Wendy and Tony's Wedding Video

Back to back posts of spectacular wedding videos! This one is of Wendy and Tony Rudis' big day which was a truly magical event at The Inn at Erlowest. I couldn't have picked better weather for these two and I honestly couldn't have picked a better couple to work for. Kudos to Josh Rask of Clark+Walker Studio for shooting this footage. I had goosebumps watching it all the way through. So grab a tissue and enjoy the happy tears as they flow.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH WENDY AND TONY'S WEDDING VIDEO TRAILER

Kristina and Jason's Wedding Video

Kristina and Jason Truet were married on September 24, 2011 at The Inn at Erlowest. Dave Bigler of Bigler Productions shot their wedding video and here is the trailer documenting the highlights of their big day. Dave and his team do amazing work and this wedding was no exception. Thanks for taking such good care of my bride and groom, Dave!

CLICK HERE TO SEE KRISTINA AND JASON'S WEDDING VIDEO

The photo above is by Tom Wall. Check back soon for a full wedding recap with more images from Kristina and Jason's wedding day.

More Wedding Trends for 2012!

Like I mentioned in the first post of this series, weddings will continue to show a ton of personalization and specialization in 2012 as couples try to wow their guests with style and details that has not been seen before. Here is another trend that can make your wedding stand out and show that you laugh in the face of tradition.


Last year: Floral corsages

Photo by Tracey Buyce

This year: Jeweled brooches

Has anyone really paid attention to the corsage the mother of the bride is wearing? Well that's because every mother of the bride wears the same ivory floral piece attached to the strap of her dress that gets crushed when she hugs people and slops around when she dances. Who needs it?! Instead of the traditional floral corsage why not choose a beautiful jeweled brooch that all of your important VIPs can wear. They can be of any size and shape and can be selected in a color to match the colors of the wedding. You can even get smaller versions to be pinned down the stem of your bridesmaids bouquets so they can match as well. This is a fun a beautiful way to show that your parents, grandparents, readers and VIPs are important and is something they can have for a keepsake forever. Please if I am in your wedding trust me I'd rather have one of these!

More Wedding Trends for 2012!

We discussed the trends for wedding dresses but let's not forget to talk about the trends in 2012 for guy's wedding apparel. The Royal Wedding didn't miss this area, as we are seeing a return to the classic formal look for guys this coming year. Keep your eye out for black formal tuxedos, bow ties, and the standard shiny shoe. I love this look because classic is my personal favorite way to go and because couples will look back at their wedding photos and never feel that they are so out of style because they decided on something trendy at the time. Way to keep it classy and classic!

Photo by Gallery 9 North

More Wedding Trends for 2012!

What is event in 2011 has had the most influence on 2012's wedding scene? The Royal Wedding. William and Kate made their mark on weddings with their lush and grand event and brides are snatching up their ideas and their style all over this coming wedding year. One area that has seen a major influence from the Royal Wedding is the wedding dress industry. Look for lace, sleeves, and full skirts in the year to come (as seen below in the Reem Acra and Monique Lhullier dresses). Classic royal beauty never goes out of style.

Wedding Trends for 2012!

With every passing year things change in the weddings and what was in last year may not be what's in for this coming year. In a series of posts I want to share with you some of the top weddings trends for 2012 that I am most excited about.

Last year: Candy bars

This year: Bangle bars

For 2012 the secret to successful weddings will continue to be the personalization and specialization of the event from start to finish. What we will see more of this coming year is catering to the genders by offering guys a man lounge and the women a chic area to congregate and have fun. What female guest wouldn't love to sip a martini while sifting through bangle bracelets and funky rings to match her cocktail dress? And she can take those items home with her and remember your amazing wedding every time she puts them on. Letting guests dive in to a Bangle Bar is a fun way to make your wedding stand out from the others and also give your guests a fun useful gift instead of some boring wedding favor. Bling it on!

Wendy and Tony are on the NYWB blog!

If you have been reading my posts for long enough you will know that I describe a lot of my couples as "my favorites" but I can't help repeating it when it's true! Here is another uber fab pair who were married at The Inn at Erlowest this past Columbus Day weekend. Check out their real wedding post on the New York Wedding Boutique blog!

