Mary and Rob - June 18, 2016

This June I had the wonderful opportunity to coordinate Mary and Rob’s Wedding Day. Mary and Rob were planning the event of the season on the Hamilton College Campus where Mary and Rob each attended. When I think of two words to describe Mary and Rob’s Wedding I think of regal and elegance. The Hamilton College campus provided the perfect back drop for the big day and Mary and Rob’s (well really Mary’s haha) well thought out design, alongside the beautiful flower arrangements from Whistlestop Florist added up to just that, regal summer elegance. 

Mary looked so beyond stunning in her Caroline Castigliano gown from the Plumed Serpent Bridal boutique. Her bridesmaids were the first bridesmaids I have ever worked with who wore white! I was quite shocked when Mary first told me but as the ladies arrived to the suite in their dresses on Saturday morning I knew just how perfect they would all look beside Mary. Each bridesmaid chose a white dress that showed of their best assets and personality! Together they looked like they should grace the cover of Brides Magazine. (But I’ll let you be the judge)

The gentlemen were not far behind in their race to grace magazine covers. Rob looked wonderful in his exquisite blue suit and his groomsmen looked so dapper yet relaxed in their suit jacket and khakis. THe groom and groomsmen spent the morning relaxing at one of the many beautiful lodgings on the Hamilton College Campus. The house happened to have a gorgeous stone Porch that provided the perfect backdrop for Mary and Rob’s first look. 

Christina and Brian of Shaw Photography captured the pure elation emitting from the Bride and Groom the moment they laid eyes on one another!... Followed by every other emotional and important moment of the day!! Brian and Christina were truly wonderful to work with, they made the Bride, Groom and Bridal party feel so at ease while capturing what you will I’m sure find to be gorgeously captivating images.

Following the first look, we were off to the Campus chapel for a Beautiful Ceremony. Upon conclusion of the ceremony guests were invited outside to the lawn to bask in the gorgeous June sunshine and enjoy a cocktail. As the sun dropped lower in the sky guests found their name on a beautiful seating chart wrapped in a gold frame.

Once inside the gorgeous white sailcloth tent guests found their seats at white linen tables topped with a mixture of mercury votives, glass votives, fragrant peonies, beautiful hydrangea blooms and gorgeous white roses. The centerpieces were so elegant, with candlelight creating a beautiful ambiance. Early on in our discussion of the days preparation Mary mentioned she could have family help set the center pieces but would really prefer them to be involved in the festivities of her day. I assured her I would pay great attention to detail and set her table arrangements just as she had imagined. One of the many reasons why I love coordinate weddings is to allow the Bride, Groom, and their families to enjoy the day and soak in each joyful moment without the stress or worry of decor set up. I can say with confidence Mary and Rob were thrilled with the way their reception tent looked.
The rest of the evening seemed to fly by like a fairy tale. Filled with delicious family style food from the amazing company Root Catering. If you have the chance to attend an event catered by Root Catering go… and go hungry!! The team at Root Catering surprised our palettes with unique, seasonal dishes and the familiarity of local flavor. After all of that guests HAD to get up and dance when the Dexter Lake Club jumped on Stage. This was my first wedding with the Dexter Lake club and I was blown away!!!

Mary and Rob, thank you for allowing me to be a part of such an important day in your lives. It was an absolute pleasure getting to know you and seeing each of you filled with such joy on your wedding day.  

Xoxox,

Aissa

Our 99th Review - From Alexa and Peter For Jr Planner Kate!

Reviews are just pouring in - we are up to 99 right now on Wedding Wire!  The latest post was from Alexa and Peter who were married in Cooperstown on October 1st.  They hired WPP Junior Planner Kate to coordinate their rehearsal and wedding day, and were thrilled with her work!

Who will be the one to post our 100th review??

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"We were lucky enough to work with Kate for Day of Coordinating services. To say there were a lot of moving parts to our wedding is an understatement. Our venue was a blank slate and we brought in essentially every component; from chairs, linens, plates and flatware to the stove and grill for the caterer. To complicate things further, our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception were all at different locations. We had separate vendors for flowers, lighting, transportation, rentals, and catering but also had many personal items we brought in to customize the spaces. Lastly, my fiance and I were planning our upstate NY wedding from Washington, DC. I was a little worried we were going to scare Kate off during our first call, but she took it all in stride and continued to throughout the process. Like many couples, we assumed we had thought of everything. "Kate will take care of it," became a constant refrain (and somewhat of a running joke) whenever we thought of something new. Her list grew longer and longer but she graciously and professionally handled each and every item. On more than one occasion, I would shoot her a frantic text about the most minute detail and knew I didn't have to think of it again. She was organized, diligent, and thorough. It was important for us to work with someone who could take our months of planning and execute our vision in the final weeks leading up to the wedding. After over a year of exchanging hundreds of emails with vendors and creating too many checklists to count, we wanted someone else to be the point person so we could really enjoy our wedding without distractions. Thanks to Kate, we were able to do just that! She worked extremely hard to ensure we had a stress-free and amazing day. We always felt like her number one priority and thoroughly enjoyed our time working with her. Choosing Kate and WPP to help us with our coordinating needs was one of the best decisions we made and we wouldn't hesitate recommending them!"

