Amanda and Bennett - May 23, 2015

Amanda and Bennett were married just 5 days ago at the Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing.  Their wedding day was picture perfect - as you can see in these, well, pictures!  From the beautiful weather to the stunning flowers to the packed dance floor, and of course those shoes!  This is the type of wedding that couples dream of.

Amanda contacted me just over a year ago and enlisted my help in planning her big day.  She and Bennett live in Chicago but coincidentally Amanda grew up just a few miles from where I now live.  Through lots of emails and a few three-way phone calls we were able to put all of these wonderful wedding details together.  And although Bennett will say that he didn't help with anything I have to think that his quiet support of Amanda's decisions was all the help she needed.

Now for some of the details...  Amanda selected a color palette of soft pinks and corals which was carried through in her flowers and the linens in the reception tent.  Speaking of the tent, I'm not sure I have ever seen Shelving Rock Terrace look that beautiful!  The room was softened by fabric draped from the ceiling, and the custom chandeliers over the head table and the dance floor were to die for.  Amanda loved the look of lavender sprigs on her wedding cake and chose to add a single sprig of lavender to each of the guests' hemstitch napkins.  

And can we talk about the dance party??  From the minute the Hora started at the beginning of the reception it was obvious that this group was ready to party.  The only time guests stepped off the dance floor was to jump in on the Elario photobooth with its cool pink sequin backdrop.  Oh wait, there was one other time guests stopped dancing, and that was to step out on the lawn to watch the surprise fireworks display!  Amanda's parents wanted to surprise Amanda and Bennett with a fireworks ending and it was a spectacular way to wrap up an absolutely incredible wedding day.

I had the pleasure of working with an All-Star vendor team on this wedding.  First I have to give a major shout out to Joe and JP Elario from Elario Photography who not only took these amazing photos but also had them edited and out in just 5 days!  That's fast!  The incredible flowers and decor were all coordinated by the talented David Michael Schmidt at Renaissance Floral Design.  I loved all those peonies and astilbe!  Garland Nelson and Soul Session absolutely killed it when it came to the music and the party.  I can't emphasize enough how packed that dance floor was!  I also got to work with Make Me Fabulous, Jenny C Designs, Rabbi Monte Sugarman, Santore's Fireworks, Upstate Transit, and of course Erin Hamel and Abigail Shriber from the Sagamore.

I apologize for the long post but when you have a wedding as perfect and gorgeous as this one it is hard not to go on and on about all the goodness.  

Thank you Amanda and Bennett for choosing me as your wedding planner.  I am so happy for both of you!!

xoxo,

Shannon

A Look Ahead - Bridget and Chris

It's spring which means it's engagement shoot season!  These pics are from photographer Kevin DeMassio who did an e-shoot session for Bridget and Chris who will be married in Lake George in May 2016.  These two live in Washington DC and flew Kevin down to take gorgeous pics like these.  Can't wait for their big day!

Photo Sneak Peek - Amanda and Bennett

Amanda and Bennett had an amazingly beautiful wedding day at The Sagamore Resort this past Saturday.  Thank you to Elario Photography for these stunning sneak peek images.  I can't wait to see the rest!

Took A Little Time Off... To Get Married!

Photo by Heather Bohm-Tallman

I've been away from the blog for a bit but it's for a good reason - I got married!  While I would love to plaster all of my wedding photos on here, I think I will keep some of my private life private, at least for the moment.  But here is a shot of me with my WPP girls - Alli, Erin R, Erin M, and Melissa.  I love my team!

Melisa and Neil's Video Trailer Is Here!

Melisa and Neil were married on March 21, 2015 at St Mary's Church in Ballston Spa and their reception was at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga.  LaRose Media were their videographers and this is the amazing trailer for their wedding video.  Enjoy!  

Perspective From a Mother of the Bride

I just received a sweet review from a recent Mother of the Bride.  Thanks Margery for sharing your experience working with me!

To read all of our reviews CLICK HERE.

From my perspective Shannon Whitney did a superb job from start to finish. On the wedding day, she was present in the background working seamlessly and tirelessly to make sure everything went off perfectly as planned ... and it did! 
- Mother of the Bride

Look Who's On "All Over Albany"!

I was recently interviewed by All Over Albany for a piece they were writing about local wedding trends.  Check me out HERE!

Melisa and Neil - Photo Sneak Peek!

Photo by Luke Walker of Clark+Walker

Melisa and Neil were married in Saratoga this past Saturday.  I'm in love with this photo collage sneak peek - stay tuned for the wedding recap to be posted soon!

We Never Stop Improving!

Yesterday Aissa and I spent the day learning from the wedding industry expert Alan Berg.  At WPP we always strive to stay on top of trends, keep our minds sharply tuned to what is happening in the wedding world, and always work to learn more so we can do our best for our couples.  

Here is a selfie taken by Alan of all of us at the training.  Recognize any of the vendors in this crowd?

Sarah and Ari - May 10, 2014

I had the lovely opportunity to coordinate Ari and Sarah’s wedding on May 10, 2014 in Canadensis, Pennsylvania. Ari and Sarah are such a unique and fun couple from New York City. Ari and Sarah wanted to not only celebrate their wedding with their family and friends but they wanted everyone to join them for the entire weekend.

