Wedding Planning Plus

My Valentine

2012-02-14T01:52:00.000-05:00

Photo by Matt Ramos Photography

Today is the universal day of love and I can only do my part and follow suit by posting
an homage to my special Valentine:

*****************

Thank you Adam for being my friend, my shoulder to lean on and my biggest fan.
Without you so much of my personal and professional success would not be realized.
You are everything I want and something I feared I would never realize.
You are my life, my light and my everything.
I love you.

*****************

Congrats to all the happy couples out there!
Wishing you all a very happy Valentine's Day!

Photo Session for Me!

2012-02-12T15:02:00.008-05:00

This weekend I got to spend a little time on me, and with the help of friend and colleague Tara Wiley I spruced myself up and got some much needed new head shots. I have to say it was really weird getting in front of the camera mostly because I spend a lot of my time at weddings staying out of the photographer's lens. But Tara took good care of me and even kept me going through a cold 20 degree weather day that also came with tons of heavy wind. I was freezing!

Tara is a super talented photographer and the owner of Tara Wiley Photography. She is located just south of Albany and available to shoot events all over the northeast. Lately she's been on a roll with baby photos and if you want to get some ooey gooey newborn and baby face love then you have to check out her website. And of course keep her in mind for weddings and events, as well!

Thanks so much Tara!

xoxo,
Shannon

PS - I couldn't decide on my favorite so I thought I would put up a few and hopefully someone can help me choose. If you have one you love leave a comment to let me know!

Cake Frosting: Fondant or Buttercream?

2012-02-06T12:36:00.002-05:00

Photo by Gallery 9 North

Your guests enter your reception ballroom and their eyes land on your beautiful wedding cake situated underneath a beam of angelic light. They ooh and they ahh but what are they seeing? A cake frosted with fondant or one with buttercream?

Some details in wedding planning are easy to decide on and some are, well, not so much. When it comes to choosing your cake you have several choices to make - round, square or abstract? Chocolate, vanilla or red velvet? Mousse filling or fruit filling? And what the heck is the difference between fondant and buttercream frosting?? Now I can't help you tell you what flavors taste best (well I can but your taste buds should probably make that decision for you) but I can help you decipher the ins and outs of your two frosting options.

All four of the photos above are cakes that have been made with buttercream frosting. Buttercream is the frosting most commonly used in wedding cakes and is the one that most resembles the frosting you get on birthday cakes, cupcakes, and most frosted items at your local bakery. Buttercream can be dyed to match any color and can take design elements on it such as swirls, dots, etc. Usually buttercream frosting is included in the cost of your cake and not something you have to pay extra for. The downside to buttercream? It is applied to the cake with a pastry knife and therefor can show any flaw or imperfection. If you have seen a perfectly smooth frosting on a cake before it probably wasn't buttercream. Now I'm not saying that buttercream will give you a messy look (these cakes above look nothing close to messy) but you can't get the shine and complete flawless smoothness with this type of frosting.

Now these four cakes have been made with a fondant icing on them. Fondant is almost like a sugary play dough, and it's rolled out in sheets and laid down on top of the cake layers. It can't stick to the cake itself so a thin layer of frosting, most often a buttercream, is applied to the cake layers prior to the fondant begin laid on. Because this frosting is applied as one whole sheet and not by knife or bakery tool it maintains a completely uniform smooth look, as seen in the examples above. Fondant can be made in any color and can have decorative icing details applied to it. The downside of fondant? Most people aren't crazy about the way it tastes. It is much more of a paste like layer than a fluffy frosting so the texture and taste are different than what most people are used to. Also fondant is almost always an upcharge so a cake with fondant frosting costs more than one with buttercream.

So there you have the ins and outs of cake frosting. Now go brush your teeth!

Photography credit for the eight cake images above:
Photo 1 - Tracey Buyce
Photo 2 - Out of the Ordinary Photography
Photo 3 - Belathee Photography
Photo 4 - Jessica Patch
Photo 5 - John Seakwood
Photo 6 - Tracey Buyce
Photo 7 - Bob Donlon
Photo 8 - Jessica Painter

E-Newsletter - Are You On The List?

2012-01-30T16:28:00.003-05:00

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

Follow Me On Pinterest!

2012-01-29T12:02:00.001-05:00

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!

Taliaferro Wedding - June 18, 2011

2012-01-28T15:27:00.022-05:00

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!

It's Time to Save The Date!

2012-01-26T11:23:00.000-05:00

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!

Goldman Wedding - September 17, 2011

2012-01-24T19:24:00.022-05:00

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.

Sweet Words From My Newest Client...

2012-01-22T11:15:00.005-05:00

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

Not Sure What to Gift Your Favorite Bride and Groom?

2012-01-20T01:26:00.006-05:00

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

Another WPP Wedding Featured on NYWB!

2012-01-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

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

Kristin and Andy's Wedding Video Trailer!

2012-01-18T12:18:00.002-05:00

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

It's Official!

2012-01-17T12:15:00.002-05:00

A Look Ahead - Meyer/Romeo Wedding

2012-01-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

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!!

Kristin and Andy's Wedding Photo Sneak Peek!

2012-01-12T09:14:00.001-05:00

The new year started off quickly for me with a wedding for Kristin and Andy at Glens Sanders Mansion on January 7, 2012. This wedding had so many sweet moments and secret surprises, I cannot wait to post the full wedding recap!! But for now please enjoy a simply beautiful image from their photographer Tracey Buyce. Awww!

WPP Wins the Bride's Choice Award - Three Years in a Row!!

2012-01-11T15:03:00.001-05:00

I received this notification from the staff at Wedding Wire today:

We are excited to announce Wedding Planning Plus has won the Bride's Choice Awards™ 2012. This prestigious award is determined by reviews from your past clients and recognizes the top 5 percent of local Wedding Professionals from the WeddingWire Network.

I give a HUGE thank you to all of my past clients who not only took the time to go online and post a review about us but posted some of the most amazing comments I have ever seen. When I am having an off day I log on and read what was written about the work of myself and my team. It's an instant pick-me-up!

Want to see our past reviews? CLICK HERE

Check us out on NYWB!

2012-01-10T10:06:00.002-05:00

The New York Wedding Boutique loved our posts on 2012 wedding trends so much that they decided to post the info on their bridal blog. Love it! Check it out!

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR GUEST ENTRY ON THE NYWB BLOG

Now Hiring: Wedding Planning Intern

2012-01-02T12:31:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! As we head into a new wedding year we are again looking for interns for the upcoming wedding seasons. This is an unpaid position that requires attendance at all weekend weddings and also includes 10-15 hours of work during the week that can be done from home and from our Delmar office. The ideal candidate is someone who has interest in the field of wedding and event planning and comes to us with a unique drive to learn as well as prior experience in planning small and large scale events. For those who are interested in applying please email me at shannon@weddingplanningplus.net and I will give you further details.

Happy New Year and Happy Planning!

~ Shannon

Wendy and Tony's Wedding Video

2011-12-27T14:03:00.004-05:00

Back to back posts of spectacular wedding videos! This one is of Wendy and Tony Rudis' big day which was a truly magical event at The Inn at Erlowest. I couldn't have picked better weather for these two and I honestly couldn't have picked a better couple to work for. Kudos to Josh Rask of Clark+Walker Studio for shooting this footage. I had goosebumps watching it all the way through. So grab a tissue and enjoy the happy tears as they flow.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH WENDY AND TONY'S WEDDING VIDEO TRAILER

Kristina and Jason's Wedding Video

2011-12-22T13:12:00.001-05:00

Kristina and Jason Truet were married on September 24, 2011 at The Inn at Erlowest. Dave Bigler of Bigler Productions shot their wedding video and here is the trailer documenting the highlights of their big day. Dave and his team do amazing work and this wedding was no exception. Thanks for taking such good care of my bride and groom, Dave!

CLICK HERE TO SEE KRISTINA AND JASON'S WEDDING VIDEO

The photo above is by Tom Wall. Check back soon for a full wedding recap with more images from Kristina and Jason's wedding day.

More Wedding Trends for 2012!

2011-12-15T14:36:00.000-05:00

Like I mentioned in the first post of this series, weddings will continue to show a ton of personalization and specialization in 2012 as couples try to wow their guests with style and details that has not been seen before. Here is another trend that can make your wedding stand out and show that you laugh in the face of tradition.

Last year: Floral corsages

Photo by Tracey Buyce

This year: Jeweled brooches

Has anyone really paid attention to the corsage the mother of the bride is wearing? Well that's because every mother of the bride wears the same ivory floral piece attached to the strap of her dress that gets crushed when she hugs people and slops around when she dances. Who needs it?! Instead of the traditional floral corsage why not choose a beautiful jeweled brooch that all of your important VIPs can wear. They can be of any size and shape and can be selected in a color to match the colors of the wedding. You can even get smaller versions to be pinned down the stem of your bridesmaids bouquets so they can match as well. This is a fun a beautiful way to show that your parents, grandparents, readers and VIPs are important and is something they can have for a keepsake forever. Please if I am in your wedding trust me I'd rather have one of these!

More Wedding Trends for 2012!

2011-12-13T21:56:00.001-05:00

We discussed the trends for wedding dresses but let's not forget to talk about the trends in 2012 for guy's wedding apparel. The Royal Wedding didn't miss this area, as we are seeing a return to the classic formal look for guys this coming year. Keep your eye out for black formal tuxedos, bow ties, and the standard shiny shoe. I love this look because classic is my personal favorite way to go and because couples will look back at their wedding photos and never feel that they are so out of style because they decided on something trendy at the time. Way to keep it classy and classic!

Photo by Gallery 9 North

More Wedding Trends for 2012!

2011-12-12T09:25:00.000-05:00

What is event in 2011 has had the most influence on 2012's wedding scene? The Royal Wedding. William and Kate made their mark on weddings with their lush and grand event and brides are snatching up their ideas and their style all over this coming wedding year. One area that has seen a major influence from the Royal Wedding is the wedding dress industry. Look for lace, sleeves, and full skirts in the year to come (as seen below in the Reem Acra and Monique Lhullier dresses). Classic royal beauty never goes out of style.

Wedding Trends for 2012!

2011-12-10T21:05:00.000-05:00

With every passing year things change in the weddings and what was in last year may not be what's in for this coming year. In a series of posts I want to share with you some of the top weddings trends for 2012 that I am most excited about.

Last year: Candy bars

This year: Bangle bars

For 2012 the secret to successful weddings will continue to be the personalization and specialization of the event from start to finish. What we will see more of this coming year is catering to the genders by offering guys a man lounge and the women a chic area to congregate and have fun. What female guest wouldn't love to sip a martini while sifting through bangle bracelets and funky rings to match her cocktail dress? And she can take those items home with her and remember your amazing wedding every time she puts them on. Letting guests dive in to a Bangle Bar is a fun way to make your wedding stand out from the others and also give your guests a fun useful gift instead of some boring wedding favor. Bling it on!

Wendy and Tony are on the NYWB blog!

2011-12-09T13:39:00.002-05:00

If you have been reading my posts for long enough you will know that I describe a lot of my couples as "my favorites" but I can't help repeating it when it's true! Here is another uber fab pair who were married at The Inn at Erlowest this past Columbus Day weekend. Check out their real wedding post on the New York Wedding Boutique blog!

Click Here

Desmond Bridal Show DISCOUNT

2011-11-17T13:24:00.004-05:00

Hey now brides! Interested in receiving a discount off my services?

