By now, you have probably heard of Key Hall at Proctors in Schenectady. It is a super nice looking place that is a former all-marble old antique bank. Many people like it for it’s classy look, despite the acoustics being “echoy” since it is entirely constructed in stone. A similar marble bank venue to Key Hall has recently opened in Albany, NY, however, I like Sixty State Place even better!
THE LOOK
Today, the historic National Commercial Bank and Trust of Albany has been transformed into a classy ballroom for luxury events and social engagements. Restored in 2013, Sixty State Place combines the most modern amenities with the elegance of the building’s historic origin to give you the best of both worlds for your wedding or special event.
In 1902, the historic bank hired York and Sawyer to create a “temple of finance.” Over 100 years later the exquisite styling and details are still evident. Now customers can create the backdrop of their events in the uniquely to showcase their dream theme and design.
THE ACOUSTICS
One of the things for me, a mobile DJ, that really sets apart Sixty State Place from Key Hall is the painstaking effort Sixty has taken to make sound NOT AN ISSUE. Their beautiful 45 foot ceilings in the main ballroom would have created an acoustical challenge without the extra added steps they have taken. For one, their are well-camouflaged sound absorbers everywhere, to diminish the “singing in the shower” feel you would have had without them.
Rising to the challenge, their sound engineers “designed a built in custom audio system that ensures every person within the space hears the same steady, intelligible sound.” This means as a mobile DJ or band, you can plug into Sixty’s system and be heard all over the establishment with ease.
GREAT FOR A WEDDING YOUR WAY
SPACE – Sixty State Place believes in giving each client the opportunity to create their own perfect event. There are some really neatrooms downstairs and an additional backroom off the main ballroom. These extra options allow for cocktail hour, bridal suite, and photo booth opportunities that other halls don’t always allow for.
FOOD – Clients are guided through the event planning process, but given the freedom to select the vendors, layouts, menus, color schemes and event schedules of their choice. All professional licensed vendors are welcome to participate in events in their facilities, including wedding/mobile DJs, bands, photographers, photo booth services and even INCLUDING CATERERS – which means you can pick whatever food services you wish! There is a full kitchen for your vendor of choice, as well as a nice bar and cocktail area downstairs.
MY RATING – I would not hesitate to recommend this hall to anyone. The event organizers are SUPER HELPFUL! I give this place a 9 out of ten, only because of a potential parking issue for massive parties. However, at the wedding I was the DJ for over the weekend, the bride and groom reserved a private lot behind the facility and there was no problem for anyone, so it can be done.
If you found this review helpful, please consider us to DJ your event! Our number is 518-506-3305. Here are some SIXTY STATE PLACE WEDDING pictures:
Wanting to attend a Bridal Show in Albany, NY, but you can’t? Here is our virtual vendor table pitch so you don’t have to leave your seat!
WEDDING DJ SERVICES
Our 15 years of providing DJ services for weddings in the Albany NY area will lead your reception to success. Our number one priority is setting the atmosphere that you want to create. Planning your special day is just as important as the reception itself. Our worksheet process allows you to have a hand in customizing your night. You can spend 5 minutes, or 5 hours – it’s up to you! Whether you want a classy setting or a hot mess shindig, we will help your wedding day vision become a reality.
“Are you looking to bring in the right entertainment for your wedding? Selecting the “right DJ” really means everything to a fun wedding.
We let YOU customize the song selections so you are not stuck with a default playlist that does not represent who you are. You also can customize!
If you want to bring a great “DJ Show” to your reception and wish to book an affordable wedding disc jockey with a huge library of new music & classics, and one who allows you to fully customize the playlist, then we could be right for you!
Thank you! And we would love to talk to you about your wedding, if you are up for a call.
Here is our business card: CALL/TEXT – 518-506-3305 – EMAIL – ken@thedjservice.com.
Thanks for stopping by our “virtual vendor table.” Take a look at these pamphlets here, buddy! You will see that we provide:
• Giant library w/ Billboard Top 100 Hits; 1947-Now
• Extensive DJ/MC experience from 1996
• Option to Customize Your Playlist
• Huge Laser Show
• Uplighting Packages
• Voted Capital Region’s #1 Karaoke KJ
• Radio Personality Experience
• Ring Announcer Experience: WWF / WWE / MMA
• Sports Broadcasting Experience
• Affordable Digital Photography Package
• Many Interactive Events, Dances, & Activities
• Digital Projection & Photo Slide Show Package
• Music Video Package – All tracks with Music Video
• Professional High End Gear; Bose L1 Stick
QUALITY / #1 in The Area – We are quite often ranked #1, voted the best in The Capital Region many years for our services. If you need top quality in music entertainment and disc jockey services for your party in our state’s capital, Albany, New York, look no more! Dance if you want, sing if you dare…
In the Black Eyed Peas smash hit single, “I Gotta Feeling,” we hear the words, “Mazel Tov.” Even if you have no Jewish background, you probably can guess that this term is associated with celebration. This term, however, is the same term used with “The Breaking Glass Jewish Wedding Tradition.”
The breaking of the drinking glass occurs at the end of the Jewish wedding ceremony when the groom stomps down on a glass to crush it, and thereafter the guests shout, “Mazel Tov!” Have you ever wondered where the breaking glass Jewish wedding tradition comes from and what it means?
