Author: Kenny Casanova

“The wedding ceremony was beautiful. The food was great,” the bride says, about to roll her eyes below a beautiful veil. “People were having a good time. The cake was delicious. Everything seemed just right, but then all of the sudden… UGH! It’s The Dreaded Chicken Dance!!!”

The groom drops his head in shame. “I forgot to tell him no.”

The bride looks at the groom and says, “This is the one song I hate more than anything in the world.”

While it may sound simple, not everyone thinks to make… THE DO NOT PLAY LIST!

If you want to be really prepared, make a list of songs that you actually loath. Give your DJ the list. This way when the party part of your big day comes about, it’s only what you really want.

While your must-hear song list may seem very important, a do not play list in many situations, may be even more important!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR WEDDING FEEL FRESH AND NEW

Lately, the traditions involved in Wedding Receptions are changing to meet the demands of a new generation. They are no longer the boring slow-dance packed night with cake-cutting and garter toss as the main attractions. They are morphing into more elaborate customized events with lots of energy and surprises to mirror the bride and groom’s character.

If you want to host a wedding reception that screams you, consider this top 10 list:

1. Show up in style
If the wedding ceremony and reception take place at different venues, providing guests with transportation that meets the feel you want for the party. A limo, or crazy hummer ride can set the tone. Recently, I did a wedding reception in Fonda, NY, a big parachuting town, in an old airplane hanger that was decked out in a German/Swiss theme. I played polkas and yodel music to start, while they served beer a brauts for the cocktail hour. When it came time for the introductions of the bridal party, I hit the Mission Impossible theme and had everyone look up in the air. People marveled at the party parachuting down to join the festivities.

2. Wedding Cup Cakes:
While you may absolutely love the idea of a classy cream cheese carrot cake, Uncle Charlie may absolutely HATE IT. That doesn’t mean you have to be unselfish and not have carrot cake, it only means you have to think outside of the box. In this case, why not try WEDDING CUPCAKES. You tier up a wedding cake display with many different types of cup cakes, in displayed in the shape of a traditional wedding cake. Everyone, including you and Uncle Charlie is now happy.

3. The First Dance:
Many bride and grooms have dropped the 100% serious tone to the first dance, opting for 50% slow and 50% ridiculous. Rascal Flatts “My Wish” plays just past the first chorus, when Sir Mix A Lot belts out his love for big butts. This is quickly becoming more regular than not, with the added touch of elaborate choreographed moves.

4. Video Game Time
Believe it or not, interactive video game competitions are a new trend. Having a later hour set aside for popular competitions like Guitar Hero or Rock Band is a smart and hip way to add another memorable element of fun to your wedding reception. I have seen digital projectors come into play at night-time tent weddings on the ceiling where a massive screen is created for the game play to unfold.

5. SAY CHEESE! Wedding Photo booths:
Guests will love to jump in and snap silly photos, for great additions to your wedding photo album. Have you seen this yet? Wedding photo booths are quickly becoming a new tradition at modern wedding receptions. It also helps to pass the time when the photographer runs late and the people are waiting t=for the grand entrance of the wedding party.

6. Funky Snack Attack:
Candy tables, ice cream bars, your favorite trail mix… There are no rules to what you can serve anymore. If you think the snack is cheap, but something everyone will appreciate, you can use a variety of containers (think martini glasses) to add that special decorative touch. On the Fourth of July, 2009, I did a great Pakistani-American Wedding, where all kinds of great Pakistani curry-laden dishes where set in tandem next to the groom’s favorite American chow, you guess it, PIZZA. The pizza was served on elegant silver platters under a heat light, like a prime rib carving roast!

7. Karaoke Hour
Want fun! Add karaoke! This can be really awesome in the right party, but be careful. Place this activity late, if not last, in the event and limit people’s participation, or else it could be come a karaoke concert!)

