Now Hiring: Summer and Fall Interns

Shannon with 2009 intern Laura Kennedy

Photo by Tracey Buyce

We are looking for bright, energetic and professional interns to join our team for the summer and fall wedding season. The ideal candidate will be a current student or a recent graduate who is friendly and personable, hard working and driven, and absolutely dedicated to flawless event execution. This is an unpaid position and weekend availability and a valid drivers license are required. Interested candidates should send their resume and a cover letter (explaining your education and work background, the reason for your interest in the position, as well as your long term professional goals) to Shannon at shannon@weddingplanningplus.net.

Resumes will be accepted until April 15th.

Wedding Planners in Action!

Although I plan and coordinate most of Wedding Planning Plus' weddings, I do have a killer team of assistants who coordinate events either with me or on their own. One of these assistants is not only my top side kick but she's also my sister-in-law. Awww! :) Katie Whitney has been on my team as an assistant wedding planner for the past three years and has worked with wonderful couples across Upstate New York. Katie lives in Boston where the Altantic coast is her home turf, but because she is well versed in all parts of the northeast and is flexible and consistent, she has no trouble handling wedding coordinations in any type of venue. The rave reviews her couple gives her are simply overwhelming! Not only is she family but she quite honestly is the best assistant I could ever ask for.

So here are a few photos of Katie in action! The top pic is from a wedding she coordinated at Saratoga National Golf Club back in 2008. It was a windy day but she was right there to make sure the bride looked beautiful in every photo. Below is a pic of Katie coordinating a fall ceremony at Top of the World in Lake George. Schedule in hand and on top of all of the details - this I like to see!

And just because I can't help it, here is a pic of Katie on her wedding day! She was the most beautiful bride!!! And yes, that's me fixing her veil. Once a wedding coordinator always a wedding coordinator! :)

Title photo: Elario Photography
Photo 2: Out of the Ordinary Photography
Photo 3: Becky Sapp Photography

We're having an Invitation Sale!

Our newest invitation album has arrived and we are so excited to share it with you!

Looking for a Save the Date that is better than your
standard magnet?
Or a wedding invitation that shows off your colorful side?
Or how about the perfect stationery for your
destination event in a Vegas, tropical, or
Adirondack theme?

We are so excited about this new album we are offering a 10% discount on all invitation orders!


This 10% discount is offered on all wedding stationery items from the 'Something Different' album or from any of our other invitation albums. There is no cost to meet with us and look through our selections so give us a call and set up your free consultation.


Everyone knows that we plan weddings and coordinate events but some don't realize that you can get high quality invitations, stationery, and personalized wedding gifts through us - whether we are your wedding planner or not. We take the stress out of stationery purchasing and make the process simple and easy for you. And because we carry a wide variety of invitation lines - covering traditional to wild and funky to everything in between - there is something to fit every couple's needs.


Call or e-mail for appointments and further details.


Offer is good on all new orders placed between March 20 and April 20, 2011. 10% discount is good on all orders up to the maximum discount of $100. Please mention offer code 'Something Different' when ordering.


'Something Different' has something for everyone!

Go Colorful!

Go Different!

Go Destination!

Did you know we also have these great albums?

• Pockets Album - Offering selections of the cutest and trendiest container for your invitation and enclosures
• Exclusive Collection II - Featuring coordinating colors and designs to match your invitations to your place cards, table numbers, favor tags, and ceremony programs
• Value With Style - Beautiful invitations and enclosures for the budget-minded bride
  
• Showers - Invitations and fun accessories for bridal and baby showers
• And many more!

Contact us today to schedule your complimentary invitation consultation to take advantage of the 10% discount before it runs out!

Happy planning,

Shannon

Check out the Scahill wedding featured on BrideFinds!

I love it when my weddings get exposure to local and national wedding markets. We have really been on a roll lately with featured weddings popping up all over the place, and we are psyched to see Alexis and Jon's Sagamore wedding getting a little love on BrideFinds.com. Some of the pictures are from guests so they are new even to us. Check it out!

Click here to see their featured event!

Tuscan/Renaissance Head Tables

When choosing how you and your newly appointed hubby want to sit at your reception there are several options for how you want your head table set up. As with all wedding decisions this is an extremely important one! Do you want to sit alone just the two of you in a sweetheart style table? Would you prefer to be seated at a standard sized round table with a handful of important people with you like your best man and maid of honor or maybe your two sets of parents? Or how about at a dais style table where you and your husband and all of your bridal party sit along a wall facing out onto the crowd?

I'm not going to lie to you all and tell you I am a big fan of any of the above seating arrangements. In my opinion you have chosen a bridal party who is the best of all of your friends and family and why should you not sit with them and have fun with them at your reception? A sweetheart table almost always turns out to be totally isolating. And a round table with your best man and maid of honor will ultimately make the rest of the bridal party feel less significant. And being lined up in a dais type arrangement can be showy and awkward, even if are you ok with leaning forward and yelling every time you want to talk to your girlfriend two people down from you. Who needs that?