Click Here

Desmond Bridal Show DISCOUNT

Hey now brides! Interested in receiving a discount off my services?

Schedule a consultation with me at The Desmond Bridal Show for a date before December 15th, mention the offer code DESMOND, and you will receive 10% off any future services you book with me. The consultation is free and there is no obligation to book, just a great opportunity to save a little money. The discount is for new clients only and can be applied to any package of full or partial wedding planning, day-of wedding coordination, or to our Platinum Planning Package which is full wedding planning, ceremony rehearsal coordination, and day-of wedding coordination. Discount is also good towards wedding invitations, save the dates, and for any of our stationery and personalized wedding accessories!

Don't miss the chance to come meet lots of great vendors, hear my presentation on all the hot trends to make your wedding stand out, and if you schedule a consultation with me and mention offer code DESMOND I will give you 10% off any future services you book with me!

Desmond Bridal Show
Sunday November 20, 2011
12:00-4:00
Admission: $10 for bride, $5 for guests

Tips and Tricks to Make Your Wedding Stand Out
Seminar by Shannon Whitney
2:45 - 3:15

For more information about this bridal show please go to the event website - www.eventswithstylealbany.com

Bachey Wedding - August 6, 2011

Kate and Jeff Bachey were married in Vermont on August 6, 2011. The couple lives outside Boston and met while in college. They decided to have a wedding in Kate's home turf of Southern Vermont starting with their ceremony at Kate's family home in Middletown Springs and their reception at the Battenkill Inn in Manchester, VT.

This wedding included everything there is to love about Vermont in the summer - clean country air, fields of wildflowers, an old rustic barn, and good genuine family love. They stayed true to a color palette of dark blue, creams, and pops of a celery green that so beautifully tied everything together from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception. I should also mention that the reception site had two separate spaces - an old barn and a tent that was set up along side of it. When guests arrived they were greeted with signature cocktails in the barn and then brought down to the tent in time for dinner. When dinner was over they were invited back to the barn to dance the night away. It was the perfect solution to maximize the spaces to fit their guest count while utilizing all of the beautiful space the Battenkill Inn property afforded.

I hope you are prepared for this overloaded blog post because Kate put some many amazing details into her wedding that I couldn't control myself in what I prepare to explain to you all. Plus the extraordinary photography talent of the lovely Erica Ferrone and I couldn't control myself on which pictures to choose! This blog has twice as many photos as a normally post and believe me there were twice as many that I held back on adding. If you can't tell already this was one of my favorite weddings of this year and I am way beyond excited to share it with you!

Now about the decor and fine details for this event... Ladies get your note pads out because this is a killer list of personalized items... For the ceremony instead of having the traditional seating setup Kate and Jeff decided to have their wedding in the round. What I mean by this is that they stood with their officiant in the middle and the guest chairs were aligned in half circles around them. Space was left for the bridal party - all decked out in blue cocktail dresses for girls and gray suits for the guys - to be the backdrop on the far side of the aisle. The bridesmaids each carried a bouquet of a single variety of white flowers with a celery colored ribbon around them. Add the fact that this all took place in the gorgeous front lawn of her childhood home made for a scene that was pure magic.

Now for reception details this is where things really got crazy. I already mentioned that guests entered the barn to begin cocktails but drinks weren't the only thing they found in there. Kate and Jeff's theme for their reception was "Lucky in Love" and instead of traditional place cards they had real metal horse shoes for each guest with their names and table assignment attached to them. These horse shoes were hung on nails all along the inside wall of the barn making a super gorgeous piece of art as guests looked through to find their names. Below the horse shoe wall was a table that carried on the luck theme with scratch off lottery tickets and a bowl of lucky pennies for guests to try their luck at winning big. Also in the barn were arrow signs tacked all the way around with the hometown of every guest who was at the wedding. These signs also listed the driving distance from the site of the reception to where each guest came from. It was super fun to watch people try to outmatch each other for the title of farthest traveler. Now I'm not even done with the details in this barn space. On the far side was a bar that served a slew of signature cocktails - all having special meaning to the bride and groom. There were also country lemonade and ice tea stations and stir sticks all fancied up with the wedding colored blue and green ribbons on them. The catering team of Thyme Table Caterers did an absolutely amazing job with the service and in tying in with the theme and style of the event. There were also a million twinkling lights around the barn beams and covered hay bails for guests around for guests to take a seat. It looked awesome in there!

