such a fun couple and I had a blast working with them on their wedding.

They went with a purple and silver theme and kept the emphasis on casual elegance and making sure they were throwing a party that everyone would enjoy. The focus was on fun!

Special thanks to Sarah Chilson at Saratoga National for being a great onsite coordinator and partner to me and these two. These photos are from Shannon DeCelle and, as always, she did a great job capturing their moments through her lens. http://www.shannondecellephotography.com/. These guys had a fun time and a fun crew with them. Check out these great pics!

How pretty is she???

Why do guys always look so relaxed before ceremonies? Love the black and white shoes!

The Martensson's used the always fabulous David Michael Schmidt at Renaissance Floral Design to do their flowers and centerpieces. There was so much bright beautiful color!

Who doesn't love a martini luge ice sculpture?? I told you these guys were fun!

No stuffy fancy-pants cake for these guys. This three layer square cake was covered in silver circles that picked up and reflected the purple uplights located behind it. The lush purple hydrangea blooms on each tier softened it a bit and added an element of purple to the silver accents. Yum!

DJ Greg Frasier rocked it out and these guys were loving every minute of it. This is exactly how every couple should do it - place your faith in your vendors, don't sweat the details, and stay present and in the moment the whole day. Your wedding day goes by too fast so take a lesson from these guys and enjoy it!

I had so much fun working with you guys and I'm so glad to see you enjoyed your special day!!

WPP Photo of the Week

This is one of my favorite photos of all time. This is the bride and groom from a wedding in July 2008 in Saratoga. The photographer was Shannon DeCelle and she really captured the special closeness this couple shared. They were really this cute and loving the whole day, and it was really wonderful to see the care and love to have for each other. Kudos, Shannon! Wonderful shot!!

Whitney Wedding!!

On Sunday August 16th two very special people in my life got married - my brother, Jon, and my good friend and wedding planner, Katie. Now Katie is officially a Whitney and my sister-in-law. But I think I'll just call her "sis".

These pics are from my digital camera and were taken by my favorite photographer - my boyfriend Chris! :)

Their wedding was at the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, ME. We were right on the water and the weather was outstanding the whole weekend. (Katie even planned that part perfectly! See, ladies, she really is that good!)

Katie had a very cool vision for the processional for the bridesmaids and herself. We all took a beautiful one hour sailboat cruise along the ocean and arrived to the ceremony site by boat. She even had the ceremony musician play "The Love Boat" music as the guests caught a first glimpse of us sailing up to the shore. I can't wait to see the photographer's pics of our sail and our entrance. All reports from shore said it looked amazing - I can only speak by experience on the boat which was very cool!

Beautiful ceremony by the water! I cried my eyes out!

I got to be a bridesmaid at this wedding, not a coordinator! :)

Well, almost... :)

Jon, who's been playing drums since we were kids, got to go up and play with the band for 3 songs. He rocked it out! The whole place went crazy for him. What a rock star!

I saved the best picture for last. Not that the wedding was upstaged by this event, but this was pretty big. See, Jon and the guys went golfing the morning of the wedding and they ran into someone pretty famous on the course. Yup, that's George W. Bush in the middle there, and the groom to the left of him. How many people can say they golfed with a United State President on their wedding day???

What a fun weekend! Jon and Katie - Congrats and I love you both!!

Check back in the near future because I plan to post the professional pics when they come in!

Happy planning! ~ Shannon

WPP Photo of the Week!!

Here is a new addition to the Wedding Planning Plus blog - a WPP Photo of the Week!

Check back here often to see what super cool new image I post... This one's for you Laura...

