Wedding Teddy Bear Decoration Idea

Here is a pretty cool wedding teddy bear decoration idea... Dress the bears up like they are getting wedding and put them in a highly trafficked area. You could put this novel decoration piece on a candy bar (like this one), by the guest book, or perhaps to use as centerpieces at each table.

Black Friday Fail - 2012

Because wedding season slows down a little over the holidays, I decided not to write about the nice little reception we did at The Stockade Inn that I did over the weekend, and focus on "Black Friday" for this post. First off, unlike the wedding I was the DJ for at there in Schenectady, there was nothing "nice", nor "little" about this year's Black Friday.

For the past 8 years or so, a friend of mine has been meeting up with me at the crack of dawn to run around like fools the day after Thanksgiving, looking at the deals at all the major stores in the area. However, the deal with this year's Black Friday, in my opinion, was there were no deals.It looks like Black Friday may have a very grim future and the downward spiral has begun.

IT IS NO LONGER JUST FRIDAY - I think this greedy move by retailers to try and get all of your holiday money spent at just their locationis going to backfire in the end. Target said, "lets open at 9pm on THURSDAY," so Walmart opened at 8pm, with two other "sale events" kicking in later at midnight, then early in the morning on Friday.

Creating a "Gray Thursday" is a bad idea, in my opinion. This also grays the line for when Black Friday actually starts and creates lees of a sense of urgency on the buyer's behalf. Why wake up at midnight or 5am or whenever for Black Friday sales, if places have already been open since immediately after you ate your pumkin pie the night before.

To read the read the rest of my blog (at www.TheDJservice.com) highlighting fails on doorbusters and flat screen TV deals CLICK HERE



DJ Kenny Casanova is a highly sought-after wedding DJ in the Troy, NY & ALbany, NY region.

Affordable Wedding Hall Review - Colonie Elks in Latham, NY

The Colonie Elks Club in Latham, NY

Affordable Wedding Hall Review - Colonie Elks in Latham, NY

If you are interested in saving a little on your hall but still want an elegant layout with outdoor ceremony potential, you may want to take a look at the Colonie Elks Club in Latham, NY.


The Colonie Elks in Latham, NY is conveniently located right in the middle of everything, ten minutes from Troy, ten minutes from Albany, ten minutes from the airport, and not too far away from Schenectady and Saratoga.

The Elks Club has a separate bar for your cocktail hour, as well as a large outdoor space for your wedding ceremony. If an outdoor ceremony is important to you, I think you will enjoy the ceremony site on hand, complete with a nice white gazebo with lots of greenery to boot. There is also a large pavilion.

From my experience, the food has been fairly decent. The last wedding I was the DJ at there, the bride and groom gave their guests a choice of a stuffed chicken or prime rib. I had the beefy prime rib, and it was scrumptious!

They also have a disco ball set up in house with both white and red lights!

In the end, this is a great medium end option for a wedding that really gets the job done without cutting any major corners. I would rate it 8 out of ten stars, in looking at the big picture, maybe only subtracting a tiny bit on not having lightning quick service on the actual entree. While the Elks may not have a huge wait staff like that of a Mallozzi's catered venue, I am sure you end up saving a load of $$$ because of this in the long run.

If you are planning on having your wedding in this area, the Colonie Elks is definitely worth checking out.

Interested in reading more reviews by Albany Wedding DJ J Kenny Casanova? Check out his site at www.thedjservice.com !!!

Hanging Wedding Table Place Cards

Hangable Table Place Cards is an affordable wedding decorating idea and, at the same time, directs your guests to their tables in a fun, creative way. As the DJ, I have seen great ones!


Whatever you do to apply this loose concept is entirely up to you. This decorating idea an easy do-it-youself concept for your wedding. The rules are simple; tie lines between two different points with all of your guests' names hanging from the line.  This idea will really add character to your special day.

