Vow Magazine Real Wedding: Shannon & Anthony
Salute! Shannon and Anthony brought their vision of a Tuscan-inspired wedding at Cornerstone to life with long banquet tables and a delicious family-style meal. You can find their Real Wedding in the 2021 issue of VOW Magazine or by visiting https://storystudio.timesunion.com/vow-2021/.
Photography by Elmtree Weddings
Why did you select Cornerstone at the Plaza as your wedding venue?
We visited several different venues in the Capital Region, we liked a lot of them, but once we walked into the Cornerstone, we knew immediately that it fit our unique vision for our day. The space is a blank canvas, which allowed for our family-style theme. Once the sun sets, the whole room is naturally decorated by the twinkling lights of Albany outside the large panoramic windows. Everything combined into the perfect “Shannon and Anthony” space, uniting our love of family togetherness and our fondness for simple elegance.
How did you make your day unique / special / personal?
Anthony and I love having large dinners with family and friends. We wanted to have our reception in a space that could accommodate this with long tables and large passed dishes of food. At first we weren’t sure if we’d be able to make this work at Cornerstone, but our event planner worked diligently to make this unique aspect a priority.
What was your most memorable moment?
Our favorite and most memorable moment of the day was being married in the same church that Anthony’s parents, sister were married in. It was beautiful, intimate and extremely personal for us, and you can see the joy overflowing in the photos of that portion of the day.
What was your favorite food or beverage item? Or How did you customize your wedding?
Anthony and I knew exactly what we wanted when it came to the layout and menu for our wedding. Unfortunately, we also knew that none of the things that we wanted would fit into a traditional package. Our Mazzone coordinator, Katelyn, was amazingly flexible and created a package just for us. We knew that we wanted long tables for seating, to give the effect of a family dinner, and going with that theme, we wanted our meal to be served family style. Somehow, by magic probably, the Mazzone team made all of this happen. I remember looking up from our sweetheart table, and watching our guests pass heaping plates of food between them just like I had imagined. Everything was honestly perfect. Our favorite item was the late night pizza station. It was the perfect end to our dream day!
What was your favorite part about working with the Mazzone Team?
The Mazzone team that took care of Anthony and I at the Cornerstone were AMAZING! While they were perfect on the evening of our wedding, the best part to me was that our team was consistent throughout the entire process. Our head waitress served us our tasting meal, met with us the week before the wedding and was the woman there to help with anything we needed on the night of the wedding. It was so comforting to know the face in the crowd that could help me when I needed it.
What tip would you give other couples?
Just relax and have fun. You planned for a long time, so when that night comes, try not to let anything bother you. It’s your special time, and you’ll remember it for the rest of your life. Make those memories the very best ones!
Vendors:
Ceremony Venue: St Mary’s
Reception Venue: Cornerstone at the Plaza
Photographer: Elmtree Weddings
Videographer: Elmtree Weddings
Catering and Cake: Mazzone Hospitality
Florist: Flowers by Jo-Ann
DJ/Singer: Raphel Peralta
Desserts: Bella Napoli
Rentals: Total Events, LLC
Photo Booth: Living Free Photo Mirrors
Dress Shop: DeAnna’s
Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero Designs
Hair and Makeup: Lipstick N Lashes Beauty Bar and Boutique
Jeweler: Harold Finkle Your Jeweler
Transportation: Premiere Transportation