Everyone - Meet Murphy! Anyone who knows me knows I'm a HUGE dog lover! My baby girl is named Reilly, and she is a 3 year old whippet mix and the absolute love of my life. Laura, my fabulous summer intern, is also a dog lover and because the 'WPP Photo of the Week' idea is hers I had to honor her (and Reilly-boo!) with the first installment of my favorite wedding pictures. :) So... back to Murphy... This dog was the "son" of the bride and groom but because they were married in a church he couldn't be a part of their ceremony. Well, we let Murphy have his fun at the reception as the bride and groom walked him out with them for their introductions and first dance. Doesn't Murphy look sharp in that tux?? I love having animals (aka furry family members) in weddings - and I have more weddings this year who are including their pets in the festivities! So much fun!!

Sagamore wedding from Saturday - Sneak Peek!

I usually wait to get the finished photos from the wedding photographers before putting them up on my blog, but this past Saturday's wedding was so awesome that I'm going against my nature and postings some sneak peek pics. This wedding was at The Sagamore Resort two days before the Today Show broadcast from there. The place was a buzz with excitement and there were NBC crews on site getting footage all throughout the day. Although images from this wedding didn't make it on the show, they certainly could have - this wedding was incredible and could easily be featured in any high-end wedding magazine (or morning show!). Very special kudos to David Michael Schmidt from Renaissance Floral Design in Albany (www.renaissancefloraldesign.com). The flowers and complete decor were all David's design and he and his team executed the setup beautifully. Also thanks to Clifton Park Rental Company for the stunning reception rentals and the cool uplighting in the room. The wedding photographer on this job was the fabulous Tracey Buyce and I can't wait to see her images from this day. For now, here are some of the shots taken by David in between all the crazy decorating he was doing of this space. David - you rock!!

Check out the humongous flower arrangements David made for the ceremony (picture above)!!

Cocktail hour terrace - sooo soft and beautiful!

Here I'm putting the final touches to the table with my custom made place cards.

David has these fabulous high backed white leather couches that we used as lounge furniture around the dance floor. This is Tracey Buyce and I getting a quick rest on one before the reception begun. The only time we sat down all night - I swear!

Check out this dining table! The guest list for this wedding was less than 40 so we went with a very intimate feel and placed all the guests along one big table. David decorated the table beautifully with gathered fabrics, multiple floral arrangements, and crystal chandeliers hanging overhead. It was stunning! When the bride saw it she burst into happy tears. It was awesome to see her that happy!

A few more shots of this incredible table.

This was a big wedding, and a big day for all of us who worked so hard on it. You can't tell I was tired, can you??

Thanks again to David from Renaissance Floral Designs for the exquisite flowers and reception room decor - and for these pictures! I'll post a full blog with Tracey's photos soon!!

Hotz Wedding - May 16, 2009

I was looking back through my posts and I realized I never blogged about this wedding - how could I have missed it?? In any rate, here is a much overdue recap of a very cool wedding...

Mr. and Mrs. Hotz were married May 16, 2009 at the Albany Country Club. I met these guys in February 2008 so I had the great pleasure of working with them for 16 months. They are such a cute couple, very relaxed and laid back. Danielle is a petite little ball of pure niceness, and he's a Red Sox fan so they were all right in my book. Actually Nick is also my web designer (check out his work - http://www.weddingplanningplus.net/ ) so he gets extra bonus points for that. These two met in college and moved to Albany to start their life together. A life that included a very fun and very personal wedding! I have to thank some of my favorite vendors for putting in their best work for these two - DJ Greg Frasier rocked out a ridiculously fun reception! And these pictures are all from photographer Tracey Buyce (http://www.traceybuyce.com/) - check out her great work!!

How pretty is she?? The bride's makeup was done by Jessica Sheridan who works for the makeup artist Amy Elizabeth Smith. Such a beautiful bride!!

The colors for the wedding were sage green, lavender, and pink. The girls wore green dresses with fun lavender jewelry and the matron of honor's dress had a pretty lavender sash around the middle. The bride and groom stepped out of the box with the tuxes and chose a tan color for the guys instead of the traditional black. Going with a lighter color kept the overall feel lighter and less stuffy. Definitely suited this fun-loving group!

