A Classy Same-Sex Wedding affair at Francesca's Cucina in Syracuse

 

L to R: Drew Cain, Ian Cain, Kevin Walsh, Gary Cain

This past Sunday, we had the pleasure of providing Wedding Coordination, Ceremony Sound and Reception Entertainment for the Wedding of Gary and Ian Cain. 

Partners for 28 years, Gary and Ian currently reside in Houston, TX, with their son Drew. Both have family in the Central New York area, so with the legalization of Same-Sex marriage, it only made sense for them to make it official here in CNY. The couple's 11 year old son Drew is an advanced violist, and provided their Processional and Recessional music, and their close personal friend Kevin Walsh officiated the ceremony with the eloquence of an seasoned pro.

"Lego" cake topper

The Wedding was held at Francesca's Cucina, in Syracuse, NY. The setting at Francesca's is picture perfect. The beautiful outdoor eating area and garden-patio served as a great space for cocktails and dancing. The tone for the entire evening's affair was set early-on with classy, somewhat abstract Jazz selections by Ian Cain. It made for a great backdrop for conversation and lent itself well to the upscale ambiance of Francesca's. 

If you're planning a smaller affair of 60 or less guests, Francesca's is a great option, providing a beautiful setting, and delicious food. 

A big THANKS to Gary and Ian for entrusting us with your big day. I appreciate all the kind words, though the pleasure was mine. :)

While we certainly don't have the demand to do them every weekend, The nuances of Same-sex weddings by their very nature are never cookie-cutter, and are always very personal. For us, that makes them FUN and always memorable. To our knowledge, we're the only DJ company in upstate New York to provide an Online Client Tools account for you to login to, that is customized specifically for all the nuances of a Gay Wedding in Syracuse, NY.

• Click Here for more information on  our Same-sex Wedding DJ services in Syracuse & Central New York.

All the best,

-Kirk Rothrum

Select Receptions by CNY Select DJs

Not a dry eye at the Skyline Lodge at Highland Forest

Skyline Lodge

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of assisting my colleague [DJ] Gary Rainbow, as the Master of Ceremonies at a wedding at the Skyline Lodge at Highland Forest.

I handled announcing, coordination, and provided low-profile speakers for ceremony sound for the wedding of Renee and Chris Fuller. It was a beautiful day, although a bit chilly, and I must say, the food was delicious. Alicia, the banquet manager, was very pleasant and the entire event went smooth as could be. A fun group of guests made it easy!

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At this ceremony, I had the opportunity to use a new speaker system specifically for ceremonies. These self-powered,  low profile 10" speakers were well out of the way, and performed magnificently. A beautiful selection of prelude and ceremony music reached every guest with rich, sonic detail . I'm very happy with the results and looking forward to doing more ceremonies with this system! Such a nerd for these things! ;)

 

© Borne Photography (315) 575-7268

One of the big highlights of my day, was the Father-Daughter dance. These are always special, to me especially because as the dad of a 5 year old little princess, I know someday I'll share this dance with my little girl. I see so many dads hold their little girls so tight. For this particular dance, I asked Renee to go out and stand in the center of the dance-floor until the end of the current song. When the song ended, I stood next to her father's table, and asked if I could put him on the spot for a few questions. Ed is a tall, cool, kinda tough guy who earlier before introductions told me (jokingly) how much he detests the "pomp & circumstance" of weddings. With his back to the dance floor, I asked him "do you remember the very first time you held your daughter in your arms?" He shyly acknowledged with a proud nod. I then asked "How about the first time you put her on a school bus?"... Again, not a man for public speaking, he turned to his wife and joked that he wasn't sure, "did she?" Then I asked if he remembered the first time a boy called the house for her.. His eyes got wide, he sure did! And finally "How did you feel the day your little girl told you she was getting married?", Ed blinked a long blink, and stood silently. I gestured to the dance-floor and said "There she is Ed, I want you to think deeply about all of those moments as you make your way to the dance-floor". As he turned around, he teared up as he gazed his beautiful daughter, waiting for the dance they probably danced 100 times when she was five years old.  He held her so tightly, and there was nary a dry eye in the house.


I sincerely feel blessed to have been a part of this day. Thank you Gary Rainbow for inviting me to MC this wedding. I don't care how corny it sounds. I absolutely love my job. It is not a "gig", and it is so much more than playing music. I feel truly blessed to help families experience moments they'll cherish for the rest of their lives. I leave feeling positive, and happy, and when I get home, I plant a huge wet one on my wife.

