Author: Kenny Casanova

LIST OF NEW WEDDING SONGS FOR 2018

I know you have spent countless hours surfing through lists jam-pack loaded with Huey Lewis and Bob Seger, but you have finally found the right list. Know this.

NO OLD FART WEDDING MUSIC PLEASE!

There are a whole lot of “Old Fart Wedding DJ Song Lists” littering our internet, written by semi-retired, gray-bearded, Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia-look-alike disc jockeys. These DJs get one gig a month and therefore had plenty of time to flood the web with their power-ballad favorites! Do you really want Dirty Dancing-like smarmy smash Delilah Show hits at your wedding?

Until now, in order to find good modern first dance songs ideas on the net, you had to weed through a whole host of artists with sweet mullets who are no longer relevant today. Most brides and grooms have no idea who these singers were and probably weren’t even alive yet when they were popular. This list concentrates on newer music of today. Here is my list:

TOP 100 MODERN FIRST DANCE WEDDING SONGS – NEW/ALTERNATIVE LIST, by Albany Wedding DJ Kenny Casanova, 2017

SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN GETTING TOGETHER GROOMSMEN GIFTS

In case you didn’t know, it is often customary to give little gifts to your groomsmen for helping out with the wedding and also renting the tux and all. With that being said, are you looking for the best groomsmen gifts?

Will your groomsmen only be able to use their gift once? Or will they be able to continuously use the gift and be reminded of how much fun they had on your wedding day?

GIFT IDEAS – When it comes down to actually selecting a gift, most people go between $35 – $100 or so, so it can sometimes be challenging to find just the right thing. You need to be thoughtful, but at the same time affordable. Unique, yet at the same time practical. Because your crew probably all know each other, expect them to compare notes. Therefore, all the gifts should be well thought out and roughly the same value. Always set a budget.

$50 RULE OF THUMB – I always say around $50 is good. This is not outside the realm of reason.

Here is neat shot glass idea you can get at www.groovyguygifts.com/ . Both the glasses and the nice wooden box that they put them in come in for around for under $40. The quality wooden box adds to the whole piece, as well, making it feel special.

BE PRACTICAL – As fun as it is to buy crazy groomsmen gifts, lame stuff isn’t likely to be used again. When thinking of groomsmen wedding gift ideas, it’s best to give the posse high-quality, meaningful gifts while also focusing on how practical the items are.

Back when I got married, I did cool Fossil watches, however, in the advent of smart phones, watches are becoming less used. The key to finding the very best groomsmen gifts should be ones that end up symbolizing a lasting token of your friendship. Some ideas could include watches, but why not something they will use over and over again like shot glasses, jack knifes.

Better yet, if the item is personalized, it will even more bring back the memory of where it comes from, and that it was special.

TIMING OF GIFT GIVING – There are so many things to consider when planning your wedding. Many couples will choose to give their wedding party thank-you gifts after the rehearsal dinner, but you really can do it whenever you want. Some people do it at the end of the wedding reception, others do it 2 weeks later. In short, there isn’t really a wrong time to do it.

BRING THE BRITISH INVASION TO YOUR PARTY!

We just had a “British Invasion” Beatles Themed Birthday party and they didn’t just “Let it Be” with the decorations. They really went all out! I’ve always said to customers, “Try a theme if you have the courage! It makes the party much more memorable, and usually better!”

If you have the courage to go with a Beatles theme, things will really Come Together. (Pun intended!)

It doesn’t take much money. Grab up some Beatles posters, party favors, stacks of records to throw on the tables, Sgt. Pepper jackets for the employees at the venue, and a PARTY DJ in Albany to finish it off. I know a great one!  (Call 518-506-3305.)

AIR GUITAR BASKET IDEA

This is such an easy idea and it is fun. Right next to your flip flip basket, put an empty basket that is labeled. Let the guests do the rest!

Pass this basket around and have the guests “pull” from it. Then watch in amazement!

HAVE GUESTS SIGN DIFFERENT BOTTLES TO BE OPENED ON CERTAIN YEAR ANNIVERSARIES

At The Altamont Manor in Altamont, NY this past Saturday (a nice little place that I was the DJ for about 15 minutes out of Albany,) I saw a great new idea to try at your wedding. Instead of signing a book that will barely never get read, how about having your wedding guests sign wine bottles?

Here is an interesting and a more creative do-it-yourself idea that throws a twist on the traditional wedding guest book.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR ONE WINE BOTTLE GUEST BOOK –

1) First, purchase four different colored wine bottles.
2) Next, remove the manufacturer’s labels by soaking the bottles in hot water.
3) Clean and scrape off any remaining label remnants with lighter fluid, or a good adhesive remover like Goof Off. (You can also use WD-40  as a cleaning agent.)
4) Create custom wine labels made up with the bride & groom’s names printed on them, and the numbers 1,5,10 and 20.
5) Make a nice display on a small table . Place the table with the bottles and metallic ink pens at the entrance door to the wedding reception. 
6) Add an instructional photo frame, explaining that the bottles will be used in place of the traditional wedding guestbook and consumed on certain year anniversaries.
7) Encourage guests to sign the bottles with silver metallic ink pens, throughout the evening.

WHEN TO DRINK – The idea is that the newlyweds should drink the wine on their first, fifth, tenth and twentieth anniversaries. It should also be explained that the reason for consumption years down the line from these bottles is to remember their friends’ best wishes once again, as immortalized on the bottle in silver ink.

What a great idea! It is like morphing together the traditions of the wedding guest book and freezing a piece of wedding cake to eat a year later.

HAVE WEDDING GUESTS PAINT THEIR WAY INTO YOUR RECEPTION

Wedding guest books are something that can be saved and cherished, again and again, for many years to come. Brides & grooms around the world save these keepsakes and break them out, typically on important anniversaries to reminisce and reflect on their special day. After a recent post on “wine bottle guest book idea,” we thought it might be great to do another post like it. Are you looking for different spin on your wedding guest book?

How about a creative wedding idea that really expresses who your friends and family are? As a twist to different collaborative efforts for a wedding guest book, why not bring out the artists in your friends and family members?

Here is a wedding guest book with no words; a wedding guest book group painting! I was the DJ at a recent wedding at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY (which by the way is a great place to have your wedding.)

At this particular wedding reception, the bride and groom decided to go alternative with their guest book, with a paint brush instead of a pen. With a few simple instructions, they had their guests paint whatever they wanted to represent themselves in a penciled in square on a blank canvas -using no words! You too can do this.

It is very simple and an easy side activity that you can add to your wedding with very little prep.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN WEDDING GROUP PAINTING GUESTBOOK

1) Provide a canvas with small penciled off boxes for each guest to make their painting.

2) Add some brushes, glasses of water and paint.

3) Write out some short instructions on a tiny chalkboard. (Decide if you want guests to use NO letters or writing of any kind.)

In the end, the newlyweds now have a great keepsake that they will hang in their new home to remind them of their special day!  You can almost make a game of it, too, in looking at the boxes and trying to figure out who painted what and what box equals which person. Be creative and try this at your wedding! If you you are afraid to forgo the traditional guest book for this idea… DO BOTH!