Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Kristin and Andy review WPP

Kristin and Andy celebrated their wedding at Glen Sanders Mansion on January 7, 2012.  Kristin is the most likeable sweetest girl in the world, and she found an equally gentle soul in Andy.  Kristin posted a wonderful review of my services on Wedding Wire and I appreciate so much that she took the time to share her experience with others.  Thanks so much Kristin!!

To read other reviews from our past clients CLICK HERE

"I had the wonderful pleasure to intern with Shannon a few years ago and couldn't be happier to have her coordinating our wedding day. She kept me at ease and helped me organize my thoughts :) Planning can be overwhelming but she gave me so many resources and support that it was wonderful.
Our day was amazing and she made everything run so smoothly that I knew we had nothing to worry about. It felt so nice to relax and know that all the vendors were on the same page and that the guests were going to have a fantastic time.
We couldn't be happier and can't thank her enough for her patience, understanding and sharing her skills to make our fairytale day perfect.

~ Kristin
1.7.2012"

Monday, January 30, 2012

E-Newsletter - Are You On The List?

Our latest e-newsletter is out. If you didn't get yours that means you're not on the list (how sad!). In order to be added I just need your email address so feel free to email it to me or just comment on this post.

Happy planning!

~ Shannon

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Follow Me On Pinterest!

I just started on Pinterest and I am posting wedding inspiration images and ideas, as well as some personal things to my life. Come on in and follow me!

Follow Me on Pinterest


Saturday, January 28, 2012

Taliaferro Wedding - June 18, 2011


Lindsay and Brett Taliaferro were married on June 18, 2011 on the shores of Lake George. Their ceremony took place in the historic Grace Memorial Chapel in Sabbath Day Point and their reception was at The Inn at Erlowest in Lake George. They had a picture perfect weather day, an all star vendor team, and the palpable love and adoration of their family and friends. Their wedding was every bit the elegantly sophisticated day they had been planning for.

Lindsay and Brett live in Miami and reached out to me right after their engagement for my help in planning and coordinating their big day. Along with Lindsay's mother Cindy and the power of internet and email we all collaborated on what you can easily see in these pictures was a beautiful event. Lindsay chose the color palette of deep blue, ivory, and touches of soft greens and purples which in itself gives a feeling of richness and elegance. The bridesmaids wore Vera Wang and the groomsmen donned classic black tuxes. After their emotional ceremony the bride and groom came out of the church to a flurry of bubbles and then were off in Lindsay's family's boat for some stunning photos on the water. When they arrived back on land it was time to head to Erlowest for their cocktail hour and reception. The ballroom of Erlowest was transformed by specialty linens and large candelabra centerpieces designed by David Michael Schmidt of Renaissance Floral Design. We went with a Renaissance (or Tuscan) style head table where the bride and groom sat at one long table with all of their bridal party and their dates. On this table David amped it up with a mix of high and low arrangements to fill out the space and make it the true focal point in the room. For a fun activity and keepsake for their guests Lindsay and Brett used an old fashioned photo booth so that people could go in and get silly pictures taken of themselves. They also gave everyone a frame in the shape of an Adirondack chair in order for their guests to display one of the photo booth pics back at home.

Joining me on this wedding was a true all star team. Of course I always love working with the fabulous Erin Dewey at The Inn at Erlowest. She makes everything flow so smoothly and is a true joy to work with. Alisha Clark was on hand as the couple's wedding photographer and they had John Tegan on board for videography. Both Alisha and John were representing Clark + Walker Studios and did a great job with Lindsay and Brett's photos and videos. DJ Adam Conway of Piano Man DJ kept everyone dancing all night long, and my lovely stylist duo of Amy Elizabeth Makeup Designs and Kristen from Timeless Updos made all the women look so very beautiful. I also had Premiere Transportation providing shuttle service via limo and limobus, and of course the wildly talented David Michael Schmidt of Renaissance Floral Design who did all of the flowers and rentals for this event. See, I told you it was an all star team!

This wedding was a very special one for me and I truly enjoyed the year I spent working with Lindsay and her mom on the planning.

Thank you Lindsay and Brett for allowing me to be a part of your special day. I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

















Thursday, January 26, 2012

It's Time to Save The Date!



Save the Dates are a great way to alert your guests of your upcoming nuptials. Be it a magnet they can stick on their fridge, a card with a photo of the two of you on it, or just a little note to give them the details, save the dates are essential when it comes to making sure your guests keep your wedding date free.




We here at WPP have an entire invitation album of just Save the Dates and there are so many cute options in there! For all of you who just booked your venue and locked in your date now is the time to send these little buggers out. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation!


