Kirsten and Brett - August 31, 2014

Kirsten and Brett were married at the Hildene - Lincoln Family Home on August 31, 2014.  This couple lives in Miami but with a family home in Dorset and their engagement happening on that property, getting married in Manchester, VT was the perfect fit for them.

Kirsten and Brett have a wonderful sense of style, and they planned the most elegant wedding.  Their ceremony was at the overlook just past the gorgeous gardens behind the home.  Then going with crisp whites and clear glass, along with bistro lights and a black and white dance floor, these two put together an absolutely stunning reception.  All of this paired with the Vermont mountain views and the rich history of the Hildene property and you don't get a more perfect set up.  Of course there was a little rain that day but to me it made for great photos!

Initially I was brought on by Brett's mother Sherry to provide day-of wedding coordination.  Sherry was so great to deal with, and then when I got the chance to meet Kirsten and Brett I just fell in love with the whole family.  They held a large rehearsal dinner the night before and I was asked to coordinate that which was super fun.  It was a lobster bake with live music followed by a super sweet video showing photos of the two of them growing up.  It was a great way to kick off the wedding weekend for everyone.

Joining me on this wedding were some wonderful wedding professionals.  Sheila Burks at Hildene is just the best to work with!  We make a great team and having worked with her on a few large scale weddings we really click together.  Photographers Crickett and Dean from Polis Photography were on hand to shoot both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding day itself.  The in-house catering team from Pangaea Restaurant did an amazing job with the food and dinner service, and florist Nancy Bishop wowed everyone with her gorgeous flower arrangements.  Alicia Romac from Legacy Images of Vermont was their videographer and Joe Bell from JSB Music kept their dance floor packed.  The stylists from Make Me Fabulous prettied the girls up and even did a hair change for Kirsten so she could have a cool updo for the reception.  Their officiant was Rabbi David Novak, rentals were from Rain or Shine, ceremony music was provided by the Dorset Trio, and transportation shuttles came from DuFour and the Land Rover School at the Equinox Resort.  And of course we cannot forget the most "Vermont" part of the night - the Ben and Jerry's ice cream cart that dished out sweet treats after dinner.  

Kirsten and Brett, it was so great working with you!  I am so happy that Sherry found me and included me in your wedding weekend!

xoxo,

Shannon

Sarah and Paul - Photo Sneak Peek!

Sarah and Paul were married last Friday at the Canfield Casino.  I just love this sneak peek image shot by Rob Spring Photography.  Can't wait to see the rest!

Jessica and Chris - June 21, 2014

Jessica and Chris were married at the New York State Museum on June 21, 2014.  Jess and Chris were a blast to work with!  Although I was only booked for their day of coordination I felt like I worked with them for years. They were such a joy to be around.

Jess and Chris acted as best friends. Between the two of them there was so much laughter and love. You could just tell by looking at them they were a team that could make it through any kind of obstacle thrown at them.

When I first met Jess and Chris I was blown away, these two were so organized and ahead of the game when it came to their planning. They knew exactly what they wanted and where they wanted it. But at the same time these two were so laid back and were excited to just enjoy the ride of their wedding day.

It was so much fun to see these two in action with their amazing bridal party who knows exactly how to party! They had their sun glasses out and their dollar bills flying for their introductions. Jess and Chris with their whole bridal party had me cracking up. Even after their wedding day I went through my pictures and found a dozen pictures of Jess with her bridesmaids doing “The Bridesmaids Movie” pose and had a good laugh.

Jess and Chris created such an amazing vendor team to ensure their day was outstanding.  Along with Albert at the NYS Museum they had “rockstar” photographers Scott and Lisa Kretschmann from Kretschmann Studio who took all these incredible photos. They also had Margaret with Nicole’s Catering doing an outstanding job with the food, desserts, service, you name it!  For their DJ they had Chris Wright with Cool Cat Entertainment who kept the party going with nonstop dancing. Their stunning floral arrangements came from Kris Ann Elario with Fleurtacious Designs. Kyle Anne Garcia was in charge of making these girls look absolutely fabulous with makeup. Finally Angela McCarthy was the “wow-factor” hair dresser, quoted by Jess and Chris.

Jess and Chris – It was such pleasure working with you both. I had a smile on my face all day and night seeing you enjoying your day with your friends and family. Thank you so much for having me as a part of your big day!

