Modern Wedding trends are today’s choice at most weddings.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR WEDDING FEEL FRESH AND NEW
Lately, the traditions involved in Wedding Receptions are changing to meet the demands of a new generation. They are no longer the boring slow-dance packed night with cake-cutting and garter toss as the main attractions. They are morphing into more elaborate customized events with lots of energy and surprises to mirror the bride and groom’s character.
If you want to host a wedding reception that screams you, consider this top 10 list:
1. Show up in style
If the wedding ceremony and reception take place at different venues, providing guests with transportation that meets the feel you want for the party. A limo, or crazy hummer ride can set the tone. Recently, I did a wedding reception in Fonda, NY, a big parachuting town, in an old airplane hanger that was decked out in a German/Swiss theme. I played polkas and yodel music to start, while they served beer a brauts for the cocktail hour. When it came time for the introductions of the bridal party, I hit the Mission Impossible theme and had everyone look up in the air. People marveled at the party parachuting down to join the festivities.
2. Wedding Cup Cakes:
While you may absolutely love the idea of a classy cream cheese carrot cake, Uncle Charlie may absolutely HATE IT. That doesn’t mean you have to be unselfish and not have carrot cake, it only means you have to think outside of the box. In this case, why not try WEDDING CUPCAKES. You tier up a wedding cake display with many different types of cup cakes, in displayed in the shape of a traditional wedding cake. Everyone, including you and Uncle Charlie is now happy.
3. The First Dance:
Many bride and grooms have dropped the 100% serious tone to the first dance, opting for 50% slow and 50% ridiculous. Rascal Flatts “My Wish” plays just past the first chorus, when Sir Mix A Lot belts out his love for big butts. This is quickly becoming more regular than not, with the added touch of elaborate choreographed moves.
4. Video Game Time
Believe it or not, interactive video game competitions are a new trend. Having a later hour set aside for popular competitions like Guitar Hero or Rock Band is a smart and hip way to add another memorable element of fun to your wedding reception. I have seen digital projectors come into play at night-time tent weddings on the ceiling where a massive screen is created for the game play to unfold.
5. SAY CHEESE! Wedding Photo booths:
Guests will love to jump in and snap silly photos, for great additions to your wedding photo album. Have you seen this yet? Wedding photo booths are quickly becoming a new tradition at modern wedding receptions. It also helps to pass the time when the photographer runs late and the people are waiting t=for the grand entrance of the wedding party.
This little guy had an evil sweet tooth.
6. Funky Snack Attack:
Candy tables, ice cream bars, your favorite trail mix… There are no rules to what you can serve anymore. If you think the snack is cheap, but something everyone will appreciate, you can use a variety of containers (think martini glasses) to add that special decorative touch. On the Fourth of July, 2009, I did a great Pakistani-American Wedding, where all kinds of great Pakistani curry-laden dishes where set in tandem next to the groom’s favorite American chow, you guess it, PIZZA. The pizza was served on elegant silver platters under a heat light, like a prime rib carving roast!
7. Karaoke Hour
Want fun! Add karaoke! This can be really awesome in the right party, but be careful. Place this activity late, if not last, in the event and limit people’s participation, or else it could be come a karaoke concert!)
8. Digital Slide Show Projection
Collect up as many pictures that you can of the bride and groom growing up, then add shots of them together now. (You can go right to Walmart with the old shots and scan them to disc for a couple of bucks!) Next, with the wonders of modern technology, a power point slide show can then be created with ease. The power point can run continuously while the guests eat, or can play once as a scheduled activity set to music. Maybe you even know someone who can work photoshop, to make you a funny one like this slideshow for Ben and Joanna, who by the way got married at an aquarium!
Select a Las Vegas Wedding Theme and WIN!
9. Reception Themes
A themed wedding reception is a great way to let your personalities shine. I have done weddings with many different themes including Heavy Metal, Hawaiian luau, Ethnic-specific, and even Vegas.
10. Hey, Mister DJ!
Great bands rock, but are sometimes limited to only a few sounds that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. A good DJ, however, can be like the weather in New England and change on an instant. At most wedding receptions, your DJ is the life of the party and can shuffle requests and the wishes of the bride & groom to keep EVERYONE happy. I happen to know a real good one, if you are looking! (http://www.kennycasanova.com)
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#1 DJ FOR ALBANY WEDDINGS
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Do you have an Albany NY Wedding coming up and have been to a number of weddings in the area that were not so good? Do you need top quality in music entertainment and disc jockey services for your party in Albany, New York, at very affordable rates and know that the DJ can “make or break a wedding” more than anybody else? If you know this, then consider us for your Albany NY Wedding. We are not your average Jerry Garcia body-double djs who only play 80’s wedding hits like “Celebrate” and “The Chicken Dance”…
TOP HITS & GREAT CLASSICS: DJ Kenny Casanova & DJ Maria will rock your party with a great blend of today’s hits and all your favorite classics. Let us show you why Kenny Casanova is “The Bee’s Knees of all DJs and Emcees”, and DJ Maria is the Capital District’s #1 female wedding DJ!