Schedule a consultation with me at The Desmond Bridal Show for a date before December 15th, mention the offer code DESMOND, and you will receive 10% off any future services you book with me. The consultation is free and there is no obligation to book, just a great opportunity to save a little money. The discount is for new clients only and can be applied to any package of full or partial wedding planning, day-of wedding coordination, or to our Platinum Planning Package which is full wedding planning, ceremony rehearsal coordination, and day-of wedding coordination. Discount is also good towards wedding invitations, save the dates, and for any of our stationery and personalized wedding accessories!

Don't miss the chance to come meet lots of great vendors, hear my presentation on all the hot trends to make your wedding stand out, and if you schedule a consultation with me and mention offer code DESMOND I will give you 10% off any future services you book with me!

Desmond Bridal Show
Sunday November 20, 2011
12:00-4:00
Admission: $10 for bride, $5 for guests

Tips and Tricks to Make Your Wedding Stand Out
Seminar by Shannon Whitney
2:45 - 3:15

For more information about this bridal show please go to the event website - www.eventswithstylealbany.com

Bachey Wedding - August 6, 2011

2011-11-16T17:22:00.031-05:00

Kate and Jeff Bachey were married in Vermont on August 6, 2011. The couple lives outside Boston and met while in college. They decided to have a wedding in Kate's home turf of Southern Vermont starting with their ceremony at Kate's family home in Middletown Springs and their reception at the Battenkill Inn in Manchester, VT.

This wedding included everything there is to love about Vermont in the summer - clean country air, fields of wildflowers, an old rustic barn, and good genuine family love. They stayed true to a color palette of dark blue, creams, and pops of a celery green that so beautifully tied everything together from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception. I should also mention that the reception site had two separate spaces - an old barn and a tent that was set up along side of it. When guests arrived they were greeted with signature cocktails in the barn and then brought down to the tent in time for dinner. When dinner was over they were invited back to the barn to dance the night away. It was the perfect solution to maximize the spaces to fit their guest count while utilizing all of the beautiful space the Battenkill Inn property afforded.

I hope you are prepared for this overloaded blog post because Kate put some many amazing details into her wedding that I couldn't control myself in what I prepare to explain to you all. Plus the extraordinary photography talent of the lovely Erica Ferrone and I couldn't control myself on which pictures to choose! This blog has twice as many photos as a normally post and believe me there were twice as many that I held back on adding. If you can't tell already this was one of my favorite weddings of this year and I am way beyond excited to share it with you!

Now about the decor and fine details for this event... Ladies get your note pads out because this is a killer list of personalized items... For the ceremony instead of having the traditional seating setup Kate and Jeff decided to have their wedding in the round. What I mean by this is that they stood with their officiant in the middle and the guest chairs were aligned in half circles around them. Space was left for the bridal party - all decked out in blue cocktail dresses for girls and gray suits for the guys - to be the backdrop on the far side of the aisle. The bridesmaids each carried a bouquet of a single variety of white flowers with a celery colored ribbon around them. Add the fact that this all took place in the gorgeous front lawn of her childhood home made for a scene that was pure magic.

Now for reception details this is where things really got crazy. I already mentioned that guests entered the barn to begin cocktails but drinks weren't the only thing they found in there. Kate and Jeff's theme for their reception was "Lucky in Love" and instead of traditional place cards they had real metal horse shoes for each guest with their names and table assignment attached to them. These horse shoes were hung on nails all along the inside wall of the barn making a super gorgeous piece of art as guests looked through to find their names. Below the horse shoe wall was a table that carried on the luck theme with scratch off lottery tickets and a bowl of lucky pennies for guests to try their luck at winning big. Also in the barn were arrow signs tacked all the way around with the hometown of every guest who was at the wedding. These signs also listed the driving distance from the site of the reception to where each guest came from. It was super fun to watch people try to outmatch each other for the title of farthest traveler. Now I'm not even done with the details in this barn space. On the far side was a bar that served a slew of signature cocktails - all having special meaning to the bride and groom. There were also country lemonade and ice tea stations and stir sticks all fancied up with the wedding colored blue and green ribbons on them. The catering team of Thyme Table Caterers did an absolutely amazing job with the service and in tying in with the theme and style of the event. There were also a million twinkling lights around the barn beams and covered hay bails for guests around for guests to take a seat. It looked awesome in there!

The barn was only half of the space at the reception because there was also a white wedding tent set up with all of the tables and chairs for guests to dine at. Kate and Jeff chose classic white tablecloths with dark blue damask fabric pieces that were set in the center of the table. On top of those were a collection of white flower arrangements, green apples, and lots of candles. There were three different table types - rounds, rectangles, and a large Tuscan head table for the bridal party. Each table was cohesive in their color schemes but had different flower arrangements by table type. There were also big live trees at each of the tent poles to carry the natural green feel throughout the space. The reception tent was airy, cozy, and just lovely.

And I am almost done talking about the details but there are a few other items I can't forget to share! There were a few surprises that I helped orchestrate during the evening that added a ton of fun to the event. First was the reveal of a super fun groom's cake. Jeff loved it! The next surprise was one that Kate's mother and father had planned. After dinner was over I brought out an A Capella singing group from Nantucket that they had all seen while on vacation out on the Cape. This was a challenge to pull off without anyone knowing but it came together flawlessly and was a big hit. And the last surprise, which is actually my favorite of the whole event, was bringing out a Ben and Jerrys ice cream cart for sweet treats after dinner. I may have made a stop or two at the cart before the night was over. How could I resist??

So that covers most of all of the details Kate so flawlessly and fabulously planned out. As you can see from the photos the result was nothing short of perfect!

With so many items to set up and to oversee Kate brought me on to be their day-of wedding coordinator. Kate was super smart in bringing on a planner because with a 30+ minute drive between ceremony and reception and a LOAD of amazing details to set up at the reception site there would be way to much for her to handle that day. Plus who wants to task their family or friends to take care of all of that? Any bride who gets a coordinator will tell you it was the best decision they made, and after the wedding Kate told me the same thing!

Thanks go out to the rest of the vendor team who worked along side of me that day - Dave Cannon from Elite Sounds DJ, Winsome Moran who did the beautiful flowers, Jackie LaBatt who made the wedding cake, Jane Wood who provided the ceremony music, Shear Heaven Salon and VT Backroad Tours who provided transportation for the bridal party. Of course an extra special shout out goes to Erica Ferrone for these amazing photos, and Thyme Tables Catering for an amazing meal and one of the fastest dinner services I have ever seen. Kudos to all of you!

This wedding was a very special one for me and I thank you Kate and Jeff so much for allowing me to be a part of their big day!

Ok enough talk, enjoy the pics!!

Come Listen to My Seminar at The Desmond Bridal Show

2011-11-09T11:11:00.002-05:00

I will be representing WPP and the NYWB at the Desmond Bridal Show on Sunday November 20th. Come hear me present a seminar at 2:45 on the latest in Hot Wedding Trends! You won't want to miss this chance to see what's out there in the local wedding market, watch a fabulous bridal runway show, and mix and mingle with the area's top vendors. Make sure to stop by after my seminar to say hello!

This event will be unlike any other bridal event in the area!

Seminars
Pampering Areas
Photo Gallery
Inspiration and Idea Stations
Bridal Fashion Show hosted by Angel'a Bridal with gowns for all sizes
Over 75 local professionals and so much more!
$10/bride, $5/guest - paid at door, cash please

For brides to get free admission you can bring (3) of the items below to be donated to the mohawk/hudson river humane society.

( this applies to bridal admission only)

Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society Wish List
Canned/Wet Cat and or Dog Food
Paper Towels
Kitten Milk Replacement
Cat Litter
Postage Stamps
Copy Paper
Peanut Butter
Flea and Tick Preventative
WeeWee Pads
Dog Toys
Raw Hides
Swiffer Sheets
Toilet Paper
Hand Sanitizer
Towels
Large Spray Bottles
Liquid Hand Soap

Runway Fashion Show Hosted by Angela's Bridal
This is the highlight of the event! This fashion show will feature gowns for all body types and sizes! 3 fashion shows will take place during the event so you will be sure to catch one!

The fashion show will run 3 times during the event at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30

12:45-1:10 The top 5 things to do once you get engaged!
1:45 -2:10 Easy to Miss- the things you might not think about
2:45-3:10 Tips and Trends to make your wedding stand out

Seminars
The New York Wedding Boutique will host seminars tackling current wedding trends, hot wedding topics and the final seminar which will be a question and answer session with professionals in all categories from bridal, dj, band, photography, videography,wedding planning, decor and more! The gloves are off for this seminar so come with your burning questions and ask away!

Inspiration Stations
There will be stations set up at this event to offer Inspirational Wedding Ideas, Tips, Trends and more!

Photo Gallery
All of the participating photographers will have the opportunity to showcase their work in a photo gallery for you to view. This will give you the opportunity to choose a style that fits your wedding, check out some awesome photos from the top area wedding photographers

Bridal Pampering
What would a bridal event be without some pampering! Make-up Application, Massages, have your nails painted and more!

Bridal Gifts!
Lets not forget one of the best parts! A manicure gift certificate to Bellezza Salon will be handed to all of the brides attending this show! A $20 value!

Over 75 local wedding professionals
This event will be huge! Here is a list of attending wedding professionals:

A and Company Salon
Acra Manor Resort
Albany Home Cleaning
American Laser Skincare
Angelas Bridal
Bridal Rose Boutique
Bumble Beads
The Century House
Chef World
Clifton Park Rental
CNY Healing Arts
Corinna Beau Invitations
The Desmond
Diet Center Latham
Dream Day Travel
Experience and Creative Design
The Floral Garden
Foley Photography
Fotomagic Photo Magnets
A Gracious Event
Grand Central Station Band
The Ice Man
Images by Candidly Beth
Kiera Lemonis Photography
Liberty Travel
Lily Saratoga
Lisa Jubert Photography
Louis Torres Wedding Photography
The Magnet Man
Make Me Fabulous
The Make Up Artists- Erin Marzilli
Mary Kay Cosmetics
The Old Daley Inn on Crooked Lake
The Pampered Chef
Pat's Barn
Photographics Solutions
Planet Beach Clifton Park
Pure Romance
Richard Connors - Wedding Insurance
Royal Limousine
Saratoga Photobooth Company
Silerleaf Resorts
Sound Advice
Stella and Dot
Stilletto Salon
Tablecloths for Granted
Three Sisters Catering
Tuxego
Upstate Harpist
Windham Mountain
Zacharys Pastry Shoppe

The Desmond Experience
We will have one ballroom at this event that will give you an idea of what it would be like to have your wedding at The Desmond! This ballroom will feature professionals that you would find at your reception, with some tables that offer decor options, floral arrangements and more!

Win $1000!
There will be a raffle benefiting the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society for a chance to win (2) $500 vendor dollar certificates. These certificates will be good toward the services of professionals at this event.
Raffle tickets will be sold at the event for $

This is a bridal event not to be missed!

Check me out on Preston Bailey's blog!

2011-11-07T16:09:00.001-05:00

I have a cameo role in the uber famous and wildly talented Preston Bailey's wedding business blog.

Check me out!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T12:32:00.001-04:00

WPP mascot Reilly got all dressed up to share a little Halloween spirit with everyone. Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!!

Jennifer and Eric's Wedding is in VOW Magazine!

