While Colbie Caillat retains her signature sound that fans have come to love on like “Bubbly” and “Falling For You,” there is one refreshing difference on this great new wedding “first dance” option.

“I Do” has that tinny acoustic guitar/ukelele sound which, in a resurgence,  is becoming popular of late in many tracks. For “I Do” this trendy instrument-choice coffee house-like sound  works perfectly and adds an additional layer of fun to a great track. This simple light sound has brought about recent success for songs like Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” and their duet “Lucky“, as well as the Bruno Mars hit “Lazy Song,” “Hey Soul Sister” by Train, and Travie McCoy’s collaboration with Bruno Mars on the hit track “Billionaire.”

Enjoy!

Photo by Martijn vdS

Wow! What a crazy weekend, June 24-26th, 2011 turned out to be. We had a union party, three graduation parties, two bar gigs, three weddings and a school’s end party. Nuts!

Anyhow, out of all of them, I took what could be one of my new favorite wedding pictures of all times at Crystal Cove in Averill Park. The couple booked me to DJ and do pictures, so DJ Maria came to back me up during the shoots. (We make an awesome team!)

Many brides wish for a wedding outside in bright a bright ray of sunshine for their backdrop. Though many say that they don’t want it to rain on their wedding day, some people and cultures believe it is good luck.

Many people don’t know that as a wedding DJ, I also do photography.

 

From a photography point of view, rain at your wedding isn’t be ideal, but sunshine isn’t either. I actually very much like a bit of overcast clouding with a hint of rain approaching. Here are a few shots I have taken to help illustrate what I mean.

The first one is with the dock is from a wedding at Crystal Cove, just this past weekend.

This other shot is one of my personal favorites from my portfolio, a twelve our wedding celebration in Fonda from 2009. It was a blast, but this photo wasn’t taken later at night. It was between the ceremony and the reception.  It actually rained a little during dinner, but nobody cared. It stopped soon after.

 

 

The cute kid below, Logan, was the bride’s son from the Crystal Cove wedding. He caught me trying to get a candid of him taking candy from a bowl. His response turned out to be better than the original shot I had hoped for….

 

 

Good times!

It is a funny story. I actually have my entertainment roots as a pro wrestling ring announcer and also as a wrestler/personality. (The ring announcer voice I use is the same one Ithat has brought me to some really cool wedding intros as a wedding DJ, today.) Eventually, my fictional “karaoke wrestling character” morphed into a real-life DJ.

The whole wedding DJ thing came out of a wrestling storyline, believe it or not. As a “heel” (bad guy) pro wrestler named “Kenny Casanova,” I had to make the audience boo at all expenses. What I choose to do was take on the persona of a geeky guy who was anything but a ladies man. I wore loud and terribly mismatched clothing, tried my best to be un-hip, engaged in terrible dancing, and also sang bad karaoke as I walked down to the ring for my own ring entrance.

The karaoke was very original on the independent scene and I began to work it in everywhere I could. I have been featured in many editions of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and other international wrestling magazines.
The exposure eventually led people to want me to DJ karaoke parties for them. I learned the DJ trade and partnered up, originally with the tech soundboard operators at the wrestling shows. Then, I mastered the trade on my own, adding my own brand of humor and fun.

One particular gig that helped me make the transition is Villa Valenti Pub in Troy, NY. I have been there for eight years providing disc jockey entertainment every Friday night, as well as many Thursdays and Saturdays along the way in spurts. I have outlived all the employees, and at the same time, met a lot of great people who wanted to shine in the karaoke spotlight.

These same people are the ones who ended up wanting me to do a friend or relative’s wedding and have led me to rank #1 now on google for DJ’s in Troy NY, as well as Albany.

ALBANY NY WEDDING DJ REVIEWS

From TheDJService.com at (518) 506-3305, DJ Kenny Casanova is a highly sought-after DJ from Albany, NY. Here are some reviews and email addresses for references you can use from some of our recent bride & groom customers.