Sarah and Ari planned a laid back weekend in the Poconos that brought you back to your childhood and reminded you of summers at sleep away camp. Guests were invited to stay in the cabins on property and enjoyed a welcome barbecue Friday evening overlooking the beautiful lake. It was a great way to kick off the wedding weekend. On Saturday while JTH salon was getting Sarah all gussied up guests enjoyed basketball, kayaking, beach fun and even a high ropes course. Matt Unger, Camp Canadensis’ director, and his staff were so welcoming to all of the guests and wedding vendors.

Sarah and Ari planned a non traditional ceremony in which twenty-two of their closest friends and even their adorable four legged friend participated! Let me tell you this ceremony was a tear jerker. It was evident that Sarah and Ari loved one another and as a couple brought so much love and laughter to the lives of their family and friends.  Sarah walked down the aisle to her friends acoustically singing their favorite song True Love Waits by Radio Head. The beautiful ceremony was performed by Rabbi Laurie Gold and Sarah’s childhood cantor, Cantor Charlie Bernhardt. Both Sarah and Ari’s mother contributed to the ceremony with two beautiful poems, and while encircling the bride and groom the bridal party read a fun poem called I Like You. The ceremony finished with Sarah’s uncle singing I Got Lost in His Arms as the two newlyweds snuck off for some alone time.

Guests enjoyed a wonderful cocktail hour at sunset and retired to the tent for the rest of the evening where Sarah and Ari transformed the space into a beautiful reception. Sarah and Ari had collected antiques for over a year that were artfully displayed for their centerpieces and decoration. Sarah’s aunt arranged flowers from Jennie Loven’s fresh flower farm that brought the space to life. Sarah and Ari even brought their living room couch to set the stage for an open air photo booth! Guests were wowed by the space and party till all hours of the night with DJ Masika Henson!

A Huge thank you goes out to all of the wonderful vendors I had the privilege of working with. Beyond those I’ve already mentioned a huge thank you goes out to Palmeri Transportation for safely getting all of our guests where they needed to be.  Michele Delage with Poetic Pastries for a stunning and delicious wedding cake,  Grand Rental for their services and last but certainly not least Rob Loud and Lindsay for capturing every moment of this spectacular day.

Sarah and Ari it was an honor to coordinate your wedding day and an absolute pleasure getting to know both of you. I wish happiness and love!

Xoxo Aissa

We Are Hiring

We are currently looking for exciting and motivated individuals to fill the following positions:

-  Social Media Coordinator - Intern
-  Planner/Coordinator - Interns for the 2014 season

The Social Media Coordinator position requires an average of 15-20 hours of work which can be done from home, and a minimal amount of time spent working in the WPP office.  The length of commitment for this position is April through June.  

The Planner/Coordinator position requires attendance at weddings and events which mainly take place Friday through Sundays.  No additional office work is required, although there are opportunities to learn and experience wedding planning duties during the week.  The length of commitment for this position is April through November, although the season can be split for the right candidates.

Ideal candidates are college students or working professionals who have formal education and/or experience in the areas of event planning, communications, business, marketing, or other related fields. Prior experience is plus but is not required, and thorough training will be provided. 

If you are interested please e-mail me a copy of your resume and a cover letter explaining why you are interested in this position and what you hope to get out of the experience of working with my company. 

shannon@weddingplanningplus.net

All questions can also be sent to Shannon at the same email address.

We are gearing up for our best year yet and can't wait to add some fantastic people to our team!

Wedding Giveaway!

We are giving away a free wedding coordination package!  

One lucky winner will receive a wedding coordination package valued at $1250.  You will have your very own WPP planner to help you craft your wedding day itinerary, confirm all plans and details with your vendors, and be with you for your entire wedding day to make sure everything runs flawlessly.

You only get one shot at perfection - coordination services by WPP allow you to truly experience the wedding of your dreams.

Here's how to enter:

1.  Attend the Knotted Bridal Event at the Takk House in Troy on Saturday March 7th.

2.  Fill out an entry form at the WPP booth.

3.  Cross your fingers and hope your name is picked!

The Knotted Bridal Event is a curated wedding showcase for the offbeat couple who doesn't always fit into the traditional wedding market.  Knotted is a collection of independent artists, musicians, planners (us!), decorators and foodie superheroes.  This is a party, not a convention, and we want to see you there!

Takk House

55 3rd Street, Troy NY

Saturday March 7 from 12-4pm

For more information on this event - www.knottedevent.com.

_______________________________________________________________

Must be present to complete your entry.  Only one entry allowed per person/couple.  Winner will be drawn at random from the pool of entries.  You do not need to be present to win.  Winner will be contacted within 48 hours of the bridal event.  If the winner does not accept the prize a second winner will be drawn.  Wedding coordination services will be provided by a WPP Junior Planner (to be determined by WPP).  The wedding must take place in 2015 or 2016 and the ceremony and reception must be within 30 miles of the WPP office in Delmar.  WPP has the right to review all plans before agreeing to coordinate the winner's wedding.  Both parties must agree to and sign a service contract in order for services to be rendered.  Prize is not transferrable and has no cash value.  Open to new clients only.  Full price of the services is $1250.  All questions should be directed to shannon@weddingplanningplus.net.