My favorite of all head table arrangements is when all the bridal party - plus their dates!! - sits around one big dining table as if it you were having your own big supper party at the reception. This way the bride and groom are surrounded by the people they love the most, and those people have their dates who don't have to sit awkwardly alone at a table on the side A bonus to this already adorable arrangement is that this big long head table can be a focal point and have some cool and interesting flowers, linens, lighting, or all of the above to signify that this is the premiere table in the room. Believe me when I tell you this set up is the most enjoyable, memorable, and super fun way to have your head table done!

To make this type of head table first determine how many people will be seated at it, then build out banquet tables end to end for as much room as you need. Add a second set of banquet tables to give some depth across, and finish off with half round tables at both ends. Then add chairs all the way around including around the ends, drape the entire table in linen, set with some stunning centerpieces, and you are good to go!

So to show off some of my beloved full bridal party head tables (which btw are sometimes referred to as Tuscan tables or Renaissance tables) here we go:

Title Photo: Tracey Buyce Photography
Photo 2: Elario Photography
Photo 3: John Seakwood Photography
Photo 4: Out of the Ordinary Photography
Photo 5: Belathee Photography
Photo 6: Tracey Buyce Photography
Photo 7: Bailly Photography

What Not to Skip - Hair and Makeup Trials

As a bride there are a lot of choices you need to make throughout your planning process and often your decision is influenced by your budget and wanting to keep your total wedding costs down. I am one of those wedding planners who is super practical and will be the first to tell you to cut the things that are unnecessary, but you will never ever hear me tell you to skip out on the hair and makeup trial! This trial run is an added cost but is totally worth it, and in my opinion it is practically a necessity.

You want to look radiant on your wedding day so take the time to meet with your stylists to practice what your hair and makeup will be on your big day. During this trial you can try a few different hair styles and your stylist can get used to your veil and how it is best positioned in your hair. And when it comes to makeup you can see the difference between a natural look and a dramatic look to be able to decide which is going to be best for you. And above all of this the trial is a great opportunity for you to get to know your stylists better so that on wedding day you are sitting in front of someone you know and trust.

There are some amazing stylists in the Capital Region and all of the ones I have ever works with offer trials so take them up on it! And if you time it right you can even make plans with some girl friends that evening so you can go out and show off your fancy new look!

Photos by Tracey Buyce Photography
Makeup artist shown in both photos is from Amy Elizabeth Makeup Artist. Top photo is Jessica Sheridan and bottom photo is Amy Elizabeth.
Hair stylist in bottom photo is Olenka from Above and Beyond Hair Studio

It's all about the shoes!

My brides know how to do it right! These girls have worn some pretty fancy schmancy shoes on their wedding day and some are so fabulous that I had to share them with you in this post. Here are my faves from the past years:

Traditional Shoes

The classic shoe for a bride is a simple heel in white or ivory to match the dress. You can have some bling on there or keep it super clean but either way you're keeping it very classy.

Colorful Shoes

Is white too boring for you? It may need to be the color of your dress but it definitely doesn't need to be the color of your shoes. Keep it bright and wild or simple and muted, either way a colorful shoe can add that certain something to your wedding day attire.

Fun and Funky Shoes

If color isn't enough to make you feel special, go all out with some shoes that are made to be noticed. Bling yourself all out with shiny embellishments, or go vintage with some soft colors and lace. Whatever way you go a fun shoe will definitely be a surprise factor everyone will love.

Designer Shoes

I can't possibly talk about shoes without showcasing some of the designer kicks my brides have been fortunate enough to wear. Looks at these beauties by Monolo Blahnik, Stuart Weitzman, Kate Spade, and of course my friend Jimmy Choo. Hey if you're going to go all out on your wedding day why not go all out? (And if you're feeling like sharing the love I'm a size 9.5!)

Photo 1: Bailly Photography
Photo 2: Rob Spring Photography
Photo 3: Heather Bohm-Tallman Photography
Photo 4: Niki Rossi Photography
Photo 5: Gallery 9 North
Photo 6: Jessica Patch Photography
Photo 7: Elario Photography
Photos 8 and 9: Tracey Buyce Photography
Photo 10: Belathee Photography
Photo 11: Michael Grace-Martin Photography
Photo 12 and 13: Tracey Buyce Photography
Photo 14: Gallery 9 North
Photo 15: Elario Photography

Destination Wedding Spotlight - New Orleans

New Orleans is like nothing I've ever seen before. Mix equal portions of southern charm, Cajun culture, culinary talent, world famous music, and a nightlife like no other place on Earth and you have this area referred to as The Big Easy. If you want an amazing spot for a destination wedding (or a bachelor or bachelorette party!!) then consider New Orleans. With amazing architecture and history all through the city and old southern plantations out on the edge of town, you have a wide varieties of venues to consider. And when it comes to activities for guests to enjoy before and after your wedding this is a city with a ridiculous wealth of fun things for travelers to experience. Send your guests on a walking tour of the French Quarter, on a paddle boat ride along the Mississippi River, off on a swamp boat tour to see alligators and other local wildlife up close, a cable car ride through the city, or on a culinary or cocktail tour of the area that is famous for so many amazing food and drink delights. And of course plan on at least one night on Bourbon Street. Believe me, your trip will not be complete without experiencing it. Bourbon Street definitely lives up to its reputation.

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone!!

Considering planning a destination in New Orleans? Feel free to e-mail me at shannon@weddingplanningplus.net for more information.