Laura and Greg - May 6, 2017

 

Laura and Greg were married on May 6, 2017 at the New York State Museum in Albany.  All of the couples I work with are such cool people, but every once in a while a couple comes along that sits higher up on that list, and these guys are definitely up there.  They share so many common interests as me - dog owners, marathon runners, craft beer fans, and they love Phish - so there was simply no way that we were not going to have an absolute blast working together!

Laura first reached out to me a year before the wedding after one of her friends, and former brides of mine, told her that she and I were basically the same type of person and that she needed to have me there to coordinate her day.  Laura and I hit it off right away and I'm pretty sure our first meeting was spent talking more about running, summer tour, and Vermont beers than about the actual details of her wedding.  

The day of Laura and Greg's wedding everyone got ready at the new Renaissance Hotel in downtown Albany.  I love how the bridesmaids dresses look like they match the details of their suite!  After getting into her stunning gown and doing a first look with her dad (I am such a fan of Dad first looks!) it was time to walk on over to the Plaza to get ready to see Greg.

The beauty of a NYS Museum wedding is having tons of indoor and outdoor space available for photos, and of course having the Capitol, the Empire State Plaza, and the steeples of the Cathedral all as options for a beautiful backdrop.  All of Laura and Greg's photos were taken before the ceremony and they even had a chance to get their beloved pup-baby Bug over for some wedding day portraits.  Bug had a super adorable tuxedo collar and cuffs, although they didn't stay on for all of the photos.  He was a wonderful sport either way!

Once photos wrapped up we made a game time decision to hold the ceremony indoors in front of the carousel.  It was just too windy outside and we knew everyone would be much more comfortable staying out of the elements.  The carousel is actually one of my favorite 'back up' locations for a ceremony - how fun is a bright colorful carousel right behind a couple saying their I Do's?

Ceremony then turned into cocktail hour which then turned into the reception, where Laura and Greg sprinkled in super fun elements of their love for music and good beer.  They chose a My Morning Jacket song for their first dance, and for the Father/Daughter dance Laura danced with her Dad to the Grateful Dead's song Ripple (which everyone sang along to - it was awesome to witness).  They handed out custom koozies for people to enjoy with their cans of craft beer that had a verse from the Stone's song Loving Cup which encouraged everyone to enjoy a "Beautiful Buzz".  Then after dinner the first song played to get people dancing was the Dead's Shakedown Street.  This was my kind of party!

Laura has great taste and picked wonderful vendors for me to work with that day!  

Venue - New York State Museum (contact:  Albert Gnidica)

Photo - Elario Photography

Catering - Nicole's Catering

Entertainment - DJ Vinny Vin of NonStop Music

Flowers - The Floral Garden (Delmar)

Beauty - Ariel Tucci

Cupcakes - Bake For You

Favors/Treats - Cider Belly Donuts

Thank you Laura and Greg for choosing me as your wedding coordinator!  You guys rock!  I look forward to many meet ups at the local beer bars and funky dance moves at our favorite live shows!

xoxo,

Shannon

Erin's Praises Were Just Sung - Literally!

Erin McKee coordinated Zach and Jesse's wedding at the Carey Institute for Global Good on May 28, 2017 and the happy couple just posted this wonderful review of Erin's work!

To read all of our 104 (and counting) glowing reviews on Wedding Wire CLICK HERE

"Erin! Erin! Erin! It was and always will be about Erin! We can't praise her enough. She brought the charm, warmth, and amazing energy we needed on the day of our wedding to handle every little detail. We loved her because she fit in so well with all of our guests and had the perfect "go with the flow" but also "on it" attitude. We couldn't have done it without her and her team!"

New 5 Star Review For Aissa!

Courtney and Salil were married at The Roundhouse in Beacon on April 29th and Aissa coordinated their wedding day.  The happy couple just posted this review praising Aissa for a job well done!

