Paris Style in Albany New York

It's been nine months since I was contacted by a sweet woman by the name of Lynn with the most charming of southern accents. Turns out she was the mother of a groom getting married in September in Albany, but she and her son were actually from Tennessee. Her story was quite special so I was instantly intrigued about working on this project. Her son Adam was in Iraq serving our Country in his second tour there. His time there had been way too eventful and there were moments when she and her husband didn't know if their son was alive. They were counting down the days that his tour would end and he would return home to marry his beautiful young bride Leah. Wanting to honor her son and celebrate his safe return and their new beginning, she had a vision to create an extraordinary rehearsal dinner to kick off their wedding weekend.

Since the couple would be headed to Paris for their honeymoon, we decided to create a Paris inspired event. Everything from the food to the decor would emulate this beautiful city. There was no better location than the 42nd floor Observation Deck of the Corning Tower in downtown Albany.

70 guests enjoyed a five course french menu complete with pre-dessert cheese course. The design details of the room were chic in a simple palette of black and white with pops of royal purple. Centerpieces featured glowing cylinders of purple delphinium topped off with damask lampshades for a sophisticated and somewhat masculine look. The room also featured a lounge area with custom slip covered benches with coordinating damask pillows.

Lynn spared no expense in creating personalized details. Signs displaying the names of cities significant to the couple were displayed in the windows and pointed guests in their direction with mileage to each one from Albany. Custom stationery was created for everything from menu cards to the signature cocktail signage. In lieu of traditional escort cards, a special french style bulletin board was created, on which hung small velvet pouches with custom escort tags displaying their table number. Each pouch contained quarters for the observation deck view finders and displayed the message "Enjoy the View".

This event was a so fun to plan and coordinate. Guests had an amazing time celebrating in this unique location. The bride and groom left elated and ready to walk down the aisle. By all reports, the wedding day of Adam and Leah went perfectly and the two are enjoying the "real" Paris! We wish them both a long happy life together and thank Adam for his service to our country. Another thanks to Lynn for trusting us with this special event. It was a pleasure.

Kudos to my team: Katelyn and Julie, to the chef and staff at Sudhexo for putting together a fabulous meal and to Ambiance Floral & Events for the beautiful centerpieces.

Event images provided by Lilly Zach Photography

They learned "how to tie the knot"

It was a fabulous day to talk weddings! On a sunny Sunday in August, Inspired Occasions hosted our first education seminar at the gorgeous Pat's Barn at Rensselaer Technology Park. I am proud to say that "How-to Tie the Knot: Planning Strategies for Today's D.I.Y. Bride" was a big hit.

So what did we do all day? The morning was alll about planning basics. We talked about setting priorities, creating timelines and tackling the dreaded BUDGET. Registrants were also treated to expert information from a few talented guest speakers. Michele Peters of Ambiance Florals & Events was on hand to take the intimidation out of floral decisions. A talk on photography options and trends was given by Yvette Wilson from Photography In Design. And because planning a wedding can at times be a stressful process, Certified Life Coach Diane Albano was on hand to teach some techniques for taking it down a notch.

The highlight of the day for me and for the seminar participants was our afternoon design workshop when we transformed a reception table from "Tired to Inspired" using some easy to follow design principles and incorporating a few creative do it yourself projects.

Feedback from everyone who attended was overwhelmingly positive. I know that I had an absolute blast talking about my favorite topic all day. Thanks to all those brides and their guests who participated. You guys were such a fun group!

I had a vision of a relaxed and informative day all about supporting brides on their planning journey. I am so grateful to my Inspired Occasions team for helping me bring that vision to life. Couldn't have done it without you guys!

With a successful debut behind us, we are looking forward to planning a winter session for all those brides newly engaged during the holiday and valentines seasons. Keep your eyes and ears open for new session information coming soon.

Inspired Occasions Launches TV Commercial

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Inspired Occasions' first television commercial! When I started this business two years ago, my plan was to let it grow organically and slowly over time. Well, it turns out I'm not nearly that patient and my dream to make event planning services the norm in the Capital District area was far more pressing than I had originally admitted. So, the next natural step to take was to start getting the word out through radio, print and television advertising. Hopefully this 30 second spot will give area residents a glimpse into the Company's values of excellent service and impecable style. Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3xhZHQdBwk

Inspired Occasions is in the press!

It has been over a year since I came up with the idea to create a Bride Education branch of my business. I came to realize that no matter how flexible and accessible Inspired Occasions' services are, there are going to be brides that will ultimately choose to plan their wedding solo. However, with a long standing value of bringing valuable information, support and advice to all brides, I decided there must be a way that I can serve these brides as well.

Finally, my idea has taken shape and will come to life on this Sunday, August 29, 2010 when we launch our very first bridal seminar "How-to Tie the Knot: Planning Strategies for Today's D.I.Y. Bride." With an agenda that covers planning basics, do-it-yourself design, stress management and much more, I am thrilled to bring such valuable information to the brides and their families in attendance. It is a day designed to support and empower each and every one of them to create the wedding of their dreams and enjoy the process of doing it.

