Rebecca and Dave - June 23, 2012

Rebecca and Dave were married on June 23, 2012 at their alma mater of Colgate University.  The couple had met there while pursuing their undergrad degrees and felt it only appropriate to travel back to where it all began to speak their vows and make it all official.  

I loved this couple for so many reasons.  First they live in Connecticut and I live outside Albany so when deciding on a halfway location to meet Dave instantly said "There's a Chili's in Poughkeepsie.  Let's meet there".  We hashed out so many wedding details in the Chili's and Dave ate as much southwest food as he could get in during a one and a half hour span.  This groom loves Chili's!  Rebecca was a super sweetheart to work with, a true type-A planner herself who held nothing back when it came to her ideas and the things she wanted on her wedding day.  Nothing wrong with a girl with a vision!

On wedding weekend I got to meet all of their bridal party and family and it was a joy for me to be mixed in with such good company.  Many of them Colgate alums, they had a true connection to the campus and the community and I felt a part of some private homecoming which was very cool.  Rebecca and Dave used the Colgate Inn not only as their wedding caterer but also as the home site for overnight accommodations for themselves and most of their wedding guests and, in a town like Hamilton, when a wedding like this moves in it's like they are their own private sector of the village.  It was super cool to see all of the guests and bridal party mingling around town.

And why was I able to witness such sites?  Well that's because I was brought on to handle the wedding day coordination but also the ceremony rehearsal coordination and pre-wedding set up on the Friday of their wedding weekend.  My girl Erin and I packed a overnight bag and headed out to Hamilton and made it a long weekend for ourselves.  It was a fun wedding 'work trip' but also a fun girls trip!  Win - win.

Now on to the details of their event!  Obviously the bride and groom gave a nod to Colgate, not just in the choice of ceremony and reception location and in the Colgate pennant flag that was hung at the entrance of the reception tent, but also in the totally unique wedding cake they had -- See, these guys were both on the crew team in college so they decided to have their wedding cake made in a replica of the Colgate boat house - equipped with look alike versions of themselves and their bridal party as rowers in two boats.  Going with a bright summer theme their colors were corral with accents of sage, lime, orange and pink.  They had their traditional Jewish ceremony one side of the lawn of Merrill House with their reception held in a tent on the lawn adjacent from that space.  Guests had the whole lawn area to mingle and congregate on - and also battle each other in games of corn hole played on boards with Colgate logos painted on them.  Can you say crowd pleaser?

Joining forces with me on this event is the already mentioned Colgate Inn caterers led by the amazing Jana Truett-Crouch, ceremony musicians Candlelight String Quartet, DJ Great Music Company, flowers by Whistle Stop Florist, rentals from Morris Tents, the cake by Jen Comfort, officiating by Rabbi Monte Sugarman, and hair and makeup by Karma Spa and Boutique.  Super kudos go out to photographer Genevieve Fridley who was amazing to work with and provided me with these wonderful photos, and also to Maureen McKinnon from Colgate University who is the staff person on campus who deals with weddings and is nothing short of an absolute pleasure to work with!

Thank you Rebecca and Dave for choosing me as your wedding coordinator! Congrats and Mazel Tov to you both!!

Alycia and Everett Review WPP

Photo by Harlowe Studio

Alycia and Everett were married at The Inn at Erlowest on September 8, 2012.  They were one of those not so lucky couple who had to deal with torrential rain, a ceremony that was moved from plan A to plan B and then finally to plan C all within an hour, and a few vendor blips that were unforeseen.  But in the end they had an amazing wedding and I was right by their side to guide them through all of the good moments (as well as some of those not so good parts).  Alycia was kind enough to post this amazing review of me on Wedding Wire.  Thank you Alycia and Everett for being so flexible, kind, and so sweet!  

To read other reviews posted by our past clients CLICK HERE.

"Shannon really did an incredible job, and EVERYONE noticed! My husband, for one (who never met her until the day of because he chose to be more "hands-off" with the wedding vendors), kept saying throughout the day that she was so on top of everything and doing/did a great job. I'm so glad that I decided to hire her, Shannon allowed me to actually enjoy my day to its fullest extent (even through all of the craziness of a torrential downpour, stranded guests and shuttle cancellations!). Shannon and her assistant Erin were more than I could have ever asked for, and I'm so grateful for all of their hard work. At the end of the day, I really felt Shannon had become more of a friend who had my back vs. a vendor, although I guess it never really felt that way to begin with since she's so awesome ; )"

Taylor and Rory's Wedding Video

Taylor and Rory were married just this past Friday (yes less than a week ago) at St Joseph's Church in Troy with their reception following at Franklin Plaza.  Lance Wheeler was on hand for video fun and he was kind enough to share this video highlight reel with us.  Watch and enjoy!