So she kinda digs it too! ;)


All the best!

-Kirk
CNY Select DJs
Syracuse Wedding DJ




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Behind the scences

As usual, we were invited to eat. I was very impressed with the food. Baked chicken, ham, ziti & meatballs, squash, potatoes.... A yummy "schmear" (as Jerry's mom would say on Seinfeld).
As we sat in a side break-room during dinner, I had to laugh at the multitude of DJ business cards that decorated the refrigerator. Among them were: Top Shelf Entertainment, Black Tie Entertainment, Music and Memories, Jones Tones, DJ Express, DJ John Adams, Jammin Beats DJs, Shotime Entertainment and of course CNY Select DJs. Since potential clients certainly wont ever see this refrigerator, and banquet staff is surely not going to "call-on" their break-room fridge when a bride-to-be mentions in passing that she still needs a DJ... No, this is simply the DJ's equivalent of graffiti. I couldn't resist adding our cards to say- "CNY Select DJs" and "Shotime Entertainment" were here too.

Another Home Run at the Sheraton Syracuse University

This past weekend we had the pleasure once again to provide DJ services for the Delta Sigma Pi Syracuse chapter's awards ceremony and Spring Fling. This event is an elegant evening of dinner and dancing, with a fun awards ceremony after dinner. The evening was a complete success, with a packed dance-floor all night.

As much as partying with Delta Sigma Pi and alumni is always a fun evening- This post however, isn't about the great DSP brothers... This post is about the uncompromising attention to every detail we experienced from the staff at the Sheraton, Syracuse University.
Abdul Muqeet is the Banquet Manager, and once again his overseeing of every nuance of the event made it a complete success.

We were graciously invited to join in dinner, and accepted. This gave us an opportunity to experience the true level of service provided by the staff under Abdul at the Sheraton.

The buffet was an elegantly presented mix of delicious foods. From the Greek salad, to the Shrimp, to the Chicken Florentine, everything was prepared to perfection- without being smothered in salt and over-buttered, (something many venues do to cover up sub-par ingredients). Everything was fresh and tasty! Once seated, our waiter (a gentleman in his mid-twenties who took his job very seriously) provided nothing short of white-glove service. Not since a stay at the Battery Park Ritz Carlton in Manhattan have I experienced hospitality staff who treated us like royalty. It was impressive. After a visit to a decadent dessert table, we enjoyed a cup of coffee and prepared for the upcoming awards ceremony. Later in the evening I had the opportunity to speak with Abdul, who was a true gentleman and was quick to praise his staff as the best in town. While I agree that they are indeed professionals, he was visibly "at the helm" throughout the entire event.

If you're considering venues for your special celebration, I highly recommend meeting with Abdul at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center (315.475.3000 ext 2213 - www.sheratonsyracuse.com).
Happy planning!

-Kirk
CNY Select DJs

A Picture Perfect Wedding Ceremony and Reception at Borio's on Oneida Lake, Cicero, NY

Wedding Ceremony of Susan and Donald Ciaello

This past weekend, with my colleague Russell Dobbins, I had the opportunity to take part in the Wedding Ceremony and Reception of Susan and Donald Ciaello at Borios on Oneida Lake. As always, the staff at Borios was great, and the weather couldn't have been better. Planning an outdoor Syracuse wedding in April, requires a little luck. ;)

It was an intimate gathering of roughly 80 guests. A fun crowd with lots of great requests and plenty of dancing. Daytime weddings can be tough when the weather is nice, this one was a ball!

The Sunset Room at Borio's is the perfect situation to employ our low-profile dance lighting. Unless a couple specifically wants a larger lighting system, our speaker stand mounted LED lights provide BIG impact, while taking up zero extra space.

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All it takes is one or two lights to make a dance floor more inviting, and using them sparingly is key to keeping the mood elegant.

The light pictured to the left, is a modern take on the classic "disco-ball" effect. It moves in sync with the music rotating in both directions while throwing color changing dots on the walls, floor and ceiling. A very effective and versatile light, we can also control it to simply spin slowly during slow dances.
If you're unsure whether or not you want dance lighting at your wedding because you've seen DJs setup large metal trussing to "frame-in" their setup with tacky lights and unsightly wires danglinig all over... Be assured, you do not have to sacrifice your tasteful wedding decor with CNY Select DJs.

Feel free to ask us about dance lighting options. You might be surprised with just how low profile we can be and still make your dance floor rock!

-Kirk Rothrum
Select Receptions by CNY Select DJs