Sunday, July 24, 2016

Megan and Robert's FUN Oswego Celebration

I had the great honor of handing Mc and DJ services for the wedding of Megan abs v Robert Wilson.  The reception was held at The American Foundry,  in Oswego,  NY where I had the opportunity to work with Mary abs her staff,  as well as one of my absolute favorite CNY photographers,  Sarah Heppell.

The celebration featured many of the traditional formalities that we just don't get to do so often anymore. Bouquet toss for instance.  This was a huge hit.
Meghan and Robert's taste in music was great,  and the dance floor hopped all night long. 



Thanks again for letting us help you celebrate this day with you.  Great families and friends! Definitely one of my favorite weddings of the season!


Sunday, July 10, 2016

Keri and Jake's Private Estate Skaneateles Lake Wedding

Ahhh the blog. During peak wedding season, it's quite difficult to set time aside to make a shiny new blog post... But here goes! I took a sec to download a blogger phone app so maybe that will help. :-)
 The last month plus has been more than a little busy! Weddings every weekend, and if I do say so myself, grand slams!

Keri and Jake's wedding on their family's private property in Skaneateles was picture perfect. We had the pleasure of working with Anatoli photograffi for the first time as well.  

A packed dance-floor and lots of great music throughout the evening, made for an unforgettable party! 


As we usually aim for, Keri and Jake hand selected many of the songs for the evening, and we filled in the blanks based on their tastes and guest requests. 

The top 3 songs of the night were: 

1. Gretchen Carlson - Here for the Party
2. The Four Seasons -  Oh What a Night
3. Taio Cruz - Dynamite

The party definitely POPPED and guests who pack the dance-floor are our favorite kind! 

It was a pleasure to DJ your Skaneateles Wedding celebration. Thanks for using Select Receptions! 

Best, 
Kirk R










Monday, June 27, 2016

A Perfect Wolf Oak Acres Wedding

June 25, 2016 we had the honor of providing services for the wedding of Rebecca and Kevin Kenderes. The ceremony, and reception took place at the beautiful Wolf Oak Acres, in Oneida, NY.

Wolf Oak has two ceremony sites. Rebecca and Kevin opted to get married by the creek, nested under a canopy of trees providing shade for their 140 guests.



We provided on-site battery powered sound, music and wireless lapel-microphone, so their guests could hear every vow. Our ceremony system is 100% digital, and includes a Bose Compact radial speaker and sub-woofer combination, and can be position discreetly in the back of any wedding ceremony.







R&K Opted for our new "photo-lounge" photo-booth option, and it was a huge hit all night long. One thing they opted for that I'd recommend to anyone considering a photo-booth, is keeping it in the same physical space as the dancing.

It makes for a packed dance floor with easy access to photo-booth fun!







It was a lot of FUN working with Rebecca & Kevin leading up to and the day of the big celebration. 
It was also a pleasure working with Katrina and Russel, owners of Wolf Oak Acres. It's a beautiful venue with all of the charm of a rustic, country wedding, but much more comfortable and modern! Also, it was nice working again with Martha Swann, one of the area's better photographers for sure! 

-KR


Thursday, June 2, 2016

Reasons your Reception Fun & Dancing Can Fall Flat

Beardy McHipster couple deep in thought: "Indy tunes only!"
The one thing all of the most successful weddings have in common is....... 
They were fun! 

They weren't ironic. The song-lyrics or music didn't tell some story over the course of the night that guests were supposed to catch... They were simply FUN. They were personalized everywhere my client envisioned, and still they were considerate of the many guests, whether it be 80 or 280 or more!









Reasons your reception fun and dancing can fall flat:
There are in no particular order, and some may have more impact than others... 

1. Tying the DJ's hands
Do you have 100 indy tunes that your day won't be complete without. We may not be the right fit for your wedding! If you've ever heard me say- "I'm glad to give you control over most of the music", be assured, it has come after a lengthy conversation where I've determined whether or not you are (1) someone with eclectic taste in music, and (2) have shown some level of consideration for your guests; i.e."I want everyone to dance and have FUN!"

Best practice: Pick a bunch of songs you love, a bunch of songs you think your guests will love, a handful of do-not-play songs... And let your DJ fill in the blanks based on your tastes, the crowd etc. If you don't trust the DJ to do that, don't hire the DJ.