Photo by Brian McGarry Photography 

Please CLICK HERE to watch Taylor and Rory's wedding video!

Ordering Bridal Stationery Just Got Easier

Photo by Tracey Buyce 

In addition to planning and coordination services, we also offer brides and grooms the opportunity to shop for their save the dates, wedding invitations, and all types of bridal stationery.  As a vendor for one of the country's largest special events stationery producers, the team at Wedding Planning Plus can also assist you in selecting the perfect place cards, table numbers, ceremony programs, and personalized gifts to give your wedding that special touch.  To view our complete inventory of products please click below to be directed to our own stationery ordering site.  

www.weddingplanningplus.cceasy.com

Amy and Stephen - June 16, 2012

Amy and Stephen were married on June 16, 2012.  Their ceremony took place in Saint Pius X Church in Loudonville and their reception was held at Pat's Barn in Troy.  I was connected with this couple through their caterer, Black Diamond Catering, as the bride and groom were looking for day-of wedding coordination service.  Upon meeting Amy and her mom I instantly fell in love with them!  The bride has a smart sense of humor and was so real about her day, keeping all priorities in perspective and not allowing herself to get trapped in a single bridezilla moment.  I didn't meet Stephen until the wedding day but quickly saw how his personality perfectly connected with Amy's.  They are both sweet and humble people who have a true love of family and of each other.

Joining me at this wedding were some wonderful vendors!  The was my first time working with photographer Andrea Casey and we had a blast together.  Thank you Andrea for sharing these beautiful images with me!  Michael and Heidi and the team at Black Diamond Catering provided ridiculously delicious food at the reception, and DJ Claude Sawyer from LaBoom Entertainment kept the dance floor hopping.  Oh and these absolutely beautiful bouquets were made by The Flower Girl in Watervliet.  Love the fresh colors!

I want to thank Amy and Stephen for allowing me to share in their big day.  You two are perfect for one another and I can predict you will have a million happy years of marriage together.  Congrats!!

Custom Made Escort Boards

Most brides are looking for fun an creative ways to personalize their wedding, and what better way to make a memorable impact on your guests than to display their seating assignments on your own custom made escort board.  These boards can be made in the colors of your event, include your own monogram or wedding logo, and can include personal elements or photos of you (a great way to display a photo from your engagement shoot).  Better yet these boards save on wasted paper over the standard tented place cards and after the night is over this board can hang as framed art in your home and a visible memory of all of the guests who attended your big day.  

The two boards above were designed by graphic artist Adam Anson who does all the custom boards for WPP clients.  In addition to the escort boards Adam can also design matching table numbers to create a cohesive design look to your wedding reception.  Options for colors and designs are endless!

If you are in the market for one of these we can help - just email me and I will get your started and on your way to having your own custom escort board at your big event.

Getting Married in 2013?

2013 is shaping up to be our busiest and best year yet!  We have some amazing weddings already on the books for next year and our team will be all over working at some really neat venues:

An alumni couple's wedding at Colgate University

An alumni couple's wedding at Hamilton College

A three day wedding event in Albany County

Multiple weddings at both The Inn at Erlowest and Sagamore Resort

A super fun wedding at Saratoga National

A four day wedding event in Manchester, VT

and we even have a wedding next year at Yankee Stadium!

Even with a growing team of planners and coordinators we are finding that some of the prime 2013 dates are  already booked for all of us.  So if you are thinking of using WPP for wedding planning and/or day-of wedding coordination services you really should reach out to us now before it's too late!  Don't forget to check out the "Meet the Planners" tab on our website to read the bios and select the planner who is right for you:

www.weddingplanningplus.net

Happy planning!

Shannon

Mikaela and Ryan - May 12, 2012

Mikaela and Ryan were married at 11 North Pearl on May 12, 2012.  This couple is very special to me because of the connections I have to both of their families.  If you remember back in the fall of 2010 I was the wedding coordinator for Mikaela's brother and sister in law's wedding - Tonya and Ryan at The Inn at Erlowest.  You may recognize Ryan (the brother) in the photo of the ceremony below as he served as the officiant for these two love birds.  You may also recognize the maid of honor in the photos below - yup that's Erin, WPP intern for this year.  Plus the fact that the best man and brother of the groom is a friend of mine, well you can see how the connections keep going and how this wedding had some very personal significance to me.