THIS DJ IS ON FIRE!!! “DJ Kenny was so great to work with!! Attentive, and helpful through the entire process! He was responsive whenever we reached out and very helpful in the song searching process. He played the best variety of music both oldies and modern to relate to us and our guests perfectly! Kenny was not only a great DJ, but also helped handle a crisis during the reception that could’ve turned catastrophic. A candle fell over and caught some flowers on fire during the toast — he put out a fire on our snack bar without drawing attention to the guests and keeping it contained and everyone safe!!! We are so glad Kenny was able to DJ our wedding!!!”  —  (Maria & James Welsh) Wedding at the Glens Sanders

EMERGENCY DJ SAVES THE DAY!!! “Our wedding reception almost turned into a disaster, but due to DJ Kenny Casanova, he saved our wedding reception!We originally booked and paid up front for a different entertainment company to provide DJ services for our wedding. On the day of our wedding, we arrived early to our reception, and was absolute horrified to discover we had no DJ, no music, nothing. We called the owner of the company and the subcontracted DJ several times, but both never answered nor responded. We had to scramble while our reception was already starting, to make several phone calls to various DJ companies to determine if we could get anyone to show up in a moment’s notice to come to our reception. Miraculous, we got a hold of DJ Kenny Casanova.

In about 20 minutes of him taking our call, he arrived to our reception READY TO GO!  As I understand it, he was already scheduled for another job later that evening, but he knew what situation we were in, and came to our rescue. He set up his equipment, created a playlist on the spot, got our reception going with amazing intro for us. Shortly after that, one of his newer DJs that he trusted took over the night, so Kenny could still make it to his previously, already scheduled job – another wedding. He did great. I can’t thank Kenny Casanova enough for what he did for us!”  —  Jennifer, 10/1/16, Reception at PACC in Albany, NY

WEDDING ON A BOAT – “Kenny Casanova (with DJ Maria) made our wedding amazing! We got married on the Saint Sacrament steamboat in Lake George which posed some interesting challenges which he was able to solve with no issue (such as playing music for the ceremony on the third deck while the full DJ station was on the first deck). He announced us in like rockstars and controlled the timing of everything perfectly. He had the crowd dancing the whole time – old people, little kids, everyone was out there. We met ahead to go over what music we wanted and he hit it spot on. DJ Maria was out there dancing with anyone who needed a partner. They were great! The price was great! Thank you SO MUCH. We would totally recommend you to other couples (and we have). 🙂  – (Ray Lemay on Facebook)Wedding in Lake George NY

GREAT MUSIC – “Hi Kenny, I just wanted to send you an email letting you know how grateful I am that we picked you as our DJ at our wedding. A great DJ is one of the most important aspects of the wedding and you kept the party going at our wedding for almost seven hours. When I got back from taking wedding photos with my husband, a friend came up to me specifically to tell me that for the entire cocktail hour, the music had been awesome. You checked in when songs were could have ran too long (parent dances,) you played all of the songs we asked you to at the right times, and then you totally surprised us by throwing out glow sticks and getting the crowd amped up! I will give you a 5 star review on every website I can find. I was hoping for a good DJ and instead I got a great one! Thanks for making our wedding day great!”  —  Laura (lauramsilverman@gmail.com)

RESPONSIVE- “Kenny went above and beyond for anything we asked. He was even able to point me in the direction of his super helpful website/blog to get some great ideas for my ceremony music (which went off without a hitch).  Our wedding was in NY but we live in VA so that was stressful enough, but this guy was responsive to every single e-mail/request/question I had within at least a day of me sending it, if not hours. He was receptive to everything we wanted, he came dressed for the occasion, always attentive to every detail, and just overall wonderful. I was skeptical as to how my wedding would flow, and he set my worries aside from the very get-go by providing the best flow…ever. As far as value is concerned: Best value. Seriously. For the service and peace of mind he provided me, I would have paid him double. So very affordable, and full of flexibility: Kenny did whatever we asked for him, I had to make a few last minute changes at the end for our entrances, and he was right on point. Also, DJ Maria came along with him to help. She was awesome. While he was working the microphone and stage, she was walking around, asking me if I needed anything and keeping things organized. We honestly have only great things to say about them, and my wedding day was hands down the best day of my life.” —  Calie Magill (calie.magill@gmail.com)

PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGE – “We just wanted to thank you for the excellent service you provided last night. We had so many comments on how great you were. You made the party! I would also like to thank the photographer you provided. We have a lot of great photos and he worked very well with the crowd. We will definitely be using your services again, everything was exactly what we wanted. Also if you ever need us for a recommendation we would be glad to offer. Absolutely use our email. Thanks! -Brad & Beth ” —  (beth011887@yahoo.com)

