Wedding Planning Plus

Congratulations on your engagement!  Whether you are looking for a one time consultation, a day-of wedding coordinator, or are looking for a full time wedding planner, we have the services to fit your needs. Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, so let us do the hard work for you so you can focus on enjoying every moment of your special day. We offer custom built service packages in full and partial wedding planning, day-of wedding coordination, and handle all aspects of destination events.  Contact us to schedule your free consultation, and let us help you plan the wedding of your dreams.

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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.

Shannon was absolutely the best wedding planner we could have asked for. She worked with us for over 2 years and was by our side the entire way. We are a busy couple, so she took over everything we could not do-right down to making our appointments. Over the two years my visions changed (and the date-Twice!) but no matter what Shannon always saw my vision and on the day of it came to life. The day of the wedding I was so stress free because Shannon had everything in place and everyone where they needed to be. She made the entire experience fun and well...stress free! Our wedding could not have been more beautiful...and I have Shannon to thank highly for that!

I highly recommend Shannon and the WPP team. When I contacted Shannon, I was living in San Diego and was having a tough time trying to plan my wedding in Saratoga. Shannon definitely put me at ease since she has planned a number of weddings for brides who are out of town or out of state. She was an awesome help. She not only contacted vendors and sent us pictures of venues, she did all of the scheduling for us when were only in town for a weekend or a few days at a time. She planned our itinerary, thought of details that hadn't even crossed our minds, and ran our rehearsal when our officiant was unable to.

On the day of, Shannon really shined. We didn't have to worry about a thing. She made sure everyone was on the same page and she filled in the gaps when needed. It poured on our wedding day and Shannon took care of things like moving place cards around so they were dry and guests could see them. My groom and I really didn't have to worry about anything! We were able to enjoy our wedding without having to stress about the details or the rain.

If I had to do everything over, I would hire Shannon again in a heartbeat.

Shannon Whitney is professional and CALM - a very important trait for someone dealing with crazy, excitable brides! She has an excellent reputation with many vendors and was able to introduce us to vendors who would best suit our needs. On the day of the wedding, Shannon was organized and extremely helpful - we were lucky to have her!

I could never have imagined that Shannon would make the impact on my life that she has. When i hired her back in the summer of 2008, i was simply looking for someone to give me some advice on vendors. One year later, not only did she give me that advice, she has guided me through every aspect of planning my wedding, and was there on the day to see that it went smoothly.

Shannon is a great wedding planner. She is gifted in her ability to stay calm under pressure, use her creativity to come up with unique ideas for brides, and manage several tasks at once. She knows how to plan amazing weddings. And yet, she's only a few years older than me. This gives her the advantage of still being able to relate to me, and we actually formed a friendship that went beyond business. She has such a kind, relaxed personality that its hard not to! She is flexible though, and will give you whatever experience you're looking for. She seems to just enjoy her job, enjoys making her brides happy and will go to any length to make that happen.

I wanted to have a perfect wedding, and I had no clue what to do to make that happen. I have never been married before, and not many of my friends are married, so I had no information. I had heard stories about hiring the wrong vendors and I did not want to make that mistake. That is when we decided we needed a wedding planner. I did some research and everything pointed to Shannon at Wedding Planning Plus. We met her one evening and instantly knew she was the one! She was very knowledgeable and had some creative ideas.

The main service she provided to us, was giving us a connection to vendors that she has seen work before. This was the most important thing to us. She went to all the meetings with us and gave us advice based on what we told her we wanted. We ended up with fantastic vendors, including a reception hall, DJ and photographer.

After a couple months of planning our wedding in NY, I found out we were moving out of state. Shannon always made me comfortable being far away and planning a wedding. We got all the big planning finished before we moved (like hiring all the vendors), and only had to focus on the small things once we moved. It was a seamless process, and many people at the wedding couldn't believe we planned such a gorgeous wedding living 3 states away!

If I ever needed her, for anything, she was always there. I could send her a frantic email one minute and the next minute she would respond and completely put me at ease. She was always in contact, but never over-bearing. She was understanding and always patient.

I don't know how my wedding would have turned out without her guidance throughout the year of planning. If you are planning your wedding, you need Shannon on your team!

It's not an exaggeration to say that Wedding Planning Plus saved my sanity during my wedding planning process. Her help also allowed me to let go of my Type-A ways and truly enjoy my wedding.

I found Shannon after looking at some Capital Region wedding planning websites. We met and I was immediately taken with her easy going personality. I soon learned her to be an organized and detail oriented person. However, she was not a wedding planner that dominated each decision or pushed her opinion on us. She set up appointments with vendors and accompanied us to meetings, asking the important questions that we didn't always know to ask. Then, after arming us with all the information, she'd give us room to make our own decisions to truly allow our wedding to be ours.

It should be mentioned that our wedding was not of the typical variety. It took place about 100 miles out of the Capital Region, was an entire weekend long (Fri-Sun), was in the end of November, and served around 120 guests. Moreover, many of my guests mentioned how "on top of everything" she was.

Bottom line: If you're looking for a wedding planner, choose Wedding Planning Plus... you will be thankful you did.