Bridal *BLING*

Every girl likes to bling it out sometimes, but there is better day to shine than on wedding day. I have seen all kinds of crazy beautiful engagement and wedding rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, and some great hair pieces, broaches, and even some cake bling. Here are some of my favs from my weddings over the past few years. Which gets your top pick?

Photo 1 - Tracey Buyce Photography
Photo 2 - Elario Photography
Photos 3-8 - Tracey Buyce Photography
Photo 9 - Foothills Photography
Photo 10 - Out of the Ordinary Photography

Internship Update

Thank you to all the candidates who submitted their resumes for our E-mail Marketing and Bridal Communications internship. The window for submission is now closed, and in the next few days we will be reviewing all of our candidates and making our final decision. Stay tuned for the announcement of who is the newest member of our team!

Budgeting Basics for all you Brides-to-be!

Photo by Out of the Ordinary Photography

We've only been a member of the New York Wedding Boutique for one week and they have already published one of our articles on their fancy-dancy wedding blog! I gave some tips on how to prepare a budget for your event, and advice on how to stick to it. This is great advice for all of your brides who just got your ring and are excited to start planning. Check it out!

New York Wedding Boutique Blog

We've arrived... and we love the company!

Happy New Year everyone! 2011 is set to be an amazing year for weddings, and we are working with some of the most fantastic couples for weddings over the course of this year. Our business has never been better, and as a result we are happy to announce to you all that Wedding Planning Plus has just joined the New York Wedding Boutique! This is a group of the Capital Region's most prestigious vendors and we've never been surrounded by such impressive company. If you haven't been to the NYWB site yet then let me tell you, this is the site for you. Here you can read blogs, get tips and tricks from vendors and real brides, and find all of the best vendors who have been hand picked as the top in their fields. Forget your average bridal shows and wedding directories, because the NYWB is your one stop for everything that is great about local weddings. Don't miss out!

www.newyorkweddingboutique.com

Malone Wedding - October 30, 2010

Mr. and Mrs. Malone were married on October 30, 2010 with their ceremony at the amazing Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and their reception at 11 North Pearl. The girls and guys each got ready at The Crown Plaza and for ease of transportation decided to keep all of their wedding activities around the downtown Albany area. The couple lives in NYC so they planned this wedding long distance, and they brought me on to coordinate their rehearsal and all of the events on their wedding day. Leah and Tom are so great, and they had the best bridal party and family lending support and love throughout their day. As for the style of the event, the couple chose to stay away from the traditional fall colors and not to even touch any references to Halloween or harvest themes. Instead they chose a sophisticated deep purple and ivory palette to grace their wedding accents. Leah incorporated a lot of neat little touches to her day, including the dress hangers with each of the bridesmaids names on them, the streamers for guests to wave as they entered their reception, and the most adorable little "Here Come the Bride" banner that the two ring bearers carried as they walked down the aisle ahead of her. But even with all of those I think my favorite of her personal touches was the signature board that allowed guests to put thumb print stamps along an outline of a tree - it was both super personal and appropriately seasonal, but also very stinkin' cute when it was all done. Loved it!

As with all of my weddings I was joined with a wonderful set of vendors who did a terrific job for this bride and groom. The photography team of Erin Coker and Jason Hupe of Gallery 9 North rocked out yet another wedding with me. Another great set of pics guys - you make my blog posts look very good! Also with me that day was All Seasons Trio who provided the string musicians for the ceremony, the band Body and Soul who rocked out the reception, my right hand woman Brandi Miller from 11 North Pearl, the floral stylings of Renaissance Floral Design, and Coccadotts Bakery who never disappoints with their amazing wedding cakes.

This was such a great wedding and such a classy and easy couple to work with. Thank you again Leah and Tom for letting me be a part of your most special day!

Our gift to you!

We here at Wedding Planning Plus love the holiday season! As our gift to you we would like to give you 10% off your first wedding invitation and stationery order. Just contact us for an appointment before January 1st to earn yourself this sweet discount.

We have a great selection of items that all brides need!

~ Wedding invitations that are classic, modern, funky, colorful, or traditional ~

~ Save-the-dates, menu, and place cards, table numbers and ceremony programs – all coordinated to your wedding design and theme ~

~ Prices and selections to match all budgets ~

~ Simple ordering process and quick and easy shipments ~

So contact us today to set up your free invitation consultation! No obligations, no strings attached, no reason not to!

Discount is valid for new customers only. Appointments need to be made on our before January 1, 2011 to qualify.

McKee Wedding - September 5, 2010

Mr. and Mrs. McKee were married at The Inn at Erlowest on September 5, 2010. The ceremony was held down on the point, a small piece of land on their property that juts out to the water and showcases the property's beautiful views of Lake George and the surrounding mountains. Tonya and Ryan met in high school and since have settled in California so the planning for this wedding was done long distance and the event itself was a wonderful collection of close family and reunions with good friends. The bride chose shades of pink for her big day, captured in the bridesmaids' dresses, the flowers, the accent lighting in the ballroom, and of course her fabulous magenta shoes. I don't usually have a lot to say about the guy's attire but I have to take a minute and mention the tux Ryan wore that day. Guys, take the extra time and money and go buy yourself a custom fit tuxedo. Ryan did and he looked amazing. The ones you rent from the shops just don't have the same fit as one that has been custom tailored for you. He definitely looked super schnazzy but nothing could outshine the beauty of this bride. Tonya was simply radiant on her wedding day, and the smile on both of their faces throughout the day truly lit of the whole room.

As always I was joined by some fantastic vendors on this event. The photographer team of Erin and Jason of Gallery 9 North really did an outstanding job capturing the beauty of the day in these pictures. This was my first time working with them and they really impressed me. Also at this wedding was DJ Andy Pratt (who also was the master behind the uplighting and the accent lights later that night), the ever fabulous flower powers at Renaissance Floral Design, Saratoga Photobooth Company, All Season Trio who provided the string music for the ceremony, and of course my girl Haleigh Muskopf at The Inn at Erlowest.

This was a super fun wedding that was down to earth and completely amazing. Tonya and Ryan have such a genuine love for each other and watching them smile at each other all night was really touching. I loved working with these two and wish them a lifetime of happiness together! Not like they need it, though. ;)

Another WPP wedding has been featured - This time with the New York Wedding Boutique!

I just saw the post on the New York Wedding Boutique blog about my October 9th wedding at 11 North Pearl and it has totally made my day. I am honored to be listed on this prestigious blog and to have my bride Katie say such good things about her day and her experience working with me. Click the link below to check it out and feel the love for yourself!

http://newyorkweddingboutique.com/real-wedding-2/11-north-pearl-wedding/

Intern position still available

Hello friends, I just wanted to remind you that my winter intern position is still available. This internship will last approximately two months, consist of 10-20 hours of work per week (mostly done at home) and is in the area of e-mail marketing and bridal communications. Because of the craziness of the holiday season I am extending the deadline for resume submission to January 5th. If you know anyone who would be interested in this position please tell them to contact me right away at Shannon@WeddingPlanningPlus.net.

Thank you and happy holidays to all!