There are many explanations of why we do this and where the actual Jewish wedding tradition came from. Here are a few of the most popular explanations:
Superstition: A loud noise is thought to drive away evil spirits that may slow down the celebration.
Consummation of Marriage: A breaking of the glass represents symbolically the virginal bride giving herself to the groom and the consummation of the marriage.
Fragility: The glass symbolizes the love of the bride and groom and breaking the glass shows how this love is fragile, so it must be cared for that it not be broken.
Broken World: A reminder that although this couple came together as a strong single union, the world as a whole is broken and needs mending done, together.
Foreverness: A broken Jewish wedding glass is forever changed, likewise, the couple are forever changed by the marriage and take on a new form.
Many Children: Be Fruitful. A hope that your happiness will be as plentiful as the shards of glass…or that your children will be as plentiful as the shards of glass.
Sadness/Joy: A reminder that even in times of great joy that there is sadness. That life will bring sadness as well as joy.
So which do you choose? Couples should choose the interpretation that resonates with them and this will make that part of your ceremony more meaningful. Many couples like to include a brief explanation in their wedding program that describes which interpretation they have chosen and what it means to them.
Any glass may be used for the Jewish wedding glass, although most couples choose a special glass, perhaps colored glass. Make certain the glass you choose is not too thick. (Remember, it needs to be easily broken when stepped on!) It is typically wrapped in a cloth napkin to avoid dangerous flying glass shards. Sometimes it is enclosed in a pre-made cloth bag.
Place cards…. They are the little folded business-card-looking thingies with the guests’ names directing them to their assigned table. At a recent wedding that I was the DJ for the bride and groom decided to go a different route, as discussed in another one of my recent blogs Themed Place Cards at http://thedjservice.com/2010/07/themed-alternatives-to-wedding-place-cards/.
At this reception, they decided to trade in the paper for fire. They used little tea lights in votive candle holders with the printed names on each one. It was really cool to see everyone surround the table and look for their candles! Then, on by one, each person carefully brought their little candle keepsake to their destination table.
When purchasing the following materials, it is very important to use tealights in place of the actual votive candles that often come with the holders. Using actual candles will result in the outside to hot to the touch. Tealights will getting warm but will not be uncomfortable to hold as the guests bring the place card alternative back to their table.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR DIY CANDLE PLACE CARDS
MATERIALS NEEDED: Tealights /tea light candles (enough for each couple), Plain glass votive holder (Candle holder cups), light -medium weight transparent vellum (thin paper is best), Laser printer, double-sided tape roll;
1) Get the proper measurements…. Measure the votive candle holders to determine the height and length around the cup. Make a template of the shape of your label. Note that even the most plain votive holders will have a slight curvature, so expect the template to be in an arch-like shape.
2) Set up the template… Set up Microsoft Word or PhotoShop so that you can space your guests names and your actual table numbers the right distance. You can probably get about three templates to a page with room to spare.
3) Print out the sheets… Use the template you made in step one to cut the right shape out of the larger sheets of vellum. Organize the labels, as you set them aside after printing.
4) Open shop… Set up a big workstation with all your materials at a table and make sure to enlist help. Even one extra person will cut your time in half, or more! Wrap each printed label around the votive and trim accordingly. Depending on your printer, you make need to be careful that the ink is dry, and you do not smudge the names during this process. When the label is lined up correctly, it will lay out smooth and flat. Apply the double-sided tape and put aside.
5) Quality control… Keep all the candles in front of you. This will allow for an overall consistent appearance of the candles and give also it you a preview of what they will look like all lined up at the wedding.
Make sure to light candles no more than 30 minutes before your guests come to pick them up to ensure long lasting light.
When I got married, I got my groomsman a bunch of watches and we put out some random shot glasses for the wedding favors. I didn’t exactly know what to get so they basically got the same things. I had no idea that there were resources out there that could help me customize and get together individualized gifts but my groomsman could appreciate even more that would reflect well upon their personalities. Here is one site that does just that:
Right now they have free shipping over $75 and a huge selection of personalized stationary to add to the wedding favors and bridal party gifts. Check it out!
Quite often, we end up offering professionalism where some local DJs fall short. If a DJ has ever called you up to cancel services with them because they “overbooked,” that typically means they found a better payday and are now blowing you off. What they did was, they kept on looking for higher paying gigs than your event would pay them, and when they found one, they are essentially cancelling your reserved date simply because it paid less – even though you had to pay a deposit to lock in the date.
THIS CRAP IS UNPROFESSIONAL AND SHADY!
I can’t tell you how many times we have come in to save the day, after some sleazy dirtbag cancelled an event with little to no notice to a customer leaving them high and dry.
One Saturday morning, I was legitimately sitting on the couch in my skivvies. I had a few hours before I needed head out to my gig to DJ a wedding, when I got a call from a very upset Best Man at someone else’s wedding. In the background, I could hear a crying bride. There DJ “overbooked,” and forgot to even mention it to them. (Filthy. I know.)
We scrambled to save the day and made it happen, getting booked after the wedding in Albany NY had already began!
Here is a pleasant review from a very, very last-minute happy customer:
“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.
I can’t thank Kenny Casanova enough for what he did for us!”