Check out my new pic!

Photographer Annabel Braithwaite of Belathee Photography snapped this pic of me at Jolene and Brad Walajtys' wedding on July 11, 2010. I love this picture so much I'm now using it as my new head shot. Thanks so much Annabel!

Awww!

I had the pleasure of working with great vendors Saturday night for Katie and Neil's wedding, some I was meeting and working with for the first time. One of these was Vinny Liotta, owner of Cool Cat DJs, who, by the way, totally rocked this party! I had never worked with him before and certainly didn't expect to get this, but he sent me a little note after the wedding that truly touched me so I decided to share. Thanks so much Vinny!!!

It was awesome meeting you and working with you Shannon. To be totally honest, you took all the bad negative vibes, in general, that wedding planners get from other professionals, and made your profession proud! You are a GEM!! I would recommend you anytime, to anyone, you are on point, friendly, and you know what you are doing!! Can't wait to work with you again!! ~Vinny

O'Connor Wedding - Sneak Peek!

Their wedding is barely a few hours old and I already have an awesome sneak peek pic to post for you all. Katie and Neil O'Connor's wedding just happened earlier today in Albany and their fabulous photographers Matt and Leah Bailly from Bailly Photography have made public this amazing shot. Look for the rest to posted on here soon!

Time is Running Out! Don't Miss WPP's Winter Wedding Planning Sale!

Wedding Planning Plus is offering a

~ Winter Wedding Sale ~

Your wedding may still be months away and 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 winter wedding dates.

Discount applies to full or partial wedding planning, day-of wedding coordination, and bridal consultations for weddings in the months of November 2010 through March 2011.

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

Discount offer ends October 10, 2010.


You should attend your wedding, not tend to it.
Let us help you plan the wedding of your dreams...

Who do you love??

We know you love WPP but nothing is official until it's Facebook official... Go on, show us some love... I mean like... ;)

Let the good times roll!

We are blessed to receive praise from so many of our past brides! Some of these brides go on to wedding websites and post the most wonderful reviews about our services. We are honored to have be WeddingWire rated for 2010. Thank you all of my past brides who have gone on and talked us up!!

Read all of our Wedding Coordinators Reviews at

Parker Wedding - August 7, 2010

Mr. and Mrs. Parker were married on August 7, 2010. Having met as undergraduate students they decided to have their wedding in the place that first brought them together - their college campus. Colgate University became the destination of their big event and they filled the weekend with celebrations in locations that meant a lot to them in their college days. Kim added a lot of personal touches to this event like the box of flip flops for girls to dance in, a personalized ice luge reminiscent of the ones the groom used to use during college parties, the bright sparkler fun during their cake cutting, a cigar station outside the tent for the guys (and some girls!), having their little dog Hercules running around all night, and the luminaries to light the path to the reception tent as night fell. The guys even stayed in their old fraternity house the night before the wedding and as a thank you gift the bride and groom surprised me with a Colgate sweatshirt to make my experience at their campus official! Although most of this summer has been hot and humid Kim and Rob were blessed with a perfect summer day - it was sunny and pleasant during the day and as night fell the air became cool and comfortable which was perfect for their tented reception. And the color palette of pinks and corals really fit the mood of the day.

This was a beautiful wedding and I need to thank the talented John Seakwood for supplying me with these wonderful photos!! Also on hand was the ever so amazing band Bill's Toupee and Renaissance Floral Designs who created the beautiful floral arrangements.

Thank you Kim and Rob for letting me be a part of your special day!

Destination Wedding Spotlight - Key West

Thinking of running off to a tropical location for your destination wedding? Why not consider the laid back island location of sunny Key West. You and your guests don't need a passport, need to learn another language, or have to worry about customs because this island oasis is a part of the United States. Key West attracts visitors looking for a relaxing vacation full of sun, key lime pies, and a whole lot of nightlife. I just got back from a trip down there and I visited some really great venues and sampled some local activities that would make for a great destination wedding weekend.

Want to know more about what I found? Feel free to e-mail me at Shannon@WeddingPlanningPlus.net.

A WPP wedding was featured on My Kate Parker Wedding!

Check out the blog site of My Kate Parker Wedding - New England's premiere wedding blog - to see my August 14th wedding at The Sagamore featured on their site! Cool stuff!!

http://mykateparkerwedding.com/blog/


Bride and Groom - Andrea and Chris Villano
Photographer - Jennifer Mardus

Sneak Peek Photo - Alexis and Jon - 9.4.10

Alexis and Jon got married this weekend at The Sagamore Resort on beautiful Lake George. Tracey Buyce, their amazing photographer, sent me this sneak peek photo from their event. This was an incredibly beautiful couple married at an incredibly beautiful venue. Thanks for this teaser Trace, I can't wait to see the rest!

