I know "time flies when you're having fun" is cliché, but that's exactly how I felt at Erica and Grant's wedding reception at the Genesee Grande Ballroom inside the Collegian Hotel and Suites in Syracuse last weekend. My second wedding of 2017 also featured the début of some brand new equipment I purchased over the winter.
Outdoor weddings can offer an exciting alternative to an indoor celebration. But that perfect summer evening under the stars may require more preparation than an indoor event. Here are 6 pointers to consider when planning an outdoor wedding.
There are lots of moving parts on a wedding day... and running behind schedule can cause you stress. If nothing else, delays could cost you money. From the DJ booth, I've observed most delays boil down to 5 reasons... but luckily, these potential problems can be avoided with some planning!
Had an absolute blast playing Arthur and Evan's wedding this past weekend in the Persian Terrace ballroom at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown. Not only was the wedding lots of fun, but it crossed-off two big items from my "never have I ever" list as a wedding DJ. Check out the full post to find out what was unique about this wedding, see some photos, and which songs the pair selected for the key moments of their special day!
A strong finish for my 2016 wedding season! Meghan and Matt invited friends and family to celebrate at the scenic Wolf Oak Acres in Oneida, my second wedding there this year. Although rainy weather altered the plans for my previous wedding here (in August), Meghan and Matt enjoyed a picture-perfect day. Two sound systems seamlessly covered three locations -- I'll explain how and share some of my favorite photos inside this blog post.
Theresa and Kyle's wedding took me to Daniele's Banquet Specialists on Seneca Turnpike in New Hartford. It's just a few miles outside of Utica, right up the hill from "Jay-K Corners." Theresa and Kyle live about halfway between Utica and Albany, so we didn't have a chance to meet until the reception. But that's nothing new for me -- I've worked with many out-of-town couples before. Detailed communication via email and telephone is key to help everything go according to plan!
Although my 2016 wedding season has ended, I continue to catch up with the memories here on my blog. We had a great time at Caitlin and Martin's wedding ceremony and reception, split between two different locations in Cazenovia, a short drive southeast of Syracuse. The outdoor ceremony narrowly dodged passing rain showers and dance floor was packed for the entire reception!
As I continue to catch-up on my 2016 wedding season blogging, I can't believe it's already been a whole month since Michelle and John's wedding reception! They had a beautiful fall day to celebrate at Twin Ponds Golf and Country Club in New York Mills, just outside of Utica. For this reception, I provided sound in two separate areas, along with dance floor lighting and uplighting. Keep reading this blog post for photos, song ideas and more!
Heather and Jeff were a pleasure to work with and their wedding plans brought me to a new venue -- at least new in terms of my DJ experience. Although I've eaten at the original Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse many times, this was my first time at their "Upstairs at The Dino" event space, which opened in 2009. The food was excellent, the venue space was wonderful and the guests had a great time!
With so many great Central New York wedding venues, it's rare that I get to DJ at the same venue twice in one season. I love visiting new venues, but it's also nice to return to a familiar place. Jenna and Jeff's wedding reception was my second in 2016 at the Old Administration Building at Fayetteville's Green Lakes State Park. As far as outdoorsy wedding venues go, a second visit confirms this one remains hard to beat.
