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If I could give Shannon and Wedding Planning Plus six stars, I would do it in a heartbeat. I was kind of an odd combination of an aimless yet somewhat control-freaky bride, and Shannon was the best thing that happened to me. She helped me find direction where I needed to get moving, organized everything, and took care of every last detain on the day of. I did not spend a single second of our wedding day thinking about logistics/details, it was awesome. This was BY FAR the best money we spent on our wedding, I could not recommend having a planner more. And really couldn't recommend Shannon/WPP more highly.

When I hired Shannon Whitney of Wedding Planning Plus to help us plan our entire wedding I warned her that she would need to wear many different hats...

Having lost both my parents at a young age, I felt alone and completely overwhelmed at the thought of planning such a big and important event. More than that, I was sad at the realization that I would be missing out on many of the "typical" mother/daughter moments that comprise the experience of planning a wedding.

And so, I told her that I might be a little different from her usual bride. I would rely on her more to be everyone I needed her to be (best friend, mother, psychologist, wedding planner) and if Shannon wasn't any of those things before she met me, she certainly became all of them at one point or another in the year that we worked together. She was my ?planner in shining armor? and now I can say with all sincerity, I truly consider her my very good friend.

I interviewed three different planners in person before finally choosing Shannon, or should I say, before we chose each other. Having seen some of her work online, and meeting her in person, I knew that I wanted to work with her but, like every budget conscious person, I thought I would have to give up on my dream of working with the perfect planner because of what it would cost. I was after the full planning experience after all and I knew it wasn't going to be cheap. After writing a very sad email in which I told her that she was wonderful but that I was hesitant on the price of the full planning package, she responded by telling me that she really wanted to work with me and that we could adjust the price to better meet my needs. At that point, I couldn?t ignore my feeling that this collaboration was simply meant to be.

Shannon's cool relaxed demeanor was apparent from our very first meeting and was, for me, simultaneously very reassuring (the ?yang? to the ?yin? of what can only be described as those "bridezilla" moments she must encounter during this crazy stressful, emotional process) and also just a tad worrisome (is she too sweet? Are we compatible? Will we get along? I will need someone to speak on my behalf, be honest and fairly assertive). We would be working very closely together on a pretty big project for the next year or more of our lives and I wanted to enjoy it! When I was doing research into wedding planners before I found Shannon I read in a book somewhere someone who advised choosing a planner wisely, after all, she said, they will mostly likely see you naked at some point during the process! Indeed, on my wedding day Shannon did see me in various stages of undress, and of course by that point it was no big deal. The truth about Shannon is that she's just naturally pretty quiet and calm. When you talk to her, she listens and she takes it all in. Her attentiveness is real because she is real. Having someone help you plan your wedding is not just for reality TV or movies. This is real life, so if you are looking for David Tutera or Franck Eggelhoffer you won't find that in Shannon Whitney and that is what makes her good at her job.

My experience with Shannon was wonderful in so many ways. I could go on and on about how organized she is (AND SHE IS) and how completely and utterly indispensable she was to have on the day of our wedding (SERIOUSLY) no but seriously?I don't care if you have the tiniest wedding budget on the planet, or if you think you're a master delegator, the truth is, no one, least of all you, wants to be worrying if all the pieces are in place and if everything is going smoothly. If you're reading this review you're already in the market for a wedding planner so just do yourself a favor and hire Shannon.

Before I conclude my review I want say another thing about cost. It's hard to know what to expect when looking for a planner because let's face it, if you're looking for one you probably haven't been married before. This was my first and hopefully my only marriage. Knowing what I know now, having just been through the process I wouldn't think twice about paying what I paid or more. Everyone?s planning needs are different. Not everyone is going to need or want full wedding coordination (sorry Shan! Hope that doesn't cost you the big bucks ;)) but no matter what your needs are you should feel confident that you're hiring the most capable person for the job. After working with Shannon on my wedding for over a year, I'm here to tell you that she is worth every penny you think you can spare and so much more. Unfortunately for Shannon, it is all too easy to take her for granted because you, the bride or groom, are lucky enough NOT to know what planning is like without her. For weeks after your wedding you and your spouse will agree that it was perfect, the best day ever and how it really was a dream. You?ll be left wondering what you would have done without her and the best part of wondering is that you'll never actually know.