The barn was only half of the space at the reception because there was also a white wedding tent set up with all of the tables and chairs for guests to dine at. Kate and Jeff chose classic white tablecloths with dark blue damask fabric pieces that were set in the center of the table. On top of those were a collection of white flower arrangements, green apples, and lots of candles. There were three different table types - rounds, rectangles, and a large Tuscan head table for the bridal party. Each table was cohesive in their color schemes but had different flower arrangements by table type. There were also big live trees at each of the tent poles to carry the natural green feel throughout the space. The reception tent was airy, cozy, and just lovely.

And I am almost done talking about the details but there are a few other items I can't forget to share! There were a few surprises that I helped orchestrate during the evening that added a ton of fun to the event. First was the reveal of a super fun groom's cake. Jeff loved it! The next surprise was one that Kate's mother and father had planned. After dinner was over I brought out an A Capella singing group from Nantucket that they had all seen while on vacation out on the Cape. This was a challenge to pull off without anyone knowing but it came together flawlessly and was a big hit. And the last surprise, which is actually my favorite of the whole event, was bringing out a Ben and Jerrys ice cream cart for sweet treats after dinner. I may have made a stop or two at the cart before the night was over. How could I resist??

So that covers most of all of the details Kate so flawlessly and fabulously planned out. As you can see from the photos the result was nothing short of perfect!

With so many items to set up and to oversee Kate brought me on to be their day-of wedding coordinator. Kate was super smart in bringing on a planner because with a 30+ minute drive between ceremony and reception and a LOAD of amazing details to set up at the reception site there would be way to much for her to handle that day. Plus who wants to task their family or friends to take care of all of that? Any bride who gets a coordinator will tell you it was the best decision they made, and after the wedding Kate told me the same thing!

Thanks go out to the rest of the vendor team who worked along side of me that day - Dave Cannon from Elite Sounds DJ, Winsome Moran who did the beautiful flowers, Jackie LaBatt who made the wedding cake, Jane Wood who provided the ceremony music, Shear Heaven Salon and VT Backroad Tours who provided transportation for the bridal party. Of course an extra special shout out goes to Erica Ferrone for these amazing photos, and Thyme Tables Catering for an amazing meal and one of the fastest dinner services I have ever seen. Kudos to all of you!

This wedding was a very special one for me and I thank you Kate and Jeff so much for allowing me to be a part of their big day!

Ok enough talk, enjoy the pics!!

Come Listen to My Seminar at The Desmond Bridal Show

I will be representing WPP and the NYWB at the Desmond Bridal Show on Sunday November 20th. Come hear me present a seminar at 2:45 on the latest in Hot Wedding Trends! You won't want to miss this chance to see what's out there in the local wedding market, watch a fabulous bridal runway show, and mix and mingle with the area's top vendors. Make sure to stop by after my seminar to say hello!

This event will be unlike any other bridal event in the area!

• Seminars
• Pampering Areas
• Photo Gallery
• Inspiration and Idea Stations
• Bridal Fashion Show hosted by Angel'a Bridal with gowns for all sizes
  
• Over 75 local professionals and so much more!
• $10/bride, $5/guest - paid at door, cash please

For brides to get free admission you can bring (3) of the items below to be donated to the mohawk/hudson river humane society.

( this applies to bridal admission only)

Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society Wish List
Canned/Wet Cat and or Dog Food
Paper Towels
Kitten Milk Replacement
Cat Litter
Postage Stamps
Copy Paper
Peanut Butter
Flea and Tick Preventative
WeeWee Pads
Dog Toys
Raw Hides
Swiffer Sheets
Toilet Paper
Hand Sanitizer
Towels
Large Spray Bottles
Liquid Hand Soap

Runway Fashion Show Hosted by Angela's Bridal
This is the highlight of the event! This fashion show will feature gowns for all body types and sizes! 3 fashion shows will take place during the event so you will be sure to catch one!