CUSTOM-PICKED CLIPS - Your choice of clips is everything. A rustic, country theme wedding may look even better with old-fashion clothespinned table cards. A modern wedding, however, may look great with silver or bronze clips, complimenting the chosen colors of your wedding.
LINE CHOICE – Fancy twines, fishing line, ribbons, strings or ropes can all be used to clip to. Each will add flavor to the sought after taste or theme of the wedding that you are looking to achieve.

CARDS – Have fun with the cards! Hand write, use photos or have cards printed according to your theme.


There are no rules and the ideas for decoration are endless. Here are a number of pictures you can use as a resource for your hanging wedding table place cards:    HANGING PLACE CARD PHOTO GALLERY


Have fun!

Wedding Place Card Table Setting Trees

Over the weekend, I was the disc jockey for a great wedding at Altamont Orchard wedding of Altamont New York. Whenever I see something creative, different, or just well done at a wedding, I always like to share it with my audience. So at this particular wedding,  I saw a nifty fall-related place card idea that I haven't seen before and, thereforem decided to share it with you today.

Here is a great little idea for your fall wedding. How about using Fall Theme Wedding Table Place Cards for your special day?

All you do is take tree branches with lots of arms, poke them down into flower pots, punch a hole in your place cards and tie them to the brances with ribbons!

This is a greast idea for weddings in the fall, or for even just for tree-huggers alike. Enjoy!

Key Hall of Schenectady WEDDING REVIEW

This past Saturday, I was the disc jockey at a fun wedding at Key Hall at Proctors of Schenectady NY. This newer reception hall is just to the left of Proctor's on State Street in Schenectady, NY. This venue is at the former Key Bank location . For those of you who remember making interest off of deposits there, it was the big stone one with marble flooring and columns. It now makes an interesting backdrop for weddings.

If you are a bride or groom thinking about booking this hall for your wedding, the immense high ceilings and the original vaults from the old-fashioned bank really make for some great photo-opps.

For this wedding, the hall was portioned off to allow for an on-site ceremony. After the ceremony was over, the chairs shifted back to the tables on the other side of the curtain and the cocktail hour was on with a nice bar in the opposite corner of where the ceremony was set.

Seating 200 guests, this hall is narrow, but still spacious. The catering is was great! At this wedding, the caterers prepared four different serving stations including a carving station, a nice buffet selection, a pasta station, and a tasty hamburger slider table featuring homemade milkshakes!

The overall acoustics are quite a bit tricky in this hall, or any hall with so much stonework, but they can be dealt with. An L1 BOSE System Model-2 (not model-1) is ideal to use for this venue. Due to the stone walls making it kind of gymnasium-like, this music system can send sound waves out further than all others at lower levels. This is what you need to cut the echo factor. (Therefore, if you are looking at having your wedding at this hall, I highly recommend a DJ that offers a BOSE L1 Model 2.

At the end of the night, Key Hall at Proctors is great for ceremony, cocktail hour and reception as an all-in-one event.

Ribbon Sticks for Your Bridal Party Intro

Here is a new colorful idea I recently saw for your bridal party wedding reception introduction…

Moscatiello’s Family Italian Restaurant (99 North Greenbush Road Troy, NY) hosted a super nice wedding reception last week, where the guests were treated with a bunch of cribbons attached to sticks. Just before the grand introduction, the audience was told to wave their wands of tassels from their seats, as the bride and groom entered the reception.

So then, upon the actual official entrance of the newlyweds there at Moscatiello’s of North Greenbush, each seat lighted up in color.

The bride and groom's introduction scene looked like a fan-crazed sporting event, much like a European game of soccer. This simple little idea made the pictures really look awesome!

Another thing you could do with these props is to use the sticks instead of the rice tossing tradition immediately following the wedding ceremony.