We hired Shannon from Wedding Planning Plus for day of coordination and I think it?s the best decision we made! She made the last few weeks up to the wedding stress-free. The week of the wedding she took over ALL of the details. Her assistance in coordinating everything with our vendors was invaluable. I think I would have been a crazy person if it wasn?t for her! I would hire her again in an instant! Moreover, her prompt and thoughtful responses to any and every question I sent her way really meant a lot. I can?t stress enough how great it was to work with her.

The team at Wedding Planning Plus was outstanding from start to finish! After an overwhelming experience with a fancy invitation shop we found Shannon through a mutual friend and never looked back. She guided us to perfect (and affordable) save the dates, invitations, table numbers, and thank you notes which was no easy task given that we have some very specific visual standards in our new family! Shannon's attention to detail helped us get exactly what we were looking for. Throughout all of our meetings Shannon was patient and understanding, never judging or criticizing our decision making processes. She supported our vision 100%.

Day-of wedding coordination services from WPP are another absolute must for anyone who wants to enjoy their wedding! We worked with Ginny, an expert planner, who was the saint of our wedding weekend. As a stickler for logistics there were very few people I would turn over the details of my wedding to, however Ginny is on top of the list. She gracefully navigated all of the contracts we had set up for our Welcome Dinner, ceremony & reception. She helped validate and confirm plans which was crucial in the weeks prior to the wedding when I was wondering whether my year of wedding planning would be truly worth it. As wedding weekend rolled around Ginny took over all responsibility so my parents, my in-laws, my groom and I could get down to smiling, laughing, talking with our guests and celebrating our marriage!

We hired shannon as a Day-of Coordinator for our wedding in September on top of the steps at the NYS Museum. I have to say, I didn't worry about a thing!! We didn't have a traditional venue so there were a lot of vendors to coordinate and i was worried that our parents and wedding party would be stuck figuring out the details of the day. I give credit to Shannon and her assistant for making out wedding day flawless!

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!

We hired Shannon for day of wedding coordination and rehearsal coordination, and as my husband recently said, it was the best money we ever spent. In the year before our wedding Shannon was responsive to our questions and referred us to great vendors who helped to make our day special. About three months before our wedding we met and reviewed a 12 page itinerary starting with set up a few days before our wedding and ending with our departure for our honeymoon, there was no detail overlooked.

Shannon was so easy to work with, she was flexible with our schedule and very accommodating. She was willing to meet us over an hour from her office because we live out of town. She is very responsive to all forms of communication. About a month before the wedding she took over the final coordination, confirming all of our vendors, setting up a minute by minute delivery, set up, and getting ready schedule, and supervising all aspects of the wedding. She was a point person for my vendors and made sure we were not bothered with last minute questions or problems in the weeks before our wedding. When our site asked us for insurance from all of our vendors two weeks before the wedding Shannon handled it and I never heard about it again!

The week of the wedding Shannon followed up with us to confirm and finalize every little detail of the preparations, ceremony, and reception, making sure nothing was overlooked and everything we wanted was accomplished. Prior to the rehearsal, she reviewed everything with us and made sure all of our personal touches were in place. At the rehearsal, she was informative and helpful and made sure our wedding party and parents understood everything. She even handed out a short information sheet for all of our wedding party so they'd know when and where to be the day of the wedding.

Our wedding ran flawlessly, thanks to Shannon and her assistant. They worked throughout the day and evening to supervise set up and make sure we stuck to our schedule. Every detail we wanted was taken care of and things were done for us before we could even ask for it. I found out after the fact that there were some glitches with the equipment for the caterer and the bathrooms and Shannon handled them in stride. We didn't even know there were any problems until we came back from our honeymoon!

Working with Shannon was a joy, I cannot recommend her more highly!

We hired Shannon to coordinate wedding details for our daughter's wedding. She provided services for the two weeks prior to the wedding and day of. As soon as we met with her and she laid out a detailed itinerary, I immediately knew we were in good hands. She's organized, thorough, and totally flexible. On the day of the wedding, Shannon took care of all of us and made sure that everything went exactly the way the bride and groom wanted it. Shannon's the best!