The fashion show will run 3 times during the event at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30

12:45-1:10 The top 5 things to do once you get engaged!
1:45 -2:10 Easy to Miss- the things you might not think about
2:45-3:10 Tips and Trends to make your wedding stand out

Seminars
The New York Wedding Boutique will host seminars tackling current wedding trends, hot wedding topics and the final seminar which will be a question and answer session with professionals in all categories from bridal, dj, band, photography, videography,wedding planning, decor and more! The gloves are off for this seminar so come with your burning questions and ask away!

Inspiration Stations
There will be stations set up at this event to offer Inspirational Wedding Ideas, Tips, Trends and more!

Photo Gallery
All of the participating photographers will have the opportunity to showcase their work in a photo gallery for you to view. This will give you the opportunity to choose a style that fits your wedding, check out some awesome photos from the top area wedding photographers

Bridal Pampering
What would a bridal event be without some pampering! Make-up Application, Massages, have your nails painted and more!

Bridal Gifts!
Lets not forget one of the best parts! A manicure gift certificate to Bellezza Salon will be handed to all of the brides attending this show! A $20 value!

Over 75 local wedding professionals
This event will be huge! Here is a list of attending wedding professionals:

• A and Company Salon
  Acra Manor Resort
  Albany Home Cleaning
  American Laser Skincare
  Angelas Bridal
  Bridal Rose Boutique
  Bumble Beads
  The Century House
  Chef World
  Clifton Park Rental
  CNY Healing Arts
  Corinna Beau Invitations
  The Desmond
  Diet Center Latham
  Dream Day Travel
  Experience and Creative Design
  The Floral Garden
  Foley Photography
  Fotomagic Photo Magnets
  A Gracious Event
  Grand Central Station Band
  The Ice Man
  Images by Candidly Beth
  Kiera Lemonis Photography
  Liberty Travel
  Lily Saratoga
  Lisa Jubert Photography
  Louis Torres Wedding Photography
  The Magnet Man
  Make Me Fabulous
  The Make Up Artists- Erin Marzilli
  Mary Kay Cosmetics
  The Old Daley Inn on Crooked Lake
  The Pampered Chef
  Pat's Barn
  Photographics Solutions
  Planet Beach Clifton Park
  Pure Romance
  Richard Connors - Wedding Insurance
  Royal Limousine
  Saratoga Photobooth Company
  Silerleaf Resorts
  Sound Advice
  Stella and Dot
  Stilletto Salon
  Tablecloths for Granted
  Three Sisters Catering
  Tuxego
  Upstate Harpist
  Windham Mountain
  Zacharys Pastry Shoppe

The Desmond Experience
We will have one ballroom at this event that will give you an idea of what it would be like to have your wedding at The Desmond! This ballroom will feature professionals that you would find at your reception, with some tables that offer decor options, floral arrangements and more!

Win $1000!
There will be a raffle benefiting the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society for a chance to win (2) $500 vendor dollar certificates. These certificates will be good toward the services of professionals at this event.
Raffle tickets will be sold at the event for $

This is a bridal event not to be missed!

Check me out on Preston Bailey's blog!

I have a cameo role in the uber famous and wildly talented Preston Bailey's wedding business blog.

Check me out!

Happy Halloween!

WPP mascot Reilly got all dressed up to share a little Halloween spirit with everyone. Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!!

Jennifer and Eric's Wedding is in VOW Magazine!

Jennifer and Eric were married July 23. 2011. Their wedding was photographed by the lovely husband and wife team at Jessica Painter Photography and is now published in the new issue of VOW Magazine. You can read the whole article online and see several pics of their big day by clicking here or just scroll through below and check it out for yourself. Jennifer mentions me a few times - how sweet!

For a couple that grew up in the Capital Region, attended the same college and now have teaching jobs in the same field, Jennifer and Eric Lewicki are the newlyweds who almost weren't.

