Happy Halloween!

From WPP's mascot doggy Reilly (aka Wonder-Poochie)!

We're being featured - Again!!

I just learned that my August 14th wedding at The Sagamore Resort is going to be featured in the Spring 2011 WellWed Magazine! You may remember we had a featured wedding in their Spring 2010 edition, and we couldn't be more thrilled or more proud that they have selected another one of our events to grace their pages. If you are not familiar with WellWed it is a high end wedding mag that only has two issues a year and in those two issues they only have about six featured weddings. They get tons and tons of submissions and in all of the ones they received they chose us!! Super huge kudos go out to Jen Mardus who made this possible by being so talented and doing such a magnificent job shooting this event. And of course thanks go out to Andrea Tully (aka world's best bride) for planning an event that was so awesome this high end publication wants it to be a feature in their next edition. We are all so excited about this! I can't wait to see it!!!

Here's a few pics to remind you of the wedding - look for the magazine this winter. ;)

Wedding Linens - How to Best Dress Your Tables

Brides spend a lot of time making decisions about details of their wedding day, and some put a particularly extensive amount of thought on the linens for their reception tables. Besides uplighting and fabric swags there is no single item that makes a greater impact on the look of your reception than your table linens. So what do you choose? The standard white or ivory offered at your venue? Or do you spend the money to upgrade to a certain color, fabric, or specialty runner or overlay? At anywhere from $20-50 per table the choice to upgrade is certainly important to your budget. So here are a few examples of linen choices and the reasons behind the decisions that were made.

This chocolate brown tablecloth was the perfect 'neutral' backdrop for the pop of the Tiffany blue napkins. Add in the gold Chivari chairs and the look is modern, fun, and exactly the look this bride and groom envisioned.

Here is another chocolate brown tablecloth but this couple was having a fall themed event so we went with the golds, coppers, and orange colors as accents. To save on costs a copper runner was placed down the middle of the table to focus guests' eyes to the centerpiece and to add the added accent color to the table. Runners are usually much less expensive than an overlay or a full floor length linen which makes it a great option for couples who want to add some pops of color without breaking the bank.

Here is another runner, this time going down the center of a long dining table. This runner is of a specialty fabric with diamond shaped patterns sewn in, and the small brown colors in the runner match the chocolate brown napkins at each place setting. This couple was going for a very earthy and nature-inspired look so the caterer continued this theme and rolled the napkins up to look like fiddleheads. To complete the look, on the tables were also boxes of wheat grass, copper lanterns, polished rocks, and locally grown wild flowers.

Speaking of overlays, here is an example of a sheer beaded overlay on lop of a floor length beige tablecloth. I am a personal fan of using overlays because I feel that the multiple layers of fabric looks luxurious and extra fancy. Overlays give a special effect of having one color or fabric type on the tabletop while still showing the base fabric towards the bottom of the table. Overlays are usually square, although they can come in rounds, and vary in size. The smaller ones, as seen in this photo, cover just the top of the table, while longer overlays can go almost down to the floor.

Colors evoke emotion, and here is a great example of how your linens can really make a color impact on the room. Even though this is a close up shot of the table you can see how dramatic this lovely coral/pink silk tablecloth is. The fabric actually had several tones of pink and coral in it, which were exactly the colors used in other accents around the space. This reception was in an open air tent, and as the breeze came through the fabric moved and was able to beautifully shimmer all of the various colors. The crisp white napkins and china look classically elegant and the simple round blooms in the centerpiece tie in the primary and accent colors of the day. Looking across the room all of the tables shined in their pink tones and set a very sweet and elegant mood for the evening's events.

Here is another floor length tablecloth with some interested features in the fabric. If you look to the left side of the photo you can see the grid pattern sewn into this fabric, called pintuck. This pattern, along with the crushed look of the cloth, gives texture and adds interest to the linen. This fabric also has a two toned looked, and in some lights appeared brown while other times looked coppery. This was a fall wedding with many shades of reds, golds, and pinks used, and this neutral toned linen was the perfect backdrop to let all of the other colors shine.

Of course there is nothing wrong with sticking with the basics! This couple chose a white floor length linen for their tables to keep with their classic and timeless overall look. Instead of putting focus on a colored linen they chose to use other elements in the room to give tone and character. The gold Chivari chairs matched perfectly with the antique gold urns and the gold trimmed table numbers. With a room that has soft warm tones in the paint and the trim they kept their table colors muted to truly highlight the beauty of the architecture surrounding them.

Here is another example of how white linen can be the perfect choice when creating an overall reception room look. Obviously these two were going for a black and white theme and instead of focusing on linens we brought in this amazing black and white checkered floor and set up the rest of the design elements to highlight it. Crisp white tablecloths and napkins, black menu cards, dark Chivari chairs, and soft muted floral arrangements allowed for the floor to really be the standout feature in the room. This is a great example of how less really can be more.