What can we say about our Wedding? It was amazing, just perfect !!! Our original plan was to elope in Las Vegas. As we tried to manage the arrangements from our home in Connecticut, we found it overwhelming to choose the venue and were left wondering what we were going to find when we arrived!! Instead we found ?Wedding Planning Plus? and Shannon Whitney to be the perfect answer to our problem. After our initial on-line inquiry and a telephone conversation with Shannon she was able to find us the perfect Bed & Breakfast in Saratoga Springs (where we were married), an officiant, photographer, dinner arrangements, flowers and even my hair appointment! And she was able to do all this in 2 weeks!! Our wedding day was perfect and one that we will always remember. Thank you Shannon!!

Shannon was a gift from my older brother who also had her as a wedding planner. It was the best wedding gift that I could ask for. We had Shannon for the last month of planning before our wedding. It was the most stressful time and Shannon took over everything and put me right at ease. She did things that I didn't even think of or she already took care of things before I ask. She always had answers to my questions and if not she would find out the answer. You can tell she really loves what she does. I trully believed that I wouldn't have made it through the last month of planning without her. She wasn't available on the day of the wedding, but she had everything organized in advance and our wedding ran so smoothy. It was absoultely amazing and I owe it all to her.

I know it is kind of late to write this review since my wedding was in 2009, however life has been a complete whirlwind since the wedding! Still, I wanted to share my experience with Wedding Planning Plus. When I hired Shannon I knew from the first call that she was what I needed in order to make my special day a success. She handled every detail, accompanied me to my appointments and gave me much needed guidance as I do not have one creative bone in my body. She was very quick and responsive to phone calls and emails. There was never a reason to panic. I did not have Shannon the day of the wedding but all of the preparation that she did leading up to the wedding was enough to make it go off without a hitch. She is very knowledgeable about local vendors and helped me stick to my budget. Her help pays for itself over and above the fee that you pay to use her! She made me feel like I was her only client when I knew this was not the case. If you are looking for a planner do not hesitate to call Wedding Planning Plus. It was the best decision I made for the wedding.

I had the wonderful pleasure to intern with Shannon a few years ago and knew that it would be lovely to have her coordinating our wedding day. She kept me at ease and helped me organize my thoughts :) Planning can be overwhelming but she gave me so many resources and support that it was wonderful.
Our day was amazing and she made everything run so smoothly that I knew we had nothing to worry about. It felt so nice to relax and know that all the vendors were on the same page and that the guests were going to have a fantastic time.
We couldn't be happier and can't thank her enough for her patience, understanding and sharing her skills to make our fairytale day perfect.

~ Kristin
1.7.2012

Shannon was the wedding planner for my sister's wedding in July 2009. When my husband and I got engaged in 2010, we knew we wanted to at least consider using Shannon as our day-of coordinator for our Do-It-Yourself wedding, so I emailed her right away. As it turns out, Shannon was actually at the same restaurant and sitting next to us the night of our proposal (I was a little preoccupied to notice but she recognized me)! We just figured it was fate :)

We are THRILLED with our experience with Shannon. She was attentive, resourceful, and there for us no matter what we needed. She was patient with our crazy family (for the second time around, lol) and I just don't know what we would have done without her. There were a LOT of bumps along the road of our DIY wedding, but with Shannon there, I never worried about a single one. My husband and I just enjoyed ourselves and our time with our guests and we knew that things were being taken care of...and they were!

If you're looking for an experienced, calm, patient, and assertive wedding planner or coordinator, then Shannon and Wedding Planning Plus are it!

We are both very busy young professionals in Albany, and we hired Shannon Whitney of Wedding Planning Plus to help keep us on track to plan our wedding. We never could have imagined how amazingly helpful she was! She kept us on track by creating detailed lists for us so we wouldn't fall behind on planning our wedding. Our monthly meetings were very productive. Shannon had the patience to sit with us through hours of questions and requests for advice, including sensitive family issues. She has impeccable taste, and she's not afraid to tell you when she thinks you're making a bad decision. Shannon is extremely professional, but at the same time makes you feel like you're planning your wedding with your best friend!