We Won The Knot's Best Of Weddings 2017!

We have been awarded as one of The Knot's Best Of Weddings 2017!  This honor is handed out to vendors who are the top of their categories as determined by client reviews, which we have a LOT of!  Thank you to all of our brides and grooms for not only choosing us and loving us, but also for posting some of the most amazing things of us online!

To read all of our reviews on The Knot CLICK HERE

Booked In Two Days - Review For Shannon Just Posted

Photo by Rob Spring Photography

Michelle and Bradley hired me just two days (!!) before their wedding looking for my last minute help with day-of wedding coordination.  They were married on September 30th at the brand new Renaissance Albany Hotel and were a joy to work with.  I wish I had gotten a chance to know them longer!  I was thrilled to be able to give them the help they needed, and thrilled that they just left me this sweet review.

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"We required some last minute help before our wedding and I am so lucky I came across Shannon's services. In a pinch she was able to get up to speed and dive right in. Having her help that day allowed me to enjoy every single moment of the day. She was attentive, kind, and professional, everything I could have asked for!"

Two Planners, One Great Review!

Photo by Chelsea Ahl Photography

Katie and Kevin were married at The Mansion Inn on October 15th and they worked with not one WPP planner but two!  Shannon was their wedding planner helping them put the details together for their event and Kate coordinated their day to make sure everything was perfect from start to finish.  Katie left this review sharing her experience with both planners.  Thank you Katie!

To read all of reviews on The Knot CLICK HERE

"I booked Shannon as our wedding planner before we were "officially" engaged (gasp) - I had a phone call with her and instantly knew I wanted to work with her. Although email responses weren't always timely (I also work in client service), I can truthfully say I would not haveworked with half of my wonderful vendors if it weren't for Shannon. From being in the wedding industry for so long, she has an endless supply of vendor contacts within every budget. She also took care of reviewing every contract before each vendor was booked. I pride myself on saying I only had two truly bridezilla moments - once was when my original make up artist fell through and once the week before the wedding regarding a flower disaster. Shannon provided more alternative make up vendors than I could have imagined, especially keeping in mind my preferred style and budget. And then the flower disaster...Shannon was ON VACATION and when I emailed her frantically panicking a week before the wedding, she solved my problem within 24 hours. If you want a wedding planner who will be there when things get hairy, Wedding Planning Plus is your answer. I also had the extreme pleasure of working with Kate, a junior wedding planner, as my day of coordinator. I CANNOT imagine my wedding day without her there. I didn't have to worry about ANYTHING. I'm, by nature, an extremely detail oriented person and Kate answered what felt like an exhaustive list of my questions right up until the wedding day. She took care of coordinating all vendor arrivals and set up down to the minute, really anything and everything on our wedding day. Even if you don't go with a wedding planner, I 150% recommend investing in a day of coordinator, especially with WPP!! Thank you to Shannon and Kate for always calming my nerves and making my wedding day AMAZING!!!"

Amy And James Send Shannon A Loving Review!

Photo by Unique Lapin

Amy and James were married on the shores on Lake George this September, and while they now live across the pond they took the time to post this loving review.  Thank you guys!

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"Shannon at Wedding Planning Plus is the best. She helped us to not only plan our wedding, but keep our sanity. Sometimes I swear she's a therapist in addition to wedding planner... She helped us to choose vendors, answered our stupid questions, planned the day of from a to z with utmost precision, and helped settle family "disputes" - all with charm, grace, and unending patience. The day of our wedding, no matter what was happening, I could feel calm knowing that Shannon was around to handle any and all situations that arose (and, of course, there were situations that arose!). She always had a level head and helped us all keep our cool throughout it all. Our wedding was INCREDIBLE, and without Shannon there, my family and I would have had so much more to deal with and worry about. We loved her, and her colleague Erin, and would highly recommend to all brides and grooms, no matter the style or size of your wedding. You can't go wrong with Shannon or WPP!"