2. No drinking
What's this? The DJ wants people to drink? Yes. The more drinking you have, the more dancing you'll have. I'm not saying people can't have fun without drinking, I'd certainly never tell my kids that, so I won't tell you that... But people most certainly have more fun, with drinking! Thankfully, my kids don't read my blog. ;)

3. Room Layout
It's more important than you may think. If the DJ is not placed in front of, or in close proximity to the dance-floor, the music cannot be in close proximity of the dance-floor! Dumb room layout is often the fault of an over-eager hotel or banquet-hall 'planner' who isn't considering the FUN.
Not-so-genius room layout

















4. Proximity of dancing to other important things
Is your bar or photo-booth outside the main reception room? In another room or hallway? This is sure to draw people away from the dancing. Sure, they may still be having fun elsewhere, and there's nothing wrong with that at all... But if dancing is a top priority for you, you may want to consider a layout that keeps guests in the same area as the dancing.

5. Other considerations
Some of these may be out of your control at this point, but....
Have you ever been to a Sunday afternoon wedding? A daytime outdoor wedding? A 12pm-5pm reception in a tent in 95 degree weather? I'm not saying you can't have a successful wedding in these scenarios, but you should realistically manage your expectations for dancing. I could be playing the world's favorite dance-song and handing out puppies on the dance-floor, and if people are sweating standing still, they probably aren't going to dance. Don't beat yourself up about it. The sound-track to the day is still important while people mingle and catch-up... But this day will likely not be about the dancing. If that's an important factor to you, plan accordingly.

--

Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Good luck!

-Kirk
Select Receptions




Wednesday, March 9, 2016

3 Red Flags to Avoid When Hiring a Reception DJ

A sad bride-to-be recently wanted to book a date we weren't available for :(. It happens. She was a bit lost on what to do next, as she'd never hired a DJ before, let alone planned a wedding! The least I could do was offer some advice on Red Flags to watch for avoid... And being me, I figured it'd make a good blog post, if I added some snazzy images. Badda-bing, badda-boom... 




Would you like cheese with that?
Red Flag #1. 
They're available... For EVERYONE!
Is the DJ you called available? That's great! But it's fair to wonder why they're available. Some vendors use buzzwords like "boutique" to describe their services, but they're readily available because they churn-out multiple weddings at a time! Does that sound like a boutique, or a "McWedding" vendor? Honesty is important. If your DJ calls themselves a "single-op" or "boutique", ask if they have any dates this year where their company will do more than one wedding.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------



An 'ultra-cool' setup,
might be a bit obtrusive for your wedding
Red Flag #2. 
They try to sell you on their gear.
Ahhh the elephant in the room, the DJ.
Sure, you want them to use professional equipment... But if their talent for simply carrying out your wishes doesn't trump "lights & speakers", beware! Guests aren't coming to see a DJ concert from a guy who makes himself the center of attention on your big day.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Where's our DJ?
Red Flag #3.
Their rate is super-afford-ably LOWER than others!
This one's scary, because there's a good chance that a cheap DJ won't be in business by the time your wedding arrives. Your wedding day is no time to roll the dice. Are you investing thousands of dollars in your wedding and entrusting the largest part of it (a 5 hour reception) to someone who DJs on the side simply to finance their hobby? Save money on veggie platters, chair covers etc. instead... A wedding day comes once, and there are no 2nd chances to get it right. 






--

Visit our Reception DJ Services Page for more info, or to request a quote! :-)
Thanks and good Luck!


-KR


Tuesday, January 12, 2016

The Top 200 song requests from last year (2015)



The results are in! Below are the Top 200 song requests from last year (2015). This information comes from DJ Intelligence, a service we subscribe to for online planning and music requests. The service is used by DJs all over the world performing all types of events, but it should be noted, the vast majority of them are weddings.

It's interesting to see how many songs make the Top 200 requests, that I haven't had any clients at ALL request last year... For instance: Kool & The Gang - Celebration, Kenny Loggins - Footloose, Village People - Y.M.C.A!!! Wow.