As a wedding and party specialist, DJ Kenny Casanova and TheDJservice.com brings to you:
DJ Kenny Casanova – Albany Wedding DJ
•Very affordable prices!!!
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•DJ/MC experience since 1996
•200,000 song library
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•Karaoke & with huge track library
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•Interactive events, dances, & activities
•Voted Capital Region #1 Karaoke DJ
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LOCAL ALBANY COUNTY SERVICES: If you are looking for an affordable & experienced DJ for your wedding reception or party with countless local venue hall relationships, our local Albany County office serves customers from Albany, Alcove, Altamont, Berne, Bethlehem, Clarksville, Coeymans, Coeymans, Hollow, Cohoes, Colonie, Delmar, East, Berne, Feura Bush, Glenmont, Green Island, Guilderland, Guilderland Center, Knox, Latham, Loudonville, McKownville, Medusa, Menands, New Scotland, Newtonville, Preston Hollow, Ravena, Rensselaerville, Roessleville, Selkirk, Slingerlands, South Bethlehem Voorheesville, Watervliet, and Westerlo, all on a regular basis for music entertainment disc jockey mobile DJ services.
CONTACT US TODAY
Please phone or text at 518-506-3305, or justemail at ken@thedjservice.com. Also check out www.theDJservice.com for more information!
As you may have read in our FAQ section, it has been said that a good rule of thumb is to book your entertainment 6 months ahead of time, when possible.
HOW MUCH TIME DO I REALLY NEED TO BOOK MY DJ OR VENUE? IS SIX MONTHS GOOD ENOUGH?
A Few “Rule Of Thumbs” About Booking Times For A Big Event
With three new venues all on State Street in Albany, there are certainly a lot of options in our area to look at, as far as where to have your wedding. However, that doesn;t mean they will all be available for the date you are hoping for.
Booking your DJ & wedding hall six months ahead of time is a good rule of thumb, but it is not always going to guarantee you will get the exact venue location(s) or the specific DJ that you want. Timing and availability are everything.
Q: IS IT EVER TOO LATE TO CALL? – A: Never! If you have a gig tomorrow and want a DJ last minute, or if your DJ service cancelled on you (those bastards!) …CALL US ASAP! We have covered a number of weddings for slacker DJ’s who canceled with their bride within one day. We actually work well pinch-hitting. We have always pulled off these last-minute bookings with high accolades!
Q: HOW EARLY SHOULD I PLAN TO BOOK A PARTY/EVENT PROFESSIONAL? – A: The bigger the event, the more advance notice you should give. Sometimes, however, even six months ahead won’t guarantee the specific hall, caterer, or DJ that you really want, so do not delay. Always call ASAP, and work out the details later!
Q: WHAT IS CONSIDERED PRIME TIME FOR A PARTY/WEDDING? – A: The most popular dates are Saturday nights, falling on April thru to November. When you select a Saturday for the day of your event, typical 9-to-5 weekday working guests have all of Saturday morning to arrive, and all of Sunday to get home.
Q: SHOULD I BOOK MY PARTY ON A HOLIDAY? – A: We always suggest staying away from booking on holidays. While you may think that choosing a day that many may have off of work may be the way to go, it also can actually reduce guest availability. A Halloween-themed wedding can be very fun, but if it actually falls on the 31st, some parents will take children out to trick-or-treat. Also, keep in mind that people plan for their day offs far in advance.
Q: WHEN SHOULD I BOOK MY VENUE? – A: The smaller the town, the more time you actually need!!! Only about 24 people can book a Saturday night for one particular venue during “Prime Time.” If you really want a good selection, start a full year ahead, or even 18 months.
Q: WHEN SHOULD I BE BOOKING DJs, PHOTOGRAPHERS, WEDDING PROFESSIONALS? – A: While six months ahead is a good rule of thumb for reserving good entertainment, it’s still always crap shoot, when you really want a particular name DJ, band, or photographer. I have found that at the six month ahead point, sometimes we are already booked, sometimes not.
Many Things to Think about On Selecting Your Actual Wedding Calander Date
1) DATE SELECTION – Before booking your DJ, you really should figure out the right calendar date. The safest dates usually fall between spring and fall and are usually Saturday nights so that your guests have Sunday to get back to work, or recover. However, wedding dates in the North East drop off dramatically after Fall. Think about it. Most brides do not want to drop $10,000 on a party where guests could potentially get snowed in. Booking in this time frame of Spring to Fall on a Saturday night means you usually have to pay full price. This is prime time for halls, catering companies, Disc Jockeys and Bands.
Anytime before May 1st and after November 1st is an easy date to get and could save you money in hall/catering due to discounts.
2) STAY AWAY FROM HOLIDAY/SPECIAL DATE COMPETITION – Make sure your date doesn’t conflict with Thanksgiving plans, as you do not want to compete with other plans that your guests may have. Dates that sound good like Halloween, Christmas and New Years or even the Saturday before Veteran’s Day (so people can turn it into a long weekend) may seem like a good plan, but remember, that means your guests may have these dates for something else and will ultimately not make it to your special day. Always check with family members, parents or other significant people so you know that that there are no conflicts.
