As weird as Flavor Flav is, he knows the importance of time
WHAT DOES PROFESSIONAL MEAN?
Arriving early really means something. Today, I just wanted to spend a little time giving out my thoughts on DJ’ing this past weekend and why professionalism matters.
We had five gigs this weekend. I personally had an awesome wedding in Esperance, NY way up on a mountain on Saturday and Sunday was a Sweet 16 in Schenectady. The wedding came off without a cuff, but the Sweet 16 brought about something worthy to blog on.
First off, it is safe to say that if you want to be successful in life, you have to put in the extra time. We have found that one thing that helps us to get a ton of gigs over other disc jockeys, and one thing that makes for a successful party is …to BE EARLY.
UP TO TWO HOURS EARLY? Yes. Being “on time,” is not good enough. That is why I often prefer to be up to an hour and a half to two hours early to set up for important events like weddings, corporate events and sweet 16s. This gives me enough time to problem solve the unexpected and pay attention to fine detail so everything comes off without a problem.
At his particular Sweet 16, one of the kids wanted to be “DJ Helper.” When this happens, I play along and let them take a few unbreakable things from my car and bring them into the venue with me. While unloading a few gear bags my Jeep Patriot, I pushed my door shut with my hip. The helper kid from the party tried to follow my lead and help me by also shutting my passenger door on the driver side… right where my keys were sitting. When the door shut, the electronic brain of the car thought I was in the car with a large portion of my unloaded gear. Therefore my car decided to help me, as well, by locking the doors.
If I hadn’t been an hour and a half early, I would not have had time to call the police, then the Sheriff, then a towing company to finally find a person available to unlock my doors and let me unload the rest of my gear. If I wasn’t early, I wouldn’t have had enough time to still set up and have everything come off without skipping a beat.
The party still came off and with a tip at the end, to boot! (And the tip just about covered the tow truck fee!)
Here is a great place card display I saw recently at a wedding in Schenectady, NY, at the Grace Luthern Church, on 1930 Hillside Ave.
Using a wicker trellis, monogram letters, and hanging place cards, this is a fun and decorative way to show your guests to their seats.
To start, figure out what your cards will look like and how your wedding place cards will hang. Will you use ribbon? Twine? Fishing line? This coupe used neat little white cards with tiny clothespins holding them to curled ribbon.
Branch Snippet Bedding
Hanging Place Cards
Ribbons and tiny clothespins
Very easy to make
Next, what will the cards and the libes hang from?
If you follow the outline as etched out in this picture, all you do is purchase or create your own wicker trellis. (You can also use a branch, or picture frame as seen in our previous blog here: Hanging Table Place Cards )
This year, we at TheDJservice.com provided The DJ Cam package for free for your prom, as a special thank you for booking us at other gigs throughout the year! That way you would have a bunch of pictures for immediate sharing, taken by DJ Kenny Casanova. Hope you enjoy & remember. we are available for graduation parties!
TO SAVE… Click once to view large, then just double click on the ones you like, then right click to save! (You can also click on the large picture itself to browse through all the pictures in the large view window.)
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If you really appreciate the freebie pics and had a good time, please like us on our DJ FACEBOOK PAGE !!!
Because of technology, you can now stream your wedding live to anyone, anywhere for free!
When we first got our dog Rudy, we wondered what he did during the day when we were at work. Therefore, I set up a webcam with a free stream site to see what he was up to. It turned out it was pretty lame; he slept all day. However, I was able to easily secure and set up a 24/7 feed for free that allowed me to be somewhere that I couldn’t be.
Maybe you want to stream your wedding, but don’t really know where to begin. Applying my failed “dog-cam” experiment to something that could be somewhat useful is no problem.
This article will give you a step-by-step instructional guide on how to stream your wedding for those who can’t attend. It will offer all the different planning aspects you need to make your online wedding stream free and seamless to your guests.
1. CHOOSE YOUR STREAM – Do some surfing and select a streaming video website. Several websites allow you to BROADCAST live for free! (JUST DO A GOOGLE!)
2. REGISTER – Set up your account early on. Once you have completed this step, your online stream provider will create your personal website address and/or log in information for your wedding guests to login to. This URL will bethe “channel” where they will access the live video stream on the date and time of your wedding.
3. DETERMINE WEDDING GUEST LIST – Let’s face it. Some people are more important to you than others. Uncle Charlie may be way more cool than Uncle Jerry. Sit down with your fiancée and figure out who you absolutely want at your wedding live.
Send out invitations. Nag the hell out of them all and make sure all your important “VIP guest” come! Make sure that you send out your regular invitations first WITHOUT THE VIRTUAL WEDDING URL. (You do not want to offer this option to guests that you really want at your reception. It could create competition and allow for more unwanted VIP guest absenses.)
4. DETERMINE YOUR VIRTUAL WEDDING GUEST LIST – Figure out who cannot make it to your wedding from your RSVPs. Create a new list of virtual wedding guests. Email the people on this list a virtual invitation with the streaming video information for your virtual wedding. It may be a good idea to remind repeat of the date and time of the wedding. You should also provide “dummy-proof” instructions on how to log in to see the wedding live.
