Monday, February 22, 2016

Era and Roger - October 24, 2015



Era and Roger were married on October 24, 2015, with their ceremony at a Sikh temple in Rensselaer and their reception at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga.  These two contacted me 6 months before their big day to help them stay on track with their planning and to be there with them to coordinate wedding day itself.  Era is a sensitive woman who snacked on carrots in my office and focused on making sure that all of their guests would have a good time, and Roger is a project manager who lived comfortably in the world of spreadsheets, timelines, and RSVP tracking.  Their blended Indian-American wedding was so fun to plan with them - and came together so beautifully!

This wedding was a little trickier than most to plan because there were a lot of moving parts.  To celebrate Era's heritage the ceremony followed traditional Indian elements which began early that morning with the the groom's parade (Baraat).  Roger rode in on a white horse and his friends and family followed a dhol player through neighborhood streets to reach the temple.  After they danced and celebrated the families participated in the Milni where they exchanged flower garlands signifying that their acceptance of the marriage.  The guests were treated to lunch before heading inside the temple so the wedding ceremony could begin.  Era and her closest friend remained inside and hidden away through the morning, but once all of the guests made their way inside the ceremony room Era's brother escorted her in.  For Sikh ceremonies the men and women sit on opposite sides of the room and everyone inside the temple has to wear a head covering.  I have experienced several Indian weddings but this was my first Sikh ceremony.  It was wonderful to learn a new set of traditions!

After the ceremony everyone moved outside to a tent for lunch catered by Flavors of India.  Then shuttle buses took guests to Saratoga in anticipation of the reception which was to be held that night.  Era and Roger stopped for a few photos before going to their hotel to change into their reception garb.  Era had a hair and makeup refresh, the two were able to get a few more photos taken, and then it was time for them to party!

The reception was held under a tent in the back courtyard of the Dance Museum.  Roger is an avid curler and member of the Albany Curling Club and it was a perfect fit for them to be introduced into the reception tent to the sounds of bag pipes and Roger's curling friends stomping their brooms to the beat.  Era and Roger gave a heart felt thank you speech to their guests, danced their first dance, and then DJ Adam Conway got their party started!  Guests enjoyed a mix of Indian and traditional American music, as well as a delicious buffet of Indian food made by New World Catering.  It was such a fun wedding for me and so amazing to see Era and Roger enjoying themselves at each stage of the day!

I am happy to give credit to a long list of amazing vendors who all worked so hard to make this wedding special.  First I have to give a shout out to Katie Anello from Clark + Walker who is the talent behind all of these gorgeous photos.  Thanks for your fun energy Katie!  Also a thank you to Steve Powers, associate videographer with Bigler Productions.  For the morning's events I worked with the Sikh Temple of Rensselaer, Loon Farms (Baraat horse), DJs Samrin and Janspreet (DJ and dhol player), Flavors of India (breakfast and lunch buffet), and Brookside Nursery for renting mums to decorate the outside of the temple.  Transportation was provided by Advantage Transportation Group.  And for the reception I worked with Jo Ambrosio from the National Museum of Dance, Mary Jacobs and her team at New World Catering, DJ Adam Conway from Piano Man DJs, Kris Ann Elario at Fleurtacious Designs (who also made the beautiful flower garlands), Kyle Garcia (hair and makeup), and all of the rentals for both venues were provided by Rain or Shine.

Also don't miss Era and Roger's wedding trailer video produced by Steve Powers, associate videographer with Dave Bigler Photo and Video.  It's at the end of this post!

This is an extra long blog entry because it was an extra special day!  Thank you Era and Roger for choosing me as your wedding planner.  It was an absolute pleasure to work with you, meet your wonderful families, and play a small part in your big day.  I hope to continue this friendship with you for years to come!

xoxo,

Shannon





































Sunday, February 21, 2016

Sharing Some Vendor Love



This is not your average bow tie.  This tie was gifted to me by Anthony Commisso, owner of Tuxego in Latham, to save a groom whose tie went missing the morning of his wedding.  That was in May 2014.  And since then this tie has come to the rescue two more times, to fix a broken bow tie for a groomsman in Boston this fall and to save another groom who got married at The Sagamore last spring.  None of those guys were Anthony's clients but if you know Anthony you know that doesn't matter.  When I called in and asked if he could help a groom who got his tux from somewhere else he said 'Absolutely'.  

Karma is real and good actions do go noticed.

And hey, if you are on the fence about hiring a wedding planner remember this story and see how it makes you feel.  We can sit and tell you all the wonderful things we do for you the day of your wedding, and I suppose I should be adding this tie to my list of values we bring to your table.  I mean wouldn't you want a professional there to make comes with a backup tie?


Wednesday, February 17, 2016

WPP Coordinated Wedding Featured In Saratoga Bride!



We are so happy to share that Ashley and Tim's National Museum of Dance wedding is featured in the current issue of Saratoga Bride!  This wedding was coordinated by WPP Junior Planner Erin McKee back in September and photographed by Tracey Buyce.  Congrats to Ashley and Tim and the entire vendor team on this great recognition!