D'Allesandro wedding - June 28, 2008

These two were so sweet, especially the bride who came to me a few months before their wedding looking for help with their day-of coordination. They are both lawyers and people who have their stuff together, but she was wise enough to know that even after all the hard planning she needed to hand the reigns and responsibility over to someone else so she could relax and enjoy her big day. I was so happy she found me - and I think she was happy, too!

The photos here are from Tom Panko at Foothill Photography. He was a pleasure to work with, very laid back and easy going. Thanks Tom!




These two got married on June 28, 2008 at the Albany Country Club, one of my favorite wedding venues. Kim and her team do a fantastic job right through from the start of the ceremony down to the very last dance of the evening. I love this location!







The ceremony was supposed to be outside on the patio, but unfortunately the rainy weather had other plans for the day. In the end it worked out fine, as the Albany Country Club has a lovely indoor ceremony space. A little air conditioning and rain cover proved to be a lot better than a downpour and humidity this day.





Here is the reception room, decorated beautifully in the couple's colors of white and sky blue. The dining room has impressive chandeliers and a curved wall completely lined with windows. On a clear day you can see all the way down to downtown Albany. Stunning!










This couple worked with David at Renaissance Florals for their ceremony and reception decor, as well as their gorgeous bouquets and boutonnieres. David is absolutely wonderful, one of my top florists and go-to guys, and he pulled off a wonderfully classy summer look in this space.









A little Villa Italia cake is always a great way to end the evening, and even better when it's topped with some of Renaissance Florals lovely hand-tied arrangements. Yum!















Thanks again to Tom with Foothil Photography, Kim at Albany Country Club, David at Renaissance Florals, and Villa Italia bakery. Although not pictured, I must say that TS Ensemble did a terrific job of keeping the party going all night. Not only did they provide a jazz trio for the cocktail hour, these guys had a full band rockin and rollin all night long. They left no space open on that dance floor. Al and his band were wonderful! All in all it was a wonderful wedding, and a really special time for my bride and groom. Thank you guys for letting me be a part of it!

My Ladies' Wedding - October 28, 2008

A year before their wedding my favorite two ladies came to me looking for a planner to help them with their commitment ceremony. I'm so glad they found me - these two were so wonderful to work with! They got married at Birch Hill on October 12, 2008. The pictures are all from John Bagdovich from Finer Image Photography. Great pics!

They had one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever seen. Honestly. Even after witnessing dozens of people recite vows these two made me cry genuine tears. It was wonderful. It's rare to see love so real and true.

Look at these two. Isn't their innocence and beauty precious?

These two had the most supportive bridal party. It was so great! This whole group of ladies, plus one ring bearer, kept the two brides feeling as important as ever. Which is good, because they deserved it!

Some highlights of the event were being able to work with Erin Dewey at Birch Hill. She is so wonderful and such a joy to work with! These two hired one of the greatest bands I've ever worked with - Bill's Toupee out of Poughkeepsie, who rocked it out for the entire reception. Mike and his team were AWESOME! Many kudos to the band! And again, thanks to John from Finer Image Photography for capturing these beautiful moments on film. Great night! :)

I love these two. They love each other in an unabashed way that only few can enjoy. They were a true joy to work with, and I had even more pleasure seeing them realize their special day. Much love, and best wishes!

Casey Wedding - November 29, 2008

This was one of my favorite weddings and certainly one of my favorite couples. I spent a year working with the Caseys in putting together this big event. They got married at The Full Moon Resort deep in the Catskill Mountains and went with a Harvest Moon theme. Wedding at the Full Moon are three day wedding weekends where family and friends stay right on property from Friday to Sunday. It makes for a really special time for everyone, and a wonderful experience for the lucky bride and groom. All of these pictures were taken by Michael Grace-Martin. He really captured the beauty of this wedding and this couple.

Their rehearsal was on Friday night. That's me in the middle taking charge! :) The whole bridal party was such a fun - and cooperative! - group.

