Stowe Wedding - August 21, 2009

I had the pleasure to consult on this Destination Wedding down in the beautiful Charlotte, NC area. The bride is a very good friend of mine from way back to our childhood which made the whole event that much more special to me. She chose a beautiful botanical garden location for the ceremony and reception, and kept her palette to a soft and natural green and purple. All of the design elements were chic and classy, and they blended together to create a backdrop that was both personal and elegantly simple. I love both the bride and the groom, and thank them so much for letting me be a part of their special day. Congrats you two!! :)

All of these photos were taken by a fabulous husband and wife photography team, Dean Forsyth Photography. http://www.deanforsyth.com/. Enjoy!

Thanks Rob!

On Labor Day weekend Laura and I coordinated a wedding for a LOVELY couple at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs. It was my first time working with their photographer, Rob Spring, and I was super impressed by his demeanor, approach and attitude with the couple and their families. Rob posted some sneak peek photos on his blog and left some kind words for me.

"Shannon Whitney from Wedding Planning Plus also helped to coordinate the day with her play by play keeping everyone on schedule. Unlike many wedding coordinators, Shannon was so relaxed and pleasant, it rubbed off on Ryan and Sarah, from the time I started photographing until I packed up to go home, they were grinning from ear to ear. Well done Shannon!"

Awww! Thanks Rob!! I'll be blogging about this wedding soon! To check out the rest of his post and see the BEAUTIFUL images click on the link below...

http://www.robspringphotography.blogspot.com/

WPP Photo of the Week!

Today is the first day of fall, and my FAVORITE time of year, so of course I have to post a fabulous fall wedding photo as this week's Photo of the Week. This picture was taken by Hillary Harvey and was at a wedding on the Great Sacandaga Lake on Columbus Day weekend of 2008. The bride had seen a picture of a stunning arch and the Best Man recreated it out of wood in the local area. How gorgeous is that?? The couple kept their guest list small and was under 50 people, and for their bridal party they went with linen pants for the guys and various rich fall colors on satin fabric for the girls. The weather couldn't have been any nicer and we were able to stay outside for photos in the wonderful late fall warmth. I just love this picture because I think it captures the season, the mood, and the couple's simplistic elegance all at once. Happy fall everyone!! :)

Our Favorite Guest Books

Photo by Out of the Ordinary Photography

Guests books are a staple at every wedding, as the bride and groom like to have a keepsake record of all of the guests who attended their wedding. Guests books always used to be, well, "guest books", but many couples are choosing to put their own spin on the concept and create a unique memento that is personal and more useful to them in the years after their big day. Check out some of the guest books we've been seeing lately.

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

At this wedding our bride and groom chose to have guests write well wishes on small pieces of paper and they had clear glass jars on the table next to the papers to collect all of the tiny messages. The paper was in shades of greens and pinks which matched the colors of the wedding. We've seen this at a few of our weddings, with a few variations on the same basic idea. Some couples take the jars home as-is and display them on their mantle or around their home. Other couples take the papers out and fill the pages of a scrapbook album that showcases other wedding keepsakes, as well. Either way it is a nice way to get personal messages from your guests that you can look back on for years to come.

Photo by Out of the Ordinary Photography

There is nothing wrong with tradition! A classic guest book is still an acceptable way to collect all of the names of the guests at your wedding. There are lots of beautiful books out there, like this one that had a beautiful silver cover and matching pen. Other couples of ours have decorated the cover of their guest book in the same color fabric and ribbon that they used in other areas in order to tie all of the accessories together. Whichever way you do it, just make sure you have a nice pen available and a back up, just in case.

Photo by Tracey Buyce Photography

This is a very popular idea and I'm sure you've all seen this at weddings! The signature frame is wonderful because you can truly display your guests' names and messages in your home after your wedding. There is no way of missing this when it's up on your wall! You can put any picture of the two of you in the frame, but if you've had the pleasure of doing an engagement photo shoot with your photographer then definitely use an image from then. Remember to take the glass out of the frame and have a permanent marker or pen that won't bleed through or fade. Also, keep the mat in the frame so you don't accidentally get guests to write outside of the border.

Photo by Michael Grace-Martin Photography

Here is another signature frame, with a picture from the couple's engagement session inside. If you have an easel it is a nice way to display the frame on your place card or gift table.

Photo by Tracey Buyce Photography

This is another great idea and one of our favorites - a Polaroid guest book! Yes, we know that Polaroids are phasing out and it's difficult to find cameras and film, but if you can get your hands on some then this is a super and your guests will love it! Put out a camera, a photo album, and a few pens and let them go. Guests can take pictures of themselves and sign the book near their image. What you get is a photo album full of the names and faces of all of the guests who attended your reception.

Photo by Jill Kaiser Photography

For this wedding the couple had purchased two books made specifically for Polaroid pictures. The Polaroids slid into the pages and guests had the whole page to themselves to write whatever message they wanted. During the reception my assistant went around and took pictures of every guest to make sure that they all made it into the book. After that we put the camera out for guests to do what they wanted with it. They definitely got some fun pictures!

Photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman Photography

Another really fun spin is to have a photo album of you with pictures that document the stages of your relationship. This couple had first starting dating in high school, so their pages showed pictures starting way back then. They had photos of their life out in Colorado (where they now live) and lots of fun family pics of the two of them with their dog. If you decide to go this route just make sure your pages have plenty of empty space for guests to write their messages. There are lot of websites that you can create your own photo books so go online and play around.

Photo by Shannon DeCelle Photography

And lastly, who says you even need to do a book at all? Why not have a guest plate?? This couple chose to use one of the signature plates from one of the local craft stores. The colors for their wedding was purple and silver, so they used purple markers for guests to write all around the ceramic plate. Then when they got home they were able to display the plate as artwork and a precious memory from their special day.

As you can see there are lots of options for guest books, and you can go wild and choose whichever option best fits your style, personalities, and needs. There are no rules - have fun with your wedding! :)

WPP Photo of the Week!

With the popularity of the new Rock Band game, I now find that on a daily basis I'm humming a slew of Beatles tunes and itching for a gaming system. I know, you're probably wondering what that has to do with this Photo of the Week. Although some may see it as a stretch, I can't help but think of Abbey Road every time I see this photo from one of my June 2008 weddings. This picture was taken by Niki Rossi - http://www.nikirossi.com/ - and is just simple, uncomplicated and beautiful. This was a very natural and eco-conscious wedding and Niki definitely captured the essence of this couple in photograph form.

All you need is love, love. Love is all you need... :)

Parker Wedding - July 25, 2009

Here is another wedding that I blogged a sneak peek for in July but now that I have all the images from their photographer I am thrilled to post this full list of their amazing wedding. These pics are courtesy of Tracey Buyce - check her out at http://www.traceybuyce.com/ . This was a stunningly fabulous wedding, obviously, as you can see from these pics of the entire day. A Sagamore setting, right on the shores of Lake George, with a modest guest list of 39, one large dining table, and a full on effect of design help from David Michael Schmidt at http://www.renaissancefloraldesign.com/ . Beautiful floral arrangements, elegant and chic reception space, gorgeous lake views, and a wonderfully loving couple equals one of the best weddings I have ever had the pleasure to work on. Enjoy these additional images!

Thanks for choosing me to be your wedding planner! You were such a great couple to work with, and I will definitely remember this wedding forever! :)

Mr. and Mrs. Miller - June 6, 2009

This couple got married this past June at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs. I blogged about them using some sneak peek shots, but now that I have access to all of their images I wanted to throw a few more of them up here. (For the full description of their event go back to their sneak peak post from July)

Their photographer was Heather Bohm-Tallman and all of these amazing shots are hers. http://www.hbtphoto.com/ Enjoy!

WPP Photo of the Week!

This is one of my favorite pictures because it has so much energy and shows all the life and love this bride and groom have for one another. The photographer, Holly Greene of Out of the Ordinary Photography, mixes up the editing with this color splash of her bouquet on the black and white image. I love the way that red color pops. Great pic!

Discounted Rates for Fall and Winter Weddings!

Wedding Planning Plus is offering our first ever

~ Fall and Winter Wedding Sale ~

Your wedding may be months away but there is still a lot to do.
We know how hectic this time is for you

and we think you've been doing this hard work for long enough.

Now it’s time for you to relax and let us worry about the details.

We'll give you the same star treatment that we offer

in our regular service packages,

but you'll get it at a 20% discount

if you book one of our open fall and winter wedding dates.

Discount applies to full or partial wedding planning,

day-of wedding coordination,

and bridal consultations for weddings in the months of

October ’09 through March ‘10.

Let us take things from here so you can enjoy every moment of your special day.

Offer does not apply to invitation, favor, or gift orders.

Dates are limited. New clients only. Call for availability and pricing.

Discount offer ends September 30, 2009.

You should attend your wedding, not tend to it.

Let us help you plan the wedding of your dreams...

_________________________________________________

Wedding Planning Plus offers wedding planning and day-of wedding coordination services throughout Upstate New York and New England.

Call us at 518-269-1243 or e-mail us at

Info@WeddingPlanningPlus.net for more information.

Wedding Planning Plus

www.weddingplanningplus.net

518-269-1243

WPP Photo of the Week!

This is a stunning picture of the bride and groom outside their wedding location, the Union Gables B&B in Saratoga Springs. Their photographer, Emma Dodge Hanson, caught the beauty of the couple and of the historic mansion, in the night's twilight. This was a wedding I coordinated back in 2007, and if you ever go into the Gables look for this photo hanging on the wall inside the front parlor.

Oh What a Night

I just got home from a very memorable wedding that I have to blog about. I may never get the pictures back to post but the story is too good to not mention. This bride and groom chose their home and backyard gardens for the site of their ceremony and reception. They've been working for months to get the grass, flowers, shrubs, and trees ready for this one day. I've seen them in action, and they definitely put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the work there. And it paid off! When I was down to the house a month ago the gardens were in full bloom and they were stunning. Perfect backdrop for the perfect wedding.