After growing up and graduating from high school in Burnt Hills, Eric headed off to SUNY Oswego to study technology education. Two years later, Jennifer graduated from South Colonie High School and also moved onto the SUNY Oswego campus for the same studies. The first time they met was in a design class required for their shared major.

"She was one of about four girls in the class, so I noticed her," Eric says. "We had group projects together, and since we were from the same hometown area, we had things to talk about. But we were at two different stages. I'd already done two years of college and I was focused on getting my degree."

"And I loved frat parties," Jennifer says.

Although friendly, Eric and Jennifer's path separated when he graduated and she did her last two years of college. In 2006, however, Jennifer was in Rochester doing a teacher's training, and on a whim, texted Eric to see how he was doing.

Another few months passed as they both busily started teaching and coaching; Eric coaches football, Jennifer coaches cheerleading. Still casual and not officially dating, they talked on the phone occasionally and finally met for lunch, where they realized they had a connection and began dating more seriously.

"We tested the water so many times it was ridiculous," Jennifer says. "But I think it was fate that we eventually got together. We just had graduation and careers on our minds in our 20s."

The two bought a house, and although they talked of marriage, Eric made his own plan for a surprise proposal, and once again, the timing was off.

"We'd put lights up on our house for Christmas, then walked to a friend's house for dinner," Eric says. "I had the ring in my pocket that I picked out with zero input from her, and I planned on asking her right outside our house, admiring our lights so everything was perfect."

But Jennifer, who's very petite, was freezing and made a beeline for the front door when they returned, cutting right across the lawn. Eric had to scrap his plan and improvise. "I fumbled with the house keys at the front door, and had enough time to take the ring out," Eric says.

"There was a huge element of surprise," Jennifer admits.

After the delays in their courtship, the couple set a wedding date just eight months after they became engaged. Since they both teach, a summer wedding was a necessity. They chose a reception hall first, the church second, and everything else pretty much fell into place.

"I'm organized, but with the time constraint, I got a wedding planner," Jennifer says. "She was only hired to coordinate the actual wedding. I'm an only child; I haven't been to many weddings so I knew we'd need help towards the end."

In the meantime, Jennifer and Eric chose a black and white theme, dressing their six groomsmen in black tuxedos and bridal party in black gowns for their afternoon ceremony. Jennifer's dress was a mermaid-style gown, unadorned with beading or lace. "We wanted clean, simple and elegant," Jennifer says.

One of the only trouble spots in their planning was something most couples enjoy: sampling and choosing a wedding cake. "I don't like cake," Eric says. "I just don't have a sweet tooth."

"And I love to bake," Jennifer says. They settled on a half-banana/vanilla cake, with the other half all chocolate.

The wedding planner came in handy during the last days, coordinating all the vendors and keeping everyone on time. The planner also quickly remedied a major catastrophe:

"I got red wine spilled on the front of my wedding dress right where everyone could see it," Jennifer says. "She was right there with club soda and baby powder, I think it was, to get the stain off before anyone noticed it. It wasn't even my wine; I don't even know where it came from."

Jennifer and Eric headed off to Bar Harbor, Maine, where they kept busy enjoying their first days of married life. "We whale watched, biked through Acadia National Park, went on a light house tour," Eric says.

"And we ate lobster every single day," adds Jennifer.

Who, What, When:

BRIDE: Jennifer Lewicki, 30, technology education teacher, South Colonie Central Schools.

GROOM: Eric Lewicki, 32, technology education teacher, Shenendehowa Schools.

THE WEDDING DAY: July 23, 2011 at Our Lady of the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church.

THE HONEYMOON: Six days in Bar Harbor, Maine.

ONE DETAIL: Jennifer adhered to the "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," tradition. Her shoes were new, her mother lent her a lucky wishbone tied with a blue ribbon that she wore in her own wedding, and Eric's family loaned her their grandmother's ring, which she safety-pinned into the folds of her wedding dress.