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Goldman Wedding - September 17, 2011


Andrea and Justin Goldman were married on September 17, 2011 at The Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY. I first did a wedding at this property way back in 2008 and it was a joy to return to this remote Catskill Mountain venue to coordinate the Goldman's special day.

Andrea is a bride like no other. It won't take you more than two seconds to see in these photos that she is bubbly and energetic and full of life. It is so common for brides to be swept up by their day but Andrea took it all in and enjoyed every single second of it! Justin is her perfect counterpart, a little more on the serious side but with a sense of humor and zest for life to keep right up with her. These two are truly a match made in heaven.

This couple started planning their wedding from Long Island but knew that their hearts and future wedding location would be in the Catskill Mountains they so loved. The Full Moon Resort was the perfect venue for their Catskills destination wedding - you are able to rent the property and all of the cabins and guest rooms from Friday through Sunday, so all of your friends and family can stay right on property with you and enjoy a relaxing and very special wedding weekend. The staff provides all of your meals and there is a performance space to play live music, fire pits to sit out and enjoy a warm night, and hiking trails galore to get you back in touch with nature. This location was perfect for Andrea and Justin except for one thing. Hurricane Irene. The devastating storm (which hit just three weeks before their big day) caused enormous destruction to the Catskills, and the small country road that Full Moon is located on was completely washed away in multiple areas. In the week leading up to Andrea and Justin's wedding date we were not even sure we would be able to get there. That is not a situation any bride wants to deal with and nothing that I, her planner, could do anything to fix. Miraculously four days before their wedding day it was announced that the emergency bridges were in place and travel to and from Full Moon was once again possible. Andrea and Justin will probably tell you that in the end this was the best wedding present they received!

Now on to the details of their event, well let's just say there were a lot of cool ones! From the groomsmen dressed in wool vests to the pink strawberry frosted cake to the use of a beautiful barn for cocktails, this bride and groom put a lot of thought and personality into their wedding details. Their overall theme was to have a Green Wedding but to do it on their terms, so they cut up Catskill Mountain magazines and pasted notes on them to create the pages of their ceremony programs. Their place cards were vintage post cards hung from twine and clothespins, and some of the cards were even of old resort areas in the Catskills. Their reception tables were decorated with brown antique bottles that Andrea spent months collecting, and the guest book they had guests sign was the topographic map of the area of Big Indian, exactly where the wedding was being held (to later be framed and displayed in their home). And the most impressive decorative detail was the hundreds of prayer flags that hung not only in the reception tent but also in the cocktail barn and the pathway to the ceremony space. Andrea and her friends collected vintage fabrics and old sheet sets and hand sewed every flag that was used in the wedding spaces. They even had a tiny version as the topper of their wedding cake. It was breathtakingly beautiful!

Helping to put all of this together was a team of fabulous vendors who came from as far as Connecticut and Albany to make Andrea and Justin's day magic. My first thank you goes out to the wildly talented and all around super nice guy Jaymie Batoon of J Castro Photography. I had so much fun working with him and his assistant and so did the bride and groom - check out the energy given off by Andrea and Justin in these pics - it's pretty obvious they were having fun with the guys behind the cameras! Jaymie did a phenomenal job with these photos, so much so that I had to supersize this post to get in all these awesome shots! Also on this wedding was my man DJ Greg Frasier of Frasier Entertainment. I can tell you that Greg definitely did his thing and the dance floor was super packed all night long. The flowers were from my favorite Catskills florist, Jim from Elderberry Florals. I love how he uses wheat sprigs and other unconventional items to make a statement with his designs. His looks are awesome. Thank you also to Hudson Valley Dessert Company for the beautiful pink wedding cake, to Rev Victoria Becker for officiating their wonderfully personal ceremony, and of course to Lindsay Kendrick and the staff at Full Moon for helping me with another magical wedding!

Not only did the guests get to stay on site for three days but so did I! And I was so welcomed by all of Andrea and Justin's family and friends during my time with them. It was a spectacular weekend and a wedding - and a couple - I will never forget!





















These guys were honestly the sweetest and totally fun to work with and spend three days with! Thank you Andrea and Justin for allowing me to be a part of your special day.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sweet Words From My Newest Client...

I was booked just yesterday by a couple who is planning their September 2013 wedding in Saratoga. The bride and I have exchanged a few emails and a phone call this week to discuss her needs and the exact planning and coordination package she wanted to book through me. Just yesterday I met her for the first time, as well as meeting her mom and dad, and after getting home last night she sent me an email that included the following message. It was so sweet and touching that I just had to share:

"Lastly, I'll be honest that I initially wasn't sure about hiring a planner. Although my parents' priority is to ensure that I have the wedding of my dreams, I continued to suffer from sticker shock and was becoming quite frustrated. I wasn't enjoying the process and was agonizing over every decision. When I met you my stress instantly faded away, and I now understand what a valuable resource you are. I know that we just began working together, but if you ever speak to anyone who is on the fence about hiring a planner, it would be my pleasure to speak with them. This is by far the best decision I've made thus far, and I'm so grateful for everything that you've done for me already! If there's anything that I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out… I'll tell anyone how incredible you are!"