Sharing Some Love From Helen And Mike

Photo by Jessie Casey Photography

Helen and Mike were married at the Canfield Casino in September and worked with me for two years planning their big day.  These busy doctors just posted a review for me and I can't thank them enough for their kind words!

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"Shannon of WPP was wonderful to work with!! My husband and I were engaged for 2 years before our wedding which was held out of state. We both have schedules that did not allow us to do a lot of visiting the area and looking around at different vendors. Shannon got to know us and narrowed down the options for us then showed us only those she knew would like the most. We are able to do almost all the decision making by email but she was also very flexible and arranged to meet us when we could be in town. Any question or concern we had we just sent and email and got everything figured out. Our wedding was amazing, our guests had a great time and everything went so smoothly. We would recommend WPP for anyone!"

Kelsey and Steve's Wedding Video!

Albany Cinematography - Historic Barns of Nipmoose - Kelsey and Steven from Nuvue Cinema on Vimeo.

Kelsey and Steve were married Labor Day weekend at The Historic Barns of Nipmoose.  WPP Lead Planner Aissa coordinated their day - and what a beautiful day it was!  Kudos to Nuvue Cinema for this amazing video trailer!  You guys rock!

Another Review For Erin Rossi - This One From Kelsey and Nick!

Kelsey and Nick were married in June at their family property on the shores of Lake George.  They worked with Erin Rossi as their wedding coordinator and just left this lovely review of Erin's services!

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"I wish I had started working with Lead Planner Erin Rossi much, much sooner. I hired Erin as a wedding coordinator, but when we started working together I realized how invaluable she is. As a graphic designer, I didn't need Erin to come up with ideas, but I really could have used her detailed organization and her brilliant ability to communicate with everyone involved in the wedding. When people say wedding planning is a second job, they mean it. So to have someone like Erin -who is on top of everything- by your side means you won't be overwhelmed with the inevitable 20 emails per day from the florist, hairstylist, makeup artist, photographer, band and caterer. (Not to mention friends and family.)

Also, the day of service was the best. Erin did everything I had asked her to and then knew all the things I hadn't even thought of! As the ceremony started Erin followed me out the door and fixed my train right before I turned the corner to walk down the aisle. Then, later, she always had my tube of lipstick nearby to reapply. (Definitely important for the photos!)

A lot of people will get the big stuff done, but WWP and Erin made sure all the little things were done right too. THANK YOU!!!!!"

Erin Rossi Receives a Review From Morgan and Jonathan!

Photo by Dave Bigler Photo and Films

Morgan and Jonathan were married at the Canfield Casino on October 1st.  Erin Rossi coordinated their wedding day and the couple just left this amazing review of Erin's services!

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"My fiancé (now husband) and I cannot express enough how amazing our day of coordinator Erin Rossi was for our big day.

It is important I state that from the moment I spoke with Shannon, I knew Wedding Plaaning Plus was the best option.

Any question I or my parents had Erin had the answer. It was so easy to quickly text her a question and within minutes I would have an answer. Or when I was debating what to do, she would work it out with me and help me communicate my ideas to the vendors, especially when the nerves/stress of the wedding day approaching made me incredibly indecisive. My only regret is not having her as our wedding planner from the start and is my best advice after all is said and done.

Our guests still are expressing how great our wedding was and a lot of credit needs to be given to Erin for making sure it ran as smooth as possible. Best of all, we enjoyed the wedding because Erin and Rebecca (Erin's assistant) had everything under control and no amount of "thank you's" could suffice our appreciation! 

I am sure all the planners at Wedding Planning Plus are spectacular but I am biased towards Erin so don't hesitate to ask for her!"

Leah and Swag Leave Me A Review

Photos by Clark+Walker Studio

Goodness we are just overwhelmed with all the love we have been receiving from our couples lately!!  Leah and Swag just posted this review of working with me on their Inn at Erlowest wedding.  Thanks you guys for the kind words!

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"Shannon was invaluable the day of! With her help, I planned my wedding from across the state. She made good recommendations about hair and makeup and where to have the rehearsal dinner, which were things that were tough to know about and decide not being from the area. She alerted me to potential problems that I would have never noticed. I have a busy professional life, and not a lot of family to help with the small details of planning, and we worked those tasks that would be difficult for me to complete on my own into the contract. Seriously, this was some of the best money (not worked into the original budget) that I spent. Worth it."

