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A GREAT WEDDING THANK YOU LETTER TO THEDJSERVICE.COM

These customers pleasently surprized me, almost six months later after their wedding, with some very nice words about our services.

Anna and Stephen Rogers were great to work with, as well as their venue staff at Chirst The King, 575 Burton Road in Greenwich, NY.  Anna covered all the bases for someone looking for a review on me as a DJ. A full review was pretty much right in her thank you letter. Therefore, I asked if I could print it here, and they agreed without hesitation.  So here it is:

Dear Kenny:

Thank you so much for DJ’ing our wedding! It was so wonderful to have you there; I still get comments from our guests who say that you were truly amazing– and I agree 😀 …Steve still says, “He played what I would have wanted him to play, even though I never wrote those songs down… It’s like he was in my head!”

I apologize for this email being 5 months late, but seriously and beyond a doubt you are, by FAR, the best DJ I have ever been in the presence of! You blended my wishes seamlessly with my husband; Country, Christian, Rock, Celtic rock… (I am the girl who likes country who was marrying the man who hates it). I don’t think Steve stopped dancing until the reception was over. I think he would have KEPT dancing forever, frankly.

Thank you SO SO much!!! You made a magical night even better! Even all of the event Staff from Christ the King said that this was the best music they had EVER had there (I think they get a lot more older, conservative, christian weddings). They literally thanked Steve and I separately at least once per staff person (for going with you as the DJ.)

Steve was ecstatic at the light show and the glow necklaces and, even though that sounds like a rave, it was still classy, elegant and wonderful.

Your energy is electric and wonderful and we can’t thank you enough. You truly helped to make a memorable night even more amazing for everyone– our guests being happy on the happiest day of our lives meant the world to us and you delivered in full force.

Sincerely,
Anna and Stephen Rogers
(purebredmutt@gmail.com)

PS – Feel free to use me as a reference if you ever want to!”

10 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY AT YOUR WEDDING

There are many ways to cut corners at your wedding so that you don’t have to break the budget to meet your vision of your very special day. However, sometimes people cut in the wrong places and, in the end, the guests can tell.

Here is a list I created using tips from clients who were married around the area and found ways to make some real good savings without sacrificing from the desired vision of the special day. This is a totally doable top 10 list of ways to save money on your wedding; a list that actually works:

With it spelled out on paper, you both know what is important. This allows for everyone to be on the same page.

2. LIMIT THE GUEST LIST, BOTTOM LINE – Forget about corner-cutting on the DJ, the decorations, or the dinner, those are only savings that amount to pennies on the dollar…  The best way to really save is to be ruthless with your head count. Keeping the guest list down as best as possible will drastically reduce your wedding cost, overall.

The Sefik’s, a fun couple from Clifton Park, NY got married at Mallozzi’s Wedding Hall in Schenectady. They pointed out that, “most caterers, venues, restaurants and banquet halls charge per-person.”  They noted that if you have a 150 guests and can cut it down to 125, there alone you will save about $1,300.

So how do you do this?  One tip if you see your guest list is getting out of hand, omit children and coworkers.  Making category cuts across the board is the best way to make people not feel that they were being singled out.

3. FOOD & DRINK – Research all of your options and do not be afraid to ask questions.  The Bovairs of West Sand Lake, NY who got married at Lakeview on Crystal Lake in Averill park, NY, recommended that you, “consider a buffet instead of a sit-down meal, or break tradition all the way. Why not go with a dessert reception, or a brunch or luncheon instead of a multicourse meal?”

Some people actually go with an all appetizer / finger food reception now.

Alcohol – Eliminating or limiting a traditional full bar to one or two hours will really cut costs.  The Bevans got married at Herbert’s at Birch Hill in Kinderhook. Alternatives include serving beer and wine only, but not serving alcoholic mixed drinks.  at all or only pouring a champagne toast.

Depending on the local laws and the rules at your reception hall, if you are able to buy the liquor yourself and then hire someone to pour it — the savings potential is enormous. If you can, in fact, bring your own booze, you can even return any full bottles that your guests don’t drink in the end.

4. Location, location, location.   There are boat-loads of options for low-cost or no-cost locations, including local and national parks, forest preserves, your own back yard or that of a friend or relative.

Paul Diamond who got married at a nice little restaurant called, Cella Bistro in Schenectady, NY  said, “Unthought-of restaurants are usually a under-rated option.  Many establishments would love to have your business and, at the same time have gorgeous tables and chairs, and décor. You could save a bundle, all around.”

Also, by choosing a location that allows outside catering or you to bring your own booze, you are also opening up the potential for great savings! Saratoga’s Museum of Dance and Pryne Hall of Latham both allow for these potential savings, for example.

5. Wedding Attire – Here’s where you have many options for stretching your bridal dollars. You don’t have to buy at a traditional bridal salon. You could purchase a gown at an outlet or from a department store in the special occasion’s off-the-rack area.