2011-10-26T11:29:00.003-04:00

Jennifer and Eric were married July 23. 2011. Their wedding was photographed by the lovely husband and wife team at Jessica Painter Photography and is now published in the new issue of VOW Magazine. You can read the whole article online and see several pics of their big day by clicking here or just scroll through below and check it out for yourself. Jennifer mentions me a few times - how sweet!

For a couple that grew up in the Capital Region, attended the same college and now have teaching jobs in the same field, Jennifer and Eric Lewicki are the newlyweds who almost weren't.

After growing up and graduating from high school in Burnt Hills, Eric headed off to SUNY Oswego to study technology education. Two years later, Jennifer graduated from South Colonie High School and also moved onto the SUNY Oswego campus for the same studies. The first time they met was in a design class required for their shared major.

"She was one of about four girls in the class, so I noticed her," Eric says. "We had group projects together, and since we were from the same hometown area, we had things to talk about. But we were at two different stages. I'd already done two years of college and I was focused on getting my degree."

"And I loved frat parties," Jennifer says.

Although friendly, Eric and Jennifer's path separated when he graduated and she did her last two years of college. In 2006, however, Jennifer was in Rochester doing a teacher's training, and on a whim, texted Eric to see how he was doing.

Another few months passed as they both busily started teaching and coaching; Eric coaches football, Jennifer coaches cheerleading. Still casual and not officially dating, they talked on the phone occasionally and finally met for lunch, where they realized they had a connection and began dating more seriously.

"We tested the water so many times it was ridiculous," Jennifer says. "But I think it was fate that we eventually got together. We just had graduation and careers on our minds in our 20s."

The two bought a house, and although they talked of marriage, Eric made his own plan for a surprise proposal, and once again, the timing was off.

"We'd put lights up on our house for Christmas, then walked to a friend's house for dinner," Eric says. "I had the ring in my pocket that I picked out with zero input from her, and I planned on asking her right outside our house, admiring our lights so everything was perfect."

But Jennifer, who's very petite, was freezing and made a beeline for the front door when they returned, cutting right across the lawn. Eric had to scrap his plan and improvise. "I fumbled with the house keys at the front door, and had enough time to take the ring out," Eric says.

"There was a huge element of surprise," Jennifer admits.

After the delays in their courtship, the couple set a wedding date just eight months after they became engaged. Since they both teach, a summer wedding was a necessity. They chose a reception hall first, the church second, and everything else pretty much fell into place.

"I'm organized, but with the time constraint, I got a wedding planner," Jennifer says. "She was only hired to coordinate the actual wedding. I'm an only child; I haven't been to many weddings so I knew we'd need help towards the end."

In the meantime, Jennifer and Eric chose a black and white theme, dressing their six groomsmen in black tuxedos and bridal party in black gowns for their afternoon ceremony. Jennifer's dress was a mermaid-style gown, unadorned with beading or lace. "We wanted clean, simple and elegant," Jennifer says.

One of the only trouble spots in their planning was something most couples enjoy: sampling and choosing a wedding cake. "I don't like cake," Eric says. "I just don't have a sweet tooth."

"And I love to bake," Jennifer says. They settled on a half-banana/vanilla cake, with the other half all chocolate.

The wedding planner came in handy during the last days, coordinating all the vendors and keeping everyone on time. The planner also quickly remedied a major catastrophe:

"I got red wine spilled on the front of my wedding dress right where everyone could see it," Jennifer says. "She was right there with club soda and baby powder, I think it was, to get the stain off before anyone noticed it. It wasn't even my wine; I don't even know where it came from."

Jennifer and Eric headed off to Bar Harbor, Maine, where they kept busy enjoying their first days of married life. "We whale watched, biked through Acadia National Park, went on a light house tour," Eric says.

"And we ate lobster every single day," adds Jennifer.

Who, What, When:

BRIDE: Jennifer Lewicki, 30, technology education teacher, South Colonie Central Schools.

GROOM: Eric Lewicki, 32, technology education teacher, Shenendehowa Schools.

THE WEDDING DAY: July 23, 2011 at Our Lady of the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church.

THE HONEYMOON: Six days in Bar Harbor, Maine.

ONE DETAIL: Jennifer adhered to the "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," tradition. Her shoes were new, her mother lent her a lucky wishbone tied with a blue ribbon that she wore in her own wedding, and Eric's family loaned her their grandmother's ring, which she safety-pinned into the folds of her wedding dress.

The Particulars

CEREMONY: Our Lady of the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church, 448 Aviation Road, Queensbury, 518-793-9677, olaqueensbury.parishesonline.com

RECEPTION: Hiland Park Country Club, 195 Haviland Road, Queensbury, 518-761-4653, hilandparkcc.com

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jessica Painter Photography, 36 Third Avenue, Canajoharie, 518-542-3346, jessicapainter.com

WEDDING PLANNER: Shannon Whitney, Wedding Planning Plus, 518-269-1243, weddingplanningplus.net

WEDDING ATTIRE: Angela's Bridal, 1811 Western Avenue, Albany, 518-869-1848, angelasbridal.net

Waldorf Tuxedo, 204 Lancaster Street, Albany, 518-396-5456, waldorftuxedo.com

HAIR & MAKE-UP: Make Me Fabulous, 102 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa, 518-885-2929, makemefabulous.com

JEWELER: Mayfair Jeweler, 7 Glenridge Road, Glenville, 518-399-3701, mayfairjewelers.com

Northeastern Fine Jewelry, 1607 Union Street, Schenectady, 518-372-3604, nefj.com

FLOWERS: Price Chopper, 677 Upper Glen Street, Queensbury, 518-792-7456, pricechopper.com

MUSIC: Russ Gentner from Piano Man DJ Productions, 683 New Loudon Road, Latham, 518-489-4000, pianomandj.com

CAKE: Dolce and Biscotti, 1758 Route 9, Clifton Park, 518-371-0216, dolceandbiscotti.com

INVITATIONS: The American Wedding, theamericanwedding.com

TRANSPORTATION: Advantage Transportation Group, 677 Upper Glen Street, Queensbury, 518-792-7456, albanycarservice.com

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: Wingate Hotel by Wyndham, 4054 State Route 9l, Lake George, 518-668-4884, wingatehotels.com

REHEARSAL DINNER: The Black Watch Steakhouse, 21 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, 518-792-5225, blackwatchsteakhouse.com

Ceremony Tip

2011-10-25T10:56:00.000-04:00

Photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman

I see a lot of wedding ceremonies. And there is one thing during a ceremony that tends to happen and shouldn't so I wanted to share my thoughts on it. The thing I'm talking about occurs how the bride and the groom say their vows. Now you all know the vow portion of a ceremony - it usually goes something like "Bride, repeat after me, I ~Bride~ take you ~Groom~ to be my husband..." You know, the part where the officiant feeds the bride lines that she repeats, then does the same for the groom. This is the serious part, the part where everything counts and the actual marriage is really happening, so this can be a fairly stressful and emotional to both the bride and the groom. Now the tendency for some is to look at the officiant who is feeding them the lines and repeat them right back to them. Fight this urge! You are not marrying your officiant, you are marrying your fiance, so look your fiance in the eye when you say your vows. You will be wrapped up in the moment at that point so practice the eye contact part during your rehearsal. Trust me if you practice it then you will do it naturally on wedding day and by doing so you will make your wedding planner very happy. :)

Lewicki Wedding - July 23, 2011

2011-10-24T12:17:00.011-04:00

Jennifer and Eric were married July 23, 2011 in Queensbury, NY. Their ceremony was at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church and their reception was at Hiland Park Country Club. Jennifer brought me on a few months before and I had the pleasure of coordinating their special day.

Jennifer and Eric met in college and are both technology teachers at separate schools in the area. Their wedding was simple and modern with black bridesmaids dresses, pops of pink, and a crazy cool wedding cake. Her bridesmaids, all friends of hers for years and years, donned some of the coolest funky shoes I've seen. Not to be upstaged, Jennifer rocked a pair of soft blush colored Badgley Mischka heels. There was a lot of shoe loving going on that day.

Joining me at this event were some super fun vendors. Special thanks and kudos goes out to Jessica Painter and her husband Ed for taking these lovely pictures of Jennifer and Eric's big day. You were a joy to work with and I thank you for sharing these images with me! Also on this event was Russ Gentner from Piano Man DJs, the florists from the Queensbury Price Chopper, Dolce and Biscotti bakery, and Advantage Transportation Group who provided the couple with that fabulous old Rolls Royce to be chauffeured in.

This was a great wedding and I had a ball working it. Thank you Jennifer and Eric for letting me be a part of your special day!

What Not to Skip - Engagement Photos

2011-10-19T11:53:00.002-04:00

A definite trend going is engagement photos, or e-shoots. This is where you and your fiance meet with your photographer before your wedding and get fun sweet photos of the two of you in any location of your choosing. Some photographers offer this as a part of their packages and some offer it as an add-on but however they offer it I say take it and do it!

The benefits of doing an engagement shoot are many:

First you know you are going to get amazing photos on your wedding day that will be keepsakes forever, but wouldn't it be nice to have professional photos of yourselves where you're wearing something other than a black tux and a white dress? During an engagement shoot you can do multiple wardrobe changes, stand in the middle of Time Square or a serene field of wildflowers, and if you wanted to do something crazy like lay down or jump into water you can do that, too. Options are basically unlimited and you can have a ton of fun getting creative with locations, attire, props - whatever you and your photographer can dream up.
Secondly you know those cute save the dates that have the bride and groom's face on them? Or the signature frame that couples use at their receptions in lieu of a traditional guest book? If you want one of these don't use some fuzzy dark point and shoot image on there. You want a clear bright professional photograph of the two of you that is gorgeous and stunning and shows you both in your best light. Getting an engagement shoot done early enough will allow you the chance to use some of those images for your save the dates and/or your photo signature "guest book" frame.
And lastly, wouldn't it be nice to get a test run with your wedding photographer before your big day? Let's face it, this person is literally going to be in your face for a lot of your wedding day and you want to make sure you are super comfortable with their personality and their style. Having an engagement shoot with them is the perfect way to get to know your photographer while they're behind the lens - a super valuable experience to make everything on your wedding day go that much smoother.

So why not do an engagement shoot? Even if it costs a little extra to add it on to your package I am telling you it is a totally worthwhile thing to do. Talk to your photographer about getting it done and have a super fun time with it. You will not regret it!!

Photos above are some of the lovely past WPP clients:
Photo 1 - Danielle and Nick - Tracey Buyce Photography
Photo 2 - Lauren and Joel - Out of the Ordinary Photography
Photo 3 - Brittany and Schyler - Niki Rossi Photography
Photo 4 - Karen and Jim - Dan Cooper Photography
Photo 5 - Wendy and Tony - Clark + Walker Studios

Stoffel Wedding - August 20, 2011

2011-10-17T13:35:00.020-04:00

Ali and Brian were married at Crystal Cove in Averill Park on August 20, 2011. They are a super fun and independent couple who was looking for something very different than your traditional American wedding. Instead of a having a stuffy dinner party they opted instead to host a fun summer gathering for their family and friends. Guests arrived early and enjoyed lawn games like volleyball and bean bag toss, and they also had the water and the beach there to swim, kayak, and just sun bathe and relax. After a few hours of play guests changed into casual attire and the ceremony began. The couple tossed aside the notion of matching bridesmaids and groomsmen and instead had their siblings stand beside them all in summer garb as they exchanged their vows. One of the coolest aspects of the ceremony was the toast the bride and groom shared with their guests right after taking their vows. Ali and Brian celebrate a tradition of sharing a toast from a special cup at home and they brought the cup and the concept with them to share in a celebratory toast with their family and friends on their wedding day. I thought this was a very special and very heartfelt thing to do.