Fast forward to tonight, or last night, I should say. Fast forward to Hurricane Danny and all of its rain. And where the gardens and the flowers and the lawn become, well, flooded. Under water. Completely soaked. Then add 100 people walking all over it. The result - MUD.

Every bride wishes perfection on her wedding day. Although we always have a backup plan for rain, most don't expect rain and mud and slop and filthiness on their big day. This is the kind of thing that would crush most couples, devastate the bride, cause panic among the guests, and completely ruin their wedding day - assuming they didn't just cancel the whole event all together. We're talking about that much mud. Even up until an hour before the wedding the groom and groomsmen were using giant squeegees to push the mud and water out from under the reception tent. They had a wet vac out and were trying to vacuum the grass around the dance floor. The groom's 70 year old father was working a drainage pump to try and push the water across the driveway and away from the wedding site. This is the amount of mud that would have some brides thinking about calling the whole thing off. It was a lot of mud.

But to this bride and groom it didn't matter. They had the right perspective all along. They didn't get bogged down in details, held back by weather or circumstance, and they weren't going to let anything get in the way of their perfect day. Because the day was perfect because of people not things. It was perfect because their family had come in from all over - including some from Italy - to be there for them. It was perfect because of their friends and neighbors who gathered there for the union. It was perfect because she was marrying the man of her dreams and he was marrying the woman of his. And no hurricane or rain storm or Woodstock-like mud pit could get in their way. The bride picked up her dress, threw on some big rubber boots and walked proudly down that aisle. And she was as gorgeous a bride as I've ever seen.

I have worked with many many brides who stress over things like ribbon colors, hair pins, best man toasts, fussy bridesmaids, invitation font, and every other detail that is painfully tiny. Sure, these are important, but if you step back and remember what you're really there for - you are joining your life with that of another person and pledging to love them and be with them for the rest of your life - and you keep that a focus throughout the planning - then everything will be fine. I promise. I know it. And I believe it even more after tonight...

To tonight's bride and groom, Michele and Eddie - you are beautiful people and you had a beautiful wedding!!! Thanks so much for letting me a part of your special day. I would love for all of my couples to have the same carefree approach to their wedding day that you did. You guys made it great because of the wonderful people you are and I know you are heading into a lifetime of happiness together. Love you guys!! And send me pictures!!! :)

WPP Photo of the Week!

Who doesn't love a great cake?? This was made by Angelina Tallman (Cakes by Angelina) for a wedding we did last fall on the Sacandaga Lake. This adorable seasonal cake had at least one layer that was a rich chocolate flavor (does that give away the fact that I had a piece??), was covered in a simple white buttercream frosting, and decorated with cute little fondant leaves in shades of browns and oranges. It was just as delicious as it looked! Angelina is a wonderful baker and I recommend her to a lot of my brides - and with cakes that look this cute that taste that good there's no reason not to! :)

(Photo by Hillary Harvey.)

Martensson Wedding - June 26, 2009

Mr. and Mrs. Martensson were married on June 26th of this year at Saratoga National Golf Club. They came to me almost a year before their wedding and hired me on to help them with their wedding planning. Little did I - or they! - know that a few months later the groom would be offered a job in Washington DC and they would be moving out of the area. Never fear, their wedding planner is here! I decided to go into hyper speed to use the most of their time and book as many of their vendors as we could while they were still local. We got a lot done in those short months! From there it was a piece of cake to do all the rest of the planning long distance. (How did we all function before e-mail?) These two were such a fun couple and I had a blast working with them on their wedding.

They went with a purple and silver theme and kept the emphasis on casual elegance and making sure they were throwing a party that everyone would enjoy. The focus was on fun!

Special thanks to Sarah Chilson at Saratoga National for being a great onsite coordinator and partner to me and these two. These photos are from Shannon DeCelle and, as always, she did a great job capturing their moments through her lens. http://www.shannondecellephotography.com/. These guys had a fun time and a fun crew with them. Check out these great pics!

How pretty is she???

Why do guys always look so relaxed before ceremonies? Love the black and white shoes!

The Martensson's used the always fabulous David Michael Schmidt at Renaissance Floral Design to do their flowers and centerpieces. There was so much bright beautiful color!

Who doesn't love a martini luge ice sculpture?? I told you these guys were fun!

No stuffy fancy-pants cake for these guys. This three layer square cake was covered in silver circles that picked up and reflected the purple uplights located behind it. The lush purple hydrangea blooms on each tier softened it a bit and added an element of purple to the silver accents. Yum!

DJ Greg Frasier rocked it out and these guys were loving every minute of it. This is exactly how every couple should do it - place your faith in your vendors, don't sweat the details, and stay present and in the moment the whole day. Your wedding day goes by too fast so take a lesson from these guys and enjoy it!

I had so much fun working with you guys and I'm so glad to see you enjoyed your special day!!