Anyway, feel free to browse through and get some ideas.... There are surely songs you'll love, and songs you'll love to NEVER hear at your wedding! As always, I'm glad to strictly adhere to my clients Do-Not-Play list, as I'd want nothing less for my own wedding. :-)








Rank
ArtistSong
1Ronson, Mark Feat. Bruno MarsUptown Funk
2JourneyDon't Stop Believin'
3CupidCupid Shuffle
4Swift, TaylorShake It Off
5Walk The MoonShut Up And Dance
6Williams, PharrellHappy
7Black Eyed PeasI Gotta Feeling
8Diamond, NeilSweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)
9Sheeran, EdThinking Out Loud
10V.I.C.Wobble
11Houston, WhitneyI Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
12AC/DCYou Shook Me All Night Long
13Bon JoviLivin' On A Prayer
14DJ CasperCha Cha Slide
15Mars, BrunoMarry You
16Maroon 5Sugar
17Morrison, VanBrown Eyed Girl
18Usher Feat. Ludacris & Lil' JonYeah
19Legend, JohnAll Of Me
20B-52'sLove Shack
21Isley BrothersShout
22DJ Snake Feat. Lil JonTurn Down For What
23OutkastHey Ya!
24Brooks, GarthFriends In Low Places
25BeatlesTwist And Shout
26Pitbull Feat. Ke$HaTimber
27Def LeppardPour Some Sugar On Me
28Jackson, MichaelBillie Jean
29Sir Mix-A-LotBaby Got Back
30Trainor, MeghanAll About That Bass
31BeyonceSingle Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
32Loggins, KennyFootloose
33Rihanna Feat. Calvin HarrisWe Found Love
34Lynyrd SkynyrdSweet Home Alabama
35Bryan, LukeCountry Girl (Shake It For Me)
36Sinatra, FrankThe Way You Look Tonight
37Lmfao Feat. Lauren Bennett And Goon RockParty Rock Anthem
38TemptationsMy Girl
39Sister SledgeWe Are Family
40Timberlake, JustinSexyback
41LmfaoSexy And I Know It
42Earth, Wind & FireSeptember
43Maroon 5 Feat. Christina AguileraMoves Like Jagger
44Kool & The GangCelebration
45Jordan, MontellThis Is How We Do It
46Jackson, MichaelP.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
47Daft Punk Feat. Pharrell WilliamsGet Lucky
48Seger, Bob & The Silver Bullet BandOld Time Rock & Roll
49Clapton, EricWonderful Tonight
50James, EttaAt Last
51Thicke, Robin Feat. Pharrell & T.I.Blurred Lines
52PinkRaise Your Glass
53Vanilla IceIce Ice Baby
54Wild CherryPlay That Funky Music
55Jackson, MichaelThriller
56House Of PainJump Around
57FoundationsBuild Me Up Buttercup
58Spice GirlsWannabe
59Cyrus, MileyParty In The U.S.A.
60Jackson, MichaelDon't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
61Jackson, MichaelThe Way You Make Me Feel
62Presley, ElvisCan't Help Falling In Love
63ABBADancing Queen
64SilentoWatch Me
65Azalea, Iggy Feat. Charli XCXFancy
66TrainMarry Me
67Brown Band, ZacChicken Fried
68Pitbull Feat. John RyanFireball
69Pitbull Feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & NayerGive Me Everything
70Pitbull Feat. Ne-YoTime Of Our Lives
71Mars, BrunoTreasure
72Lmfao Feat. Lil JonShots
73NellyHot In Herre
74Perri, ChristinaA Thousand Years
75Salt-N-PepaPush It
76Jepsen, Carly RaeCall Me Maybe
77Flo Rida Feat. T-PainLow
78Shelton, BlakeGod Gave Me You
79Lady Gaga Feat. Colby O'donisJust Dance
80CommodoresBrick House
81Backstreet BoysEverybody (Backstreet's Back)
82PsyGangnam Style
83Griffiths, MarciaElectric Boogie (Electric Slide)
84LumineersHo Hey
85Old Crow Medicine ShowWagon Wheel
86Gaye, Marvin & Tammi TerrellAin't No Mountain High Enough
87RednexCotton Eye Joe
88Adams, BryanSummer Of '69
89OmiCheerleader
90Armstrong, LouisWhat A Wonderful World
91Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Feat. WanzThrift Shop
92Jessie J + Ariana Grande + Nicki MinajBang Bang
93Village PeopleY.M.C.A.
94Bee GeesStayin' Alive
95Mars, BrunoJust The Way You Are
