Photo Journal

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Inspired Occasions Weddings and Events | Featured Wedding Vendors of the Capital Region, NY

Below is a small handful of images taken at Kim and Chris’ July wedding at Revolution Hall.  You’ll see that they feature the many stages of a typical wedding day, along with the gorgeous and well thought out details that were unique to their style alone. You’ll notice a relaxed bride, happy bridesmaids, a chill groom whose brain is on his bride and anything but the planning that brought them to this day.  The story these photos do not tell is what’s going on behind the scenes.  If they did, you’d see Taia Younis and her incredible day-of coordination team at Inspired Occasions Weddings and Events quietly and professionally going about the business of making sure Kim and Chris’ day goes off without a hitch.  From running to Dunkin Donuts to ensure Kim and her bridesmaids were well-fed before the ceremony, to without request or prompt helping me scope out the perfect first look location, to making sure hair and makeup were on schedule, and everything in between, their commitment made this day run perfectly from start to finish.  They were there to ensure every detail was executed exactly as Kim and Chris had dreamed, and they stayed until the last song was played to be sure every last guest was happy and taken care of.

Taia’s passion is evident in every move she makes on a wedding day.  I’ll never forget the moment I took the final photo in this series – the one of Kim and Chris sharing their first dance as husband and wife.  As I ran around grabbing all different angles of them on the dancefloor, I caught a glimpse of Taia gazing at them from the corner of the room.  The hugest smiled across her face.  And this is Taia. She’s always present:  in total go-mode when she needs to be and unobtrusively watching every detail unfold, ready to jump into action when needs arise.  But she’s always smiling.

 

How did your business get its beginnings?  Share the story of where it all began and how it grew into what it is today.

I always dreamed about being an event planner, but I didn’t realize that one could make a living just planning fun stuff.  When I moved to the Capitol District in 2000, I ended up in a corporate job where 50% of my job was to plan company events.  That’s when I figured out that “Hey I’m pretty good at this!”  I also realized that when I was working on an event I wasn’t checking the clock.  I loved every minute of that work, so I began to plan private events for various acquaintances; really just for my own pleasure.  That side work turned into a wedding business when a couple in my family asked me to plan their wedding.  They gave me a budget and a short time table and let me go for it.  In August of 2008, I coordinated their fabulous wedding at The Palace Theatre in Albany.  Apparently I impressed some people that day because two guests at the wedding booked me to plan their weddings and thus, Inspired Occasions Weddings and Events was born.

Why hire a wedding planner for your special day?

Every couple is unique and so are their reasons for hiring a wedding planner.  Some need help with logistics; some are looking for creative ideas for décor; others are looking for someone to execute their vision exactly. Regardless of the specifics, I think the most important reason to hire a professional planner is peace of mind.  Couples get to do this once and so many things need to come together perfectly for a wedding day to go smoothly.  Having a professional responsible for overseeing all of the details is like an insurance policy.  It insures that all of the work and money invested in the planning results in a wedding that is stress-free and exactly as the couple has envisioned.

What do you and your team bring to the table that make your services invaluable to your couples and also to their day-of vendors?

Our team holds one central value above all others when we approach a wedding day: caretaking.  We consider ourselves to be in service to our couples, their families, their bridal parties, their guests and even their vendors!  We have designed our service packages with that value in mind so that they include exactly what is necessary to execute a successful event while making sure that everyone involved has a great wedding day experience.  For example, our event day team includes a dedicated Bridal Attendant whose singular role is the caretaking of the couple and their bridal party and families – from getting ready right through reception.  If a problem arises, it is the Bridal Attendant who is taking care of it.  Meanwhile other members of our staff are onsite at the ceremony and reception venues handling set up logistics and supporting other wedding day vendors so that nothing falls through the cracks.  We believe in working as a team with everyone involved toward one great purpose: creating an unforgettable event and wedding day experience for all!

What services do you provide your clients?  Tell us a little more about your most popular packages.

Inspired Occasions offers a wide range of services that spans from day-of coordination to full service planning and event design.  Our Peace of Mind (day-of) Coordination package is our most popular because many of today’s couples have the resources and desire to plan all of the details of their big day.  Our day-of coordination package gives them professional guidance during their planning process and then a team of professionals on the wedding day to make sure that every detail of their wedding is executed exactly as they have planned.  Meanwhile, they get to just enjoy the special moments of the day.

Regardless of the package selected, all of our clients are treated to Inspired Occasions’ Signature Service, which includes such valuable services as unlimited telephone and email consultations during the planning process, full rehearsal coordination, and a three person event coordination team on their wedding day who is onsite from wedding preparations until the very end of the night.

Can you share a story of a time you realized just how important your work is to your couples and to the overall success and fluidity of a wedding day?

Rather than share a dramatic story of how our work has saved the day (of which I have a few), I’ll share a few examples of the small ways in which we impact the wedding days of our clients.  It is in being present, taking ownership of problems that arise and doing whatever we can to solve them that we give our clients the peace of mind that they deserve on their wedding day.

1.The Problem: The wedding cupcakes that have been delivered are not what the couple ordered.

Our solution:  Contact the bakery and make sure new cupcakes are made ASAP and send our assistant to the bakery to pick up the new cupcakes in time for the reception.

Result:  Perfect cupcake display and the couple never knew there was a problem

2. The Problem: Too many guests on the late shuttle bus home and the driver refuses to leave with the bus over filled.

Our solution:  Our team drives the few extra guests back to the hotel.

Result:  Safe and happy guests.

3. The Problem: A bride becomes overwhelmed and emotional with all of the people around her while she’s getting ready.

Our solution:  The Bridal Attendant quietly removes the bride, finds her a peaceful place to be, gets her a drink and gives her the space and time she needs to relax.

Result:  An at ease bride and a conflict-free bridal party

Tell us about what inspires you….

That’s easy.  My clients.  When I meet a couple and get to know who they are and what their vision is for their day, I’m always inspired to bring that to life for them.  I consider each wedding a work of art and it’s the couple themselves who determine what gets painted on that canvas.  I want each event that I am involved in to be a true reflection who that couple is and what is important to them.

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Specializing in Wedding & Lifestyle Photography in New York's Capital Region & Beyond