8. Digital Slide Show Projection
Collect up as many pictures that you can of the bride and groom growing up, then add shots of them together now. (You can go right to Walmart with the old shots and scan them to disc for a couple of bucks!) Next, with the wonders of modern technology, a power point slide show can then be created with ease. The power point can run continuously while the guests eat, or can play once as a scheduled activity set to music. Maybe you even know someone who can work photoshop, to make you a funny one like this slideshow for Ben and Joanna, who by the way got married at an aquarium!

9. Reception Themes
A themed wedding reception is a great way to let your personalities shine. I have done weddings with many different themes including Heavy Metal, Hawaiian luau, Ethnic-specific, and even Vegas.

10. Hey, Mister DJ!
Great bands rock, but are sometimes limited to only a few sounds that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. A good DJ, however, can be like the weather in New England and change on an instant. At most wedding receptions, your DJ is the life of the party and can shuffle requests and the wishes of the bride & groom to keep EVERYONE happy. I happen to know a real good one, if you are looking! (http://www.kennycasanova.com)

(Photo By: Carlos Mendoza)

Here is an idea for your wedding. Have your guests “hastag the hell” out of it!

CREATE YOUR OFFICIAL WEDDING HASHTAG

For those of you not familiar with the term, “Hashtagging” is creating an easy way of searching social-networking Web sites for pictures, videos or status updates relating to a specific topic. Simply enough, when you hashtag (#) a word or phrase, you are indexing a very specific topic to make it easy for someone to find on social sites like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Vine.

If you have been living under a rock and are not a user of any of the above forementioned social media sites already, the benefits of hashtagging your wedding are a great reason to start!

The hashtag originated for use first on Twitter.com, of course, but is now becoming the goto measuring stick indexing on all social networks. So, what does this mean for weddings? It means more pictures, more videos and more different perspectives of your wedding will be available at your fingertips, for free.

3 STEPS HOW TO MAKE YOUR WEDDING HASHTAG WORK FOR YOU:

1) CREATE YOUR OWN OFFICIAL HASHTAG – If you create an original and uniform hashtag for everyone to use, their will be no guessing or confusion on what word combo should be searched. Try and chose as few letters as possible for less spelling issues, but something that won’t bleed into a hashtag that someone else has already used. A hashtag like #smithwedding has likely already been used by many people, so your best bet would be “#smithwed2013” or “#fredwedsjaney.”  Try and pick something original. You can do this by first searching the proposed hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Vine, so that you are not mixing your event with someone else’s event int he world.

2) SHARE YOUR WEDDING HASHTAG – All you really have to do is announce your custom offical hashtag to all your mobile device using wedding guests, and let the magic begin. Ways to do this can include but are not limited to: adding your hashtag to your reservations and the wedding ceremony program, putting your official hashtag on your place cards or table, and having the disc jockey announce your official hashtag throughout the evening periodically. (If you do not have a DJ set yet, drop me a line! (I know a great one!)

3) SEARCH THE HASHTAG – After the event or even during, the hashtag will bring up a well-organized and beautiful log of your special day as it does any topic or event. The hashtag will capture behind the scenes action, as well as a different perspective on the special moments like the kiss at the ceremony, or your introduction and first dace at the reception.

This idea is great for weddings! The benefits are countless. No more messy disposable cameras on the tables. Multiple mediums will be shared. Pictures are available immediately for sharing. Friends and families who were not able to make it can follow the event from afar. Guests can even request songs to a participating DJ!

In the end, you will get extra pictures/videos at the end of the night, as well as annotations from your hashtagging guests all throughout the night.

SARATOGA WINERY DJ WEDDING TOUR

We have done a few weddings at the Saratoga Winery in Saratoga Springs, NY and it is great! Check out our video below to see for yourself.

If you have never been there, it totally can work for an-all-in-one wedding venue location, meaning you can have your outside ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception with many different location options.

INSIDE – It’s a cozy little place with great ambiance. In side has a very woodsy feel to it. It has a great little bar, an eating area, and also a back reception room loaded with decorative wine barrels.

OUTSIDE – Out back, you have a great multi-tiered deck with room for all, plus a band or DJ under cover. There is also nice stone work and a great grassy area for a wedding ceremony.