For flowers we kept with the color theme but chose different blooms for the personal flowers and the reception centerpieces. Big lush pink and ivory peony bouquets were carried by the girls and the rest of the wedding flowers were pink and green orchids. Check out the submerged orchid stem in the centerpiece and the floating orchids in the little containers next to it. There was even a submerged LED light at the bottom of each of the tall vases that lit the room as the night got dark. Very easy and inexpensive way to have a lot of impact on your tables. So cool!

I couldn't possibly blog about this wedding and not mention their very cool wedding cake. Check it out!! This is a CoccaDotts creation and matched so many elements of the wedding perfectly - the quilted diamond pattern on the green layers is an exact replica of the diamond pattern on their invitations and the brooches on the purple bands matches the brooch on the waistline of the bride's wedding dress. If you are familiar with the Albany Country Club you know what a fantastic placement the cake gets and this cake certainly got a lot of attention. It was awesome!

I mentioned that the groom is a Red Sox fan (go Sox!) but the bride is a die-hard Yankees fan (must make for interesting pillow talk!) Well to remind her new husband that her baseball loyalty didn't change with the changing of her last name, she wore a garter that was navy blue and had a big Yankees logo on it. The groom had no idea and when he pulled the garter off her leg and took a look at it his expression was priceless! :)

These guys were so much fun to work with! And their wedding came together just beautifully. Unfortunately they got caught in the rainy summer weather so the outdoor ceremony had to come indoors, but they rolled with it and never let anything distract them from having a night of fun with their family and friends.

This was a picture Tracey took towards the end of the night - I'm one happy wedding planner!! Congrats guys - and miss you!! :)

Wedding Planning Plus is getting great press!!

Wedding Planning Plus has been WeddingWire Rated for 2009!!

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, has just announced that Wedding Planning Plus is officially WeddingWire Rated 2009! WeddingWire created the annual Rated program to honor wedding professionals, like Wedding Planning Plus, for their excellence and to help brides and grooms easily find the right wedding professionals to match their needs.

Wedding Planning Plus has 3 ratings with an average of a 5.0 - PERFECT rating, making us eligible to hold the Rated title on the WeddingWire Network. Each review has been written by our former clients and includes detailed ratings and insightful descriptions of their experiences with our services. These reviews not only enhance our credibility, but also help differentiate our business within the WeddingWire Network.

Wedding Planning Plus would like to thank our past brides and grooms for taking the time to review our services on WeddingWire.

If you are a past client of Wedding Planning Plus and have yet to provide us with your feedback, visit www.weddingwire.com and review our services today.

Also available for feedback and ratings is www.asaratogawedding.com . This site is connected to 3 other local wedding websites so leaving a review on this site actually posts to all 4.

And if you are or were a Knottie then you can leave feedback for us on www.theknot.com . Just log in and look for the page to review your vendors.

Feel free to write one review and paste it into the other sites!

All feedback is appreciated! It helps us continue to do the job we love! Thanks to all our past brides for so generously contributing feedback and ratings on these sites!!!

I love what I do

I don’t usually blog when I get home from a wedding, but after tonight’s affair I have so much on my mind that I feel the need to share. Not in a rant or vent kinda way, but in the spirit of a celebratory happy wedding planner type share. Tonight was the wedding of a bride who will truly stand out in my mind as one of the most special. I know I say a lot of my brides are special – and they are! – but each is special to me in a different way. With tonight’s wedding the bride was special because of the deep relationship we formed over the last year and a half. When I say that this bride called/text/e-mailed/Facebook messaged me every day I would not be exaggerating. I talked to her frequently and often. She had a million questions. And needed reassurance. And advice. And I was happy to give it all.

So when you talk to someone almost daily you get to learn a lot about them, maybe even more than their groom ends up knowing. You get to be more than just a wedding planner to them. You get to be a friend.