We hired Shannon to be our Day Of Coordinator and we could not have been happier!! Our ceremony and reception were taking place about 40 minutes apart so we needed someone hyper-organized who could take care of both locations and Shannon is that person. My Mom and I were able to enjoy and dance and eat because we knew Shannon was taking care of everything. The best thing she does is contacting all vendors the week before the wedding so everyone's on the same page. It was so comforting to know that everyone from the caterer to the DJ to the photographer knew the timeline and who the point person was. Shannon took care of everything; we couldn't have asked for a better coordinator!

I have to admit that I am a control freak. I love doing everything myself, and honestly I get even more stressed involving other people in projects. BUT I knew that I could not handle doing everything myself the day of the wedding. Especially because I was planning a wedding from 2 hours away in an empty barn where you rent the space and bring everything in yourself. That is when I found Shannon!! I cannot think of two better words to describe her than calm and poised. In fact she kept me calm, by her being calm. Shannon made our day run so smoothly... You can tell in all our pictures that I had not a worry in the world because she had everything in order! My husband and I were laughing and smiling all day!! :) One of my main concerns was having someone there to tell me when it was time for the cake cutting, the anniversary dance, the bouquet toss etc. The night flies by so fast, and if I had to keep track of the time myself it would have been midnight before I realized we never cut the cake!! Shannon would come up to me and give a 5 minute notice that we were going to cut the cake next, or that it was almost time to toss my bouquet etc. Everything went exactly on schedule the entire day! She also was there to fix those little things that pop up. The cupcakes we ordered were supposed to be set up by the bakery, but they just left them in the box and didn't put them on the stand! Shannon set up all 150 cupcakes on the stand beautifully (by color) and even took a picture to show me when she arrived at my parents house!! Oh, and the day before the wedding when we were decorating the barn Shannon stopped by to say Hi, see the barn, and go over things one last time. It made me sleep so much better that night because I knew that everything was all set. There is nothing more important than a good nights sleep before the wedding day!! I'm sure you can tell that my husband and I would highly recommend Shannon to coordinate your special day!!

I am a now totally relaxed M.O.B as my daughter's wedding was June 18, 2011.
We contracted with Wedding Planning Plus and worked with Shannon Whitney for well over a year. We were attempting a "destination wedding" at Lake George, NY. I cannot over-emphasize what an incredibly important role Shannon played in all of the planning. Not only did she hook us up with the absolute best venders in the area, she has such a good professional working relationship with them all that it made our dealings with them worry free and fun. Shannon's wedding experience is so vast that she was on top of every detail and kept us on tract doing what needed to be done. She responded to all our questions, worries, and imagined dilemmas quickly. Shannon is delightful to work with and, frankly, I miss her!

We hired Shannon for day-of planning for a wedding event with several complications--it was located in rural Vermont several hours from her home base (and she came to VT twice in 2 days for the rehearsal and wedding), a wedding at home but reception 45 minutes away, 12 in the bridal party, and a surprise during the reception that greatly impacted schedule and had to be kept a surprise from the bride and groom. We were able to contact her during the year prior by email for her advice on a variety of issues. On the wedding day Shannon had a full day solving problems at the reception site, driving to our home to direct the ceremony, and then a trip back down to the reception site for last minute touches and to direct the DJ. She was always calm and poised with helpful ideas when things didn't go quite as planned. We thank her for her contact with all the vendors prior to THE day, sending a very exact itinerary to all, then carrying out all the table set ups, candle lighting, place card setting, the quick thinking when the rain began to pour, the coordination with the DJ, and her wonderful organization at the end of the night carrying things to our car so we just could leave and not worry that something valuable was left behind. All that--and then she had to drive two hours home late into the evening. You might initially think her day-of service is above some wedding budgets but Shannon provides such peace of mind that her fee will seem economical when the day is done. Bravo Shannon!