For their reception they kept with the casual personal theme by naming their guest tables after meaningful places and moments in their life. They also had bright and colorful cupcakes displayed in lieu of a wedding cake and had whacky glasses and fake mustaches on hand for silly photos throughout the night. So fun!

I had the pleasure of working with Ali's mom Linda on some of the planning of Ali and Brian's big day. This was a tag team job between myself and my favorite assistant planner Katie since I helped on aspects of the planning and Katie took the role of coordinator on their wedding day. I wish I was able to be there that day but luckily I had the help of photographer Jeff Foley who captured all of these beautiful photos of their event. They specifically asked for a low key photographer who would stay under the radar and Jeff did that and so much more. Thanks Jeff for doing such a great job with these guys!

I can't end this post without a special thank you to Ali and Brian and to Ali's parents who were all such a pleasure to work with. From the first moment I met all of them I totally understood their unique vision for their day and had a blast working with them to put some of the small details together. Thank you for choosing Katie and I as your wedding planners! We wish you a lifetime of happiness and love! <3

2012 dates are going fast!

2011-10-12T11:31:00.004-04:00

2012 is looking hot hot hot!

If you are a 2012 bride and you are considering using WPP as your planner or coordinator I want to encourage you to reach out to us soon. We have seen a huge influx of inquiries for next year and we are booking up 2012 dates at a rapid pace. Good for us, but could be bad for you if you wait too long! Email or call to see if your wedding date is still open.

Happy planning,

Shannon

Rudis Wedding Sneak Peek!

2011-10-11T12:08:00.003-04:00

Sunday was wedding day for two amazing people and one of my favorite couples ever - Wendy and Tony. Their ceremony and reception were at The Inn at Erlowest and their photographer, Alisha Clark of Clark+Walker Studio, captured this image of them down by the water just as the sun was setting and the moon was rising high.

I can't WAIT to see the rest of their pics and to share them all with you. Stay tuned for a full wedding recap to be posted soon!

Romeo Wedding Sneak Peek!

2011-10-10T12:27:00.000-04:00

Tori and John were married in Schroon Lake on Saturday and I had the distinct pleasure of being their wedding coordinator. This couple was extra special to me because I had met them two years ago when I was the wedding planner for Tori's sister at her wedding in Saratoga. Of course I was honored and thrilled to be able to work with the Meyer family on another wedding and to be a part of Tori and John's special day.

Here are two sneak peek images from their wedding that I am so excited to share! Their photographer Jason Bryer of Jason Bryer Photography did an amazing job working with them. I love the long exposure tent shot. You'd never know that pic was taken in the complete darkness of night. Enjoy these two images and check back to see the full wedding recap soon!

Been a wee bit busy...

2011-10-07T11:59:00.001-04:00

I am so sorry readers, I have left you for weeks with no new posts and that is not a very nice thing for me to do. As with any bursts in weddings my time has been taken up with itineraries, final consults, vendor confirmations and of course all of the fun and magic of wedding days. But that's not all - I've also had the joy of moving two weeks ago which has completely turned my world upside down. But I am settling in, weddings are winding down, and I am back to start blogging again. So keep an eye on a lot of posts to come your way including a ton of wedding recaps from all of my events this summer and fall!

Happy planning,

Shannon

Truet Wedding Sneak Peek!

2011-10-01T12:49:00.000-04:00

Kristina and Jason were married in Lake George on September 24th. Their ceremony was at Rogers Memorial Park and their reception was at the beautiful castle at The Inn at Erlowest. I worked with these guys on the planning and coordination of their wedding day and they were such a joy to work with! Their photographer Tom Wall took this super cute pic of me and the bride and groom. Stay tuned for more photos of their wedding when I post their full wedding recap!

A little note from last Saturday's bride...

2011-09-21T14:30:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was the wedding weekend extravaganza for Andrea and Justin deep in the Catskill Mountains. I received an email from the bride last night that just gave me goosebumps. Enjoy.

"I'm super lucky to know you and to have had you on board was wonderful. As soon as I saw your face on Friday, the worries exited stage left. For real. Justin had been skeptical in the beginning when I said the words "wedding planner" mainly because Full Moon takes care of so much. I reiterated to him that what Michael at Full Moon had told us verbatim was "we do everything except hold your hand." I told him that I needed my hand held. I'm not a super girly-girl and never spent much time thinking about what I wanted my dream wedding to look like until I suddenly had to. And then, it was hard to make that stuff happen. I needed reassurance. I needed to occasionally ask, "This thing is happening like this, is that normal?" and be told, "Yeah, that's completely normal, don't even worry about it."

By Friday, after he had seen months of what you had done for us, any hesitation was not even a distant memory, it had been totally forgotten. He was converted. To know that all distracting issues that arose were being kept away from me so that I could enjoy my day, and that neither of us had to do any lifting or worry about any logistics, relieved him greatly.

I truly hope you had a good time. You were a perfect fit for us, as was Full Moon and all of our amazing vendors.

We laid in bed on Saturday night after our afterparty, delirious with joy. This was the final exchange before we went to sleep.

Justin: I think that was seriously the best wedding I've ever been to.

Me (whispering): And it was OURS!

Thanks for all you've done. Words don't even begin.

-A.

October and November Brides - Your Bridal Survival Package Has Arrived!

2011-09-20T10:27:00.002-04:00

Wedding Planning is tough work!

You deserve a

~ Bridal Survival Package ~

Our special discounted coordination package for wedding within the next two months

We will give you the same star treatment we offer in our regular service package but you’ll get it at a

20% discount

since your wedding is less than two months away

Your wedding is in a few weeks and there is still a lot to do. We know how hectic this time is for you and we think you’ve done the hard work long enough.

Let us take things from here so you can enjoy every minute of your big day.

Dates are limited. Call for availability and pricing.

You should attend your wedding, not tend to it.

Let us help you plan the wedding of your dreams.

Offer ends October 30, 2011

If your wedding falls between October and November 2011
this service package could be yours at

20% off!

Day-of Wedding Coordination

~ Acting as your personal wedding planner one month out from your big day to answer any questions and give any suggestions you need

~ Working with you to create your wedding day itinerary and guiding you through all of the final etiquette and logistics decisions

~ Contacting and finalizing wedding day details with all of your vendors to ensure all professionals are in line for the big day

~ Creating wedding day timelines for vendors and for members of the family and bridal party

~ Overseeing and coordinating the decorating, including place card, gift and cake tables, flower arrangements, and guest favors

~ Greeting vendors as they arrive on site and acting as their single point of contact

~ Attending to bridal party needs and ensuring that everyone is in place for the start of the ceremony

~ Coordinating the processional, recessional and receiving line following the ceremony

~ Assisting in the arrangement of family members for an efficient photography session

~ Coordinating the order of events with the DJ, photographer, and catering staff to ensure a smooth flow to the reception

~ Acting as a personal assistant to the bride and groom throughout the reception to address any of your personal requests,

~ Assisting in the breakdown of the reception site at the conclusion of the event, including the collection and transportation of personal items to be returned to the bride and groom

~ Being available to the bride and groom for any questions or concerns that they have from the moment they start working with us through to their wedding day

Our Day-of Wedding Coordination package is normally $1500.

Mention this e-mail and receive this service at $1200.

That is a savings of $300!!

Goldman Wedding Sneak Peek!

2011-09-18T22:31:00.003-04:00

This may be truly the quickest sneak peak image we've ever put up! Andrea and Justin's wedding was last night at The Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY and no sooner did I get home and get my bags unpacked that I got this amazing little image from their photographers from their big day. Of course it's extra special since it is an image of me and the lovely bride and groom, who I not only enjoyed every single minute of working with, but I LOVED every single interaction we had along the way. This wedding almost didn't happen due to the long lasting effects of Hurricane Irene but there couldn't have been a better and more deserving celebration for a husband and wife than what developed last night on this Catskill mountain side. Thank you so much to J Castro Photography for sending me a copy of this beautiful picture. I can't wait to show you all the rest of the photos of their big day - stay tuned!!

Landi Wedding - July 2, 2011

2011-08-28T20:01:00.021-04:00

Danielle and Dan Landi were married in Averill Park on this year's fourth of July weekend. Danielle found me when she asked her venue manager who she recommended for a wedding coordinator in the Albany area. Luckily she was told to reach out to me! Danielle grew up locally but lives in the Hudson Valley with her now husband Dan. She is an absolute ball of positive energy and her smile and exuberance just wakes up every happy cell in your body. From the first time I met her and her mom I was hooked on this girl!! Their ceremony was at St Henry's Church in Averill Park and their reception was at Pat's Barn in Troy. Danielle chose the very "in" color of coral for her bridesmaids, with accents of green, ivory, and a neutral beige for her reception. And let me tell you about the reception! Brides are often looking for a barn to use as their wedding location and this RPI Tech Park venue offers a wonderfully rustic clean slate to build your dream barn wedding around. Danielle does not lack on style, and brought in twinkling lights, uplighting on main wood beams, lots of votive candles, and a custom made cupcake tower to please not only everyone's visual interest but also allow the bride - who needs her foods to be gluten free - to enjoy a traditional cake cutting and feeding with her husband. This wedding also involved lots and lots of sparklers which were the favor for the guests and also available on tables out on the brick patio for guests to enjoy once it got dark. This was a dream wedding for an adorably dreamy couple and I was honestly so honored to have been able to play a small part in it.

As always I was joined with some amazing vendors on this one! Thanks go especially out to Rita Ann Maloney for taking and supplying me with this beautiful photos. You captured Danielle and Dan's loving spirit perfectly! Also thanks to venue manager April Rounds, caterer Arlington House, DJ Ernie and Fly 92 co-DJ Brian Cody, Surroundings Florals, Cakes Next Door, Total Events, and my girl Amy Elizabeth Smith who made everyone super pretty with her makeup styling.

Thank you Danielle and Dan for including me in your big day! Your true honest love for one another is something I will remember forever and ever!! <3

WPP bride Kate is back for another post on the NYWB blog!

2011-08-26T10:01:00.002-04:00

Kate Loveday is one of my fabulous 2012 brides and she has been doing some guest blogging on the New York Wedding Boutique site. Check out her experience of planning a wedding in an area she is not very familiar with - a situation I am sure my out of state or out of town blog stalkers know a lot about! Kate also says some of the nicest things about her experience working with me. Awww, she's the best!!

Click here to read her post on the NYWB blog.

I Do Dash is September 8th!

2011-08-22T18:40:00.005-04:00

The New York Wedding Boutique is proud to announce the first ever I Do Dash - a 5K race where brides, grooms, and their family and friends can have fun running/walking together and possibly go home with some great wedding prizes! There is also a post race party with food, music, and a chance to meet some of the New York Wedding Boutique members.

As a New York Wedding Boutique member I have donated a free one hour consultation where you can sit with me and pick my brain on all things wedding. This is a great opportunity for brides and grooms to talk with a professional wedding planner and take home all kinds of advice and suggestions to make their big day even more special. All prizes from the I Do Dash are transferable so come out and support your favorite engaged couple and try to win them something fun for their big day!