Tonight’s wedding was absolutely beautiful, and even though the bride was a bit nervous (not that I didn’t see that coming) she was happy and gorgeous and treated her guests to a wonderful event. Her father got up from dinner to find me and tell me how beautiful the reception was and how appreciative he was for everything I had done to put this wedding together. He talked with me for several minutes. And when he told me how much this wedding was to his daughter and his family, he cried.

At the end of tonight, as I do at every wedding, I went through and said goodbye to key people. I said goodbye to the groom who gave me a big hug and thanked me for everything. Then I said goodbye to the father of the bride who again hugged me tight and gave me a healthy dose of praise. The mother of the bride hugged me so tight and so long that I wasn’t sure I was going to be let go. She poured out her appreciation for putting together such a beautiful event, but mostly for dealing and working with her daughter throughout the whole process. And then I said goodbye to the bride. And it was like saying goodbye to a friend I won’t see anymore. She told me I couldn’t go. And I told her I really wasn’t. Because I know I’m won’t be. I’m never really gone. I’ll always be a part of them as they are of me.

I love what I do. I am a wedding planner. But really I get to be so much more than that. I am a friend. A confidant. I am the expert and the one with wisdom and knowledge. I comfort fears and give a gentle nudge forward when needed. I know about what my couples are most excited about. And what they’re most afraid of. I get them. And their vision. And their wishes and hopes. And I love to put it together.

I don’t think I could ever work at one of those reception locations that pumps out 5 events in a weekend. Because it’s not about the process; to me it’s all about the people. I really do feel like a member of their family, and they become an important member in mine. I stay in touch with a lot of my couples, and I get updates when they return from their honeymoon, when buy their first home, and when they have their first child. I get holiday cards and Facebook updates. I mean something to them and they mean a whole lot to me.

I love what I do. I love being a wedding planner. And what I do is much more than just about the wedding… :)

Happy planning,

Shannon

Wedding Season - so far!

Hello everyone! I know I owe you all an apology, I haven't been blogging much lately and I'm truly sorry for that! But come on people - it's Wedding Season! And we here at Wedding Planning Plus have been very busy! And busy is good. :)

So we are about halfway through our year and have had the most wonderful and beautiful events so far - in spite of the weather. The rain has certainly been an issue for some of our past events but not something we can't handle. We're always prepared with a backup plan and we're ready for just about anything Mother Nature can throw at us. And this year she certainly has been throwing!

Ok, so you were probably expecting something more from this post... this isn't really a blog about anything... more like an apology blog for not being on here much lately... But stay tuned because we will be adding a ton of new posts from our recent weddings so there will be a lot more to look at and catch up on soon! Promise!! :)

Happy planning - and Happy Wedding Season!!,

Shannon

Invitations

Most people know we're the area's premiere wedding planning service, but did you know that we sell invitations and wedding stationery, too? From classic, white and traditional to colorful, fun and funky, we carry whole lines of pieces that fit into every bride's style and theme. A lot of brides are choosing from the collection of ensemble products where the invitations, save the dates, ceremony programs, place cards, table numbers, and favor tags all match in the same color and style. Another popular option is the pockets albums which showcases all of the styles that package the invitation neatly with the response, reception, accommodations, and directions cards. It's easy to set up an appointment to look through our selections! Ordering is simple and quick and prices run across all ranges. Many beautiful options to choose the right wedding stationery for you! Check out some of the sample photos of our offerings below - what are you waiting for - call us to schedule your free consultation!!







Let us help you plan the wedding of your dreams... and find you the perfect stationery, too!

Miller Wedding - June 6, 2009

I work with a lot of special and wonderful couples, but every now and then I meet a couple that has a certain something extra that forever keeps them in a special place in my heart. This is definitely the case with Jackie and Scott. These guys came to me last fall through a recommendation from their caterer. They live in Colorado but were planning their wedding in Saratoga because this area was once home to them. Planning a wedding from out of state has its unique challenges, and they decided to work with me to help them put their event together. They got married at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga on a beautiful June Saturday. Classe Catering did a wonderful job with the food and the decor setup, as they always do. Kathy is a great Classe coordinator and we work together frequently. Once again, she didn't disappoint. Along with the fabulous photographer Heather Bohm Tallman (http://www.hbtphoto.com/), local videographer Dan Keese, and an awesome band from Canada, we rocked it out and pull off a wonderful wedding for these two. The following photos were all taken by Heather Bohm-Tallman - Beautiful!!