Sarah Ward who got married at The Franklin Terrace in Troy, NY by Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) said, “You can score a pre-owned gown at sites like preownedweddingdresses.com and oncewed.com.

6. FLOWERS –   If you choose to wed in a location that is already naturally decorated,  you will see big savings. To set a stylish mood without much work, plan the wedding to take place in a garden, art museum or even at a beautifully-gardened home.

Saving on flowers – Choosing flowers that have bigger buds means you’ll need fewer stems, thereby helping your bottom line.

Self-proclaimed “hippies,” The Losaws of Hudson Falls, NY got married at The Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia, New York. They planted 200 bulbs months before their wedding, and then married right in the middle of the fully-blooming cheerful yellow tulips.

7. INVITATIONS  – You don’t need to print invitations up on thick paper and chalk up another $500 bill. Invitations are definitely an area where do-it-yourselfers can show off their skills and can create great savings by pocketing the difference in costs.

Orvin Bennitt and his wife-to-be will be getting married at The Edison Club in Rexford, NY this summer. They showed me their announcements. They printed their wedding invitations on their computer, and I would have never have guessed!

8. GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS  – Think of it as cost-free outsourcing. Posse up your friends and play to their strengths.  Some people may have a creative inner-circle of peers who will want to donate services to you! This could be in the area of music for the ceremony, or even for photography!

Also, befriend teachers! Try calling a few schools if you want a decent student ensemble to play your wedding ceremony music! Or call your votec (like Capital Region Career & Technical School of Albany, NY) and get the floral class behind your wedding as a school project!

Initiate an Officiant  –  Are you looking for an intimate ceremony that has meaning AND affordability at the same time? Consider having your vows administered by a relative or friend, like the Carbones did at The Inn in Saratoga. Web sites like Universal Life Church (ulchq.com) and Esoteric Interfaith Church are two organizations that “ordain” laypeople so they can officiate weddings, legally.

9. Embrace The Off-Season  –  Wedding receptions that don’t fall during peak months will help you save big bucks.  The Bucklands got married at a popular location called Gideon Putnam in Saratoga Springs, NY early in April. By doing so, they estimate that they were able to negotiate a savings of nearly $3,000!

10. Lose The Limo –  “Transportation can be a huge cost,” says Mike Brooks, who got married at Crystal Cove in Averill Park, NY. “Since my bride wasn’t obsessed with having a vintage car drive us one mile to the reception, we just borrowed my friends’ SUVs to shuttle the bridal party and family. Nobody noticed the difference.”

I have also seen this work at a wedding reception taking place at The Lighthouse in Schenectady, NY. Ask around and save!

A DJ PARTY CAN DO WONDERS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Once a year, many businesses finally give an opportunity to their employees to let their hair down and have fun. They set all their fiscal worries aside and throw a big end-of-the-year holiday celebration. These can be really fun and a great way release pent-up stress in the workplace. These same parties can also flop and be a miserable time for all. This leaves you with one important question:

“WHY SHOULD YOU INVEST IN A DJ FOR A HOLIDAY PARTY?”

There are FIVE reasons you should hire a DJ for your office/corporate holiday party:

1) BOOKING A DJ IS PLANNING MADE EASY – If you have joined (or been volunteered) to head up your “Holiday Party Committee,” you probably know how nerve-racking this can be.

You want to please everybody and make it a great time for all so your party will be a success. If it is now time to start planning your Christmas office party, you don’t have to do it alone. You don’t have to kill yourself planning it.

2) CREATE ANTICIPATION – If you want to give corporate clients and/or company employees a good time that they will look forward to all year, you need to ensuring that your corporate Christmas party is a memorable one. To do this, keep one thing in mind about party planning, in general; music makes it better.
Consider TheDJservice.com and leave the rest up to us!

3) INCREASE MORALE –  The company Christmas party shouldn’t be a boring affair that employees feel obligated to go to. It really shouldn’t be more work, it should be a reward for working hard. A few stale cookies and some bad sweaters are NOT the way to show thanks to hard-working employees for their efforts and labor throughout the year and developing a high level of team spirit.

Good Christmas parties are an absolute must for companies, no matter what the size. However, a GREAT Holiday Party is an excellent way of offering a huge thank you to your staff.

4) DEVELOP TEAM SPIRIT – If you want your employees to work harder than they would at a normal job, you must reward your team for working their butts off by hosting lots of fun social events. For a few hundred dollars, these experiences can be invaluable from a team-building perspective.

For many, nothing is a better unwinding mechanism than an opportunity to listen and dance to great music.

An office holiday party with a DJ is a great opportunity to let your employees know that the bosses are people, too.

5) CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE FOR SUCCESS – Many of our successful corporation clients have realized that the services of a disc jockey are essential to their events. Not only do company holiday parties give the staff time to relax but they also encourage close interaction among all the different types of employees and thus motivate the entire company as a whole.

Trust our party professionals with your DJ entertainment needs at TheDJservice.com. Call or TEXT 518-506-3305, today.