What I didn't anticipate when I started this venture is that there would be media interest in such a concept. Imagine my excitement when I was invited to appear on YNN (Capital News 9) in a live in-studio interview with their afternoon anchor. I had a blast and it was so thrilling to be able to spread the word to everyone in the area about what Inspired Occasions is up to. The good news doesn't stop there. This week, my interview with Saratoga.com's Dave Bigler is being featured on http://www.saratoga.com/. To check it out, click on "featured video". And the interest keeps coming . . . A TimesUnion reporter will be joining us for the seminar on Sunday and writing a feature about it.

I am amazed at the attention this event is receiving. I can only hope that it is because it is satisfying a need among local brides and that this will be the first of many successful bride education seminars.

There are still some spots available for anyone still interested in attending. Registration is required and must be received no later than Friday, August 27th. Any registered bride is invited to bring one guest for free. For more details, go to our website http://www.inspired-occasions.com/ and click on "bride education" or call us at (518) 487-8128.

How-to Tie the Knot
Sunday, 8/29/10
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Pat's Barn at Rensselaer Technology Park
Registration includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and all materials

How-to Tie the Knot - AGENDA

It's almost here! Inspired Occasions' very first bride education seminar, "How-to Tie the Knot: Planning Strategies for Today's D.I.Y. Bride", is happening on Sunday, August 29th at Pat's Barn at Rensselaer Tech Park. Time is running out to take advantage of great savings. Register before Friday, August 20th and receive $40 off your registration. Take advantage of this offer by registering by phone (518) 487-8128 or email @ info@inspired-occasions.com by Friday.

What an amazing day we have planned for our "do-it-yourself" brides. Here are the topics that will be covered in this fun and informative day:

Planning Basics

• Determining the priorities
• Developing a planning timeline
• Creating and tracking your budget
• How to select the best vendors for you
• Wedding day coordination
  

Floral Design: Do's/don'ts and insider tips (by Michele Peters, Ambiance Florals & Events)

Photography: What you need to know (by Yvette Wilson, Yvette Wilson Photography In Design)

Wedding Design

• D.I.Y. or NOT to D.I.Y.
• D.I.Y. Details Demo
• From Tired to Inspired: Creating a magical and affordable tablescape

Be a Stress-Free Bride (by Diane Albano, LEAD Consulting & Coaching)

Registration of $109 (after coupon) includes all planning materials, breakfast and lunch. And . . .
DON'T COME ALONE! BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE!

Can't wait to see you all there!

Natalie & Brian (Lake George) - Mary 29, 2010

The wedding of Natalie and Brian on May 29, 2010 has to be one of my favorites. Natalie is proof positive that you can plan a beautiful, detailed and chic wedding on a budget.

Natalie contacted me a year in advance of her wedding date with major concerns about the venue she had selected for her Adirondack destination wedding. Her recent site visit had raised some major red flags and her intention was to hire a planner to manage venue issues on her wedding day. After further discussion, I helped Natalie come to the decision that there was still time to avoid disaster and change her wedding venue.

Once the venue disaster had been averted and a new location was selected, it was time to help Natalie create a chic wedding with a modern color palette and a few rustic Adirondack touches. I’m proud to say that we accomplished just that!

The ceremony location selected was Shepard Park right on the shores of Lake George. The natural stone amphitheatre was an economical choice and offered a Celtic feel in tribute to the couple’s heritage. Floral Designer Martin Dodge of Drops of Jupiter transformed the simple alter area into something extraordinary with a handmade ceremony structure of birch, vines and clusters of hydrangea and cream roses. Personalized seat cushions doubled as a comfortable seat for guests on the stone benches and a take-home wedding favor.

Natalie arrived in style in an antique car and walked down the aisle arm in arm with her brother to the magical sound of a bagpiper hidden up on the bluff behind the ceremony. Gave me the chills! After the “I-do’s” the bagpiper led the parade of the bride and groom to the shore for formal photographs.

The magical tent reception for her 85 guests was decked out with the colors of pewter, white, pale blue with modern pops of lime green. The groom’s love of fishing was incorporated into the design of the escort cards and table names. Martin Dodge worked his magic again with tall and romantic centerpieces of birch, hydrangea and hanging Amaranthus. Plain poles of the tent were turned into birch trees with glowing hanging lanterns. The overall effect . . . enchanted Adirondacks! The star of the reception was the elegant display of the couple’s favorite dessert, mini cheesecakes, which took the place of a traditional wedding cake. Yummy!!!

Although Natalie’s planning process was rocky at times, I’m proud to say that I helped her pull off an elegant event representative of her style and who she and Brian are as a couple. It was an absolute pleasure working with them and I wish them all the happiness in the world!

Thanks as always to my team; Katelyn, Leah, Morgan and Julie. Also to the many amazing vendors who made Natalie and Brian’s wedding possible; Martin Dodge with Drops of Jupiter (floral design), James Bass (photography), Dale Himelrick of Memories in the Making Video Productions (videography) and Jessica Volkamer of Chocolate Mill (desserts).

FREE Buff Bride Fitness Program

For all you CDPHP members out there, don't miss out on this awesome opportunity to whip you and your wedding party into shape before the big day!

It's "Buff Bridal Party" with certified instructor Teresa Burke.
Get your bridal party into shape with a mix of boot camp, Pilates, and core training. HealthPlex will provide you the motivation and training to get into the best shape of your life for the most important day of your life.

Members can register online www.cdphp.com or by calling the wellness line at 1-877-986-2373.

Best part . . . it's FREE!!!