96Dexy's Midnight RunnersCome On Eileen
97Lauper, CyndiGirls Just Want To Have Fun
98Brown, ChrisForever
99Cruz, TaioDynamite
100Beyonce Feat. Jay-ZCrazy In Love
101Big & RichSave A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)
102AerosmithI Don't Want To Miss A Thing
103Springfield, RickJessie's Girl
104American AuthorsBest Day Of My Life
105Derulo, JasonWant To Want Me
106Righteous BrothersUnchained Melody
107Perry, KatyFirework
108California Swag DistrictTeach Me How To Dougie
109Florida-Georgia Line Feat. NellyCruise
110AviciiWake Me Up!
111Mraz, JasonI'm Yours
112Jackson, MichaelBeat It
113Grammer, AndyHoney, I'm Good
114Hammer, M.C.U Can't Touch This
115Don Omar Feat. LucenzoDanza Kuduro
116Checker, ChubbyThe Twist
117Buble, MichaelEverything
118Medley, Bill & Jennifer Warnes(I've Had) The Time Of My Life
119Wonder, StevieSigned, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
120Los Del RioMacarena
121QueenBohemian Rhapsody
122QueenCrazy Little Thing Called Love
123'N SyncBye Bye Bye
124LonestarAmazed
125Brooks & DunnBoot Scootin' Boogie
126Sinatra, FrankFly Me To The Moon
127Smith, WillGettin' Jiggy Wit It
128Harris, CalvinFeel So Close
129King, Ben E.Stand By Me
130Lamontagne, RayYou Are The Best Thing
131Brice, LeeI Don't Dance
132Taylor, JamesHow Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
13350 CentIn Da Club
134Guns N' RosesSweet Child O' Mine
135Flo Rida Feat. David GuettaClub Can't Handle Me
136Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Feat. Ray DaltonCan't Hold Us
137Young M.C.Bust A Move
138Black Eyed PeasLet's Get It Started
139RihannaDon't Stop The Music
140JourneyFaithfully
141Daft PunkOne More Time
142Johnson, JackBetter Together
143Rascal FlattsBless The Broken Road
144Flo RidaGood Feeling
145Jackson 5ABC
146K-Ci & JojoAll My Life
147Green, AlLet's Stay Together
148Hall, Daryl & John OatesYou Make My Dreams Come True
149Mraz, JasonI Won't Give Up
150KC & The Sunshine BandGet Down Tonight
151Beyonce Feat. Jay-ZDrunk In Love
152BeyonceLove On Top
153Timberlake, Justin Feat. Jay-ZSuit & Tie
154Buble, MichaelSave The Last Dance For Me
155West, Kanye Feat. Jamie FoxxGold Digger
156Fetty WapTrap Queen
157Mraz, Jason & Colbie CaillatLucky
158UsherDJ Got Us Fallin' In Love
159Usher Feat. Will.I.AmOmg
160Swift, TaylorBlank Space
161Flo Rida Feat. SiaWild Ones
162RomanticsWhat I Like About You
163Mumford & SonsI Will Wait
164Franklin, ArethaRespect
165Derulo, Jason Feat. 2 ChainzTalk Dirty
166Perry, KatyRoar
167Paisley, BradShe's Everything
168Mars, BrunoLocked Out Of Heaven
169AdeleMake You Feel My Love
170Guetta, David Feat. SiaTitanium
171Mcgraw, TimMy Best Friend
172Pitbull Feat. TjrDon't Stop The Party
173Icona Pop Feat. Charli XCXI Love It
174Minaj, NickiSuper Bass
175Trainor, MeghanDear Future Husband
176Goulding, EllieLove Me Like You Do
177Harris, CalvinSummer
178Jones, NorahCome Away With Me
179Kelly, R.Ignition
180Shelton, BlakeHoney Bee
181PrinceKiss
182BeatlesAll You Need Is Love
183Hayes, HunterWanted
184A-HaTake On Me
185Lopez, Jennifer Feat. PitbullOn The Floor
186Lady GagaPoker Face
187One DirectionWhat Makes You Beautiful
188Paisley, BradThen
189Gaye, MarvinLet's Get It On
190Kid RockAll Summer Long
191Travolta, John & Olivia Newton-JohnGrease Megamix
192Flo Rida Feat. KeishaRight Round
193Cheap TrickI Want You To Want Me
194Sledge, PercyWhen A Man Loves A Woman
195Clean Bandit Feat. Jess GlynneRather Be
196Minaj, NickiStarships
197OnerepublicCounting Stars
198MadonnaLike A Prayer
199Pitbull Feat. Christina AguileraFeel This Moment
200DionRunaround Sue