For example, a Halloween-themed wedding can be fun, but if it actually falls later in the day to eveneing on the 31st, think about how many parents will not come because they want to take their children out to trick-or-treat.
3) CHURCH & HALL AVAILABILITY – In medium and bigger cities like Albany, NY, with six months advance notice, you generally can find something good, but not always the exact hall you are looking for. In smaller towns, you definitely book the church and/or hall first and much earlier than six months. If there is a popular place that you have in mind, it could be difficult to get the prime time which often is 5:30 pm and after on Saturday, during May thru October. Only about 24 people will grab up a Saturday night for any particular spot during this time frame. And if your town is very small with only one or two places that could hold a decent wedding, reports show that some people may start booking it up even a full year ahead of time, or even 18 months.
When You Should Make a choices on Booking Entertainment
When Should You Book Your Wedding DJ in Albany NY?
1) BOOKING DJs & BANDs – Unless in the rare occasion you have planned the DJ first having one favorite absolutely in mind, usually the hall is booked first. Once you have reception and ceremony locations booked solid, you should go ahead book the entertainment.
From my experience, allowing for six months advance notice isn’t bad when booking a DJ service that has multiple DJs available, but it is a a roll of the dice when you are specifically trying to book one particular DJ name from one particular entertainment company for your wedding.
I find that at the six month point mark, 50 percent of the time I am already booked when a bride is requesting me by name.
2) BOOKING PHOTOGRAPHERS – Using the same rules as above with booking the DJ, from my experience, six months advance notice isn’t horrible when booking a photography, but it is a crap shoot when you are specifically trying to book one particular photographer by name for your special day.
3) BOOKING PRIME TIME SLOTS – For entertainment booking like Disc Jockeys and bands during the prime time season of spring to fall on a Saturday night, the early birds start planning in the fall for next early spring or summer and they usually get who they want. People who wait until after the new year sometimes grab who they want, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
If you are looking at a Friday or a Sunday party and/or in the ealry spring or later in fall, less booking advance time maybe needed. (You also can often save some good money as well. Make sure and ask for a discount as halls and entertainment companies often will give you something for filling empty spots or time slots that don’t fall into the prime time category!)
– The wedding reception introduction is a huge part of the fun to come. You want to make sure that the your grand entrance sets the mood for the night.
There are many ways to make an impression here. Lots of people today are really mixing it up and having some crazy dance-oriented multi-theme-song entrances, while other like to go with something more traditional. (See below to see OUR way.)
Here are some popular Wedding Party Reception Entrance song selections:
• I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
• Forever – Chris Brown
• Jay Z – Bring Em Out
• I’m Here For the Party – Gretchen Wilson
• Let’s Get it Started – Black Eyed Peas
• I Like To Move It
• Carmina Fortuna
• Rocky Theme -Gonna Fly Now
• Mission Impossible Theme
• Olympic Fanfare – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
• White Wedding – Billy Idol
• Star Wars Imperial March Theme
Whatever you choose, remember, it is a song that will set the mood for the evening. Below is an entrance I did recently for a great couple to Chris Brown’s “Forever”, at The Museum of Dance in Saratoga, NY.
How To Make Personalized Wedding Candle Place Cards
HOW TO MAKE CANDLE PLACE CARDS
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.
Last year was a rough one. The holidays are finally behind us now. We have opened our presents, made our returns, made our resolutions and probably already broke them. A bunch of celebrities died. A bunch of Hatchimals didn’t hatch. BUt we made it through all of that, somehow regardless.
Now it is time to get back to reality. For some of us, the big wedding is only around the corner and waiting to plan because it could bring some headaches is a bad idea.
I too often hesitate to do something that can be stressful. Hell, sometimes I sit in the parking lot of the gym and fiddle with my phone, because I know the gym is going to hurt a little. However, if we take this approach with planning a wedding, it could impact the success of your wedding in the long run.
IT IS TIME TO PLAN YOUR WEDDING NOW!
In other places throughout this blog, I posted information that encouraged you to plan six months or more ahead of time to book your DJ, and up to a full year ahead of time to secure your hall/catering service. That means if you are planning on getting married in the prime time availability slots; summer on a Saturday might, you really need to start moving now!
Yoda once said, “There is only do, or do not.”
If you wait until the last minute, you may have to settle for something you do not really want for your special day. Last week in the Albany NY area, we already had days with about 3 to 5 wedding inquiries, speaking with anxious, but prepared brides looking to secure particular dates. They could be competing for day with a location that you have in the back of your head, or a vendor that would fit you perfectly.
Even with four DJ’s at TheDJService.com, we have already seen conflicts on dates and may have to turn a few couples away. There are only so many good companies servicing the Albany & Troy, Saratoga Springs & Schenectady NY area. Get a move on it!
If you start planning now and you will be all good! Just pick up the phone and call.