IDEA LIST FOR HOW TO MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY PARTY A SUCCESS BY ADDING A THEME

In addition to hiring a DJ to celebrate Christmas to rock in your new year, one way to really make a party a success is to add a theme. Here is a “Top Ten List” for Christmas Party Themes to liven up this year’s Christmas / holiday party at your home or business.

1) Ugly Sweater Party

If you do not own any nasty sweaters, then you can always run to the nearest K-Mart or rock a Macklemore find by going to Goodwill to pick up one. We promise they don’t usually cost more than $5 at a Thriftshop and the pictures alone will be priceless.

2) The Wrap Party

I hate wrapping. I have used toilet paper and duct tape in the past to decorate my presents. Why not throw a support-group gathering for friends who wrap— where everyone brings some basic supplies and their bundle of gifts. Then you can wrap together and have different-looking wrap jobs. You’ll be surprised who knows how to help you tie that bow so it won’t look like garbage. For added atmosphere, book us to DJ and request rap music.

3) Christmas Carol Karaoke Party

Dance if you want, sing if you dare! Book us to DJ and let the the fun begin.

With karaoke comes great responsibility, but with karaoke comes guaranteed mass quantites of nonsense all night long!

While this option may not be fore everyone, if you have the courage (and enough money to keep booze on hand for all your guests,) it could be the greatest karaoke jam of all time!

4) Christmas Cookie Swap Party

Want a plethora of different cookies for your family holiday dinner, but you don’t want all that extra work?

You can always host a cookie swap where everyone brings a batch of their homemade specialty, to share. It is simple. Just have everyone make a few trays of their very best cookie and have them trade when they get there.

You can also allow bad cooks to bring store-bought cookies and have guests try to guess which ones are real and which are store-bought contest. Allow everything from fudge, to brownies, to rice krispy treats.

5) Tree Decoration Party

Need an idea for say an office holiday partybut don’t want to spend a bundle on decorations? Why not have a tree-trimming party? Just set up your tree (real or fake!) with lights, popcorn and garland, and request that your guests each bring an ornament to hang on your tree.

If you want even more crowd-participation, put everyone on the spot and make them tell a story about the ornament they brought.

6) Christmas Movie Marathon

All the Rudolph, Santa & Frosty claymations. A Christmas Story. Elf. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. Run movies as the attraction, or just in the background. If just watching hours of movies isn’t exciting enough for you or your couch guests, add some action with a drinking game and a DJ. Take a shot whenever someone says “Christmas spirit” or whenever anyone in Santa garb is on screen. People will be more blitzed than Blitzen by the end of the night.

7) Christmas Costume Party

Halloween doesn’t have to be the only holiday tailor-made for dress-up. Hit up a costume store or Ebay.com where you can find sexy Santa suits, elf ensembles, or any other Christmas character like Frosty or Rudolph. To ensure proper participation, award the best dressed or worst dressed prizes!

8) Secret Santa Swap Party

Invite everybody to a fun DJ party and assign people to bring a gift for someone specific. Put the gifts under the tree and see if the guests can figure out who bought for whom.

8.5) Secret Santa Re-gifting Party

The same as your Secret Santa Party, but invite your friends over with one of last Christmas’ cast-offs presents from the re-gift pile, you know gifts that never really it out of the box. Make sure everyone’s gifts have been re-wrapped and then play a version of “White Elephant,” where people can pick from the pile or steal someone else’s new acquisition. One person’s trash is another’s treasure!

9) 12 Days of Appetizers Party

Like the cookie swap, invite your guests to bring their favorite appetizer to share. This is certainly a weightwatcher’s worst nightmare; buffet lines filled with bite-sized morsels.

10) Reverse Christmas in July (Beach Theme Party)

Christmas in July is a time-honored mid-summer party favorite. Simply enough, people pretend it’s Christmas — complete with a tree, gift exchange, and hearty meal.

Well, turn the tables on this tradition with a beach theme party in the dead of winter. Break out the pina coladas and Island music. (Seeing how there is always snow in the North East, Bikinis are preferred but clearly optional.)

If you want additional ideas on how to plan a beach theme party, click here.

“The wedding ceremony was beautiful. The food was great,” the bride says, about to roll her eyes below a beautiful veil. “People were having a good time. The cake was delicious. Everything seemed just right, but then all of the sudden… UGH! It’s The Dreaded Chicken Dance!!!”

The groom drops his head in shame. “I forgot to tell him no.”

The bride looks at the groom and says, “This is the one song I hate more than anything in the world.”

While it may sound simple, not everyone thinks to make… THE DO NOT PLAY LIST!

If you want to be really prepared, make a list of songs that you actually loath. Give your DJ the list. This way when the party part of your big day comes about, it’s only what you really want.

While your must-hear song list may seem very important, a do not play list in many situations, may be even more important!

Wedding Ceremony Pictures at Albany Country Club

Here are a few shots that I took as the disc jockey at a recent wedding ceremony at The Albany Country Club.