I recently did one of the most research-involved DJ gigs to date; a 50th Italian Wedding Anniversary, NO ENGLISH, with all Italian music straight from Italy!
Italian music has long been the staple of weddings in that culture. The vow-renewing bride and groom at this renewal were great people and I really wanted to give them what they wanted. I had a heck of a time, however, finding all the traditional Italian favorites song by the original artists, but I did it, four hours of Funiculi Funicula fun!
Albany NY Anniversary DJ
THE MEETING – When I met with them originally, I was under the impression that Italian-American artists would be great for this event. I pictured lots of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Andrea Bocelli, and my personal favorite, Louis Prima! However, I was told by a charming old Italian woman in broken English that, in so many words, “Prima is a hack and a poor imitation to the original.” The problem was, she didn’t know who the original artist was, who sang say, “Zooma Zooma / Cella Luna Mezzo Mare,” which Prima called “Angelina”.
It took many phone calls and visits to the library to learn that I really wanted Mario Lanza, Lou Monte and Al Bano, for example. However, in the end, everyone had such a great time… and the food… Mama Mia!
In talking with the Italian couple, I learned a lot of things. I thought these three points would be an interesting quick read on those of you planning or interested in old Italian Wedding Traditions:
THE ITALIAN MONEY DANCE – The money dance is still very common at Italian weddings and today the money is most often placed in a satin bag carried by the bride. It has crossed over to the mainstream internationally at weddings around the world, known as “The Dollar Dance”.
MAY & AUGUST RESTRICTIONS – Many years ago, devout Italians avoided getting hitched during the months of May and August. The reasons could be deemed superstitious, but practiced, none-the-less. The month of May was reserved for the veneration of the Virgin Mary, and August was thought to invite bad luck and sickness.
MASSIVE FOOD SPREADS – eating large quantities of food was said to ensure fertility and thus always played a large part in traditional Italian weddings. They idea was to encourage large families, not necessarily large waistlines.
Do you really want to win big at your wedding? How about choosing a Vegas Theme?!Not too log ago, I was the disc jockey for a great wedding reception at The Western Turnpike Golf Club that had a “Las Vegas Night theme.”
SELECT A THEME AND SUCCEED
First off, never be afraid to select a theme for your wedding. All of the best weddings I have ever been to and really remember are the ones that had themes to them. And when you assign a theme, everything plans itself!
At this particular theme wedding, I asked the bride why they “decided to go Vegas.” The bride said that selecting and creating the details of theme was the only way she could get the groom to buy into having a hand in the time involved in wedding planning. In the end, she said her decision was the right one. By the end of the night, the guests had a blast and it was a very different and memorable party for all.
Thinking of planning something similar? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Here are some ideas that they used, as well as a few others I have seen…
Vegas Theme Wedding Invitations
INVITE FOR THE NIGHT
So if you have chosen a Las Vegas Theme for your wedding, you need to project this rightfrom the start to your guests.
For invitations that scream Las Vegas, attach the actual invitation to a playing deck of cards, poker chips, or dice. If you are really creative, a custom caricature, kind of like the walls at Delmonico’s Steakhouse on Central Ave might be fun. Portrait the bride and groom as casino dealers or mafia, or a lounge singer and a showgirl. The couple could also be the King of Diamonds or the Queen of Spades on the face of a playing card!
You can even mock up an Elvis Impersonator marrying you in some cheesy Las Vegas-style hotel!
Vegas Theme Wedding Idea – Get a real slot machine!
ROLL IN THE GAMES
Once you are ready and have a game plan, the creation of a decoration stockpile must begin!
Can you get a slot machine for the night? Can you create an awesome roulette wheel with crazy demands fom the bride and groom on it to let your friends spin?
You really want to create a feel. You want your guests to swallow the atmoshere the moment they step in the room.
The shuffling of the cards. The rolling of the dice. Drinks being served by showgirls. Real black jack tables just for fun.
Aside from the obvious lounge lizard music like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Prima and other Italian American oldies, decor will totally be your key to winning it big with your wedding.
The visual plays an enormous role part in getting over the theme and in this case, you don’t have to spend a lot to get that sweet cheesy Vegas feel.
SIMPLE ATTENTION TO FINE DETAIL
Hire actor / personailites!
If you really want to sell the idea to your guests, don’t skimp on the easy stuff. Buy a bunch of playing cards and poker chips from the dollar store. BUT BUY A TON OF THEM!At the reception I did at The Clubhouse, the bride and groom scattered thousands of loose cards and chips everywhere around table centerpieces, by the guest book, on the gift table and on pretty much any flat surface available.Here is another idea… hire an Elvis impersonator, a showgirl, or a Chipendale to pretend to be guests! They can walk around and entertain during dinner. Maybe they could also take pictures with your guest in a photobooth, or magnet shoot.
CENTERPIECES
Vegas Centerpiece
The great thing about a Las Vegas Theme is you can really choose from a variety of ideas to get the theme over; music, gambling, showtunes, and even food. Whatever you choose for your centerpiece, I wouldn’t go with the traditional flower arrangement. Maybe something camppy like one of those Leg Lamps in A Christmas Story would be good. Why? What’s the signifigance? I don’t know!Even a gift basket of casino like game stuff would be a great decoration for your table. It also can make for a great pastime while the guests wait for the big introduction!
No matter whatever casino-related centerpiece you may choose to dream up, one idea can be to have a special colored poker chip taped underneath one chair at each table to signify who gets to bring the masterpiece home.
Have Your Guests Dress THe Part
DRESS TO IMPRESS
Think RAT PACK! Many black felt gangster hats and jeweled tiaras are also a must to keep in hand! Maybe even get a Money Boa for the bride. Another idea is to put a bunch of cheap black sunglasses on the tables. Because a number of people will be wearing tuxedos, a lot of the pictures will end up having that monkey suit and sun glasses combination that The Rat Pack made famous.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Vegas Wedding Theme Decorations
Another great idea I have seen is to make massive eight-foot cardboard cut-outs of playing card suits and put them in the corners of the room. The diamonds and clubs and spades were all made out of painted cardboard with a cross section in the back of each to help them stand. The heart was right near the head table. Each fixture was outlined and finished in glowing white Christmas lights.You can also secure two refridgerator appliance boxes, wrap them in white paper, and paint black dots on them. The bride and groom at this wedding created a gigantic pair of dice that sat off to the right of my DJ set up. It was great!
This couple also opted for a massive candy buffet table. The colors really got over the feel of the party and there were loads of packets of bogus bills and dice beads mixed throughout to keep them in the Vegas mindset! During the open dance time, it was funny to see guests throwing the money around and “make it rain in the club” to various hip hop songs, afer dinner.
The decorations really turned the hall into the Vegas strip! Aside from the playing card suits, they hung slot machine backdrops and a big Las Welcome to Vegas sign on the wall.
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