A Fun Fall-time Wedding in the Mohawk Valley

This past Saturday, September 29th 2012, I had to pleasure of providing DJ services for the wedding reception of Brittany and Kasey Williams. The reception was held in the Ballroom of the Twin Ponds Country Club, in New York Mills, NY. I love working in this area. It's nestled in the  Mohawk Valley, near Utica, Rome, New Hartford, Hamilton, etc. And being at the foothills of the Adirondacks, the foliage this time of year is beautiful.

Brittany and Kasey had around 200 guests, a great crowd of fun people! Their wedding party consisted of 16 of their closest friends and family. To personalize things, each couple did their grand entrance in a hilarious different way. In our Planning meeting, we went over the room layout and where I'd be lining everyone up for introductions, having the large sliding partition closed between the main dining room and the cocktail lounge for introductions would be imperative to making it work, or the surprise would be lost completely. Sometimes banquet managers don't like to go outside of the cookie-cutter way they do weddings all year long. I had an opportunity to play advocate for Brittany and Kasey. Sometimes, clients hire me because I don't do things cookie-cutter. Their day being executed as they planned is my only goal, and it's not about me whatsoever. In the end, I was able to convince the management, and I closed the partition. Everyone in the wedding party made a hilarious, once in a lifetime entrance that will be remembered forever. One of my favorite grand introductions of the year!

After dinner, the dance-floor was PACKED and stayed PACKED all night long. I played a very eclectic mix, always bringing it back to Brittany and Kasey's favorites. It's especially fun when as a DJ, I can play a song that everyone may have forgot about, but everyone loves!

The top 3 dance hits of the night that caught everyone off guard were: 

1. Kenny Loggins - Footloose
2. Hall & Oates - You Make my Dreams Come True
3. Elvis - Jailhouse Rock

I also had the pleasure of working with a photographer I've never worked with before, Alan from AJ's Photography in New Hartford, NY. Alan was a complete professional, and after seeing some of his shots, I'd highly recommend him to anyone. 

It was an honor to work with Brittany and Kasey! Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day!

-Kirk Rothrum
Select Receptions

5 Easy ways to 'look before you leap' into a DJ for your Wedding

Since people don't really hire a DJ very often in life (once? twice?), they tend to ask the same first question we attach to commodity products we buy at Target- How much do you cost?

That's great for buying paper towels, but not so much for your wedding day. 

You're about to hand a live microphone to a complete stranger in front of all of your closest friends & family. Is that a good idea? 

KNOW YOUR DJ

1. Are they reliable? When weighing cost vs reliability, there is no savings great enough to make up for a DJ who never shows up. Without a DJ, your entire wedding reception is over before it starts. It's heartbreaking to hear about, but it happens. They are usually around half (or less) the rate of a professional. Several companies pay their DJs around $10-$20 an hour. This means that someone making $50-$100, is at the helm of an event that is costing on average over $25,000. Read that twice, and be sure to prioritize your budget proportionately.

2. Where is their loyalty? Are they a full time professional? Do you have to work around their "day job" schedule to plan, meet, or execute your wedding? Other employment obligations might be a reason for concern. Why are they only part time? Who is their loyalty to? Their boss who cuts them a check every week, or their client who does once? Be very careful.

3. How is their Personality? Are they generally likable? We all have people that we just don't 'click' with. Some people really want a DJ who makes announcements in a deep "radio voice", others consider that cheesy, insincere, and used-car salesmany (new word!). You need to talk to the actual DJ who will be at your wedding to know for sure if you 'click'. Be sure you do!

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4. Are they, and their equipment, neat and presentable? Your DJ will be a very visible fixture at your wedding. Guests will interact with your DJ and whether you like it or not, your DJ will be speaking on behalf of YOU, and will represent you. Appearance may not be the number one factor in buying a car, but you will be in it, and it will be sitting in your driveway. Exactly who will be standing for 4-5 hours in plain site at your wedding reception?


5. Does he/she have References? I don't mean the company, I mean the actual DJ who'll be at your wedding. Can you call some past clients/couples and speak with them directly? Surely the DJ must have at least a handful of clients who had such a wonderful experience, they will gladly give a reference. If not, keep looking.

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Great DJs make it look easy, but a great deal of time, talent, love & care goes into a wedding for a DJ who really cares.

As always, don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. Happy planning!