Here is a video we shot to better help you understand, from a recent wedding I had the pleasure of DJ’ing for:

WEDDING DJ REVIEW OF A GREAT VENUE IN AVERILL PARK NY

If you are looking for a beautiful location only 15 minutes away from Albany, NY, the Old Daley Inn’s Crooked Lake House Wedding in Averill Park NY may be right for you. Having provided disc jockey services here on a number of occasions, we would love to DJ your special day at this venue.

This all-inclusive venue provides outside locations for ceremony, as well as inside. It has two pianos, a full bar like you would see at your favorite tavern, and a rustic feel that is very popular in the wedding industry today.

CEREMONY – With the crystal clear Crooked Lake acting as a beautiful backdrop, you can have your ceremony outside overlooking the water, or inside in a rustic ballroom with a stone fireplace and gorgeous piano.

COCKTAIL HOUR – With a complete old-fashioned bar, you can belly up to the bartender for your favorite drink requests, or sit on comfy couches, by another fireplace, overlooking the water.

MULTIPLE ROOMS – The Old Daley Inn has a number of different ready rooms for all your needs, with great hardwood flooring.

RECEPTION HALL – Tiered reception hall with an elevated platform for the head table. Perfect for fine dining and dancing.

OVERALL RATING – We love this hall. I totally recommend it. The staff offers great support which additionally helps make this a great potential place for your special day.

WEDDING REVIEW: BROWN’S REVOLUTION HALL
by Kenny Casanova

Recently, I had the pleasure of providing my wedding services as the disc jockey for a fun group at Browns Brewing Co .  I just thought it would be nice to share that Brown’s Revolution Hall is a nice  option for bride’s & grooms in the area who want an all-in-one venue to host both the ceremony and the reception on their special day.

For those of you Collar City residents of the historic Troy, New York area, many may know well what I am referring to when I mention, “My wife loves the Cherry Razz.”  Brown’s micro brewery produces a sweet Cherry Raspberry beverage, served complete with a cherry in the bottom; a definite must-have chick drink native to the area. However, to the passive Brown’s fan, here is something that not quite everyone knows about; Browns Brewery also provides a great wedding service throughout the year.

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION:  “Revolution Hall,” Brown’s private party venue is located to the right of what most of Troy knows as Brown’s Brewery 417 River Street in Troy. This private function venue is an area closed off to the public, but is often made known by hosting musical acts. Many Capital Region favorite bands like Hair Of The Dog and The Refrigerators, have played under the Brown’s banner in this very location. And because of the stage and open floor layout, this venue can be the perfect alternative option for a wedding.

VENUE LAYOUT INFORMATION: The venue layout has great potential. Brown’s Revolution Hall has its own private bar with Brown’s on tap, its own kitchen, its own bathroom, a separate entrance/exit, a stage for entertainment. A wedding ceremony (like the one I attended) can easily take place in the stage part of the hall.

After the ceremony is over, Brown’s staff will just usher your guests over to the private bar for cocktail hour. During this festive cocktail consumption time, the layout used for the ceremony will be transformed into an elegant area for reception dining. There is even a balcony for additional reception seating.

FOOD SELECTION: Brown’s dinner selections are actually very good. They are not only known for their beer. They have everything from high end cuts of meat, to pretzels. My suggestion to those of you planning a wedding at Brown’s, however, is to focus on a few really good entree selections.

Because Browns is very flexible and easy to work with, they do have lower-end entrees available. However, cheaper food selections may not be your best option for a dream wedding… cheap food is still just that, low end. If budget is a huge concern, Brown’s will work with you. But my suggestion,  is to spend the extra little bit and get their good stuff, and leave an impression!  Your guests are worth the extra sawbucks, right?

Here is a link to their catering menu:  CATERING MENU

If you are planning your wedding now in the Tri-city area, give these guys a shout. Brown’s Revolution Hall is a good alternative venue option for your medium-sized wedding.

…And if you want a DJ with experience working this location, give us a call at 518-506-3305. We can also give you some more information about Browns!