--

Exceptional Wedding Services in Central New York
SelectReceptions.com

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Woohoo! The 2016 Couples Choice Award goes to....

Woohoo!!

What a nice email to receive! For the 5th year in a row, the most AWESOMEST (that's a word as of right now) clients have taken the time to review us and nominate Select Receptions for this award. Thank you. Sure, any DJ company can solicit their clients and get the award, but I don't like to prod my clients or ask them to jump through hoops after their wedding.

It's mostly an honor because my clients (mostly brides let's face it) took the time out of their busy day, out of their own kindness, and sincere love for our services, to write a positive review.

It's so appreciated, and it's fun reading the glowing reviews and remembering each of their big days!

Thank you so much! Here's to a great 2016 ahead!




Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Another Successful Wedding Season in the Books

Wow. Here we are in November! It was a busy summer, packed with some very fun weddings!

Some of the venues we performed at include: The Frog Pond in (Skaneateles), The University Sheraton (Syracuse), The Binghamton Country Club (Binghamton), Justins Grill (Syracuse), Suzanne's Fine Regional Cuisine (Fingerlakes), The Mandana Barn (Skaneateles) Anyella's (Skaneateles)... Craftsman Inn (Fayetteville), and many more.

Until next season... Thanks to all of our peak-season 2015 wedding clients who chose Select Receptions to help you celebrate your big day! 

Saturday, June 27, 2015

A Packed Floor at The Binghamton Country Club

Today we had the pleasure of proving lighting and DJ services for the wedding of Jean and Matt.

It was nice to work at the Binghamton Country Club, a venue I don't get to work at often, being from the Syracuse area. The rooms architecture really lends itself well to our uplighting, with high ceilings and several tall pillars. It's a beautiful ballroom, with a great room for cocktails across the hall.

For cocktail music, we provided a 2nd Bose sound system run wirelessly.

After an elegant cocktail and dinner, guests were eager to dance!

Jean and Matt requested a lot of great music. They knew just what their guests would like ,and we filled in the blanks. The result was a packed dance floor all night long. Literally! Great crowd, and another very FUN wedding.




If you're in the area, I'd highly recommend the venue. Staff was impeccable to work with and helped facilitate all the important moments.

Thanks Jean and Matt! It was an hionor being a part of your bg day.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

5 Tips to Get Wedding Guests on the Dance Floor



This is a great article, that I agree with so much- I had to repost! 

These tips are simple, but can be very effective!

Click on over to Borrowed and Blue for some great advice on what you can do to stack the odds in favor of a packed dance floor!




Heres the link:
http://www.borrowedandblue.com/all/wedding-blog/5-tips-to-get-wedding-guests-on-the-dance-floor




Friday, January 30, 2015

Think of the best wedding receptions you've been to...

Think of the best wedding receptions you've been to... 
Chances are, you remember because you had FUN. 


How was the dinner? Do you remember it?
It encompassed only about 1 hour of the evening. On average, in CNY it's around $60-$70 per plate.

For 150 guests, that's $9750.

Was the dinner amazing? 
The mandatory gratuity tacked-on was around $2000.

Our rate is currently LESS than the average mandatory gratuity for dinner. 


For us, that means around 20 hours of planning with you, preparing for, and producing on the day of. Creating timeline agendas for your other vendors, coordinating events with great detail, and compiling your favorite music so the day is personal, and never cookie-cutter.

4 or 5 hours of your wedding day will be spent with the DJ you choose. 