Thanks so much Kristine! You are the sweetest and I'm so happy to be working with you!!!

~ Shannon


Friday, January 20, 2012

Not Sure What to Gift Your Favorite Bride and Groom?


Photo by Jason Bryer

Ever sat there and wondered, what in the world can I gift my favorite and bride and groom? A cheesy memento? An embroidered dish towel? Or just something lame off their registry? Well have you considered their gift could be a wedding vendor?

Oh yes, you can do that!

Over the years I have seen the most amazing outpouring of love to brides and grooms, but none has felt as personal and as special to me as the times when someone in their lives has given me - a wedding planner/coordinator - to them as their wedding gift. Just recently I had a best man contact me to inquire about my services as a day-of wedding coordinator. His best friend and his fiancee are getting married at The Inn at Erlowest in April and as his best man he wanted them to have the greatest wedding gift of all time - a sure fire way to have a stress free and unbelievably good wedding day. This best man has since contracted with me and I am on board to make the bride and groom's dreams a reality. It may seem like a rare occurrence but this is not the first time I have been hired as a gift to some very special brides and grooms. For the last 5 years of my business I have had countless moms and dads gift me to their children and employ me to take the reigns on their wedding planning, their wedding day, or a combination of the two. Even this past year I had a bride of mine from 2009 pay for me to be the coordinator of her little sister's wedding this past fall (see the photo above of both happy couples with their happy wedding planner!). Nothing in this world gives me greater pleasure and joy than to be selected as the gift for a bride and groom - it's honestly the coolest feeling ever! So if you are wondering what to give that special couple who seems to have everything, why not give them the assurance of a "perfect" wedding day? It's the gift I'm sure they won't look to return or give back after all is said and done. :)

Congrats to my newest couple Becky and Justin and thank you to Chris (their best man) for gifting me to your best friends. I am so excited for your big day!!

Happy planning,

Shannon



Thursday, January 19, 2012

Another WPP Wedding Featured on NYWB!


The New York Wedding Boutique has featured another Wedding Planning Plus wedding on their Bridal Blog. The lucky couple this time is Kristina and Jason Truet who were married at The Inn at Erlowest on September 24, 2011. Photographer Tom Wall and videographer Dave Bigler both have contributions on this blog post so log on and check out Kristin and Jason's wedding photos and video trailer.

CLICK HERE TO SEE KRISTINA AND JASON'S NYWB FEATURE



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Kristin and Andy's Wedding Video Trailer!


If you are a follower of this blog (and I know you are!) then you saw my post last week of Kristin and Andy Winn's sneak peek wedding photo. Well now I am excited to share the video trailer of their big day shot by the amazingly talented videographers at Nuvue Cinema. If you're not familiar with these guys you need to check them out! William Beyer and Ray Stockwell did a ridiculously good job capturing all of the beauty and magic and specialness of Kristin and Andy's wedding, and watching this video brings me back to everything that was so perfect about their big day. So I will stop blabbing now so that you can start watching. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THEIR WEDDING VIDEO TRAILER



Monday, January 16, 2012

A Look Ahead - Meyer/Romeo Wedding


Here is a look ahead at the Romeo wedding... Well, sort of. Actually the Romeos were married on Columbus Day weekend of this past year but when their wedding photographer sent me the images from their big day he also added a bonus disk of their engagement photos. And how can I pass up posting some adorable engagement photos for all of you to see? So please enjoy these super sweet images of Tori and John shot by photographer Jason Breyer on the grounds of The Sagamore and of their eventual wedding venue, Silver Spruce Inn B&B in Schroon Lake.

Um, I'm not done talking these guys up just yet -- I just have to add a little personal note and sentiment to this post because it's way too great to keep out. See, I have known Tori for over two years now because she was actually the sister of my bride Crystal Meyer from back in 2009. (Blog stalkers don't tell me you don't remember her!) Anyway not only was Tori connected to me from back then but on the night John proposed to her, two years from the last time she had last seen me, I happened to be up in Lake George sitting at the very next table to them at the Boathouse Restaurant right before he popped the question. There was way more cosmic connection and serendipity-ness in all of this to keep Tori and I apart. Her wedding, and my addition to their big day, was totally meant to be!

So again please enjoy these shots of their engagement session and wait ever so patiently for their full wedding recap to be posted. It will be up soon!!