It was a beautiful sunny day and their ceremony was held outdoors along the wooded side of the Museum. To keep guests cool (and to look pretty cool, too) attendants handed out paper parasols to guests as they took their seats. It was pretty neat to look out at the rows of guests and see them all sitting comfortable in the parasols' shade.

The bride's bouquet. A natural and spring-y mix of greens, ivories, and pinks. Flowers by Suzanne Ballet.

Soft colored paper lanterns hung over the dance floor and added a fun and very pretty element to the reception tent. The wedding colors were sage green pale pink, chocolate brown, and ivory, and all four colors were pulled together simply and beautifully in these lanterns.

Jackie and Scott wanted their wedding to depict an elegant take on nature, and brought a lot of creative ways to pull their theme together. These pewter frames of tree bark served as their place cards and favors. As you can see in the place card the guests were seated at tables named for different varieties of trees. The centerpiece on each table was wheat grass grown in beautiful wooden boxes handmade by the groom. Further examples of their use of natural items includes the birch bark canopy that framed the altar for their ceremony, the rocks that were laid out to be warmed with wishes from their guests, and the copper lanterns and birch branches that hung above the walkway into the tent. All of these elements were kept clean and classy, and they pulled together for a cohesive naturally elegant look.



This is genuine happiness on my face here, as I was photographed with the bride and groom towards the end of their reception. Their wedding was beautiful!! And exactly what a beautiful couple like them deserves. Makes me feel like a proud mama. :)

Vote for WPP in the Bridal Blog Awards

I know I haven't posted in a while, and shame on me, but it's wedding season and I get a little busy this time of year. I think about blogging all the time, though, does that count??

Anyway, I just wanted to throw this up here because I know there are loyal fans out there who log on and follow this blog (even when I go a week or two between postings!). I have listed my blog on WeddingChannel's Bridal Blog Awards and I need people to go on and vote for me. I know I'm not going to win but it's fun to be nominated (even though I nominated myself :) and I'd love to see who of you out there goes on and seconds or thirds my nomination. Please vote for me!!

It's easy to vote, just click the link below and write a reply to my posting. That's it!

http://forums.weddingchannel.com/main.aspx/bridal-blog-awards_blog-nominations_vote-wedding-planning-plus-blog

Thank you all for supporting Wedding Planning Plus' blog!!

Bridesmaids dresses

The reception venue, the photographer and DJ, the groom :)... these are all big decisions you have to make when planning your wedding. Another big decision is the color and style of your bridesmaids dresses. This can be a tough choice when you have a large bridal party, have girls of all different sizes, or if you have some vocal ladies who speak up about what they'll wear or not wear. There are lots of options, but make sure you go with a decision that you're comfortable with first, and one that they are comfortable with second. Hey, you're the bride! :) Here are some weddings I've done where the brides have gone in their own direction in terms of style and color and, as you can see, each way works!

(Photo by Holly Greene, Out of the Ordinary Photography)

This is Kim and her lovely bridesmaids. Kim chose to go with a deep red color for her fall wedding. She chose the same style dress for each girl so they were all wearing the same thing. This works well when all of your bridesmaids allow you to choose their dress and they don't give you any grief about it! :) These ladies look beautiful and the style of their skirts matched the style of Kim's dress to pull the whole look together.

(Photo by Shannon DeCelle Photography)

Lindsey went with all the dresses in the same color and length but let the girls choose the style they liked best. You can see there are halter tops, strapless, and strapped tops all in this group. This look can only be pulled off when you choose dresses all from one line from one designer, because going with too many different variables will come of as mismatched and awkward. But here in this picture the overall look is still cohesive because all of the fabric is the same and the skirts all match.