He or she will welcome your guests, introduce your closest friends and family, cater to your musical tastes, and get your dance-floor packed. Regardless of who you select, be sure you plan your budget proportionate to importance. We believe guests having FUN is important!

Here are a few past blog posts you may be interested in: 



In CNY, the average wedding DJ service is around $1400. We'd never want your biggest day to be average.

The price you pay for entertainment is directly proportional to the quality you receive, which is directly proportional to the success of your event.

I hope this helps. Don't hesitate to contact me for any reason.



Thanks to my friend Carl for inspiring this post.
Best wishes in your planning!

-Kirk/Select Receptions

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Advanced Microphone Technique 1 & 2

L-R: Randy Bartlett and me with my winter beard. ;)
Yesterday I joined 12 colleagues and spectators from as far as Massachusetts, and as near is Syracuse, for a continuing education workshop for Masters of Ceremonies.

Advanced Microphone Technique, Levels 1 and 2, are workshops offered by Randy Bartlett, one of the nations top trainers and mentors in the field.




The workshop was wedding specific, with a focus on one of the most important portions of the evening. This is the first 10 minutes of the reception, after cocktail hour. The entire tone of the evening is set during this very first segment, so it's important that the MC can not only command the room's attention, but can do it warmly, sincerely (not scripted), and of course serve as a well-spoken 'spokesperson' for the bride and groom. This important segment includes- Welcoming guests, thanking them for coming and letting them know what to expect of the evening, introducing the wedding party, introducing the bride and groom, introducing the first dance, and transitioning into toasts.

All too often, DJs tend to use a cheesy approach they picked up from another DJ, making themselves the center of attention, and missing the entire point of the evening along the way.

I've continued education and training under Mark Ferrell, and reaped a wealth of information through materials from Peter Merry, Todd Mitchum, Bill Herman, Mitch Taylor, Mike Walters and more. These are some of the most respected names in the industry worldwide. A workshop though, is somewhat like a trip to the gym, in that it helps an MC get exercise during the off season. A big thanks to Randy for making the trip to freezing cold Central New York in January. :)




Left to Right:

Owen Draughn - DJ By Design, Toby Varner - DJ Toby, Letitia English - The Great Music Company, Randy Bartlett, Kirk Rothrum - Select Receptions, James - The Great Music Company, CJ - Visa Versa Entertainment, Vince Liotta - Events by Cool Cat, Brian Fowler - New England DJs, Jonathan Paduano - Paduano Studios, Eric Catalano - Events by Cool Cat, Barry - Ormond Entertainment, Jimmie Malone - Exceptional Receptions, Carl Naples - DJ by Design, Ryan DeLap - Engaged Entertainment, Cindy Ormond - Ormond Entertainment

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Couples Choice Awards 2015 Winner

Thank you for raving about our services~!
We're honored to be recognized by our clients, with this being the 5th award we've won in recent years! This one is from WeddingWire, one of the leading websites for planning your wedding. Winners are selected based on verified client reviews.




While there are too many to post, here is a review from Mia and Nick, one of the last weddings we did in 2014: 

***************************************
Quality of Service: 5.0   Responsiveness: 5.0   Professionalism: 5.0   Value: 5.0   Flexibility: 5.0

Words cannot express the amazing job he did! Everyone had the best time and he definitely got the party started, you should see the pictures! The uplighting was beautiful, the music was great...and the photobooth...the best! I was hesitant about the photobooth at first because it was an added expense. However, that was probably one of THE BEST decisions we made. Everyone, including grandparents, loved the photobooth. And the album we have from it was just the best. The monogram dance floor lighting was perfect for showing us off as a new couple. As an out of town bride, it was difficult to pick vendors, but this was a perfect match! He always answered my million+ calls and emails and helped me plan out the order of events for the reception. It was such a beautiful wedding thanks to him!

Services Used: Ceremony Music, DJ, Event Rentals & Photobooths, Lighting & Decor

***************************************


The WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® recognizes the top 5 percent of local Wedding Professionals from the WeddingWire Network throughout the United States, Canada and abroad that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® are awarded solely based on the reviews from over 200,000 newlyweds. Awards are determined by a combination of excellence in four factors: overall rating (quality), total number of reviews (quantity), review performance from 2014 (recency), and consistency of reviews from year to year (consistency).