A look ahead... Karen and Jim

Karen and Jim are getting married October 16, 2010 at Western Turnpike. They just did a great summer engagement photo session with their super talented photographer, Dan Cooper. Dan met with Karen and Jim on one of the hottest days of the summer and captured these amazing images - and you can't even tell it was over 90 degrees outside! I love engagement photos because they are great formal photos to have of this special time in your relationship, and these pics that Dan took are a great sneak peek at how awesome their wedding photos will be.

Stay tuned for the real wedding pics in late fall. But for now, Enjoy!

A Thank You from My Beautiful Bride!

Even though I only coordinated her wedding, and I didn't plan it, I felt as connected and close to my August 14th bride as I did to any bride I worked closely with for years and years. Andrea Tully is one of the most magical women I've ever met, and her wedding followed closely in line with her style, personality, and special something-something. At her wedding she handed me a thank you card, even before I had coordinated a thing outside of her rehearsal. And this is what the card said...

"Dear Shannon -

You are a wonderwoman, woman! Thank you for being a source of information, sanity, and kindness. Having you a phone call away throughout this process has allowed me to get sleep at night. Some people truly love what they do, and it shows - you are one of those people. :) Please don't be a stranger, and we owe you a drink or two next time you are in the city!

Love,

Andrea and Chris"

Come and get it!

Heads up, brides! We are seeing a huge surge in new bookings - so thank you to all of you new couples who have chosen us for your planning and/or coordination needs! Of course as we book new events some of 2010 and 2011's most popular dates are being filled so if you are interested in having Wedding Planning Plus work on your wedding or event please contact us soon!

Words from my pretty little bride...

Two weeks ago Lauren and Joel got married at the Inn at Erlowest. I worked with these guys for a year doing the long distance planning thing since they live in Boston and their wedding was in Lake George. I just received a thank you card in the mail from Lauren and it was so beautiful I just had to share...

Dear Shannon,

We just wanted to thank you for all of your help this past year. When we first got engaged I was so overwhelmed by the enormous list of things to do. So glad we found you - you cut the to-do list down to practically nothing! Thank you so much for being available to answer all our questions big and small. Thank you for your patience, for reassuring us along the way, and for putting together a wedding that was better than anything we could have imagined! We're so sad that you can't be around all the time because working with you was truly a blessing during this past year. Thank you again SO MUCH!!

Love,

Lauren and Joel

Great wedding trend - "First Sightings"

Ok if you are super traditional and not into straying from the norm then perhaps this post is not for you. But if you are someone who is going for the easiest way to get your formal wedding photos done and still be there for most if not all of your cocktail hour, then this trend might be right up your alley. What am I talking about? It's called by different names depending on what region you live, but around here in Upstate New York it's commonly referred to as "First Sightings". Just picture getting all dolled up like you would before your walk down the aisle, but add in an hour or so of time with your fiance and photographer before the ceremony for some beautifully emotional and candid photos. It's a chance for you to see your beloved and actually be able to hug and kiss and hold them (something you can't do when you get to them after your walk to the altar). You can get just about all of your formal photos done of the two of you and your bridal party and family, too, if time allows. So that during cocktail hour you are not running around like a madman with a perma-grin trying to squeeze in a picture with everyone and their brother before cocktail hour ends. And for you fall and winter weddings First Sightings can have a very practical application because the sun sets a lot earlier during your time of the year and the option for outdoor photos is often not there after evening ceremonies. So this is where the traditionalists cringe and turn away because - gasp! - we're talking about the two of you seeing each other before you're standing together at the altar. But if seeing each other before the ceremony is not a huge deal to you then I say consider this whole First Sighting thing because it can get you some ridiculously good photos, help ease your pre-wedding jitters, and allow you and your lovie some nice time together before you have 200 people pulling you in all directions. Talk to your photographer about it - and your wedding planner of course - and see if this would work for you. A LOT of my couple are doing this now and they all have been super pleased with the results. Just check out some of these photos for great examples of First Sighting moments.

Jackie and Scott (photos by Heather Bohm-Tallman)

Joann and Vern (photos by Tracey Buyce)

Beth and Lawson (photos by Tracey Buyce)

Colleen and Eric (photos by Tracey Buyce)