As an added note, Lindsey also pulled in the secondary color of her wedding - the Tiffany blue - in her junior bridesmaid (see the blue sash?) and her flower girl. Too cute!!

(Photo by Jill Kaiser)

Nancy was definitely someone who fit into my "practical bride" category. She had a beautiful vision for her wedding but she kept costs and convenience in mind for a lot of her decisions. This includes the dresses she chose for her bridesmaids. Or should I say "not chose"? Nancy wanted to keep an all-black theme for the girls but allowed them to pick and wear whatever black dress they wanted. And the girls got to shop at department stores instead of bridal shops which made the whole process easier and less costly for them. Even though they are in different styles from different designers the common color and skirt length keeps them looking cohesive in these pictures. These were some happy and comfortable bridesmaids, and girls who will definitely be able to wear their bridesmaid dresses again!

(Photo by Hillary Harvey)

Christie planned a fall wedding and decided to go with four different colors and three different styles of dress for her bridesmaids. Keeping with a fall theme she chose the shades of red, tan, brown, and orange that best suited her elegant and simple affair. Going with a combination of styles AND different colors has the potential to go terribly wrong, but as you can see from this picture they all match quite nicely. This is due to the sheen in the fabric, the length in their skirts, and the fact that they are all wearing the same shoes. Keeping these elements the same in each girl allowed the whole group to match quite well.

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So I guess the morale of the story, if there is one, is that there really is no right or wrong way to select your bridesmaid dresses as long as you keep a few rules in mind. If you choose to go with different styles or colors just make sure you maintain some commonal elements to tie the girls together. Skirt length is the biggest element to keep the same (since this is what you will see first when you look across your group) so try to keep all the girls with the same length dresses. After that look to keep them the matching with identical jewelry, shoes, sashes, hair styles, etc so they can be recognized by guests as a part of your bridal party and look similar to each other in pictures.

Have fun with it and make sure your girls are going to have fun with what they wear, too. You can stay with all one style and color like Kim did, you can go with the same color but different styles like Lindsay, same color but completely different dresses like Nancy, or one designer in different styles and colors like Christie. The choice is yours! Enjoy!

Happy planning!

Shannon

Planning the wedding that is YOUR wedding

I hear it all the time. "My sister says that my favorite color is no color for a bridesmaid dress so now I'm thinking of going with [insert ugly color here]"... "Even though I hate polka dancing my mom said I have to play a polka song so the family can all dance to it"... "My future mother-in-law said her favorite flower is the carnation so I guess I'm going to have to do all the bridal party in carnations"... "My dad wants to invite all of his work friends and they are all people I've never met"...

Weddings are big events. Especially for you and your fiance... And for your parents..... And his parents... And your extended family... And your friends... And, and, and... But wait!! Who is this wedding for?? Is it for all of them? And how do you please everyone and keep it meaningful to you?

Don't misunderstand me, I fully understand that there are a lot of people involved in this, and a lot of people who care about you, and maybe a lot of people who are paying so the decisions need to consider all of the above... But ladies (and gents), just because your family is vocal doesn't mean they have to decide everything to do with your wedding. You are the bride (or groom)! And it is YOUR day! This is one of those moments in your life when you need to make decisions based on what is going to make you most happy, and stand behind those decisions when others oppose. If they love you they will support you and do what is best for you. Whether your centerpieces have carnations or calla lilies. Trust me.

My best advice when parents/siblings/friends/future in laws start to make you feel like you're going to unravel? Tell them you'll think about their idea, and then... politely... change the subject. Don't say no and insult them, but don't say yes if it's not something you want! Pick a solid planning partner, whether it is your fiance or best friend or your wedding planner and use them as the sounding board to bounce all of these ideas off of. It's important to have a neutral party or one who knows and supports you so you can vent to them and wipe that stress away.