ORGANIZED – “I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful job you did, DJ’ing for Joe and Amanda’s wedding. From the dancing to the karaoke, everything went so smoothly, that we couldn’t be happier. I also want to thank you again for suggesting and then helping us to move the food tables so the line went smoother. You were very professional and understanding and made their day turn out the way they always dreamed it would, perfect. I will give you a good recommendation to anyone who asks.” — Kathy Sidusky, LPN (Kathy on Facebook)

EMCEE MIC WORK – “I really want to thank you and your amazing wife for all the great music and pictures from your DJ Cam Package!! You both were amazing and really made my wedding a great time!! Everyone raved that you kept the party going! Also please tell your wife that I’m extremely sorry a seashell flew out of my bouquet and knocked her in the head, lol! Seriously, you both were beyond fabulous!!! I couldn’t have asked for more! FYI I loved the ring announcement entrance!! Perfection!!! I will be recommending you to EVERYONE!!!” — Marrissa Manzer-Lachar. (rissa_m812@yahoo.com)

QUALITY – “We just wanted to let you know again what an awesome job you did at the wedding. The DJ plays such an important part and can make or break a reception. You absolutely made it!! Rob was right, you are very good at what you do and we were so happy that it turned out so wonderful. We appreciate all of your hard effort that lead to such a memorable night.” — Al & Sue Schulz for son Rob, The Groom. (rschulz@rochester.rr.com)

FUN & GAMES – DJ Kenny Casanova did a wonderful job at our wedding! Our ceremony and reception music were perfect! He played the songs we requested and added a lot of fun twists as an announcer for different games! He always returned my emails in a timely manner which always put my mind at ease when planning. We booked the photo booth and photography package and it was well worth it! Our pictures came out beautifully and we got them ALL in hand by the end of the night! Highly recommend!  —  Kendra, 8/25/17

“Kenny did a fantastic job at our wedding. We had an afternoon ceremony and an outdoor reception in Saratoga Springs. He kept the music lively and fun throughout the event. We didn’t have a lot of dancing because it was about 90 degrees out but when people decided they wanted to hit the dance floor he was ready for them. It was not the typical reception and he adapted to it nicely. Would recommend his services to any capital region bride or groom.”  —  Ashley, Wedding at Saratoga Winery

A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER REVIEW – “Hello Kenny! Sam & I just wanted to thank you again for what a great job you did DJ’ing our wedding last Friday night! Everyone has been remarking about how great the music was and what a blast they had. Thank you! Please feel free to use us as a reference in the future. You’re The Best!” — Keira & Sam (hello@keiralemonisphotography.com)

THEME WEDDINGS – “DJ Kenny was great to work with! My husband and I hired him for our wedding, and DJ Maria was our music master for the evening. DJ Kenny was professional from the moment I met him, and he had music recommendations, a form to fill out for the event, people, and schedule for the music to keep the reception on track. DJ Maria was incredibly professional, fun, and with the added lights, the room seemed like a magical place. My husband and I are huge geeks, so we entered to Imperial Death March – and DJ Maria kept our geek going with little remixed tidbits of Star Wars throughout the night (R2D2 beep intro to music, etc). It was awesome and we were so excited to hear how custom that made our music sound! She also got the floor full, everyone up dancing the whole night, and even included some of our more indie music we requested. We literally were kicked off the dance floor at the end of the night, but it was so much fun we had at least 3 “last songs”! Besides that, the price can’t be beat. DJ Kenny keeps his prices competitive but he is the best in town, and I would recommend him for any event, especially a wedding!”   – Wendy and Tom Schoenfeld, Florida

“Thank you for making our Halloween Theme Wedding exactly what we wanted it to be; fun! The music was perfect and we couldn’t have asked for more from you. Let us know without hesitation if anyone is looking for a reference.” — Pete & Michele Sefcik (sweetpetex@aol.com)

“Kenny provided DJ service for my wedding. He did a great job, played just the right mix of music, and kept the guests entertained. I got a lot of comments from our guests on how good the DJ was. Thanks for the great job Kenny and crew!” — Todd Bovair (hotbodtodd@aol.com)