5. ASSIGN VIRTUAL WEDDING CAMERA MAN – You probably do not want to have the added stress of setting up and checking on the virtual wedding web cam throughout the night. Therefore, it is probably a good idea to ask a close friend or family member to fully accept the responsibility. It is probably best to broadcast the wedding ceremony and the reception to give your guests the full flavor of the day. This means that your camera man will probably have to set up, break down and set up again at the reception.
6. PLAN THE SHOTS – Plan the shots and location of the web cam, beforehand. Go to your wedding location with your virtual wedding camera man and set up the webcam. Select the best shot with the least amount of clutter. One idea would be to set up a small “tv tray” with a table cloth an as minimal exposure to wires as possible.
If your ceremony is outside, it is probably best to run the laptop off of battery so you do not have to run wires. (Any good wedding DJ will tell you, “the goal should be that you do not want to see any wires at all.” If the reception is also outside, it may be best to try and set up out-of-the-way against a tent post or wall near the dance floor and/or head table.
7. TEST BROADCAST – Turn the webcam on and do an actual live run, with maybe someone watching at home on a computer, taking notes, on a cell phone with you and the virtual wedding camera man.
Make the needed adjustments to the location of the webcam or the height the webcam sits so it clearly shows your walk down the aisle and the location where you will be standing to say your vows.
You can even invite your virtual wedding guests to login during this test broadcast to make sure they can see . A simple follow up call could be the difference of a particular guest experiencing trouble being able to see it live, or not.
8. BROADCAST YOUR VIRTUAL WEDDING – Have your virtual camera man set up the webcam a little early at the ceremony on the day of the wedding.
Virtual Wedding Guests – Streaming your wedding to them
9: CREATE INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL WEDDING GUEST IDENTITIES (optional) – If you are really creative, we have is another virtual wedding idea blog that we call the “VIRTUAL WEDDING GUEST.”
The above link will explain how using Facetime, & Zoom can help creatively bring the otherwise absent faces to your wedding! ( This blog will also show how to create the opportunity for interactive virtual wedding guests, that can actually chat with the bride, groom & other guests at your reception.
PAY SERVICES ARE OUT THERE – Many wedding professionals believe that next year will be a defining year for this type of service, as streaming companies are breaking out with a whole new wedding online service for this very idea. New virtual online wedding stream services are emerging. SOme wedding websites offer streaming packages targeting weddings that allow guests to log-on and watch your wedding as it unfolds. A professional videographer films the special day, broadcasting it to a web site where your guests can watch live.
However, you can TOTALLY do it yourself and bring your own personality out with your choice of stream. Have fun with the creation of your virtual wedding online broadcast! Whatever you choose to do, this idea will increase the chance that more of your loved ones will be present for your special day!
Wedding Candy Cart – Roped Off With Party Streamers to Save for After Dinner
If you are planning on having a candle table at your wedding reception, here is a neat little idea I saw last weekend.
While DJ’ing for a wedding at The Hilton Garden Inn on Hoosick Street in Troy, NY, I saw the following neat little idea.
The newlyweds had a wedding candy cart arranged as part of the party favors. As a special thank you gift from the bride & groom, they decided to work their candy cart into the actual table place cards, for a little fun. (Ever watch a sweet-toothed guest salivate before they even walk in the door?)
Killing two birds with one stone, they printed the place card information on the candy bags; each individual guest name, along with the number of the table where they wanted the guest to sit.
Of course, the bags followed the color scheme and set the mood sitting just outside of the hall on a decorated table. As the people signed in on the guestbook and grabbed their bags, this sweet idea also created anticipation for the candy cart later on.
What a great idea! Below are some pictures of this creative idea in work.
Hey, Lady ChowChow! DJ Kenny Casanova here, wedding DJ extraordinaire. I was surfing the web and saw that you were questioning if the Capital Region was “happening.” Being a mobile disc jockey in Troy, NY, I get to see some very interesting places and meet some very interesting people all around the area that you call Upstate. I would like to, therefore, chime in about your recent post about happening areas in the Capital District, and note that it is, and not just in the areas that one would think to visit.
While the Big Apple is the city that never sleeps and seemingly always has something going on somewhere, The Capital Region is also happening, and not just in the so-called “hot spots.” Areas in and around the state’s capital of Albany are making an impact and not just by the creation of great new businesses and eateries popping up within the cornerstone city of Albany, NY.
Saratoga Springs has a huge and continually growing list of must-see places. Schenectady is starting to really step up it’s game with all the recent face-lifts downtown. And it is also now “happening” in the ever-growing Troy, NY.
For a long time, Albany was really the only real town to go to for Capital Region “happening” happenings, but it seems, as of late, it’s neighbor, Troy, NY is also becoming “the place to be.” Here are a few reasons that The Capital Region is in fact happening, in Troy, proving that the area, as a whole is worth taking a look at:
The Charles F Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar
1) CHARLES F LUCAS CONFECTIONERY – Lady, first off, you hit sugary nail right on the head with your recent review. You are correct that the Lucus Confectionery & Wine Bar is a delicious place to grab a glass of wine with friends. They have a great wine list, with a vast import selection that allows wine drinkers of all makes the means to find something that they will personally enjoy.