Below are some shots of what the internet keywords may refer to as “ribbon sticks” or “ribbon wands,” in case you would like to buy some, already pre-made. These pictures will give you an peek of how others have used ribbon sticks for their weddings, and maybe some ideas for your own…

 

For more wedding information,
or to book us to DJ your event,
call DJ Kenny at 518-506-3305
http://www.theDJservice.com

2012 Troy NY Summer Block Party on Stowe Ave

The Troy, NY community in and around Stowe Ave in Troy, NY celebrated yet another great annual summer block party this past Saturday,August, 11, 2012 including Mayor Lou Rosamilia and DJ Kenny Casanova.
First off as always, a free BBQ was provided to all including hotdogs, hamburgers, cotton candy, sno-cones, sausage & peppers, and watermellon. Mayor Lou Rosamilia even joined in the fun at the grill. He cooked and served the community members of Stowe Avenue all they could eat.

There was so much more than just food going on at this block party that there really was a little bit of something for everyone. Families and fun were the predominate forces for this bright sunny day of celebration.

Having had some ring announcer experience for professional wrestling, including two times at the Times Union Arena in Albany NY with The WWE, I had the pleasure of being named the special emcee for a new feauture this year; championship sumo matches. The inflatible sumo costume challenge was good fun with the participants making their ways to the circle of competition accompanied with theme music and a ridiculous professional ring announcer providing live commentary to boot.

Additionally, there was this year's installment of the traditional "No Hands Needed Mega Meatball Eating Contest." There was also a tag team water balloon tossing contest.

In the end, the yearly summer block party on Stowe Ave was a great success. A splendid time was had by all.

Fingerprint Wedding Guest Book

A Fingerprint Guest Book is a great alternative.

Over the weekend, I was the DJ at a fun wedding in Clifton Park, New York and saw something I just had to share with you all again. At the Clifton Park Elks, who, by the way, is a great venue for medium-sized weddings, I saw a nifty alternative to the traditional boring wedding guestbook, perfect for those who like to be creative and different.

This wedding guest book alternative option is the creation of a "Wedding Tree" by each one of your guests, who provide the leaves for this collaboration. In this idea, you allow friends and family to leave their fingerprint in ink, in the place of a leaf as proof of attendance.

In the end, no lame book of names, but rather a finished product of a wonderful collaborative piece of artwork.


This is an easy fun activity and can probably be whipped together for under $10!

Simply enough, just lay out a nice table with a bare tree already drawn out on a poster board. Next to it, add different color ink blotters, maybe like bingo markers, so that a guest "leaves" their special mark in style. Also, leave pens out so that your friends and family can sign their addition to the tree.

At the end of the wedding reception, you will have a great frameable keepsake to remember the fun you had at your wedding.

1. Provide ink blotters, pens, and a poster.

2. Guests fingerprint & sign.

3. Different color options is a must!

How to Make People Dance at Your Wedding

One of the biggest pieces of advice I can offer to a couple planning a wedding or any special event is to be proactive against distractions. The term distraction can mean many things, but when it comes down to it, I am talking about oallowing too may entertainment options at once and subsequently splitting your audience, and giving your guests excuses not to dance.

"Wouldn't it be cool if we had a DJ in one room, and a band or acoustic act in the other?"  This sounds like a neat idea.

"How about we run a photo booth all night, even while the band is playing so that people who dont like the band, or those who don't want to dance have something to do?"  This too sounds like a great idea, when you can afford it. But take heed, homeslice.

Offering multiple entertainment options taking place at the same time splits the audience. This makes people interact less, and leaves some guests out of the fun. It means less people dancing and less people seeing the acoustic band play a great number.

Distractions can also be inherent in the hall's layout. If there is a great smoker's lounge, or a separate bar with a ballgame playing down the hall, you can bet that a few of your non-dancey-pants guests may set up camp and miss your hoped-for main attraction.

"But I want to have a photo booth, or a band AND also have the DJ playing. What do I do?" 

Simple. Chop up the time and assign each attraction not to overlap the dancing. Have a the first cocktail hour, for example, only be for the live band, or only run the photo booth the first two and a half hours to leave the very end just for dancing.

Take heed, homeboy. If you do this, more people we default to dancing for entertainment with no distractions. Thn,  you will have the full dance floor that you are hoping for.

Wine Bottle Wedding Guest Book

Here is a super simple but fresh idea if you would like to change up the guestbook at your wedding. Why not have your guests sign wine bottles?