In the end you only get one chance at your perfect wedding and you don't want to look back at your day and think it wasn't exactly yours. These people will love you in the end but they will not be the ones who have to look back on the day and see the polka dances, ugly colored dresses, or the carnations. Stay strong, brides! Keep the peace as best as you can and keep your vision in tact despite others' pressures. And find a kind ear to talk to whenever... things... get.... ya know. :)

Happy planning!

Shannon

More favor ideas

In my last post I talked about some ways to do favors, but I left out one major category - the end-of-the-night-cool-experience-or-goodie-treat kinda favor. Yay!! This has become a popular way to go out with a bang, by leaving your guests with some kind of delicious and fun tasty treat that they can take home with them and continue to enjoy your wedding even after they have left. How have I seen this done lately? The Gilchrist wedding on May 16th (see details in a blog post below) gave out cookies and milk in to-go containers as their guests exited the reception. A wedding I have coming up this fall is doing a full candy bar where guests can fill bags with sweets (in the wedding colors, of course) to bring back home with them. And possible my favorite idea so far? An October wedding I'm working on where they are thinking of hiring a team from Cold Stone to mix up ice cream sundaes on the premises at the end of their reception. Bringing a marble slab with them. And their full Cold Stone uniforms. And all the yummy toppings and fillings. How fun is that???

Or if food isn't your thing, why not go the route of a photobooth? That's right, the old school seashore carnival kinda thing where you go in and the bulb flashes and your get a strip of funny pics of you and whoever you pulled in there with you. These are not just memories from your past - these photo booths are available locally and can be rented for your reception! Your friends go in and act all silly and they leave with these vintage-feel pictures at the end of your reception. And what they don't know? Is that you get a whole set of all the pictures taken in the booth so you also walk away with all the silly pictures of everyone you know. How fun is that???

So, like I said in my last post, there is really no right - or wrong - way to do guest favors, but if you're going to spend the money on something, why not make it something that they're going to say to their friends, "Hey, I went to a wedding this weekend and you won't believe the kind of cool stuff they had there..."

Happy planning!

~ Shannon

Favorite favors

I get a lot of questions from brides about what they should do for favors at their wedding. If you've been to enough weddings you know that most of them get left behind at the reception hall anyway, so practical brides feel that they put themselves at a risk for wasting money by going with something expensive. My recommendation is always to go with something simple and edible since just about everyone likes to snack on something sweet at the end of a good wedding. Food isn't the only way to go, though, and here are some neat ideas from some of my past weddings:

This was a wedding I did back in 2007 and the picture is courtesy of Emma Dodge Hanson. This couple had guests coming in from all over the country, and they wanted to give them each something to listen to on their travels back home. They put together a mixed CD with songs that meant something to them as a couple, and dressed up the CD with a cute picture of the two of them. Once they placed them all in the pink and green cases they fit perfectly with the color scheme of the event. Fun, easy to do, and personal.

These are pictures I've posted on this blog before, but I wanted to bring them back because they are two examples of couples who chose to combine their place card with their favor. It's a great idea because it saves on paper, it keeps you from having to keep track of twice as many items, and it reduces the waste left behind at the end of the night. The top picture with the blue boxes was taken by Shannon DeCelle and the bottom photo is from Niki Rossi. The boxes held candies are were displayed as traditional place cards at the entrance to the room. The bottom photo is a tree sapling that guests could take home and plant in their yards. These were placed at each place setting instead of being stacked at a front table. Two different approaches to the same great idea.

This picture was taken by Hillary Harvey at one of our weddings last fall. What's different about this wedding was that they gave their guests not one, but two favors. Although not pictured, the couple had small maple syrup containers at each place setting. But at the end of the night Katie and I put out these cute to-go containers that had maple candies and other goodies in them. By placing this display right by the exit we were making sure that everyone would see it and take the boxes home with them. The couple also added a personal touch by fixing a sticker with their monogram and wedding date on the top of each box. Cute!