The cheese offerings at the Charles F Lucas Wine Bar are not cheesy, to say the least, and the sweets menu compliments the attitudes of the staff and owners: “comfortable and engaging.”This truly is one of the newest happening spots to break out in Troy, where people go who want to try something new.
2) BROWNS BREWING CO. – Another place the Troy traveler will want to try is Browns Brewing Co. If you are feeling more like beer instead of wine with weekly live entertainment, and interested in looking for a micro brewery with great food to boot, 417 River street is where it is at.
At Brown’s Brewing Company, they have an impressive selection of homemade brews including Oatmeal Stout, Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Porter, Whiskey Porter, Tomhannock Pilsner, and my wife DJ Maria’s personal favorite Cherry Raspberry Ale. Order one of these pints in a membership mug (well worth the money) along with a hot pretzel and you are good to go!
(Brown’s Brewing Company is also the host of Revolution Hall, a musical venue that also pinch hits as an in-house catered wedding hall. Here is a recent review I wrote up on it, looking at Browns as a Wedding Venue.)
3) DINOSAUR BARBQUE – What is happening? “The Tres Amigos” Bar-BQ sampler at Dinosaur Barbque in Troy, NY., that is what! Ironically overlooking a beautiful section of the Hudson River in what many refer to as “the best biker bar around,” this BBQ joint embraces individuality.The wait staff dress respectably, while at the same time showing off body art and piercings. However, they present each customer with excellent service and arguably the best barbque around.
Even though Dinosaurs Barbque has other locations regionally, they are not at all corporate high brow. Dinosaurs is all about the local scene. They book local entertainment, host live events and are really becoming part of the Troy, NY scene. Carrying their own competitor Brown’s beer on tap, the atmosphere is one you won’t want to write off in your Troy visit, and if you choose, you can even write on their bathroom wall, as that is encouraged, as well.
Mexican-Irish Food at Its Finest
4) JOSE MALONE MEXICAN IRISH RESTAURANT – Lady ChowChow, I don’t know what ethnic cuisine you prefer, but at this location, it doesn’t matter…If you want the best in Mexican-Irish cuisine? (Insert ethnic joke here ___________. I could hit all kinds of stereotypical jokes here, but it is way too easy.)
Chef Ryan Cusack is the cultural mash-up mastermind behind this Mexican Irish . His blend of of mouth-watering Mexican & Latino dishes with Irish favorites makes this a place you have to experience to understand. If you want originality, this is the place to be, Jose Malone’s serves Irish Bangers & Mash with a guacamole. This odd cultural mash-up is also quickly becoming known for their original margaritas and their once-a-week tapas menu.
Jose Malone is seemingly the perfect place to eat corned beef burritos, get drunk and have a siesta with all your friends. This, too, is a definite cultural melting pot in Uncle Sam’s hometown that you won’t want to miss.
What the hell? They even have a live Bluegrass music night?!
Where You Can Play skee ball in a Bank Vault
5) FOOTSY MAGOOS – One of the few places near Albany where one can find “pickleback shots” and a great peanut butter white Russian is also in Troy. Footsy’s, making it’s home in what used to be a savings bank, has a good selection of Scotch and Beers that you can easily bank on.
BEWARE: Do not be blind to Old Man Magoo’s little hole in the wall. This place is happening.
Whether you are hungry, thirsty, or just looking for a place that you can go to to have a good time with friends, this is a pace that is worth investing your night at. This oddly-decorated little place has a decent shepherd’s pie, pictures of professional wrestlers and playing cards shellacked to the walls in the men’s room, and a skee ball inside the steel vault from the old bank.
Villa Valenti Pub has great food & fun weekly entertainment
6) VILLA VALENTI PUB – Over on Pawling Ave is a pub with great food and a rich history; perhaps one of the oldest and well-known pubs in Troy, owned formerly by Academy Award winner Maureen Stapleton & her brother John. Winning wing awards yearly, Villa Valenti Pub has a huge pizza take-out business, great pub fare, a beverage list that can’t be beat.
The Pub also mixes their great food & spirits with weekly entertainment. There is an Open Mic night. There are live bands. They have a weekly game-show like trivia game steeped in prizes and they also feature the area’s hottest Karaoke Jam with old school music videos and every game playing on the 27 big screen TVs. This is the happening “place to be” for a great mix of food & fun.
So is the Capital Region happening?
Your thoughts?
Lady ChowChow, I challenge you to come back to Troy, NY sometime soon and give a few of these happening places a try. Then you will know, first hand, why Troy, NY is helping to better make The Capital Region a happening place!
PS – Don’t forget The Brown Bag!!! (Pineapple Salsa Burger!)
For more on Troy, NY and also party planning tips & wedding information in The Capital Region, check out DJ Kenny Casanova’s blog.
