Callie and Cameron's wedding plans almost got derailed, when their original venue closed down! Luckily, they were able to lock-in the same date just a few miles across town, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Syracuse Destiny USA. As regular visitors to my blog know, I've got photos, song picks and more in the post, so read on!
So, in case you're wondering, Callie and Cameron originally booked the Syracuse University Sheraton for their reception. Thankfully, when SU decided to close the hotel and convert it to student housing, they announced their plans several months in advance -- giving couples like Callie and Cameron plenty of time to make other arrangements.
By being able to find a venue that had their original date open, Callie and Cameron were guaranteed to keep all their other vendors (like me!) on board. If they had to switch dates, we might have had to part ways, so I was very thankful for their luck!
Although this was my first wedding at the Embassy Suites Destiny USA, the setup was smooth. Inside the ballroom, I had my usual setup with two wired speakers, dance floor lighting and uplighting. I was also able to shoot sound to a wireless speaker in the cocktail hour area, just outside of the ballroom. Green uplighting was requested for the ballroom.
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Callie and Cameron's Key Song Choices
- Wedding party intros:
- Todd Hobin Band / Keeping the Dream Alive
- Camilla Cabello / Havana
- AC-DC / Thunderstruck
- Taylor Swift / Style
- Justin Timberlake / Can't Stop the Feeling
- Daler Mehndi / Tunak Tunak Tun
- Hampton the Hampster / Hamster Dance
- Smashmouth / I'm a Believer
- Newlyweds' intros: Hall & Oates / You Make My Dreams Come True
- First Dance: Sebastian Yatra / Dos Oruguitas (from "Encanto")
- Father / Bride Dance: JJ Heller / Edelweiss
- Groom / Mother Dance: Louis Armstrong / What a Wonderful World
- Cake Cutting: James Taylor / How Sweet It Is
- Open Dance Floor: Earth, Wind & Fire / September (after all, it was the 21st of September!)
- Last Dance of the Night (Everyone): Semisonic / Closing Time
- Last Dance of the Night (Newlyweds): Elvis Presley / Can’t Help Falling in Love
We had a different song for each set of announcements for the wedding party intros. As always, I edit them all in advance to ensure everyone hears a really recognizable part of the song, but there's also an instrumental part for me to talk over, so I'm not competing with the song's vocals.
Embassy Suites Syracuse Destiny USA Wedding DJ Photo Highlights
"Do you remember... the twenty-first night of September?" Everyone knows the lyric from Earth, Wind and Fire's "September," and yes, at Callie and Cameron's request, we really did open the dance floor with that song. (Even if they hadn't requested it, I definitely would have played it at some point anyway -- how can you not?)
With plenty of time for dancing, we covered quite a bit of territory from a musical standpoint -- The Cha-Cha Slide, The Wobble, Shout, the Cupid Shuffle... there was even an impromptu conga line that wound its way through the ballroom a few times, and a great mix of requests ranging from 70s classics to country to current superstar Chappell Roan.
Again, I'm just the DJ, and these aren't as good as the images and video captured by Ant & Annie Photo and Film, here are some of my photos to remember the 21st night of September 2024!
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And here's the 5-star review Callie and Cameron posted afterwards:
Peter was the DJ at our wedding on 9/21/2024, and we cannot say enough good things about him!
He was extraordinarily organized (which was so helpful as a Type-A bride), and his planning form brought up items we never would've even considered. When our original venue closed, Peter immediately shifted gears and got to work planning for our new venue. He took the time to edit our first dance and parent dance songs, and even tracked down an Iranian song for us that my husband had requested. And best of all, he kept the dance floor packed all night! We highly recommend him to any couples who are considering a DJ for their wedding.
Thank you again to Callie and Cameron for choosing me as your DJ! What an incredible crowd! Had a really great time helping you celebrate, and I'm so glad you were lucky enough to keep your original date when you had to switch venues. Wishing you many years of love and happiness together!!