Date: Thursday September 8, 2011
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: The Crossings in Colonie
Cost: $20

Register online at www.areep.com or by clicking HERE.

Or for more information visit the New York Wedding Boutique blog for race details and an updated list of prizes!

See you on the starting line!

Lewicki Wedding - Sneak Peek!

2011-08-18T16:43:00.000-04:00

Jennifer and Eric Lewicki were married in Queensbury on July 23, 2011. Their photographer Jessica Painter sent me this sneak peek image to hold me over while she works on editing the rest. Thanks Jessica! Here's a great pic of the beautiful bride, the handsome groom, and a killer pair of shoes. Ladies how badly would you like a pair of these pretty pink pumps???

Stay tuned for the full wedding recap to be posted soon!!

Kate and Shawn share a guest entry on the NYWB blog!

2011-08-17T11:04:00.002-04:00

Kate Loveday and Shawn Owens are getting married in June 2012 at Birch Hill and I have the distinct pleasure of being their wedding coordinator! Kate has Celiac Disease and needs to stay 100% gluten free in everything she eats, including her wedding cake. Check out her guest blog entry on the New York Wedding Boutique site where she shares her story and her solution to her unique food situation.

Click here to read Kate's NYWB blog entry!

Connolly Wedding - July 22, 2011

2011-08-13T00:13:00.000-04:00

Ali and Jon Connolly were married in Lake George on July 22nd of this year. Their wedding fell on a super hot weekend but you would have never known if you looked at the bride and groom, their families, or any of their rocking vendors. This couple exuded style and grace and their cool demeanor helped everyone around them to feel the same way.

I first met Alexandra and Jonathan after Ali's mom hired me back in the fall of 2010 to coordinate their big day. As a couple they were worried less about the small details and more about the idea of having a fun day for their family and friends that really felt special to the two of them. Having selected the Diamond Point Community Church as their ceremony space and The Sagamore Resort as their reception location they were already well on their way for a stunning event. Add in the positive energy and laughter of photographer Gerry Raymonda, the floral graces of Finishing Touches, and the musical stylings of TS Ensemble and you have yourself a stellar wedding concoction. Let the party begin!

Living in Florida but having ties to Upstate New York this was a true destination event for not only the bride and groom but everyone involved. I had an absolute blast working with Ali and Jon and Ali's mom Mary to finalize and fine tune all of the small details. You truly can't find better people in this world or better families to work with. Ali and Jon's wedding was so much more than a 'job' for me - it was a chance for me to mingle and mix with amazing people and have a ton of fun throughout the day. The bride even 'forced' me to share in a glass of wine with her before she would allow me to leave. The picture of us below proves it! And of course I humbly obliged. :)

Honestly weddings like this bring me back to the sole inspiration of why I do what I do. Thank you Ali and Jon for letting me share in your big day!!

Landi Wedding - Sneak Peek!

2011-08-12T18:55:00.003-04:00

Mr. and Mrs. Landi were married in Averill Park on a beautiful sunny July day. Danielle is a super bubbly positive ray of sunshine and Dan is the rock that keeps her grounded. I think this sneak peek photo from photographer Rita Ann Maloney shows the dynamics of this fun couple perfectly!

I hope you enjoy this for now but make sure to check back - a full wedding recap will be up soon!

From last weekend's mother of the bride... :)

2011-08-11T10:23:00.003-04:00

"Shannon--our British houseguests are gone, flower arrangements distributed among folks in Middletown Springs and the rest of the wedding vases, linens and paraphernalia packed away. It's past time for my sincere thank yous. I am almost embarrassed to write given that I caused the greatest catastrophe of the day (forgetting to deliver the linens; so much for Mrs Organization--ha!) but thank you enormously for the tremendous save and then getting to our home with adequate time to direct the ceremony. You were calm and poised when I had nearly lost it. Thank you for carrying out all the table set ups, candle lighting, place card setting, a year of emails, the advise about the musical surprise, the quick thinking when the rain began to pour, the direction of the DJ, and your wonderful organization at the end of the night carrying things to our car. All that--and then you had to drive to Albany. You are amazing!"

Thank you Suzie! It was truly my pleasure to be a part of Kate and Jeff's wedding - you have a beautiful family and I thoroughly enjoyed working with all of you!!

Bachey Wedding Sneak Peek!

2011-08-10T11:42:00.003-04:00

Mr. and Mrs. Bachey were married just this past Saturday in the beautiful countryside of southern Vermont. This wedding had so many crazy awesome details and I can't wait to share them all with you! In the mean time here is a sneak peek image from their amazingly talented photographer Erica Ferrone.

Swoooooooon!

Taliaferro Wedding Video Sneak Peek!

2011-08-03T10:26:00.002-04:00

Lindsay and Brett Taliaferro were married along the shores of Lake George on June 18, 2011. I had the distinct pleasure of planning this day with Lindsay and her mom from start to finish and they were absolutely a hoot to work with. Lindsay and Brett's ceremony took place in the historic Grace Memorial Church in Hague and their reception was at the beautiful Inn at Erlowest in Lake George. Alisha Clark and John Tegan of Clark+Walker photographed and videoed their day and captured the amazing grace and charm of their Adirondack wedding.

Please enjoy the sneak peek trailer of their wedding video.

A little note that just came in from the mother of the bride from last week's wedding :)

2011-07-27T11:41:00.000-04:00

Shannon and Nicole,

It is difficult to find words that express the relief I felt the day of Alexandra's rehearsal and wedding day, thanks to you and your AMAZING work.

I was so impressed by your professionalism, attention to detail and the utmost care that you gave Alexandra, Jon and the wedding party. I truly was able to enjoy my daughters wedding, thanks to you.

I would highly recommend you and your staff to any and all who ask me about a wedding planner.

As you saw, the wedding was PERFECT! It truly was a "Fairy Tale Wedding". I hope that you enjoyed yourselves as well. I had more guests say to me that it was the best wedding they had ever been to. That made me feel great! Ali and Jon so enjoyed themselves, and that was my goal. We will be talking about this special day for a long time to come. I have a large family as you saw, and it will be extremely difficult to top this wedding!!

Thank you so much Shannon. Best of luck to you in planning your future weddings. I trust that they will be all organized just like Ali and Jon's.

You are the BEST!!

Destination Wedding Spotlight - Lake Placid

2011-07-25T11:43:00.001-04:00

The Adirondack Park is an amazing national and natural treasure situated in the northern section of New York State. The Park itself is the largest national park in the country and is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers, and those just looking to get away somewhere quiet for a little while. Within the Adirondack Park is a tiny gem in the town of Lake Placid. Perhaps best known for being the site of not one but two Olympic winter games, this town is the perfect blend of cute and sweet and quiet and beautiful. What better place to host your destination wedding than in a place like this?

There are several amazing venues in Lake Placid so there are several options for the style and size wedding you are looking to host. The mountains and the view of Mirror Lake are the true draw for this area so outdoor ceremonies are an obviously perfect choice for more couples. And with so many activities to offer it is a great place to make a whole wedding weekend for you and your guests. From athletic activities like hiking, biking, and kayaking, to more relaxed adventures like touring the Olympic facilities or checking out one of the local breweries, the Lake Placid region truly has something special for everyone in your group. And it is a true year-round destination - the spring brings hikers back to the trails, the summer has people out in town and on the water, the fall is breath taking with the foliage and crisp air, and in the winter you can enjoy world class skiing at Whiteface Mountain. There is not a bad time to get here and bring your friends and family along with you.

Here are some photos I've taken during several trips to the area. Please tell me these aren't the most amazing views and picturesque towns you've ever seen!

Makes you want to head up there and say I Do??

Wedding Planners in Action!

2011-07-13T12:08:00.013-04:00

Beth and Lawson were married at The Sagamore in July of 2009 and if you are a WPP blog stalker then you know this couple well. Their wedding was incredible - 38 guests, one long dining table, and more flowers, chandeliers and fabric swags than I have ever seen before. This wedding was featured in the Fall 2010 issue of WellWed Magazine for good reason. It was seriously impressive.

I have to admit this is a bit of a supersized Wedding Planners in Action post but it's only because the photographer is amazing (the one and only Tracey Buyce) and loves to snap pics of all kinds of moments throughout the wedding and because the florist (David Michael Schmidt of Renaissance Floral Design) came armed with his own camera and caught a lot of the behind the scenes footage. But hey, pictures are fun, so here are a bunch to share with you!

Photos 1-6: Tracey Buyce Photography
Photos 7-9: David Michael Schmidt

Invitation Sale!

2011-07-07T09:57:00.003-04:00

We are so excited about our new Save the Date album that we decided to celebrate with an invitation sale! Choose from any of the selections from our Save the Date album or any of our other invitation albums and receive 10% off your order. Consultations are free so make your appointment today!

Offer good on new invitations orders. Purchase needs to be made by September 1, 2011. Discount taken up to $100 off. Call to schedule your consultation.

Recap on Groomsmen Attire

2011-07-06T13:45:00.000-04:00

While the girls have the whole spectrum of colors to choose from, guys are typically limited to a few colors of formal wear - black, tan, chocolate brown, navy blue, and light and dark shades of grey. In 2010 I saw a pretty consistent run of traditional black tuxes, although a few guys mixed it up a bit by choosing a tan tux or a dark suit.

What's more interesting to look through than the color of their tux is the color of their "accessories" - the vests, ties, and boutonnieres that each set is wearing. You can see a popular choice is for the groom to wear white or ivory under their jacket and for their groomsmen to wear black, but some couples mix it up by adding in some colored vests and some even go with a printed tie. For the flowers the guys almost always get a matching flower that is featured in the bridesmaids' bouquets, and the groom gets one that matches a flower that the bride is carrying. If you can match the wedding photos in this post to the ones in the last post (about my 2010 bridesmaids dresses) you can see how the colors of the flowers and the rest of the guys' attire have been selected to be perfectly color coordinated with the girls.

To give you a rundown of the groomsmen attire from my 2010 events here are a few of my favorite photos to share.

Title Photo - Belathee Photography
Photo 1 - Elario Photography
Photo 2 - Jennifer Mardus Photography
Photo 3 - Gallery 9 North
Photo 4 - John Seakwood Photography
Photo 5 - Out of the Ordinary Photography
Photo 6 - Jessica Patch Photography
Photo 7 - Gallery 9 North
Photo 8 - Niki Rossi Photography
Photo 9 - Dan Cooper
Photo 10 - Tracey Buyce
Photo 11 - Bailly Photography

Recap on Bridesmaids Dresses

2011-07-05T13:09:00.000-04:00

As I'm working through my 2011 weddings I see an immediate contrast in bridesmaids dresses from this year to last. 2010 was the year of pink for my weddings, as the vast majority of brides selected either a soft or a bold shade of pink for their girls to wear. Sure I had long dresses and short, matching and non, and a few shades of blues and greens, but if I can sum up my bridesmaids in 2010 the word pink is the only way I could describe them. :)

Here are some of my favorite bridesmaids dresses from my 2010 weddings.