And if you are a follower of this blog you probably knew this picture was coming up. This wedding had 35 total guests, all of whom sat around this one large dining table. There was a lot of design elements used on this table including an array of lush floral arrangements, hand carved votive candles, custom menu and place cards, and of course the place settings for each guest. But beneath it all is a beautiful silver palette that was created with linens. A completely unique approach was used here - instead of laying the linens out flat we layered sheer cloths in bunches all down the table. This bunching effect made the table look like it was covered not in fabric but in dreamy clouds of silver shimmer. This unique application of cloth was a flawless compliment to all of the other amazing pieces on this completely amazing dining table.

And lastly I wanted to show a linen that is simple but very dramatic. This tablecloth is quite possibly the most expensive fabric any of my couples has ever used. Thin ribbon was hand sewn onto the base layer to create small, identical, flower patterns. The fabric itself was thick and heavy and was certainly a conversation piece when the guests sat in front of it. This couple went for a very eclectic design look, bringing in natural earthy elements as well as global influences such as Moroccan votives and antique silver vases. There are few linen choices that could tie together all of the different styles happening on this table, and this gorgeous gem of a fabric did just that.


So what linen choices will you make??



(Photos from top to bottom: Shannon DeCelle Photography, Tracey Buyce Photography, Heather Bohm-Tallman Photography, Tracey Buyce Photograhy, John Seakwood Photography, Tracey Buyce Photography, Rob Spring Photography, Elario Photography, Tracey Buyce Photography, Belathee Photography)

A Look Ahead... Wendy and Tony's Engagement Shoot Sneak Peek!

Wendy and Tony, well, they simply rock... But maybe I'm a bit biased... Anywho, they are getting married at the Inn at Erlowest in October of 2011 and we are in the thick of planning this momentous day. This weekend they met with their photographer, the ever amazing Alisha Clark, to do their engagement photo shoot. Not even one day later I have a sneak peek photo from their time together. How cute are these two? And PS - Great shot Alisha! Can't wait to see the rest!

Scahill Wedding - September 4, 2010

Alexis and Jon were married at The Sagamore Resort this past Labor Day weekend. They hired me to coordinate their rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and their wedding day and I couldn't have been more delighted to work with them. With their first sighting photos on Sagamore's docks, their ceremony down by the water and their reception in the Shelving Rock Terrace they couldn't have chosen any better backdrop for their most special day. The couple had an enormous bridal party and used colors of soft pinks and gold accents to dress their reception tent. They also brought in a lot of personal elements - and some super fancy ones (check out the Manolos in the shoe pic!). Alexis and Jon score bonus points for choosing such an all star team of vendors, including Renaissance Floral Design, Clifton Park Rental Company, Amy Elizabeth Smith for makeup, and the Craig Scott Orchestra who rocked the party all night long. Along with all of this talent was the uber fabulous Tracey Buyce as their photographer and she really blew me away with these amazing photos - so much so that I couldn't narrow them down to put this blog entry together! So I have to blame Tracey for this super sized post. Enjoy!!

Wedding Invitation Sale!

Wedding Planning Plus

The Capital Region's Premiere Wedding Planning Team

You already know that Wedding Planning Plus provides the best in Capital District wedding planning, but did you know that we also offer the best wedding stationery products in the area?

~ Wedding invitations that are classic, modern, funky, colorful, or traditional ~

~ Save-the-dates, menu, and place cards, table numbers and ceremony programs – all coordinated to your wedding design and theme ~

~ Prices and selections to match all budgets ~

~ Simple ordering process and quick and easy shipments ~

Check out our newest arrival – The “Pockets” album – filled with beautiful invitations that are pocketed together with their corresponding cards. A very popular new trend in wedding invitations!

Contact us to schedule a free consultation to review our stationery selections.

No obligations. No strings attached. No reason not to!

Schedule your stationery consultation before November 1 and receive $25 off your first order.

Valid for new customers only. Appointments need to be made before November 1, 2010 in order to qualify for this discount.

Check out some of the invitations we offer!

Bridesmaids bouquets

Your girls can carry a wide variety of different bouquets - from big and bright to small and subtle and everything in between. Do you go with flowers that match their dress or contrast it? Do you choose colors that are seasonal or go for something out of the ordinary? What about having them carry something other than flowers? The choice you make in types, colors, styles of arrangements and the ribbon they are tied in can all have a dramatic effect on your wedding design and overall look. To show you some of our favorites bridesmaids bouquets here are some examples from our recent weddings.

Bright, bold, and beautiful...

(Photos top to bottom by - Ilana Ben Harav, John Seakwood, Tracey Buyce, Jennifer Mardus)

Classically muted...

(Photos top to bottom by - Rob Spring, Tracey Buyce, Heath Bohm-Tallman, Joe Elatio)

Seasonally appropriate...

(Photos top to bottom - Annabel Braithwaite, Holly Greene, Tracey Buyce)

Something totally unexpected... Wheat!

(Photo by Michael Grace-Martin)