About two months before their big day I got an email from Mikaela's sister in law Tonya, my former bride from two years ago.  She wanted to know if I could help these two out in their final stages of planning because the stress of the home stretch was a little more than they wanted to handle on their own.  I instantly jumped up and down with excitement to know that I'd have the chance to not only work with this family but I would get to see them all again!  Mikaela and I began a set of regular meetings and formulated the perfect game plan to get everything done in that final stage and ensure that she and her fiance Ryan would experience the wedding they had been dreaming of.

I loved all of the personal details that Mikaela and Ryan put in to their big day.  The bride loves the color orange and went bold with bright orange dresses with the bridesmaids and complimented that with dark charcoal suits for the guys.  At the reception they used wine bottles as their table numbers and decorated their tables with orange napkins and floating candles with bright orange kumquats submerged inside.  Instead of allowing their guests to clink their water glass to make them kiss they laid orange hula hoops on the dance floor and made guests go up during dinner and hula hoop in order to get them to smooch.  They added a personal element to their cupcake stand by choosing a fun cake topper that described the couple to a tee.  Ryan is a hockey fanatic and Mikaela is his number one fan, as you can see in the picture of their custom topper.  Super cute!  Just outside the venue there was a cigar roller who was a big hit.  Who wouldn't want to stand in a tux or a dress on Pearl Street puffing on a cigar?  And if a cigar wasn't your style they invited guests to take home bags of orange cotton candy as a sweet treat to end the night.  All of these little touches added a ton of fun and enjoyment for them and their guests.

Unfortunately I was booked for another wedding that day and was not able to be there at their event but I had an amazing team of vendors on this event so I knew everything would go smoothly once I handed the game plan over to them.  First the photographer super duo of Jason Hupe and Erin Coker, also known as Gallery 9 North, were on hand to document all of the day's events.  Thanks guys for sharing these awesome photos with me!  This couple also had videographer John Tegan of Nuvue Cinema and the music mastermind of Mike Garassi from Music Man Entertainment to rock their reception out.  The team at 11 North Pearl were totally on top of their game and did a wonderful job with the set up and design and also with the food and service.  Central Market Florist did all of the personal wedding flowers, and as a fun surprise to their guests they had the Magnet Man on hand to set everyone up with funny props and backdrops and send them home with magnets to remember the special night.

Thank you Tonya and Ryan (brother) for bringing me on this to wedding with your family!  Mikaela and Ryan, I wish you nothing but the best in your new life together.  See you around town!!  xoxoxo

Amy and Stephen Review WPP

Amy and Stephen were married last month at Pat's Barn in Troy.  I served the role as wedding day coordinator for their event and could not have had a better time working a wedding.  Amy and Stephen might be the nicest people I've ever met, and their families were some of the nicest families I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.  Not surprisingly Amy took the time to post a review of my services online and I gushed at all the nice things she had to say.  Thank you so much Amy and Stephen!  Best wishes for what I know will be the best marriage ever!

To read more reviews from past clients CLICK HERE.

"Shannon Whitney and Weddling Planning Plus helped us with the preparation and "Day Of" coordination for our wedding in June. I cannot say enough good things about Shannon and would highly recommend working with her.

Shannon was EXTREMELY well organized and I knew that we were cut from the same cloth and that we would work very well together as soon as I received the very detailed, multi-page Wedding Day Itinerary that Shannon put together after our first meeting. From that point on, I really just let Shannon run the show and she did a spectacular job. Shannon thought of so many details that never would have dawned on me (oh, right, of course we will need speakers outdoors if we want people to hear the music during the outdoor cocktail hour!) and she worked directly with our vendors to take care of everything so that we didn't have to think twice about any of it. 

Shannon is a true pro - I get the feeling that she has seen it all and, consequently, she is prepared for anything and everything. She arrived at our house on the morning of our Wedding Day armed with an emergency kit and ready to deal with anything that we threw at her. My favorite part was seeing my mother a little frustrated with how the sleeve of her dress kept slipping off her shoulder and watching Shannon whip some double stick fashion tape out of her bag of tricks and and get my mother sorted out! 

Shannon was professional, pleasant and extremely graceful under pressure. She also did a great job of helping me to keep my nerves in check during a little bit of the down time that I had between finishing up with hair, make-up, etc. and leaving for the church. I was starting to get pretty anxious and antsy and I will be forever grateful to Shannon for her calming presence and her reassurance. 

I cannot stress how highly I would recommend Shannon. Thank you, Shannon Whitney!"