Rehearsal dinner in the cafe area of the main house. The bride and groom were gracious enough to invite me to share this time with them. :)

Their ceremony took place in an old barn. Most of the guests fit in the seating area on the main floor, and there was standing room for others in the loft above them. The "screen" in the background was decorated with a wreath in the same colors and flowers as the bouquets and reception centerpieces. The guys wore brown tuxes and the girls wore brown dresses with a Moroccan blue pashmina.

Instead of the typical place cards this couple had each guest's name written on a card under a large river rock. The sign on the table explained that the guests were to hold the rock and think of a special wish for the newly married couple. Once the rock was warmed with their well wishes, they placed the rock into the glass container. At the end of the night I brought all of the warmed rocks back to the bride and groom's room. They now have a display of all their guests' wishes for them in their home.

The reception took place in a tent and was beautifully decorated with Moroccan blue, chocolate brown, and wheat colored linens. Instead of floral centerpieces the bride chose the go with bundles of wheat wrapped in a chocolate brown ribbon. To go with the Harvest Moon theme the tables were all named with different moons (full moon, harvest moon, rose moon, etc). Accents of copper were seen in the base of the centerpieces and the stands for the table numbers. It was a really stunning setup!

I had so much fun working with these guys, and I'm so glad that all of their hard work paid off in this absolutely gorgeous wedding. My time with some couples ends at the end of their reception, but with these guys I know we'll be seeing more of each other for years to come.

In addition to Michael Grace-Martin (http://wedding.mgm-photography.com) I also had the pleasure to work with my FAVORITE DJ, Greg Frasier. I didn't put any of the dancing pictures up here but it's not because there weren't great ones to choose from! Greg rocked this wedding, and he kept the party going all night. A true professional and all around great guy, he's truly a pleasure to work with. Also involved in this wedding was Rich Deitlien from Capital Videography. Rich is a stand up guy who gets in there without getting in the way. I can't wait to see their video! Her dress was from Immortal Beloved in Saratoga and they did a wonderful job for her. Hair and makeup was done by Alayne and her partner from Make Me Fabulous. She looked so beautiful!

Here are just a few more pictures that I get a kick out of. I am never in any of the film from my weddings but I seemed to pop up a few times in this one. Just because I never get to do this I wanted to throw a couple pictures of me in action! :)

The pic to the left is me helping the bride put her veil back in after it pulled out, picture to the right is me checking on the timing of the cake cutting with the head wait person. And the picture of me above was taken by the maid of honor - it's me and the beautiful bride!

Butler Wedding

The Butlers got married in June at the National Dance Museum in Saratoga. The Dance Museum is a beautiful and elegant location for a wedding, as you can see from some of the pictures. I worked with some of my favorite vendors at this event - Niki Rossi, who took these amazingly beautiful pictures, Russ from Piano Man DJs, and Angelina Tallman who made their unique cake.

It was super hot out that day, but everyone kept their cool and had a great time. Special thanks go to Niki Rossi for capturing these special moments in beautiful still pics!

Niki really captured the beauty of the Dance Museum as the day was turning into dusk.

This couple had an eco-conscious wedding, with organic menu items and real trees as their favors. The cake Angelina made was cute and fun, along with being delicious!

Recap of 2008

Over the next few days or weeks I'll be posting recaps of some of our favorite events from the past year. Keep coming back to check them all out!

Wedding Seminar - Only a few spots left!

I am holding a free wedding planning seminar tomorrow night in Albany and I have a few spots left. The topic for this session is "Wedding Planning 101" and we'll be going over planning timeline, creating and sticking to a budget, and where to start on booking vendors. This is a FREE session and is perfect for brides in the early stages of wedding planning. Registration is required, and with only a few spots left I recommend contacting me ASAP to get in. Register by sending me an e-mail at info@weddingplanningplus.net or calling me at 518-269-1243. Happy planning!

Free Wedding Seminar - January

You are invited to a
Free Wedding Seminar

January 14, 2009 • Wolf Rd in Albany • 6:30 pm

Hosted by Shannon Whitney, President of Wedding Planning Plus


This Session’s Topic:
Wedding Planning 101

Developing a wedding planning timeline
How to create and stick to a budget
Tips to find the best venues and vendors
Plus - Plenty of time for you to ask questions pertaining to your wedding

Perfect for brides who are in the early phases of wedding planning!


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


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