Kristin and Andy - January 7, 2012

Kristin and Andy were married at Trinity Church in Lansingburgh and their reception was held at Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia.  I am just a little behind on posting this since this wedding took place on January 7, 2012 (hey I've been busy!) but with this current heat wave it's kind of nice to look back at a beautiful winter wedding.  The bride and groom hired me for their invitations and for day-of coordination, but I met this lovely lady way before she contacted me about her big day.  I first met Kristin when she was the maid of honor for one of my 2009 couples (remember Kimm and Jerel and their beautiful bright green wedding cake??) and then Kristin interned with WPP for a brief time that year.  So when she got engaged and was planning her wedding I was thrilled to help!  

This wedding featured a bunch of fun details like the vintage suitcase and luggage tags as place cards, fun scarves for the groomsmen and cotton gloves for the bridesmaids, sparklers when the sun went down, and of course a super surprise to all of their guests - a fireworks display at the end of the night.  It was funny, as all of the guests gathered outside to watch the fireworks I heard one guest ask another, "How do you pull something like this off?".  The other guest answered, "You hire a wedding planner".

Joining me on this wedding was a fabulous team of vendors!  A big thank you to Tracey Buyce of Tracey Buyce Photography who took these photos and really wowed the bride and groom that day.  Also thank you to Greg Frasier of Frasier Entertainment for being the ever amazing DJ we have all grown to love, Will Beyer of Nuvue Cinema for capturing all the amazing moments on film, Central Market Florist in Latham, All Occasions Limousine, and my girls Tina Barbato of Flawless by Tina for the girls' beautiful makeup and Kristin and team from Timeless Updos for rocking the girls' hair.  And last a thank you to Alonzo Fireworks for the best surprise that wedding guests could ever get (and earning me a compliment I will never forget).

My last thank you is of course to Kristin and Andy who allowed me to be a part of their most special day.  You two are a beautiful couple and I see nothing but happiness in your future.  Stay in touch, and congrats!!!

Joelene and Bob review WPP

Joelene and Bob called me in the middle of May posting an interesting challenge for me - to plan an elopement for them in Saratoga two weeks for that day.  I rounded up my most trusted vendor crew and made the impossible possible.  The bride and groom had a beautiful ceremony and a fun filled weekend checking out all the local hot spots.  Joelene and Bob were kind enough to post a review of my services on asaratogawedding.com.  

To read more of my reviews on this site CLICK HERE

"What can we say about our Wedding? It was amazing, just perfect !!! Our original plan was to elope in Las Vegas. As we tried to manage the arrangements from our home in Connecticut, we found it overwhelming to choose the venue and were left wondering what we were going to find when we arrived!! Instead we found “Wedding Planning Plus” and Shannon Whitney to be the perfect answer to our problem. After our initial on-line inquiry and a telephone conversation with Shannon she was able to find us the perfect Bed & Breakfast in Saratoga Springs (where we were married), an officiant, photographer, dinner arrangements, flowers and even my hair appointment! And she was able to do all this in 2 weeks!! Our wedding day was perfect and one that we will always remember. Thank you Shannon!!"

A Look Ahead - Allison and Ed

Allison and Ed are getting married this October in Saratoga.  I have had the distinct pleasure of working with these two as their wedding planner since last summer and can't wait for their big day to get here.  They are such a fun couple, as you can see in these photos!  Allison and Ed are working with the fabulous Heather Bohm-Tallman for wedding photography and the couple met up with Miss HBT in Saratoga last month to shoot their engagement photos.  Thanks for sharing these, Heather, can't wait to work with you at their main event this fall!

WPP is Wedding Wire Rated!

We are Wedding Wire Rated for 2012!  Thank you to our married couples who have posted reviews of our services which earned us this award.  To read all of our reviews CLICK HERE.  

Anna and Andy Review WPP

Anna and Andy were married on April 28th of this year at the Canfield Casino.  Just last night I received a notification that they posted a review of me and my services on Wedding Wire.  Their kind words make me a very proud wedding planner!

To read all of the reviews posted from our past clients CLICK HERE.

"Shannon and her team did an amazing job helping us plan our wedding. Not sure how we could have done it without her help! First off, she has been in the business and in the area for a while and knows all the right vendors to help you choose the ones that are just the right fit for you. It's so important to know which vendors meet your needs not only for budget, but style and personality and Shannon did a great job in guiding us! It was so great having someone there the day of to make sure everything is organized and planned out for you. Everything went so smoothly on the big day and we couldn't have asked for anything more. Shannon guided us through the whole process and made sure everything was taken care of and timed perfectly. So many people came up to me after the wedding saying they had an amazing time and it was the best and most fun wedding they've been to and we have Shannon to thank for helping us make that happen! I think the greatest compliment though was everyone felt taken care of, not only the guests but my family and my mom couldn't get over how well planned and organized everything was. We were so thankful to have someone reliable like Shannon and her team handling everything so everything went off without hitch!"