To read all 103 of our Wedding Wire reviews CLICK HERE

"Aissa was a dream to work with! Aissa kept us on track with coordinating the month leading up to the wedding. She helped calm our nerves by laying out a helpful game plan and responding to our ad hoc questions promptly and patiently. Getting ready for the wedding Aissa was like Mary Poppins providing solutions to everyone's last min request (bride needed last min floss and deo!). All of our vendors commented on how amazing Aissa was too. For example, Aissa thought ahead to request a large table for the bridal suite to allow our hair and make-up artists a space to set up. Aissa was helpful and sweet beyond belief!"

Leah and Swag - September 24, 2016

Leah and Swag were married in not one, but two ceremonies at The Inn at Erlowest on September 24, 2016.  I had the pleasure of helping them plan and coordinate their Hindu-Jewish blended celebration.

I have planned many blended weddings over the years but putting the details together for Leah and Swag's day was one that was so much fun for me.  They chose the patio ceremony space at Erlowest as the location for their Hindu and their Jewish ceremonies, both of which were celebrated on a brightly decorated stage which functioned as a mandap (Hindu) and as a chuppah (Jewish).  The logistics of this kind of wedding were quite delicate - the two ceremonies were separated by an hour of time to change wardrobes and altar details and they were flanked by two cocktail hours to ensure the whole event flowed as smoothly for the couple as it did for their guests.  It all moved very fast but it was all so very exciting!

The girls' morning started with hair and makeup on the second floor landing in the Inn before Leah was dressed in the most beautiful fabrics and jewels to get ready for ceremony #1.  After a quick first look she and Swag waited in the wings as Swag's sisters and family members gathered everyone around to begin the Hindu ceremony.  Leah was carried in by the groomsmen on a wooden platform with leaves covering her eyes from seeing Swag.  As is traditional with Hindu ceremonies there were prayers, flower garlands were exchanged, and kind words were shared between the couple in front of a small fire.  It was a beautiful ceremony that everyone just loved watching, and as soon as it ended the couple recessed out to the sounds of a traditional Klezmer band and everyone knew that the Jewish ceremony was up next!

Luckily for us there are elements of Hindu and Jewish ceremonies that are similar so the stage (mandap) that was set for ceremony #1 was easily flipped to get ready for ceremony #2 (chuppah).  Leah had a makeup redo and a dress change, Swag changed into his tuxedo, and after the guests enjoyed cocktail hour we were ready for the second ceremony!

Ceremony #2 was a civil ceremony with nods to Leah's Jewish heritage.  There was a second processional, second set of vows, a second kiss, and the Klezmer band played to recess everyone back out again.  After that it was on to cocktail hour #2!

After two ceremonies, two wardrobe changes (ok well three for Swag), two cocktail hours, two officiants, two sets of vows, and two kisses - we were all ready for the reception!  Leah and Swag and their families had such a nice time enjoying their wonderful meal, listening to toasts from the bridal party and families, and dancing the night away.  The whole day was such a joyous time for everyone and it was so fun to see everyone embrace all of their families' traditions.  

Above everything else - the multiple ceremonies, outfits, vendors, and all the moving parts - though, was the overwhelming love that was felt between Leah and Swag.  Looking at these photos it is easy to see how in love with each other these two are.  There is nothing greater for anyone who witnesses a wedding ceremony - let alone TWO wedding ceremonies - to truly feel the couple is connected and is in love and is meant to be.  Their wedding was a beautiful thing.

Joining me on this wedding was a wonderful set of wedding professionals who rocked out their day!  First I have to mention Alexis at The Inn at Erlowest who did an amazing job managing all of the moving parts of their day.  Katie at Clark + Walker was their photographer and she captured the real moments and their joy so beautifully.  DJ Scott Hemming kept everyone on their feet throughout their reception.  Evan from Anthology Studio not only made all of the beautiful bouquets and centerpieces but he constructed the amazing mandap/chuppah structure and fabrics which stood as their altar for both ceremonies.  The officiant for their Hindu wedding was Uday Banerjee and the officiant for their civil/Jewish ceremony was David Riley.  The recessional and cocktail hour(s) music was by Der Kliner Klezmer Band.  And hair and makeup (including makeup redo) was done by the team at True Grace.

Congrats to you, Leah and Swag.  You guys are incredible people.  Thank you both so much for including me in your beautiful day!

xoxo,

Shannon