Title photo - Belathee Photography
Photo 2 - Jennifer Mardus Photography
Photo 3 - Gallery 9 North
Photo 4 - Tracey Buyce
Photo 5 - John Seakwood
Photo 6 - Bailly Photography
Photo 7 - Gallery 9 North
Photo 8 - Elario Photography
Photo 9 - Out of the Ordinary Photography
Photo 10 - Jessica Patch Photography
Photo 11 - Niki Rossi Photography
Photo 12 - Dan Cooper
Photo 13 - McGarry Photography

Check out WPP's bride Andrea on the NYWB blog!

2011-06-30T08:16:00.000-04:00

Andrea and Justin are getting married this September in the Catskills and it just so happens that yours truly has the honor of being their wedding planner. Andrea just started a guest blog entry on the New York Wedding Boutique blog and in this first post she shares her thoughts of what it was like in the very early steps of her wedding planning process. She even mentions me in it! Check it out to see what she's said:

http://newyorkweddingboutique.com/guest-blog-entries/wedding-planning-plus/

What Not to Skip - Cake Tastings

2011-06-29T13:04:00.003-04:00

Ok, not every wedding includes a cake. Some couples decide to go with some different like cheesecakes or pies, or maybe a selection of mini desserts. But we all know the vast majority of weddings have a big beautiful cake that we all drool over until it finally gets cut and we get a chance to eat it. When planning your wedding, you can ask to have a cake tasting, not only see if you like the taste of a certain bakery's cakes but also so you can try several flavors of cake, fillings, and frostings to know which combinations are going to work best for you. Most bakeries charge a fee for a cake tasting but trust me when I tell you it is worth it! You may not even get a chance to sit and enjoy your cake at your wedding so take this time to indulge while getting a serious afternoon sugar high. Grooms tend to LOVE cake tastings so ladies, if you have been struggling to get your man to certain vendor appointments trust me that he will come with you for this. So make your appointment, scarf down your sweets, and have fun with it! Trust me you won't regret it.

Moving On Up!

2011-06-28T13:14:00.001-04:00

Wedding Planning Plus has recently moved into a fun office space on Central Ave in Colonie. We are centrally located between Albany and Schenectady and are an easy drive from points north and south. We happily share the space with the amazing husband and wife photography team of Bailly Photography. Office hours are by appointment only so if you want to swing by and say hello just give me a buzz!

It's a super great feeling to have a professional office space and to offer the services of two great wedding vendors under one roof. Come by and check us out!

Office address: 1987 Central Ave, Colonie, NY 12205
To contact WPP for an appointment: 518.269.1243

Today We Made History

2011-06-27T11:27:00.002-04:00

Photo by Finer Image Photography

Above is a photo from a wedding I planned for a wonderful couple. They were united in front of their friends and family, but unfortunately when their wedding took place in 2008 they were not allowed a legal union because they were both women.

All humans, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, social standing, or sexual orientation deserve the right to marry. Friday the elected officials of the State of New York - my home state - made the right choice to grant same sex couples the right to marry. I have never been more proud to be a New Yorker.

Alexis and Jon's magazine feature

2011-06-19T23:56:00.007-04:00

Alexis and Jon Scahill got married on September 4, 2010. Their ceremony and reception took place at the fabulous Sagamore Resort where they enjoyed incredible late summer weather and gorgeous lakeside views. Many of my most favorite vendors worked on this wedding with me, including Amy Elizabeth Smith for makeup, David Michael Schmidt from Renaissance Floral Design for the flowers, rentals, and design, and the amazing Tracey Buyce who captured these beautiful images with her camera. AES, David, Trace and I make up our own little mini Sagamore dream team and we rocked out yet another great wedding at this property. Once submitted to For the Bride Magazine they couldn't help but put Alexis and Jon's wedding on their glossy pages. So here you are, another WPP wedding featured in the pages of a magazine. We couldn't be more thrilled for the bride and groom or for the fabulous vendors who made this all possible!

Who doesn't love accessories and gifts??

2011-06-16T13:04:00.000-04:00

Girls love accessories, and brides are no exception! When it comes to looking for personalized bridal party or parent gifts, ceremony or reception accessories, and fun little add-ons to your wedding day, we offer a wide assortment of all of these goodies. Our new Quite Personally album is on hand in our office and takes just a few minutes to flip through. Contact us by phone or email to set up your appointment!

Check out Jolene and Brad's wedding featured on yet another site!!

2011-06-14T22:45:00.003-04:00

Photo by Belathee Photography

Jolene and Brad Walajtys are not only two of my favorite people but they also make up one of my most favorite weddings I've ever had the pleasure to say I planned. If you are a follower of this blog then you know these guys well - they were the wedding in the summer of 2010 who chose to be vintage, soft, hadan intimate guest list of 40 and we turned out some of the most beautiful and memorable details of any wedding I've planned thus far. And as a WPP blog stalker you also know that this very wedding is currently a feature on Martha Stewart Weddings which we are still very proud and excited about! But... Drum roll please... I just learned that Jolene and Brad are also featured on the wedding blog site of Hey Gorgeous! And not only are there new and fun photos posted on this blog (seriously, you need to check this sh*t out) but Jolene adds a special little note in the text about her fairy godplanner (me!!!). Too cool, too beautiful, and seriously too much to handle. Check it out!!!

Meet WPP's newest intern Nicole!

2011-06-12T23:19:00.000-04:00

I am so incredibly excited to introduce our newest intern Nicole Matuszko! Nicole is coming on as a wedding planning intern for the summer and fall seasons, meaning she will be working along side Katie and myself in all of our 2011 events! Nicole is a student at Siena College and comes to us with a background in customer service and a strong desire to learn everything there is about the wedding industry. She has a strong drive and a determination to the do the best work she can in both school and professional arenas and we know she will wow all of this year's brides. Nicole is going to be a huge asset and a strong additional to our team and we couldn't be happier to have her! Welcome to WPP Nicole!!

New invitation album is in - And it's all about Save the Dates!

2011-06-10T12:47:00.000-04:00

Getting married in 2012 and want to make sure your guests mark your wedding date on their calendar? Send them a cool Save the Date card! We have save the date options in several of our albums but wanted a larger selection so we ordered an album that is filled with nothing but save the date cards, magnets, stickers, scratch offs, and a whole slew of other fun options. Invitation consultations are free and are as easy as popping in our office to flip through our selections. Call or email to set up your appointment.

Wedding Insurance

2011-05-27T11:42:00.002-04:00

Besides hiring a wedding planner, the biggest decision you can make to ensure you're going to have a perfect wedding day is to take out Wedding Insurance. We all know about the local wedding photo/video/DJ company that recently closed up shop and disappeared, leaving dozens of brides with no vendors for their wedding and no sign of the return of any of their money. This is a tragic situation for any bride, but with Wedding Insurance you could be covered for this kind of thing. Or what about a horrific story I heard from one of my photographer friends who was working a wedding last year where someone stole the gift envelopes from the reception, taking all of the money and gifts that were intended to go to the bride and groom. You may think this kind of thing would never happen but it does, and Wedding Insurance can help cover you for this loss.

I know that the thought of an added wedding expense does not seem appealing to any couple, but I happen to know a very knowledgeable and handsome insurance professional (my brother!) who can write a policy for couples for as little as $170. With the average cost of weddings nearing $30,000 taking out a simple policy for less than $200 seems like a totally worthwhile expense.

Here are some of the things that can be covered in a Wedding Insurance policy:

The cancellation or postponement of your wedding (including change of heart coverage)
Photography and video
Gifts
Rented property
Special attire
Jewelry
Loss of deposits
Professional counseling
Personal liability and medical expense
Liquor liability

Here are some examples of how Wedding Insurance can prove to be invaluable:

Extreme weather rolls in on your wedding day making it impossible to hold your event
Hired vendors go out of business before your big day and you are out your deposits and payments
Unforseen medical issues cause the wedding to be postponed
No-show vendors
Theft
Wedding dress ruined at the reception
Damage to the property at a rented venue

In addition to the many benefits of having insurance for loss, many couples rent venues that require you provide your own insurance to cover the liability of your event. The National Museum of Dance, the Canfield Casino, the Pruyn House, and many other such venues require this and a Wedding Insurance policy can include all of the coverage your venue requires.

You have insurance to cover the value of your home, your apartment, your vehincles, and all of your other prized possessions, so why wouldn't you consider insuring your wedding? With the cots of your wedding probably exceeding the cost of your car there is really no reason not to.

Any questions or inquiries on Wedding Insurance can be directed to my brother - Brian Whitney - who is an insurance professional with the Associates of Glens Falls. He can be reached at 518-793-3444. Tell him his big sis says hi! ;)

How Sweet is This??

2011-05-16T12:32:00.002-04:00

There is a bride getting married in 2012 who has been in contact with me about assisting her with her planning. She was a guest at one of my weddings this past fall so I was able to meet her then but a few e-mails and a brief conversation at that event are as far as we've gotten. I just found that she has her own wedding planning blog and as I read through some past posts I see she has written about me!! It's good stuff and I just had to share. How sweet is she??? :)

Let It Be Known...

Let it be known that 6 months before I was proposed to, I referred MY WEDDING PLANNER to another bride... and got laughed at by her groom in the process. Let me rewind and tell you how it all came about.

So most of my friends know that I started planning my wedding when I was 20. I'm 32 now so I've had years of planning and I know exactly what I want for most things. I also knew very quickly into our relationship that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Shawn. For me, it was natural to start planning my wedding with him long before he proposed to me. I think it was a very good sign that he knew I was planning our wedding and didn't go into a full panic about it.

So had we been getting married in the Mid-Hudson Valley, I wouldn't need a Wedding Planner. I spent my whole life there and knew the area like the back of my hand. As a new transplant to the Capital District, I need help. Help that a groom cannot provide. You might be asking, but what about your bridesmaids? Well half of them have spent their entire lives in the area and I am working with them for ideas. However, this is my vision and I wanted to put all of my ducks in a row on the vision itself before asking for help. Sometimes your closest friends and family can provide influence away from your own tastes. I needed to make sure I had a clear picture of what I wanted exactly and whether I could facilitate it before reaching out to them.

So, I started looking for wedding planners and came across several. However, I always go with my gut. My gut told me to go with Wedding Planning Plus. So I sent an email and got an immediate reply back from Shannon Whitney. She is super helpful and her willingness to answer my questions, even though I wasn't even engaged yet was helpful, and thoughtful of her. I went through some trouble figuring out a potential venue (due to my Celiac, I have to be very careful of who is selected for food preparation). I had sent out a series of emails and gotten no replies.

I happened to mention this to Shannon, that I felt like I was being ignored because I wasn't engaged yet. She reached out to her friend Erin at Birch Hill and to my surprise, it was technical issues with their contact form which caused the lack of response and Erin was more than willing to work with me in advance of Shawn's proposing. Shannon showed she was worth her weight in gold and I didn't even have a ring on my finger yet.

Shannon and I continued to email and low and behold, my friend ran into trouble with her venue with weeks left to spare before her wedding. She was so stressed she was ill and the venue had been so cruel to her that a single email had her dissolving into tears. I didn't hesitate for a second to recommend Shannon to her.

They went in to meet with Shannon and she told them "So, you were referred to me by one of my brides?" and the groom's comment was something along the lines of "but Shawn hasn't even proposed to her!" Anyway...

Shannon saved the day! She worked with her and helped her get through the final weeks leading up to her fabulous wedding to make them pain-free for the bride. On the day of the wedding, Shannon coordinated the whole thing flawlessly. She was even so helpful as to assist an old friend of the bride's in staging a gift basket in the Bridal Suite.

