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! (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! (more…)
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. (more…)
There’s nothing like a good summertime outdoor wedding, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate. That’s when it pays-off to have backup plans! Although rain prevented Kelly and Sal from saying “I do” outdoors at Wolf Oak Acres in Oneida, solid backup plans allowed the ceremony and reception to take place indoors without a hitch. Guests who weren’t aware of the original plans probably assumed the ceremony was going to be indoors all along. (more…)
Elise and Ryan’s wedding day will probably stick out in my memories of the 2016 wedding season for breaking two records: longest distance traveled and hottest wedding day of the year. Now, I realize those might sound like complaints, but to the contrary! It was beautiful day for a drive to Hancock, where one can find The River Run Restaurant at the West Branch Resort, nestled between route 17 and the Pennsylvania border. While intense storms caused power outages in the Syracuse area on August 13, we were far enough south to avoid the storms — allowing Elise and Ryan to get married outside under clear blue skies, surrounded by the westernmost fringe of the Catskill Mountains. (more…)
One of the best things about the Syracuse area is that there’s a vibrant city life, but you don’t have to drive too far to get “out to the country.” And when it comes to getting married in a country setting with a beautiful view for miles around, it’s tough to beat the Skyline Lodge and Highland Forest County Park in Fabius. That’s where Meghan and Ryan held their wedding ceremony and reception this past August. (more…)
What a busy wedding season! Although I usually try to give myself one weekend off per month, I somehow managed to let myself book all four weekends in August… so that explains why I’m a little behind on my blogging. In any event, the first weekend in August brought me back to a familiar venue, MKJ Farm in Deansboro. Located about 25 minutes south of Utica, just off route 12B, MKJ Farm provided a perfect setting for Carly and Mike’s wedding, especially considering they just started their own farm not too long ago. (more…)
Kate and Brendan are an amazing couple and put together a wonderful wedding at one of Syracuse’s newest venues, SKY Armory. Although I’ve heard plenty of buzz about the venue since it opened, this was my first opportunity to visit SKY Armory in person, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’m pleased to say the staff was awesome to work with and the entire experience was a great success. Check out the post for photos and some great ideas you can “borrow” for your own wedding. (more…)
With over 300 people, Brandi and Dan’s wedding at a private residence (her parents’) in Madison was one of the largest weddings I’ve played. A giant party tent had room for over 20 guest tables, a large dance floor, three bars (saving guests from long walks or long lines), a photobooth and more. When it comes to staging an outdoor wedding at a private residence, there’s plenty of things that could go wrong or overlooked — but Brandi, Dan and their families hit it right out of the park!
You can tell wedding season is getting busy when I start to fall behind on my blogging! In what seems like just the blink of an eye, it’s already been nearly two weeks since Stephanie and Joshua tied the knot at The Beeches in Rome. Although I’ve played receptions at The Beeches in the past, this was the first time I’ve worked with a couple who also had their ceremony on-site. (more…)