The Particulars

CEREMONY: Our Lady of the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church, 448 Aviation Road, Queensbury, 518-793-9677, olaqueensbury.parishesonline.com

RECEPTION: Hiland Park Country Club, 195 Haviland Road, Queensbury, 518-761-4653, hilandparkcc.com

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jessica Painter Photography, 36 Third Avenue, Canajoharie, 518-542-3346, jessicapainter.com

WEDDING PLANNER: Shannon Whitney, Wedding Planning Plus, 518-269-1243, weddingplanningplus.net

WEDDING ATTIRE: Angela's Bridal, 1811 Western Avenue, Albany, 518-869-1848, angelasbridal.net

Waldorf Tuxedo, 204 Lancaster Street, Albany, 518-396-5456, waldorftuxedo.com

HAIR & MAKE-UP: Make Me Fabulous, 102 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa, 518-885-2929, makemefabulous.com

JEWELER: Mayfair Jeweler, 7 Glenridge Road, Glenville, 518-399-3701, mayfairjewelers.com

Northeastern Fine Jewelry, 1607 Union Street, Schenectady, 518-372-3604, nefj.com

FLOWERS: Price Chopper, 677 Upper Glen Street, Queensbury, 518-792-7456, pricechopper.com

MUSIC: Russ Gentner from Piano Man DJ Productions, 683 New Loudon Road, Latham, 518-489-4000, pianomandj.com

CAKE: Dolce and Biscotti, 1758 Route 9, Clifton Park, 518-371-0216, dolceandbiscotti.com

INVITATIONS: The American Wedding, theamericanwedding.com

TRANSPORTATION: Advantage Transportation Group, 677 Upper Glen Street, Queensbury, 518-792-7456, albanycarservice.com

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: Wingate Hotel by Wyndham, 4054 State Route 9l, Lake George, 518-668-4884, wingatehotels.com

REHEARSAL DINNER: The Black Watch Steakhouse, 21 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, 518-792-5225, blackwatchsteakhouse.com

Ceremony Tip

Photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman

I see a lot of wedding ceremonies. And there is one thing during a ceremony that tends to happen and shouldn't so I wanted to share my thoughts on it. The thing I'm talking about occurs how the bride and the groom say their vows. Now you all know the vow portion of a ceremony - it usually goes something like "Bride, repeat after me, I ~Bride~ take you ~Groom~ to be my husband..." You know, the part where the officiant feeds the bride lines that she repeats, then does the same for the groom. This is the serious part, the part where everything counts and the actual marriage is really happening, so this can be a fairly stressful and emotional to both the bride and the groom. Now the tendency for some is to look at the officiant who is feeding them the lines and repeat them right back to them. Fight this urge! You are not marrying your officiant, you are marrying your fiance, so look your fiance in the eye when you say your vows. You will be wrapped up in the moment at that point so practice the eye contact part during your rehearsal. Trust me if you practice it then you will do it naturally on wedding day and by doing so you will make your wedding planner very happy. :)

Lewicki Wedding - July 23, 2011

Jennifer and Eric were married July 23, 2011 in Queensbury, NY. Their ceremony was at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church and their reception was at Hiland Park Country Club. Jennifer brought me on a few months before and I had the pleasure of coordinating their special day.

Jennifer and Eric met in college and are both technology teachers at separate schools in the area. Their wedding was simple and modern with black bridesmaids dresses, pops of pink, and a crazy cool wedding cake. Her bridesmaids, all friends of hers for years and years, donned some of the coolest funky shoes I've seen. Not to be upstaged, Jennifer rocked a pair of soft blush colored Badgley Mischka heels. There was a lot of shoe loving going on that day.

Joining me at this event were some super fun vendors. Special thanks and kudos goes out to Jessica Painter and her husband Ed for taking these lovely pictures of Jennifer and Eric's big day. You were a joy to work with and I thank you for sharing these images with me! Also on this event was Russ Gentner from Piano Man DJs, the florists from the Queensbury Price Chopper, Dolce and Biscotti bakery, and Advantage Transportation Group who provided the couple with that fabulous old Rolls Royce to be chauffeured in.

This was a great wedding and I had a ball working it. Thank you Jennifer and Eric for letting me be a part of your special day!