I have a lot of worries about my wedding (mostly around food), but knowing that Shannon is behind me, with her endless knowledge, caring and attention to details, I can breathe a sigh of relief that everything is going to be allright.

Wedding Planners in Action!

2011-05-15T11:15:00.000-04:00

Here's another post of some pics of me from past weddings. This wedding was photographed by the lovely Tracey Buyce at Glen Sanders Mansion back in October 2009. Tracey happened to catch me in the photo of getting the bride in her dress and also of me helping keep her train clean as she walked outside for her first sighting photos. The bottom two pics have my 2009 intern Laura in them, and were taken in the back of Glen Sanders right on the shores of the Mohawk River. This was such a great event, and these pics still bring a smile to my face!

Toasts

2011-05-11T12:36:00.009-04:00

Photo by Niki Rossi

Toasts are standard at every wedding. Typically the best man raises a glass, says some kind words about the happy couple, and everyone says cheers and takes a sip in their honor. Some toasts are memorable for the right reasons, some are memorable for very different reasons. Have you ever been to a wedding where something inappropriate is said during a toast? Or what about toasts that go on for what seems like forever plus a day? Or those terribly awkward toasts where the person at the mic clearly thought they could wing it without writing anything down just to find out that they became a sweating stammering mutterer as soon as they stood in front of all those guests. Oh boy.

Photo by Tracey Buyce

I get asked by couples what is standard when it comes to toasts and here is what I tell them:

Traditionally the best man gives a toast at the wedding reception and says something nice about the couple, maybe tells a funny story about something stupid the groom did as he was pursuing his bride, and then finishes by wishing them the best that life has to offer them. The maid or matron of honor can also speak, and it is almost commonplace now for both of these two to give toasts during the reception. The maid of honor's speech is usually something more emotional, and if she is a childhood friend of the bride her toast usually has some sort of silly story about what the bride was like growing up. She then wishes the couple all the best and finishing by asking everyone to raise a glass in the couple's honor. It doesn't really matter who goes first, but if you know one is going to be more emotional you may want to leave that one for last.

Photo by Elario Photography

Because parents of the bride and groom often host the wedding (aka pay for all or most of the event) they often want an opportunity to say something to the guests, as well. I usually put this directly before the best man and maid of honor's toasts and suggest that the parent(s) use that time to welcome guests to their child's wedding and thank everyone for coming. They can go off from there in whatever direction they would like but the welcome and the thank you are pretty much the foundation of what they should be delivering.

Photo by Tracey Buyce

So if you have parents speaking, a best man giving and toast, and a maid or matron of honor toasting, you really don't want many more captive microphone moments than that. I was at a wedding once where virtually everyone in the bridal party got up to say something and I lost interest after minute 2 1/2. It's lovely for your attendants to want to wish you well but the bridal shower or the rehearsal dinner makes for a much better suited place for these kinds of moments.
If you are giving a toast or a speech have a clear idea of what you want to say before you go up there. I can't count the number of times I hear a best man say that he totally forgot to mention all the good stuff because he got up there and got nervous and thrown off. It's ok to write things down - in fact I encourage it! Just jot a few basic notes to give yourself a reminder of the topics you want to cover. Trust me when I tell you that this will make for a much more relaxed and well received delivery and sounds a lot better than "Uhhh", "Ummm", and "Soooo".
And lastly, don't forget that whoever is giving a toast will be a point if interest for the photographer and videographer. Make sure the guys have their jackets on! And ladies keep those heels on until after this Kodak moment. And please for the love of all things holy please remember to have a glass of champagne or sparkling water with you so that when you ask guests to raise their glass you can raise yours, too. And lastly, and probably most importantly, everyone is nervous when they give a toast. Don't use the cocktail hour as your personal effort to get as much liquid courage in you as you can. A sober nervous speech wins over a slurred sloppy one every single time.

Above all anyone who is asked to give a toast should feel incredibly honored to have been given such an important role. Keep your toast succinct and interject your personality into it. Stay calm and have fun. At least you get to finish with a swig of some bubbly!

Photo by Out of the Ordinary Photography

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T09:58:00.000-04:00

I am what I am and am able to do what I do because of this woman right here. Happy Mother's Day to the greatest woman I've ever known. I love you mom!

Altamont Manor Open House - June 5th

2011-05-06T10:22:00.003-04:00

Mark your calendars! There is a free open house at the Altamont Manor where you can meet wedding vendors, sample food from Elegant Touch and Nicole's Catering, and tour through the facility and the beautiful rose gardens. I will be there so if you want to come just to meet me that's fine, too! :)

You're invited to
The Altamont Manor
Open House
Sunday, June 5th
Noon to 4:00 pm.

A gracious 1894 restored Victorian home, the Altamont Manor is one of the area's most unique and
elegant settings for enchanted wedding receptions.
We offer a secluded setting, formal gardens, spacious landscaped surroundings and a 30 mile view.

Come meet many of the areas finest wedding professionals, stroll the gardens, relax on the veranda and enter the drawings for valuable prizes that will enhance your wedding.

Make your reservation soon for this limited event.

Call 518-861-8176 to register

See you tonight?

2011-05-05T10:13:00.000-04:00

Come spend a little Cinco de Mayo action with your favorite wedding friends! I will be at the New York Wedding Boutique's 1st Anniversary Party tonight at Pat's Barn in Troy. Vendors, brides and grooms, and guests are all invited to attend and share in the celebration. This is a great chance for couples to mingle with some of the area's hottest wedding vendors, sample food from Nicole's Catering, and to see what a party looks like a great wedding venue. I will be there early so stop by and say hello!

Pat's Barn - Defreest Rd in Troy, NY
6:00-9:00

Parent Dance Songs

2011-05-03T11:02:00.000-04:00

I posted a blog a few months ago listing some of the most popular first dance songs at my past weddings, and I thought it would be fun to also list some of the top parent dance songs. These always tend to be tough choices for most couples because you want to make your moms and dads happy but you don't want to be stuck swaying along to some horrible 5 minute tune. Maybe you and your 'rents have a song already lined up, but if not maybe you could consider one of these little ditties:

Photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman

Father/Daughter dance songs:

Forever Young - Bob Dylan
I loved her First - Heartland
Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle
My Girl - Temptations
Wonderful World - Louie Armstrong
Father and Daughter - Paul Simon
Cinderella - Steven Curtis Chapman
The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra
Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
In My Daughter's Eyes - Martina McBride
Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion
Unforgettable - Nat King Cole

Photo by Tracey Buyce

Mother/Son dance songs:

Raise Me Up - Westlife
Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
The Rose - Bette Midler, Highland Heartbeat
Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
All to You - DJ Keo
Stand by Me - Ben E. King
I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack
Your Song - Garth Brooks
Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart
In My Life - The Beatles
Child of Mine - Carole King

How to Assemble Your Invitations

2011-05-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Summer wedding invitations are going out, fall wedding couples are ordering and assembling as we speak. No matter who you order your invitations through and regardless of how many enclosures and fancy elements there are to your invitations, there is a specific way that they need to be assembled to fit with tradition and etiquette.

Before we get started here is a list of possible items in your invitation. If you don't have some of these pieces just skip that part in the process listed below:

Main invitation card (single card or folded card)
Inner and outer envelopes
Response card and response card envelope
Reception card (listing the site and address of your reception if your reception is in a separate location from your ceremony)
Directions card/map card
Accommodations card
Tissue paper (not seen as often in modern times)

Before you do anything you should deal with all of your envelopes. This way you won't make any marks or indentations on the inner cards and you won't forget that important response card envelope stamp. The outer envelope is what gets the full formal address with words like "street" and "road" being spelled out formally. For guests' names it's customary to list John and Jill Jones and their children as "Mr. and Mrs. John Jones and family", although if that feels too formal for you and your event you have the choice to list your names more casually. You have an inner envelope that can be addressed as well, and if you are sticking with a formal feel then it is customary to address this envelope. To do so you would list the specific people being invited, so in the example of the Jones family the inner envelope would say Mr. and Mrs. John Jones, and the list of children would be written below that in age order. If you are having an adults only wedding then this would be the place that specific invitees would be listed. For example just Mr. and Mrs. John Jones and no children named below. If you are going with a more casual feel then the inner envelope doesn't need to be addressed at all. Now for the stamping of these envelopes, the inner envelope will never be processed by the postal service so that requires no stamp. The response card envelope will be what guests send their response cards back to you in and it is polite to affix a standard stamp to that envelope for the ease of your guests. It should also have your return address printed on it so that guests can just pop it as is into the mail to send back to you. Now for the outer envelope, that is what your entire invitation and enclosures are being mailed in so it needs not only to be stamped but to have the proper postage for the size and weight of the entire piece. Because of all of the enclosures wedding invitations almost always are heavier than a standard piece of mail, and if your invitation is square or oversized then you also have the added charge of mailing a larger sized item. The best thing you can do is bring your invitation fully assembled (so that is has all of the enclosures, envelopes, etc) and have the post office weigh it for you. They can tell you how much each one will cost to mail, and offer you options for pretty specialty stamps that cover that fee.

Ok now for the assembly! First is your main invitation card. That goes in to your inner envelope with the text facing the flap. If your invitation is a single card then everything else I'm going to talk about goes in front of it; If your card is folded then everything else goes inside of it. Next, your response card gets tucked under the flap of the response card envelope facing out (tucked under the flap but not placed inside the envelope). This response card/envelope duo get placed inside the inner envelope in front of the invitation so that the card and the flap are facing out. If you have a reception card that goes in between the response card/response card envelope and the main invitation. Any other enclosures like directions cards, accommodations cards, etc go in front of the response card/response card envelope. And if you are using tissue paper then the paper goes directly on the main invitation to protect it from all of the enclosure cards sitting on top of it. Now all of these cards should be in your inner envelope which you leave untucked and unsealed. The inner envelope goes into the outer envelope with the guests' names facing out (so that the outer and inner envelopes essentially are facing opposite directions. Then you seal the outer envelope, make sure you have the proper postage, and away they go!

Assembling wedding invitations can be a tedious process so I always recommend couples order their invitations with plenty of time to put them all together. As far as when to mail them, the standard is 8-10 weeks before the event date, with your RSVP date being 4 weeks from the event. So this means you should be ordering your invitations at least 3 to 4 months before your wedding date to get them out on time, and earlier than that if possible so you can have time for revisions, printing, shipping, and of course the assembly!

I hope this information has been helpful! As a reminder, we sell tons of different styles of invitations so if you want personal guidance through all of this feel free to contact us for a complimentary invitation consultation.
Shannon@WeddingPlanningPlus.net.

We're LIVE!

2011-04-22T18:23:00.003-04:00

The new Wedding Planning Plus website is up and it's amaaaazing!

Click here to check it out all the WPP website goodness!!

Oh the times, they are a changing...

2011-04-21T22:56:00.003-04:00

New and exciting changes are happening on the WPP front and I am excited to share them all with you! By now you have seen the new fancy logo, hopefully you've received the newsletter (if not just e-mail me and I'll add you to the list), and you are in tune with all the improvements going on here at headquarters. Well the final piece of the puzzle is just about complete, and that is the unveiling of our new and super gorgeous website which will go live in the next few days. I have built this whole thing myself and the time and energy it has taken I hope will prove to be well worth it. Keep an eye on this blog and our WPP Facebook page for news of the actual go live moment, but if by chance you try and log onto www.weddingplanningplus.net and you get an error message that just means we are making the big switch so stay patient and check back soon!