This might be my favorite kind of favor - the one of charitable donation. If you think that buying little trinkets or candies if a waste, then why not make a donation in your guests' honor? This picture was taken by Jill Kaiser at a wedding last fall, and this couple chose the Lance Armstrong LIVE STRONG charity. This is a charity that is on top of it when it comes to wedding donations, because they are already equipped to send out thank you cards that couples can give to their guests that night. As you can see in the picture, the card informs the guests of the donation that was made, and it also come with the signature yellow LIVE STRONG wrist band attached to the back of each card. Perfect packaging and a perfect idea! So pick your favorite charity and put your favor money to a very practical and worthy use.

You are invited to a

Free Wedding Seminar

June 28, 2009 • Albany • 1:00 pm

Hosted by Shannon Whitney, President of Wedding Planning Plus

This Session’s Topic:

Secrets to the Perfect Wedding Day

~ Expert advice on how to give your wedding a real “wow” factor
~ Do’s and don’ts to making your day come together flawlessly
~ Tips on how to let go and truly enjoy your wedding day
~ Plus – Plenty of time to ask your questions!
~ And Free Wedding Books!

Perfect for couples in any stage of their wedding planning!

Space is very limited. Registration is required.
Call 518-269-1243 or e-mail Info@WeddingPlanningPlus.net to register.

Brought to you by USA Weddings and Wedding Planning Plus
www.USAWeddings.com

Let us help you plan the wedding of your dreams...

Mr. and Mrs. Gilchrist - May 16, 2009

This past Saturday Wedding Planning Plus coordinated two weddings in one day, which is nothing unusual for us, except that one of those weddings is what I would call a mega-wedding. This event was a no holds barred, high-end celebration for the bride, the groom, and 325 of their closest friends. This wedding had everything - a cigar roller, custom flooring, raw bar, mashed potato station, cordial station, chocolate fountain, top notch vendors, party shuttle bus - I could go on and on - you name it, it was here. This was a great couple to work with and my team and I had a blast seeing it all come together for them. We truly had the dream team working this event - the team at Saratoga National who ran the show and provided wonderful food and beverage service throughout the night, Joe and JP Elario as photographers, Al Woodard as videographer, Mike Emery and the New York Players as the music entertainment extraordinaire, Kris Ann Blanchette as the florist - this was truly a wedding dream team assembled to create the perfect event for Meghan and Chris. The Elarios just posted some of the pictures of their blog. http://www.joeelariophotography.com/. With their permission, I wanted to throw a few of those pics up on here for all of you to see. Check it out, this was one of those weddings we'll be talking about for a loooong time...

This was a fun group of girls who all loved Meghan and were so happy and proud to be a part of her big day.

Chris and his guys were in this for the party and they rocked it out all night long. Check out the hats!

Who can't resist a little father daughter moment before she walks down the aisle. Sarah and I were out of camera shot here (intentionally, and luckily) but it was super cute to see this exchange close up. Very special.

This was probably the sickest cocktail hour I've ever seen. You would NOT leave this place hungry. Food upon food, and fun activities like cigar rolling and a mashed potato bar kept the crowd very happy and very full.

Check out this tent! Meghan had one request and that was to have a black and white floor in her reception tent. Good call Meghan! This room looked awesome, and the checkered floor and matching table scape made for a very hip, chic, and fun atmosphere.

The bride and groom on their first dance as husband and wife. Always a special moment.

Meghan and Chris were a lot of fun to work with, and my team was truly honored to be a part of their special day. I had a blast planning this event, and I really will remember this as one of the greatest weddings I had the honor of being a part of. On last count I realized that there are two more daughters in this family - O'Callaghans, you know how to reach me when it's time to plan the next one!! :)

Awww... This is Danielle and Nick, my May 16th bride and groom at the Albany Country Club. They're photographer, Tracey Buyce, got me a quick copy of this picture. http://www.traceybuyce.com/. Aren't they so cute?? Love them. :)