The Reviews Just Keep Coming In - This One For Erin McKee!

Photo by Silent Moment Photography

Reviews keep coming in from our recent weddings and we couldn't be more thrilled and touched by what our couples are saying about us!  Today Jess and Nathaniel posted this review of working with me (wedding planning) and Erin McKee (day-of wedding coordination).  They were so fun to work with while they traveled for 4 months half way around the world!  

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"My husband and I got engaged and then went on a 4-month trip through Asia. We had to do a lot of the wedding planning while we were overseas. We hired WPP to help us get the rentals we needed and to do our day-of coordination. Shannon worked with us by Skype to help get us our rentals and answer all our questions. Our wedding wasn't an easy one but WPP really helped get us what we wanted. Erin was our day-of-coordinator and we couldn't have asked for anything more. She was above and beyond our expectations. I actually don't know how people can have a wedding without a wedding coordinator! She gave us a timeline, helped us plan what aspects of a traditional wedding we wanted to keep and which ones we wanted to go without. On the day of the wedding she was organized, timely, professional. She really handled things beautifully. We had a lot of elements that could have been difficult and she took care of them without us even having to be aware of it. She dealt with all our vendors and even helped us decide how much to tip everyone. She is a wedding rockstar! Thank you Erin & Shannon for a great wedding :-)"

Ashleigh and Matt Leave Shannon This Sweet Review!

Ashleigh and Matt were married at Camp Echo Lake on September 4th and they just posted this sweet little review!  

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE.

"Shannon was very helpful the day of our wedding. If anything went wrong, we had no idea because it was handled calmly and efficiently. We anticipated our coordinator to be a little "on edge" or intense the day of our wedding. Shannon was flexible and easy-going, but incredibly helpful as well - we didn't have to worry about a thing. You won't go wrong with her or her team!"

Tommie Receives A Glowing Review From Whitney and Isaak!

Whitney and Isaak were married in an old opera house in Catskill on June 18th of this year.  They worked with Tommie (Kate as assistant) and just posted this glowing review of our services!

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE.

"We just got married June 2016 in the Hudson Valley. I write this review from the prospective of two NYC television producers (my husband and I,) who spend our lives producing. 

Firstly, I have to say rule #1 Do not skimp on a wedding coordinator, you absolutely need on so you can actually enjoy your day. Build it into the budget, no exceptions. If you can afford a full planner, even better.
Now to the oozing of my appreciation of Wedding Planning plus and my coordinator Tommie and her assistant Kate: 

My initial call with Shannon was prompt, efficient, friendly and comprehensive...no run around. She asked my needs and immediately gave me rates. No one was trying to squeeze our (tight) budget etc. She was fantastic. 

Now for Tommie, our Day-of coordinator; ABOVE AND BEYOND. Professional, punctual, really "got" our very eclectic, out of the box wedding. We explained to her our specific needs, which were much different than most weddings and she took on the project like a champ, truly embracing it. 
-Though unconventional, our wedding had a lot of moving parts and very uncommon/rustic locations. 
- Oversaw the setup of our highly styled wedding decor, making sure all was beautiful and personally took care of all of the decor we owned ( which was a lot) at the end of the night.
-Tommie stayed LATE, making sure all she promised was in order.
-Dealt with our drunken friend who was DJ'ing after the live band left (#ourpoorchoice) 
-All of this and much more, because she fixed things that I am sure we didn't even know about.
-Oh did I mention her positive "I can do anything" attitude?

I can not say enough about this company and about Tommie. We looked into coordinators from NYC that were triple the cost ...that didn't have a handle on the Hudson Valley or the open mind to do the very out of the box wedding we had."

Amanda and John Leave a Review for Shannon!

Photo by Divine Light Photography

Amanda and John were married at Colgate University on June 18th of this year.  They worked with Shannon for full planning and coordination, and just left this fabulous review!

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE.

"We were married this past summer in upstate New York on our university campus (where we met!). The reception was held basically in the middle of field, and Shannon planned and coordinated everything -- rentals (literally everything....chairs, tables, every fork and spoon, lighting, bathrooms, etc.), to table placements, and really the whole plan for the day. There were so many moving pieces to make the outdoor venue work, but Shannon was not phased by anything, and was so patient with us. Our wedding day was the best day of our lives and could not have been anymore beautiful or seamless, and we owe a huge thank you to Shannon for that!!!"

Kate and Tommie Receive a Glowing Review!

Photo by Yuliya Peshkova

Kate and Tommie coordinated Amanda and Ben's Pruyn House wedding in July and the couple just posted this glowing review of their services!