Xoxo,

Erin M

Kayla and Anthony's 'Wild Wedding' Video Trailer is Up!

Kayla & Anthony - Cinematic Wedding Trailer from Best Bytes Media on Vimeo.

Kayla and Anthony were married at a private residence in Rotterdam and Dan and Jaime Ross from Best Bytes Media shot this awesome video of their day.  The dance floor was really that packed all night - this group knows how to party!

Aissa Receives An Amazing Review From Melissa!

WPP Lead Planner has received two great reviews two days in a row!  This one is posted by Melissa and Matt who got married at The Sagamore Resort last month.  You can really tell this bride's appreciation of Aissa's help.  Thanks Melissa for writing such a heartfelt review!  

CLICK HERE to read all of our reviews on Wedding Wire.

"Aissa Murray was my day of wedding coordinator and my experience was simply AMAZING! I cannot express how thankful I am for all Aissa did to help make the days leading up to my wedding and my wedding day so perfect! 

Aissa was my right hand lady and there wasn't a request that she wasn't all over! She was always 5 steps ahead of everything and I couldn't have survived my wedding day without having her by my side! From holding my flowers, my dress, putting band-aids on my blisters, and just being there in case i needed anything. Aissa really went above and beyond to make sure you were happy with all your vendors and throughout the planning process!!! As an example, I was very unhappy with my hair and makeup trial 2 weeks before my wedding and Aissa met me at the salon and immediately starting researching to find me someone that could provide me with the look I was going for. She was able to find me a hair and makeup artist and met me at the salon for a trial. I LOVED my make-up and hair and was so happy that she was able to find me someone who gave me the look I had dreamed of for my wedding! 

Aissa also helped me find a bakery to bake me cookies as a favor the day before my wedding!! She even went to pick the cookies up for me and packaged them to have ready for my wedding day! Aissa is so thoughtful, caring, and really puts you first to ensure your day is just as you had planned. I can honestly say NOTHING went wrong on the day of my wedding and Aissa was the best investment I could have made for my special day!!! Go with Aissa and Wedding Planning plus, I promise that this service will make your wedding day seemless and stress free!!! Also, Aissa was definitely a friend in this entire process and it really felt like she was part of our family! Thank you again AIssa and Wedding Planning plus, you are amazing at what you do!!!"

Danielle and Daniel Review Aissa!

Reviews are coming in fast and furiously lately!  This one is posted by Danielle and Daniel who worked with Aissa Murray for their NYS Museum wedding.  Thank you both for sharing!!

To read more of our reviews head over to our page on  Wedding Wire.

"Whoa - I didn't even read all of the comments on this page (which, aren't shockingly, are amazing) and I still am beyond thrilled at my Wedding Planning Plus experience. My wedding day, the most important day of my life, would not have been as full and rewarding if it were not for Aissa Murray. She is truly the best thing that could have happened to me (besides my husband, I suppose). 

There were so many things I found out about from my husband and MOH and mother that happened on our wedding day that I never even knew about. The entire day was designed around making my life as stress free as humanly possible. I was sheltered from all non-essentials. 

I didn't even step foot in the venue, the NYS Museum (also amazing), before walking down the aisle. Aissa oversaw everything; favors, tables, flowers, decorations. She was right there with me every step of the way. She fixed my veil for pictures - held my flowers - made sure everyone was where they needed to be. She walked my friggin' flower girl down the aisle for crying out loud!!! 

Every gift and decoration was waiting for us in my hotel suite when we got home that night, accompanied with a bottle of champagne and rose petals leading to the bed. Like, REALLY?! 

I was having a breakdown the day before the wedding, Aissa sent me over a care package with a note: "Relax and enjoy - tomorrow you marry your dude!" I have that hanging on my refrigerator. 

Aissa was such a huge part of such a huge day. How could a complete stranger care just as much as I do about the day going flawlessly? There are no words for how grateful I am."

Amanda and Mike's Wedding Video Is Here!

Amanda and Mike's Franklin Plaza wedding video is here!  Created by the talented dynamic duo of Lauren and Jeremy at LaRose Media.  Check it out!!

Kirsten and Brett Leave Me A Sweet Review!

Photo by Polis Photography

Kirsten and Brett were married at the beautiful Hildene Estate in Manchester, Vermont.  They hired me for their ceremony rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and day-of wedding coordination.  They were a blast to work with, and they were kind enough to post this review of me on Wedding Wire.  Thanks guys!!