At a really fun wedding this weekend where I was the DJ at Altamont Manor (20 minutes from Albany, NY), the bride and groom purchased four different colored wine bottles instead of a blank guestbook. Their mindset was a book may never be cracked open again a number of times over years, but a number of wine bottles certainly would!

To start a project like this, they removed the orginal labels by soaking the wine bottles in hot water to loosen the adhesive. Then, the couple cleaned and scraped off the remnants of the labels with lighter fluid, or you can use WD-40 to act as your cleaning agent.

Finally, they reapplied custom wine labels made up with their names printed on them, and the numbers 1,5,10 and 20.

That is it.

If you want to do something similar, your final move is to display your creations with sivler pens on a small table by the entrance to your wedding reception. Add a nice photo frame explaining that the bottles are in place of the traditional wedding guestbook. Explain that the newlyweds will drink the wine on their first, fifth, tenth and twentieth anniversaries to remember all their friends best wishes once again, as scribed on the bottles.

What a fun idea! It is like morphing together the traditions of the wedding guest book and freezing that piece of wedding cake to eat a year later.

Wedding Buffet Planning Tip

If you are planning a buffet for your wedding with stations, there are two things to think about. One is double sided serving and the other is placement of servers if there are any.

1) DOUBLE SIDED SERVING TABLES - this is important to allow your guests to serve themselves from both sides of the table. If you have your venue do this, you will have half the wait. You will have two small lines rather than one large one and this will allow for your guests to eat more quickly and get to the fun stuff.

2) PLACING SERVERS - If you have you caterers serving guests at some of the stations and have multiple tables in different places, try keeping the servers all together on one table station. This will allow for only one table to be clogged up in a line , while the others have free access with less wait.

Try these out and you will love it!

Karaoke Wedding Tips

Okay, Spiderman once said, "with great power comes resposibility." If you are considering karaoke at your wedding, realize that you have to set some guidelines or things could get ugly real quick.

 Handing a microphone over to anyone is giving someone the power, and if you lose power at your own wedding, it may not turn out in the end exactly as you had hoped for.




If you are going the karaoke route for your wedding, just keep in mind that you need to control it, or it could spin out of hand and become, "Uncle Jimmy's Drunken Karaoke Concert," rather than your wedding night.

To avoid giving away your entire wedding reception to people who want to sing "Love Shack" and " "Paradise By The Dashboard Light," create a few simple rules and everything should be alright.


1) SET A TIME LIMIT - Let the DJ know you only want karaoke at the very end, perhaps, so that it doesn't scare away guests who do not like it, and it doesn;t overpower the whole night.

2) ONE SONG ONLY - If you have a load of people who want to sing but only limited time, to control karaoke from taking over the whole night, maybe make a rule that a person can only sing once.

3) NO DIRTY SONGS -  Don't allow DJ to accept songs with suggestive yrics, as to not upset certain people at your party. Grandma my not want to hear, "Shake That @$$!"

4) BANNING CERTAIN GUESTS - This idea would be good, but it usually doesn;t work without hurting someone's feelings. Keep in mind that if you really don't want certain people to sing, you may not want to do karaoke at your wedding. It is very difficult and seemingly unfair to turn someone down who would like to join in on the fun.

5) FLIP THE KILL SWTCH -  Limit young children, or drunk people who drone on and make it not fun by having the DJ switch right back to dancing at the end of a terrible track. This will keep the guests around who put in earplugs.

Following a few simple rules like these could allow for just enough karaoke flavor to your wedding to actually add something to your special night, rather than to take away from it. Good luck!

2012 & 2013 Wedding Dates To Avoid

Planning a special "Holiday Weekend Wedding" or a party that falls on a special day, for that matter, can have many many unforeseen pros and cons across the board, whether it is in or around Albany, NY, or not.

There are many things to think about when picking a day that has something else other than your special day associated to it. Here are sone things to think about:

THE PROS ON A HOLIDAY WEDDING -One good thing is that your guests will have that extra day for recovery and travel, and also a Sunday wedding is often more affordable that a Saturday wedding works out to be.