Need a Wedding Officiant?

Photo by Tara Wiley

Although my primary focus and work is on wedding planning and wedding coordination I recently decided to become an ordained wedding officiant to be able to offer my clients either direct ceremony officiating or the assurance of an emergency back up in the rare chance their hired officiant became unavailable.  Of course I still specialize in all of the full planning and wedding coordinating details but if you are a bride who would like me to officiate your ceremony please reach out to me for details and availability!  I have always been and will continue to be a planner who is interested in helping any bride at any time!

Anna and Andy are on NYWB!

Anna and Andy were married at the end of April at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs.  I had the pleasure of planning their entire event with them, and being there on their big day to see it all come together.  Their photographer Bailly Photography has shared their wedding photos with the New York Wedding Boutique so CLICK HERE to see the recap of their wedding!

Kate and Shawn review WPP

Kate and Shawn were married this Saturday (yes two days ago!) and Kate was kind enough to leave a wonderful review of my services on Wedding Wire.  Thanks Kate for being such a sweet person and such a caring and wonderful bride!!!

To see all of the Wedding Wire reviews posted from our past brides CLICK HERE. 

"Shannon (and her assistant Erin) made my Wedding Day so easy. I am a project manager so I am used to being the one responsible for running the show. I thoroughly researched the Wedding Planners in the area and after speaking with Shannon, I chose her because she is kind, considerate, helpful and she pays attention to detail. Details were very important to me because while I was a pretty laid back bride, I have a food allergy that could have ruined my day. Shannon was alert and aware and made sure that I picked a venue who was familiar with the allergy, and the handling of allergies. In addition to that, she also helped me out when I got stuck. I manage IT projects, not weddings and there were a few areas that I really needed advice (like etiquette). Shannon is a wealth of knowledge and the recommendations she gave me for ideas and for other vendors were spot on. She and her staff are courteous and professional and most importantly, they are there for YOU to make sure that YOUR DAY is PERFECT!! I have already recommended Shannon to two other brides. One got married before me and has been raving about her since. The other gets married this winter, and I guarantee will be saying the same thing, because the other quality that Shannon has is consistency. You always know that she is going to be the best.

For you brides out there thinking that you don't need a Wedding Planner to plan your wedding... I didn't either. I planned my wedding pretty well. However, for the coordination of things like the Rehearsal and then the day-of details, I completely needed the help. As a bride, you want to sit back and enjoy your day. Shannon takes care of the details with the vendors, the timeline (itinerary), she drops off your final payments for you so you don't have to worry about delivering checks on your big day. She makes sure people are standing/sitting where they're supposed to and that vendors are organized. She made sure that my husband and I got some alone time together by re-routing guests, to allow us the privacy that the bride and groom don't normally get. Those little things add up!

We love her and would recommend her to anyone and everyone. Reach out to her and have an initial consultation, or just a quick phone call and you will be as impressed as we have been."

Mikaela and Ryan review WPP

Mikaela and Ryan were married at 11 North Pearl on May 11, 2012.  Mikaela is a super sweetheart and posted this review of my services on Wedding Wire.  Thank you so much for posting this Mikaela!!!

To see more reviews from past clients CLICK HERE. 

"Wedding planning plus was a gift from my older brother who also had her as a wedding planner. It was the best wedding gift that I could ask for. We had Shannon for the last month of planning before our wedding. It was the most stressful time and Shannon took over everything and put me right at ease. She did things that I didn't even think of or she already took care of things before I ask. She always had answers to my questions and if not she would find out the answer. You can tell she really loves what she does. I trully believed that I wouldn't have made it through the last month of planning without her. She wasn't available on the day of the wedding, but she had everything organized in advance and our wedding ran so smoothy. It was absoultely amazing and I owe it all to her."

A Look Ahead - A+B

These two lovely people are getting married this year in Saratoga and I have had the pleasure of working with them to plan their big event.  While we are in the midst of planning photographer Tracey Buyce traveled to their neighborhood last month to shoot their engagement photos.  This couple is quirky and fun and I can't wait for their big day to get here!  Thanks Tracey for these amazing photos! 

Kristina and Jason's Post-Wedding Take on Videography

Photo by Tom Wall Photography

All you WPP blog stalkers should recognize the fabulous Kristina and Jason from their wedding last fall at the Inn at Erlowest.  Their videographer Dave Bigler interviewed the couple and asked them all the tough questions about wedding videography and their decision to choose to go with video for their event.  You can see the entire interview here, as well as another opportunity to view their beautiful wedding video.  Enjoy!  

CLICK HERE

Anna and Andy's Wedding Video!