To read more WPP reviews click here.

"My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Shannon as our wedding day, or should I say wedding weekend coordinator at the Hildene Estate in beautiful Manchester, Vermont. A number of months before most of the planning was done, but there were so many details! We knew we would need an extra set of eyes to make sure everything ran smoothly and Shannon was our guide. From the beginning she was attentive to our needs and tried to ease an anxiety we had regarding our wedding day timeline. Even though her company is based out of Albany she came out to us in person in Vermont a few times to discuss plans face to face. What a relief! We knew we were in good hands. I was also having a crisis trying to find the right hair and makeup team and she gave me the best recommendations. Weeks prior to the wedding she coordinated every little detail with all of our vendors to make sure they were all on the same page. The day prior to the wedding she ran a very organized walk-through of the ceremony with our wedding party and helped coordinate our larger than normal rehearsal dinner. We had beautiful weather leading up to the big day, but a huge storm decided to come through the day of. Just when we thought our first look, wedding portraits, ketubah signing, portraits, outside ceremony and cocktail hour were going to be a disaster (also our perfectly planned timeline had to be completely rearranged), she calmly was able to make everything all work seamlessly. We had completely forgotten about the rain and had the most beautiful ceremony. She rescued our day! We are so happy we had Shannon on our side and it was the best decision we made. Thank you Shannon and WPP!"

Audry and Nathan Review Melissa!

Audry and Nathan were married in Sydney NY this past August and Junior Planner Melissa Jacobsen coordinated their big day.  The couple just posted this great review of Melissa on Wedding Wire.  Audry - Thanks so much for sharing these kind words!!

To read all of our reviews go to our Wedding Wire page

"My husband and I hired Melissa from Wedding Planning Plus for Day of Coordination services and are so happy we did! Not only was Melissa fantastic to work with (organized, accommodating, and fun), her experience and insight ensured we felt confident and calm in the last few weeks before our wedding. Most importantly, thanks to Melissa and her assistant Ally we were able to relax and appreciate our wedding day. After all the time, energy and emotion that goes into wedding planning there is no greater feeling than being able to sit back and enjoy as your vision comes to life. Thank you WPP and Melissa!"

Amanda and Mike - August 22, 2014

Amanda and Mike are the couple that all wedding planners dream to work with!  Amanda is a super sweetheart and Mike is her rock.  They had been engaged for four years before they came to me and had a series of issues that had come up that kept them from getting married but once we connected and the wheels started turning there was nothing to stop us!

Amanda and Mike are the type of couple that you just know - no matter what - they have what it takes to make it.  They are a yin and yang that not only works today but will serve them well through the test of time.  

I distinctly remember the first time I met these two.  They came for an initial consult at my office and Amanda had her four year old binder, a lot of ideas, and a ton of questions.  Mike sat very still - yet supportive - and when our session was done all he did was look at me and say "I think there are good things ahead for you and for us".  I knew then that not only were we set to embark on a fantastic wedding planning journey together but that these two believed in me and trusted me to build their most perfect wedding day.

Even though Amanda may have given off the vibe that she didn't know what she wanted for some parts of her wedding, this girl has style and class and put together details that created an amazing celebration!  Working off of colors of pinks, blacks, whites, and a silver glitter she designed a wedding decor scheme that screamed glitz and glam.  Amanda is a girly girl and deserved nothing less than having bling and sparkle all around her.  I mean check out their cake!  It was spectacular!

Amanda and Mike entrusted me to build an All-Star vendor team for this wedding.  Along with Joe at Franklin Plaza we had the uber talented Tiffany Wayne of Tiffany Wayne Photography taking all of these amazing photos!  Lauren and Jeremy of LaRose Media rolled video throughout, and DJ Vinny Vin pumped some serious tunes to keep everyone dancing all night.  Kyle Garcia killed it on the girls' hair while Kris Ann Elario stunned us all with the beautiful flowers for girls, guys, and for the reception.  Amanda and Mike's wedding cake was made by Villa Italia and their specialty linens were provided by Tablecloths for Granted.  And finally their church ceremony was at the Immaculate Cathedral in Albany and their vintage car and limo were provided by Advantage Transportation Group.

Amanda and Mike - You guys were so fun and I smiled all night at your reception watching you enjoy every minute of your night.  You are both so awesome and I thank you for including me to be a part of your wedding day!!

xoxo,

Shannon