By Felicia Zammitt-McMann, Wedding Connections of the Hudson Valley
Photographed by Melissa Surprise/Surprise Photography
Hello, readers! Many of you may have read my articles in the past, and now it’s time for me to formally introduce myself. My name is Felicia, and I am the owner of Wedding Connections of the Hudson Valley, the first multimedia wedding platform in the area dedicated to helping engaged couples plan their Hudson Valley wedding with ease and confidence. I’m not a wedding planner, but rather a wedding educator.
You see, when I was planning my wedding a few years ago, I was extremely overwhelmed and stressed because I quickly realized, after going to my first wedding expo, that there was so much I needed to know; I was completely clueless! There was terminology I’d never heard of before. I had no idea how much services, such as photography and entertainment, cost. There were so many moving parts, so many contracts, so much pressure to make sure everyone was free on the day we wanted. I really felt like I was sinking before I began. I wanted wedding planning to be fun—not stressful—and I realized for many couples like us, not knowing what they needed to know before planning a wedding is where most of the stress couples feel comes from.
What saved me was the advice given to me from the professionals we hired; I quickly realized our vendors were invaluable resources, and their advice needed to be shared with other engaged couples like us. And I discovered, too, that wedding vendors were looking for an outlet to share their wealth of knowledge. Seeing there wasn’t a resource available providing any of this information specific to our area, I took matters into my own hands and created Wedding Connections of the Hudson Valley.
Through my site, engaged couples can access exceptional planning advice from local wedding professionals, get inspired by real Hudson Valley wedding galleries, from weddings that took place at Hudson Valley venues taken by Hudson Valley photographers. They can watch educational videos on everything from how to bustle a wedding gown to overlooked places in the Hudson Valley to go for wedding or engagement photos, print downloadable tools and so much more!
Most recently, in addition to writing about green weddings for Organic Hudson Valley magazine, we’ve partnered together to create a unique marketing opportunity for Hudson Valley businesses to reach a new market and new clientele. This is a one-of-a-kind partnership where everyone from Hudson Valley venues to local makers can get featured in Organic Hudson Valley magazine, and also on Wedding Connections of the Hudson Valley. As Laurie always says, if local businesses stick together and support each other’s growth, we will ensure the future of the Hudson Valley as a wonderful and vibrant place to live.
For more information, or to set up an appointment to discuss this opportunity further, please contact Laurie or Felicia. █