Shannon Whitney was hired as a planner for the day of my wedding. Upon meeting Shannon, I felt completely at ease because of her professionalism, experience and attention to detail. Furthermore, Shannon was very organized and took all the stress off of me and my mother during the rehearsal and wedding. There are not enough words to express my gratitude towards Shannon and her assistants! The wedding went perfectly and was better than I could have ever imagined! I would recommend Shannon to any bride-to-be because she truly is committed to making the fairy tale wedding come to life!

Shannon worked with me to provide an itinerary, get my officiant and calm me down in the weeks and months before the wedding. Although there were circumstances out of my control, Shannon was very understanding and helped me realize that not everything matters and the things that do will sort themselves out.

It is difficult to find words that express the relief I felt the day of my daughter's rehearsal and wedding day, thanks to you and your AMAZING work.
I was so impressed by your professionalism, attention to detail and the utmost care that you gave the bride, groom and the wedding party. I truly was able to enjoy my daughters wedding, thanks to you.
I would highly recommend you and your staff to any and all who ask me about a wedding planner.
As you saw, the wedding was PERFECT! It truly was a "Fairy Tale Wedding". I hope that you enjoyed yourselves as well. I had more guests say to me that it was the best wedding they had ever been to.

My mother Planned my whole wedding, and Hired Shannon Whitney as a Day of Coordinator. I am not the easiest person to work with, and Shannon, was very professional. My first meeting with Shannon gave me the impression that she would be reaching out to all of the vendors and coordinating the wedding day itinerary. My mother and I received the Itinerary very quickly.

10 days before the wedding (6/15) we had not heard anything from Shannon in about a month (since 5/20), and the vendors had also not heard anything from her (she later indicated she had ?sent messages? to all of the vendors, but not everyone uses email on a daily basis). This added a bit of unnecessary stress to the weeks prior to the wedding wondering when/if she would be reaching out to the vendors.

The wedding day was perfect. She helped with the coordination or the wedding ceremony, reception and pictures. Very pricey for the services received.

After my first contact with Shannon Whitney, I knew I had made the right decision. I felt overwhelmed with the thought of planning our wedding, but Shannon guided me along the way and kept everything on schedule. I had no worries the day of our wedding because Shannon had outlined exactly what would be done and at the approximate time - the day was very organized, stress-free and my husband Jim and I have wonderful memories!

We planned our Lake George, NY wedding all the way from California. We went with Shannon's "Day-of Coordination" and rehearsal services. Our thought was, planning this wedding from afar is stressful enough, we want to enjoy it and not stress when the weekend actually came. And that was totally the case!
Shannon did everything I expected and so much more. From quickly replying to my panic emails in the final weeks leading up to my big day, to going over our wedding weekend schedule in depth and finally (and most importantly) allowing my husband and I to fully enjoy our wedding without and worry or concern. She took care of bringing all the gifts up to our suite, bustled my train, and even scattered rose petals around our room as a little romantic surprise!
Wedding Planning plus was definitely the best money we spent throughout this entire wedding. I would do it again in a heartbeat and I totally recommend Wedding Planning Plus to brides and grooms out there! I can't imagine anyone doing a better job than them!

Most brides (myself included) start planning their big day by cutting pictures out of magazines, obsessing over theknot.com, and then... by eventually driving themselves crazy. There certainly is not enough credit given to women who work full time (hello, it's 2010) and simultaneously plan a wedding. It's no joke. So after after kicking and screaming and beating myself up over the fact that I swore I could handle it from the beginning,that I would plan this entire event by myself... I finally called Shannon. Best decision I made for my wedding, hands down. Shannon had answers to the most mundane questions, and answered them like it was the first time she had heard them :) She was SO fast to return any calls/emails. She calmed me down when I felt nutty. And, the day OF my wedding, the woman was literally my second set of hands. I never thought about all the "little things" that need to be taken care of that morning...from getting the flowers to the right place/person to getting the ring bearer pillow to the ring bearer...to a limo being half an hour late (and yes, I was texting Shannon from the lobby at my venue freaking out :). Shannon took care of so many things that day that I have literally lost count and could go on for days about her professionalism and my gratitude. If I could tell a bride anything, it would be do not try to be a wonderwoman on the most important day of your life, that is what Shannon is for.. our wedding was gorgeous and seamless because of her.