Anna and Andy were married at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs on April 28th.  At the last minute the couple decided they wanted to hire a videographer and I pointed them in the direction of my good friends at NuVue Cinema.  Will and his assistant did a fantastic job capturing the true essence of Anna and Andy's big day.  Click on the link below to watch their wedding video trailer!

VIDEO TRAILER

Hiring A Wedding Planner - Reasons Part Two

Dave Bigler had so much to share on his blog about his favorite wedding planners that he had to spread the content out to two posts!  Hopefully you have clicked on and read Dave's thoughts about why to hire a wedding planner in his first post, but here is a whole additional side of things to consider when choosing if a planner is right for your big day.  Let me just jump to the punch line:  We're so totally worth it.  ;)

READ DAVE'S BLOG POST HERE

Anna and Andy's Wedding Photo Sneak Peek!

Anna and Andy were married YESTERDAY at the Canfield Casino and photographers Matt and Leah Bailly of Bailly Photography worked at super speed to get this sneak peek photo out for everyone to see.  This was an incredible wedding and I loved every minute of planning it.  Keep an eye out for the complete wedding recap to be posted soon!



A Look Ahead - Sarah and Eddie

Sarah and Eddie are getting married this November at River Stone Manor in Glenville. They set up a winter engagement shoot with their photographer, Matt Bailly of Bailly Photography, in their hometown of Brooklyn NY. I wasn't there for the shoot but from what I hear it was a crazy cold windy day, but you wouldn't notice these two were phased much by the cool (no pun intended) demeanor they kept during the shoot.

Sarah and Eddie will remain busy over the coming months with their wedding planning but you will see these two back on the blog over the winter when I post their full wedding day recap!

Kate and Jeff's photo is in Bridal Guide!

Congrats to Erica Ferrone, wedding photographer extraordinaire, who shot Kate and Jeff's wedding in Vermont with me last summer. Erica took about a million amazing photos that day and one of them landed its way in Bridal Guide as one of their 25 favorite wedding photos of the year!

Check it out here!

Why You Should Hire A Wedding Planner

As you saw in my last post I was asked by a fellow colleague to share my thoughts on wedding planners and why we are such a benefit to every bride and groom's big day.  I could recount all of the words I shared with Dave Bigler and his team but instead I will direct you to read his blog post where I and other area planners shared our thoughts on our own segment of the industry.  Thanks for having me Dave!

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Wedding Planner

A colleague and wedding friend of mine asked me this week to contribute to a post he is putting up on his blog this week - the top 5 reasons why a couple should hire a wedding planner. After sending him my thoughts I figured it might also be helpful to post them here. So if you are reading this and on the fence about whether or not you need a planner hopefully this info will help:

1. Weddings are a BIG DEAL and one of the most important moments in a couple's lives so far, if not the biggest moment. On top of the emotional investment there is also a substantial financial investment that goes into hosting a wedding celebration for your family and friends. This importance of this event should not be left up to chance, which is where a wedding planner comes in. As a planner I help my couples find the venue and vendors who are the best fit for them, I guide them through the design and decor decisions to bring their vision to reality, and I make sure there is no detail or piece of the planning that is missed or forgotten along the way. And one of the best parts of working with a planner is having a professional you can go to at any time with any question, no matter how big or small that question may be.
2. Today's couples are very busy people, often working long hours and having additional commitments with graduate school, a second job, or family or community interests. Planning a wedding can seem like a 40-hour a week project and a lot of busy couples just don't have the time available to spend researching every option in the area for cakes or making sure they didn't miss any possibilities for local venues. A wedding planner is the wedding expert who can save couples tons of time and energy by presenting them with their best vendor options and cutting out all of that hefty research time. Most couples are amazed at how quickly they are able to find amazing vendors with my help and they know that they are booking a wedding professional they can trust and feel confident that they will do a fantastic job on their big day.
3. Wedding planners can reduce a bride and groom's stress level big time! I can't tell you how many brides tell me that they are feeling pressure from a parent, a friend, or a guest in regards to something with the wedding. Or that there is drama brewing among the people they love because of the seating chart, the selection of bridesmaids, or aspects of the formality of the event. And some brides just don't feel as connected to certain members of their family and need a planner to step in not only as a hired vendor but also as a friend. There have been countless incidents where I have assisted my couples in smoothing out some kind of stress or potential drama just by talking it out with them and taking over some of the burden to release their pressure. This is one major reason why choosing the right planner is so important - you never know exactly what you will need them for!
   