-Kirk Rothrum
Select Receptions, Syracuse Wedding DJ Services

An Elegant September Celebration at the Maplewood Inn, Liverpool, NY

This past Saturday, on September 22, 2012, I had the pleasure of providing services for the wedding reception of Sarina and Mark Davis.

Sarina and Mark are a fun, professional couple who grew up in the Syracuse area, both graduating from CNS, and now live in Michigan. Their wedding had several guests from great distances like MI, SC, FL, GA, CT, NYC.

The reception was held at the Maplewood Inn in Liverpool NY, and I was assisted by Russell Dobbins, a great DJ with a  knack for picking the right song to get a party started.

In addition to DJ and MC services, we provided purple uplighting which was chosen to match Sarina's bridesmaid's dresses, and a custom monogram projection on the dance-floor. A monogram always creates a custom touch of elegance, that never fails to impress guests. People posed for pictures in front of Sarina and Mark's, and commented on it several times.

Monogram and Uplighting at the Maplewood Inn

The Maplewood Inn has 2 "conference" rooms, that they open up into one called the Laurel Grand Ballroom. The room is a nice size for a wedding of  <100 guests, and has an interesting curved wall that gives the room some character. Obviously hotels must use their space as double duty, and conference rooms are often used for event events like weddings, so decor and general vibe can be very neutral. For this reason, the Laurel Room lacks chandeliers. The addition of uplighting created a warm glow around the perimeter and really took the Maplewood's Laurel Room from conference room to elegant, modern ballroom.

Sarina and Mark's ceremony ended earlier than planned, and many guests arrived around 30 minutes early, so we began playing cocktail music a little early. Because so many guests arrived early, and some arrived on time, Cocktail hour felt a little long for some guests, and Sarina was getting a little worried, so we talked about changing the timeline around a bit. I spoke with the staff and was able to arrange for dinner to be moved a full 45 minutes earlier. This helped!

Sarina shared with me, how important her father was to her. He is her rock, they speak each and every day without fail, and they have a bond I truly hope I have forever with my own daughter. When a client has this kind of relationship with her dad, instead of simply announcing the father-daughter dance, sometimes I'll take a moment to interview dad on the microphone before their dance. It's always different, but usually it means recalling a funny or meaningful story from 20 years ago, and taking a moment, a breath if you will, to take in the importance of what is about to happen. I like to punctuate important moments. And a father and daughter dance, especially this one, is hugely important.

After Mark shared a special dance with his mother, we picked up the pace, and the volume, and got the party in motion. The biggest hits of the night were Michael Jackson - Billie Jean, Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive.

The wedding was catered by Carnegie Catering, who we've worked with on several occasions. They always do a wonderful job.

Thanks so much to Sarina and Mark for letting us be a part of your big day!

-Kirk Rothrum
Select Receptions

A Romantic, Funny Love Story at Traditions at the Links, East Syracuse, NY

This past Saturday, September 15, 2012, I had the absolute pleasure of providing services for the wedding of Stephanie and Michael Schellinger. Their wedding reception was held at Traditions at the Links in East Syracuse. If you're looking for a beautiful venue with a staff that is second to none, you should definitely consider Traditions at the Links. Both ballrooms are beautiful, and the banquet managers Gerry and Kim are very professional.

Stephanie and Mike are one of my favorite couples ever!

We had a planning meeting at Panera Bread on Erie Blvd. and immediately hit it off. 

During the meeting I learned a lot about them. I'll often ask couples how they met, and Stephanie and Mike's love story had all the makings of a hit introduction. It was funny, romantic, and inspired me to do the absolute best job I could for them. Here was a couple, floating on air in love.

During introductions I gave a brief back-story to Stephanie and Mike's courtship before introducing them into the room for the first time to resounding cheers. So many guests came up during and after the reception to thank me, and say how much they appreciated that back-story. Wedding guests all know why the are there, but they don't always know what specifically brought the couple to this day. Sometimes that love story, as was the case with Stephanie and Michael, is share-worthy indeed.

The rest of the reception was a great party, with a packed dancefloor! Stephanie's dance with her father was especially moving for me. Watching her mother proudly stare onto the dancefloor as they shared this time together... It's a moment I think they'll cherish forever.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day guys!

-Kirk Rothrum
Select Receptions
CNY Select DJs

Thanks Alissa & Bob!

Though I'm a few weddings behind on blog entries, just a quick post today to say...
I have the best clients in the world!!

Thanks Alissa & Bob!