To read all of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"Deciding to work with Wedding Planning Plus was the BEST decision we made throughout all of our wedding planning. We initially met with Shannon and from that first meeting on, I knew we were going to be in such great hands. Shannon listened to all our crazy thoughts and ideas and really took the time to get to know us as a couple. We were so incredibly lucky to be paired up with Kate and Tommie as our day of coordinators. During our first itinerary meeting (6+ months before), my mind was truly put at ease when I saw how organized and prepared Kate and Tommie were. Both planners were so genuinely friendly and engaged; throughout the planning process, I felt like I was chatting about my wedding plans with good friends, not my day of coordinators. 

During the last month before the wedding, things really started to pick up, and both Kate and Tommie were there by our sides, ready to help in any way (and often helping us before we even knew we would need it!). Both Kate and Tommie even offered to meet us one additional time to help me get a few last minute details organized. Tommie was very resourceful and helped us to come up with solutions for a few tricky "day of" problems. Kate worked especially hard during the days leading up to the wedding to make sure the day of schedule was perfect. Kate even did some last minute vendor coordinating for me that really removed a lot of stress and anxiety. 

On our wedding day, both Kate and Tommie were invaluable. I felt so relieved to have them by my side: helping to finish up last minute decorations, organizing flowers, having last minute chats with vendors so I could just enjoy getting ready with my bridal party. They were so helpful with getting everyone lined up for the ceremony and with keeping family pictures moving along. Everything was going smoothly until the rain decided to show up to our al fresco dinner under the trees. Kate and Tommie whipped right into action and made all the plans necessary to get all our guests AND tables moved inside the barn between salads and entrees. I can't imagine the "behind the scenes" stress they might have been feeling, because they handled everything so professionally. I truly believe their smiles and positive attitudes spread to everyone else, because the next thing I saw was all of our 100 wedding guests laughing and carrying tables into a barn, trying to beat the rain. I was so touched at that moment, and I am so grateful that we had Kate and Tommie to navigate that little hiccup. 

That night, Kate took ALL our decorations (seriously! She packed up everything from our venue so that my husband and I could continue celebrating with our friends and family) and put them in our hotel for us. But Kate went one step above and beyond and decorated our room with all our flowers and tea lights. It was a beautiful surprise, and we felt so special! 

Ultimately, having Kate and Tommie meant that my husband and I got to fully enjoy our wedding day with all our friends and family. This was tremendously important for both of us, and the peace of mind and assistance they provided for us was truly invaluable. They were there for us every step of the way, and we will always be grateful! Thank you Shannon, Tommie, and Kate!!"

Amanda and Ben - July 23, 2016

Amanda and Ben were married at the Pruyn House on July 23, 2016. These two are the sweetest, most kind hearted people you will ever meet and it was an absolute privilege to be a part of their day. Amanda and Ben are BOTH teachers, so you can imagine the attention to detail and organization (in the form of spreadsheets… so many spreadsheets!) that went into this wedding. 

 

Their day started with beautiful July skies, a little nerves and the lovely Crystal McDaniel Gardner of MaryKay and Piper Bisnett of Jean Paul Salon for hair and make-up. These ladies worked their magic and got Amanda and her closest girls ready for what was about to be a perfect day. Ben and his men arrived on location and hung out in the awesome school house on Pruyn House property to get ready in ‘old-school’ style. 

 

The Sacandaga String Band created a ceremony space filled with simple and soft music while guests arrived. Amanda’s life-long friend, Danielle Upton, officiated and brought beautiful personal touches to the ceremony. You could feel the love and support from family and friends all around and after a few tears were shed and sweet words were exchanged- these two self-proclaimed ‘science nerds’ were married!

 

A short walk to the barn transported Amanda and Ben’s guests into a night filled with delicious food provided by Nicole’s Catering and celebratory dancing and the best tunes around thanks to Claude Sawyer from LaBOOM Entertainment.

 

In addition to everyone above, we worked with an amazing group of professionals including Yuliya Peshkova who documented their day beautifully, the stunning flowers were provided by Foxtail Community Farm and we had the pleasure of working with the two loveliest ladies at the Pruyn House - Diane Morgan and Nancy Macy. 

 

Working with Amanda and Ben was a dream, they were so easy going and deserve all the happiness in the world! Thank you so much for including us in your special day and for being spectacular friends!

 

xoxo,

 

Kate & Tommie 

The happy bride showing some love to her wedding planners...  :)