4. If you didn't think the Capital District/Adirondack area is a hot spot for destination events think again! The majority of my couples live out of state and are planning their wedding in the Albany/Saratoga/Lake George area. Most of them either grew up here, went to college here or vacationed here as kids and now want to return to this area to get married. When planning a destination event it can be really intimidating to try an do everything from far away. Hiring a wedding planner who works in the area gives you a local expert to connect you with all of the best resources this region offers. And with the help of modern technology so much of the wedding planning can be done through email, Skype, and texts so that the bride halfway across the country feels just as connected to her wedding here as a local bride would.
5. Wedding planners are not only used for the full planning of an event, we are also utilized quite frequently as day-of wedding coordinators. Even if you want to plan your wedding yourself there is a moment along the way where you sit and wonder who is going to be responsible for all of the tiny details on your wedding day. It can't be you and it shouldn't be anyone in your bridal party and family, so a day-of wedding coordinator is the perfect vendor to take the reigns on your big day and allow you and your loved ones the opportunity to relax and stay engaged in the special moments. Day-of wedding coordination is the fastest growing segment of my business because the service is so vital and so invaluable. Ask any bride who decided to hire a coordinator and they will tell you it was easily the best investment they ever made!

A Look Ahead - Anna and Andy

Anna and Andy are getting married at the Canfied Casino in Saratoga Springs in just two weeks! In anticipation of their big day I wanted to share with you some of the photos taken during their engagement shoot. Photographer Matt Bailly of Bailly Photography met up with the couple in their hometown of NYC and they went all around Manhattan taking these shots.

Keep an eye on the blog in the coming months to see the recap of Anna and Andy's big day!

Hot Off The Press

Our latest newsletter was just emailed out - did you get yours? If not leave a comment below or forward me your email address directly and I'll get you added to the list.

Warms My Heart

I love sharing heart warming stories and moments in my job that reaffirm the love for what I do...

In a recent blog post I recapped the wedding of Tori and John Romeo who came to me as a wedding gift from Tori's older sister (and one of my 2009 brides) Crystal. I planned Crystal's wedding and when her little sister got engaged she hired me as a gift to the bride and groom to give them the same assistance and guidance on their wedding day. Then just this past December I was hired by a best man who wanted his best friend and future wife to have a stress free wedding day. It touched my heart that he would be this generous to his friend and that he would come to me seeking the help they needed.

Well the most recent news is that just this weekend I was contacted by a former bride and groom who used me to coordinate their wedding two years ago. The groom's sister is one month away from her big day and is having a really difficult time putting together all of the final details and making sure she isn't forgetting anything. This bride is so stressed out that she basically can't wait for the wedding to just be over! My former couple contacted me asking me if there was anything I could do to help out and smooth things out in these final weeks. I put together a custom package for them and they surprised the anxious bride who broke out in tears when she heard the news. She was so relieved to know that she didn't have to carry the stress alone anymore and that she had a wedding planner to help her and make sure that her wedding day goes off without a hitch.

I love all of my couples and I truly do love what I do for a living. But when I have past clients who love me enough to want their siblings to have the same planning experience they did, that just puts me right over the moon. Thank you to all of my happy couples and for the opportunity to have all of these wonderful family 'reunions'!

Love,
Shannon

Will You Be Having a Best Woman or Man of Honor?

Photo by Erica Ferrone

When selecting their attendants most bride's choose from a group of their closest girl friends, but what if someone who is especially important to you happens to be male? Or if you're the groom and you want to have a female in your bridal party? In that choosing a 'bridesman' or 'man of honor' and a 'groomswoman' or 'best woman' is an option for you. I have had several weddings where there were guys as bride's attendants, or women who stood on the side of the groom. They can be dressed the same as the other people in the bridal party, meaning a man of honor can wear the same tux or suit as the groomsmen and a female attendant can wear the same dress as the bridesmaids, or you can choose a coordinating outfit for them.

A wedding party is supposed to be comprised of the people who you feel closest to and who you want standing beside you at the altar as you say your vows. If that person happens to be a bride's best guy friend/relative or a groom's best female friend/relative then bring them in and allow them the chance to share in this special occasion with you, regardless of what side of the altar they stand on.

Photo 2 by Jeff Foley Photography
Photo 3 by Hillary Harvey

Destination Wedding Spotlight - Vermont

Vermont is a beautiful state with snowy winters, warm summers, and the best fall foliage around. With the Green Mountains, secluded lakes, and a local love of nature there are tons of outdoor activities available to enjoy like hiking, skiing, fly fishing, paddling, and just about anything else you can think of. I've always loved Vermont and have spent many vacations and overnights in towns like Manchester, Dorset and Woodstock in Southern Vermont and Stowe and Burlington in Northern Vermont. There are so many unique sections of this state with beautiful bed and breakfasts, resort, barns and outdoor spaces for ceremonies and receptions. Add to that spectacular local vendors and the government support of marriage equality and you have a state that offers an awful lot to an awful lot of engaged couples.

I am always looking for a good excuse to get to the Green Mountain State and would be happy to help anyone looking to have their special day in this very special state. Call or email me to schedule an appointment so we can chat through all of your options and get you started planning your Vermont affair.