Big thanks to all of you for your love, patience, and unending support! You truly make it possible for us to do what we love to do.

Green Weddings

2011-04-20T08:45:00.000-04:00

Photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman

Earth Day is Friday and although I live a fairly green lifestyle everyday this is the perfect time to talk about ways you can make your wedding as green as it can be. If you think about what kind of environmental impact your big day can have it is actually mindblowing. From the travel of your guests to the waste of packaging from all of your favors it really makes sense to try and cut back on excess waste and lower the carbon footprint you're making with this one event.

I have planned several green weddings and although each bride takes it to their own level, here are some great ways you can be more earth conscious when planning your big day:

Instead of giving your guests a disposal wedding favor why not make a donation to your favorite charity? And if you have a charity that does waste cleanup, forest preservation, or other green actions this can be even that much more environmentally impactful.

This is a photo from one of my weddings where instead of a traditional wedding favor the couple made a donation to the World Wildlife Fund to support their conservation of wildlife and wild habitats.

Photo by Bob Donlon

Consider giving your guests a favor that will impact the environment in a positive way. Here is a tree sapling that each guest was able to take home and plant in their yard. The couple even cut down on paper waste by adding their guests' names onto the favor to save them from having to use (and at the end of the night, throw out) traditional place cards.

Photo by Niki Rossi

Get your wedding flowers from a local nursery instead of looking for exotic flowers that need to be shipped from the other side of the world. You will not only be supporting the local farmer and incorporating home grown items into your day, but you will be lowering the amount of pollution caused by the planes and automobiles that are needed to transport flowers from other countries.

While we're talking about flowers, consider the impact of the vases used for centerpieces. By using recycled glass containers, and then arranging for the reuse of these vases after the wedding is over, you will contribute to a positive use of the glass and not add to the waste sent to the landfill.

Here is a photo from a wedding where they used peonies from a family garden to make their own ceremony baskets and centerpieces.

Photo by Niki Rossi

Serve your guests organic food, wine and beer! Organic food may seem like an obvious choice but a lot of people aren't aware that there are good organic wines and beers out there that can compliment an organic meal quite well. So you can save the environmental impact of pesticides not only on your plate but also in your glass.

Consider using linens that aren't dyed in harsh chemicals. There are linens out there that aren't put through a chemical dying process and therefor aren't adding to the amount of chemicals that need to be disposed of from fabric factories.

Think eco-friendly with all of your invitation and stationery products. Having a formal way to invite your guests to your wedding is essential, but you have the option of choosing invitations made of recycled paper, going with a more compact design to decrease waste, or even choosing to go the route of electronic invitations to completely cut out not only the paper, printing, and processing waste, but also the transportation pollution that comes with the mailing of both the invitation and the guests' response cards that are sent back to you.

You can even incorporate your green theme into your honeymoon by choosing a vacation that has low carbon impact and can include activities where you give back to the land by volunteering with environmental activities like garbage cleanup, reforestation, or other such projects. Rent bikes and ride around town, choose to not have your hotel wash your towels and linens everyday, and keep the disposable souvenir purchases to a minimum. In this way you are not only doing your part on your wedding day but also carrying the concept through to your married life.

Live the principles of Earth Day everyday, including on your wedding day. If you are interested in planning a Green Wedding or are looking for more information on the topics above feel free to e-mail me at shannon@weddingplanningplus.net.

Check me out on the NYWB blog!

2011-04-19T10:54:00.002-04:00

My friends at the New York Wedding Boutique just conducted an interview with yours truly and the blog post is now up for the world to see! Check it out!!

Click here to check out my exclusive interview!

Hot Wedding Trend - Uplighting!

2011-04-17T19:46:00.010-04:00

Photo by Tracey Buyce

There are so many ways to wow up your reception room, but none might be as great a bang for your buck as uplighting. You can take a simple (or even drab - eek!) room, throw some strategically placed uplights around, and you just made the room feel like a completely new space. If you want to add color, depth, texture, or interest to your walls then uplighting is a great way to go. There is always the option of pipe and draping walls in full length fabrics, or creating camouflages to ugly sections with plants and other barriers, but if you want to stay simple and stay reasonably affordable uplighting is a great way to go.

Popular lights used now are LEDs that can be set or rotated to any color on the spectrum. So you want to start with a cool blue during cocktail hour, a calm amber during dinner, and then fire up a hot magenta pink when you're on the dance floor - you can do that!

Photos by Tracey Buyce

And you can also use uplights to add beautiful dimension to outdoor spaces by shining them up under trees or natural elements around the property.

Check out some of the photos from my past events where uplighting was used simply and beautifully. On fabric draped walls the color almost dyes the white material a completely different color and transforms the whole rooms to a bright glow. Even white light in the black and white picture below can add a warmth and brightness to a dark outdoor reception. The great thing is you can have fun with uplighting, and build a color, look, and feel all your own.

Photo 5 - Gallery 9 North
Photo 6 - Belathee Photography
Photo 7 - Shannon DeCelle Photography

Vegas here I come!

2011-04-16T13:46:00.000-04:00

I just signed up for the Wedding MBA seminar in September of this year. I am super excited about this conference because there will be three days of intense morning to night sessions from topics spanning the whole realm of wedding planning and wedding business ownership. There will be professionals from all over the country there, and trade shows to see all the new cool products on the market. And did I mention this was taking place in Vegas?? Very exciting stuff!

This isn't just a conference for wedding planners, so if there are any wedding vendors out there who would like to join me please let me know!

Reminder - Our Invitation Sale Ends Soon!!

2011-04-11T10:46:00.002-04:00

This is just a reminder to everyone that our invitation sale is still on but it is ending very soon! We are offering 10% off your entire invitation and wedding stationery order but you must place the order by April 20th! With a full selection of traditional, classic, colorful, and funky items there is something to fit ever couple's style and taste. Appointments are super easy - I take care of all of the wording and ordering for you, so there is really no reason not to check us out. E-mail me today to set up your free consultation - shannon@weddingplanningplus.net.

To see the original post with more information on the sale please click HERE.

Place Cards, Escort Cards, Seating Assignments - Unique Options

2011-04-04T16:29:00.009-04:00

Photo by Michael Grace-Martin

Unique Place Cards

For some people traditional is not enough and they want to look for unique or different ways to tell their guests where their seat is at the reception. There is honestly an endless number of ways you can do this, and really the only limit is your own imagination. Above is a picture of one wedding where they combined two wedding elements to make one very special presentation. For anyone who is familiar with the concept of "The Warming of the Rocks" you will know this is where each guest holds a rock, makes a quiet wish to the new bride and groom, and then places that rock into a container with the rocks from all the other wedding guests. Then after the wedding the bride and groom take that container and all of the warmed rocks and they place it in a special place in their home like a fireplace mantel or feature shelf. Then the container and the rocks give off all the positive energy of the wedding guests and fill the home with all the wishes from the people they love. In the photo above the couple put rocks on top of each place card so that each guest would get their seating assignment and a rock to warm at the same time.

You can also combine the idea of a place card in with your wedding favor. In the photos below you can see how couples have used a take home element to the place card and essentially covered the needs of both elements in one. In the top photo pewter frames hold a 'photo' the displays the guest name and table name for everyone at the party. The one below it shows bright blue candy boxes with the guests' names and table printed on the outside. And the third photo shows a tree sapling that has a tag attached that lists the place card information.

Photo 1 - Heather Bohm-Tallman
Photo 2 - Shannon DeCelle Photography
Photo 3 - Niki Rossi Photography

Guest Seating Charts

Lastly there are ways to communicate guests' seating assignments without the use of a card of some other grab and go method. A new trend in seating assignments is using a seating board or a seating chart like the ones shown below. This is a very clean way to relay this information to your guests, and can avoid the hassle of having to write out or print out individual place cards. The downsize to this method is that any last minute adjustments can't be made as easily because once the board is printed no changes can be made. But as long as you have the time and the faith then this is a very classy look for the entrance to your reception room and a great visual to display the colors, design elements, and other fun information for your guests to see. And if you have a high guest count, say 150 or more, consider having two printed so you can avoid having a long line waiting at the door.

Photo 1 - McGarry Photography
Photo 2 - Tracey Buyce Photography

Place Cards, Escort Cards, Seating Assignments - Traditional Options

2011-04-03T14:49:00.000-04:00

Photo by Out of the Ordinary Photography

Whether you have 5 guests or 500 you will need to provide some sort of guide to tell everyone where they need to sit at your reception. There are many ways to go about relaying this information - a traditional tented paper card that lists the guests' names and table assignment, an individualized marking at each seat where guests can walk from table to table to find their spot, or a board or poster mounted at the entrance to the reception room listing out each guest and their table. As the bride and groom you can choose to keep your place cards as basic as you want or as elaborate as you can imagine. Here are some examples to show you options for your perfect place cards.

Traditional Place Cards

The most traditional and basic way of doing a place card is by using the tented paper cards where you list the guests' name on one side and the table they are sitting at on the inside or the back of the card. Use a standard table with linen and line up all of these cards on the top with the guests' names facing out. It is important to list these in alphabetical order and not in table order or you will have each guest searching for several minutes trying to find their card. When it comes to adding the information on you can either utilize the help of someone with very neat handwriting, you can find cards that come in sheets that can be run through a home printer, or you can hire a calligrapher who will write out the information in beautiful calligraphy. Please see below (and the picture at the top of this post) for examples of each.

Photo 1 - Tracey Buyce Photography
Photo 2 - Rob Spring Photography
Photo 3 - Jill Kaiser Photography
Photo 4 - Finer Image Photography

You can even fancy your cards up by adding accents that are fun and colorful. The first picture below had a daisy theme so the bride added tiny adhesive daisies to the corner of each card. The picture below that had a strong green theme and the small green ribbons helped bring another aspect of color to their event.

Photo 1 - Ilana Ben Harav
Photo 2 - Bob Donlon Photography

Another fun way to spice up the traditional place card is to find a fun way to display them. The two photos below used boards to hang their cards on. The top photo shows a couple who brought out their wedding colors of chocolate brown and orange by using covering the board in a dark brown fabric and using bright orange cards instead of the traditional white or ecru ones. The photo below it shows several different color ribbons run across the board that the cards were tucked in to. This gave a nice organic look and feel to the card placement.

Photo 1 - Tracey Buyce Photography
Photo 2 - Emma Dodge Hanson

And finally here are some of your standard place cards but instead of being displayed in bulk on a separate table these were addressed to each individual guest and were set up at each individual place setting. This method is the most time consuming and sometimes the most difficult to work through because instead of telling 8 or 10 people to work out their own arrangement at a table you are telling people they need to sit in a specific spot that has been preselected for them. This works best with small weddings of 50 guests or less because there will be less settings for guests to need to search through when they are looking for their own. If you want to do this with a larger group then it is best to have a list at the reception room entrance listing each guest and the table they are seated at, and then when they get to their table they find their personalized card on a specific setting.

Photo 1 - Belathee Photography
Photo 2 - Tracey Buyce Photography

Now Hiring: Summer and Fall Interns

2011-03-30T11:15:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-03-23T22:26:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-03-21T12:42:00.013-04:00

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!

2011-03-17T12:58:00.006-04:00

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

2011-03-16T11:34:00.000-04:00

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

2011-03-10T09:04:00.001-05:00

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