“DJ Casanova was spectacular! He really set the tone for our reception. He was professional, yet a lot of fun! He even saved the night! We had a slide show playing during dinner on the reception hall’s video system, and low and behold the sound didn’t work! It was so uncomfortable for a few seconds as the guests watched with no sound. DJ Casanova saved the day. He ran over, asked which song it was supposed to be set to, and within seconds it was playing right along! He even looped the song to fit the show and nobody was the wiser! I would HIGHLY recommend him again!” — Leah Stiles (leah.stiles@navy.mil)

“I just want to say thank you again, for doing such a fantastic job at my wedding this past weekend! Everyone had a great time…I am recommending you to anyone who needs a DJ!!” — Liz Flynn Manzi (scarlet_75@yahoo.com)

“Thanks so much for making our special day even more memorable. Everyone loved your music.” — Jackie Tremont (JTremont1@nycap.rr.com)

KEEPING IT FUN – “We found DJ Kenny on a fluke after our previous DJ had double-booked for our date and dropped us! When we were freaking out about this we decided to look around and find people in our area and came across DJ Kenny. Immediately after meeting him my husband and I both said to each other that the other DJ backing out was a blessing in disguise. DJ Kenny was absolutely fantastic and made our wedding AMAZING! …He was awesome with the music, intros, and keeping everyone moving. Several people came up to me commenting on how great he was and how they had never been to a wedding with so many people on the dance floor. We had wonderful vendors all around but DJ Kenny was by far the star among them all! — Jen (busacker.j@gmail.com)

“I can’t thank you enough for the great job you did at our wedding. It actually came off better than we had expected. The music selection couldn’t have been better. It was really just what we wanted; classy, subtle and enjoyable…. Being able to pull through last minute (in less than two weeks) was incredible. Thanks again! …especially on such short notice.” – Khaye & Dustin F. (7thanvil@gmail.com)  

A REVIEW ON SARATOGA WILTON ELKS FOR YOUR WEDDING

Waterford Banquet caters throughout the Capital District and surrounding communities, but handles weddings and special events at The Saratoga Elks.

As far as the food is concerned, Waterford Banquets offers some really good prices and some great wedding favorites on their menu options. I believe their Prime Rib, which I would classify as medium-sized cut of beef, is somewhere around $23 a head, which really isn’t bad! Check out their website above for the menus options – or click here.

The Saratoga Elks, conveniently located near Northway Exit 15, has a bright and modern look with great lighting. It features a bar and a suitable wooden dance floor. There is great access to hall with a nearby back door, making things easy for decoration purposes.

Lodge Facilities

Overall, I would suggest that the hall is a great size; not too small and not too big. It seems ideal for weddings between 125-200 guests.

I would rate them about 8 stars out of 10, only subtracting a little for an unusable disco ball (people wanted me to turn it on as the DJ, but it didn’t work) and a few minor eye sores, like the Elks Logo sign in the banquet hall and what I believe was a bingo board on the wall covered by curtains.
(EDITOR NOTE: Since this blog in 2011, the disco ball is back in working order!)

…It is certainly a great place to have a wedding!  Here is the contact info for booking from our Top 50 Wedding Venue List in The Capital District:

Saratoga Wilton Elks of Saratoga Springs
1 Elks Lane – Saratoga Springs, NY
(518) 584-2585
Website   –    Directions   –   Pictures   –   Email

The Franklin Plaza Banquet Hall is a great place to have a wedding, prom, or other high-end event demanding class.

I work as a DJ and often an event planner, so I am used to managing every detail of big events myself. If you choose to book the Franklin Plaza, hopefully you will agree that they do think about everything, as they did for the recent prom that I did there in June.

One thing I wanted to highlight now, is that they have their own in-house dance lights now at the Plaza. The hall manager, Greg Cushman, told me that they put their custom light show up only a few months ago, and spared no expense in components and installation. The LED lights with programmable DMX technology are a great extra bonus for booking the hall, with no charge to the customer and they are up high in the corners of the dance floor, out of sight.

I would give the place 4 and a half stars out of 5, subtracting only a half a star for the homeless guy that I think spit on my car in the parking lot, because I didn’t have time to listen to his sob story setting up. (If you see him, shoot me an email so I can knock the last two teeth out of his head.)