THE CONS ON PLANNING A HOLIDAY -
1) TRAVELING SPIKE - Traveling costs more on holidays. Your costs, and the the cost for your guests' airfare traveling and/or hotels are often higher on holiday weekends.

2) GUEST AVAILABILITY - having a holiday wedding might hurt your wedding guest attendance. People are creatures of habit. Some families have regular commitments and traditions for on-going standing holiday weekend and quite often these are traditions that they would not to change, no matter what the cause.

3) RELIGIOUS DAYS - While you may or may not recognize a number of religious holidays, your guests might. Think about religious holidays when choosing your wedding date. There may even be church restrictions on if you are allowed to marry at these times, so you may have to make some calls if you go against this one.

4) COSTLY HOLIDAYS - Valentine's Day will make your floral bill shyrocket, and New Year's will make your venue more too!


HERE IS A LIST OF WEEKENDS THAT ARE CONSIDERED HOLIDAYS FOR 2012 & 2013:
January 16, 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday)
January 21, 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday)
February 5, 2012 Superbowl Sunday
February 3, 2013 Superbowl Sunday
February 20, 2012 Presidents' Day (Monday)
February 18, 2013 Presidents' Day (Monday)
April 1, 2012 April Fool's Day (Sunday)
Monday, April 1, 2013 April Fool's Day (Monday)
May 13, 2012 Mother's Day (Sunday)
May 12, 2013 Mother's Day (Sunday)
May 28, 2012 Memorial Day (Monday)
May 27, 2013 Memorial Day (Monday)
June 17, 2012 Father's Day (Sunday)
June 16, 2013 Father's Day (Sunday)
July 4, 2012 Independence Day (Wednesday)
July 4, 2013 Independence Day (Thursday)
September 3, 2012 Labor Day (Monday)
September 2, 2013 Labor Day (Monday)
October 8, 2012 Columbus Day (Monday)
October 14, 2013 Columbus Day (Monday)
November 22, 2012 Thanksgiving (Thursday)
November 28, 2013 Thanksgiving (Thursday)
December 31, 2012 New Year's Eve (Monday)
December 31, 2013 New Year's Eve (Tuesday)

RELIGIOUS-RELATED DAYS
April 1, 2012 Palm Sunday
March 24, 2013 Palm Sunday
April 8, 2012 Easter Sunday
March 31, 2013 Easter Sunday
April 7, 2012 Passover (Saturday)
March 26, 2013 Passover (Tuesday)
July 29, 2012 Tisha B’Av Saturday,
July 16, 2013 Tisha B’Av (Tuesday)
September 17 - 18, 2012 Rosh Hashanah (Monday & Tues)
September 4-6, 2013 Rosh Hashanah (Thursday - Sat)
September 26, 2012 Yom Kippur (Wednesday)
September 14, 2013 Yom Kippur (Saturday)
December 10 - 16, 2012 Hanukkah (Sat -Sun)
November 27, - December 5, 2013 Hanukkah (Sat -Sun)
December 25, 2012 Christmas (Tuesday)
December 25, 2013 Christmas (Wednesday)
December 26, 2012 - Tuesday, January 1, 2013 Kwanzaa
December 26, 2012 - Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Kwanzaa

Any questions about date selection for your wedding of party? Drop us a line at http://www.thedjservice.com/ Albany NY Wedding DJ

Easter Seals Fundraiser at Washington Park

In the picture to the side, we see Mayor Jerry Jennings and the good people of Easter Seals, right outside my DJ booth in Washington Park, Albany, NY. What a great day May 19th, 1012, Saturday was for all! I was able to take part in a morning of fun and fundraising at Washington Park for Easter Seals NY.

It was their 4th Annual "Walk With Me" on on Saturday May 19, 2012 and you couldn't hav asked for better weather. A turnout of more than 200 people along with my web site, TheDJservice.com, generated over $40,000 in the end for the Easter Seal's summer camp, Camp Colonie, benefitting Albany NY children with disabilities and special needs.

Being the Disc Jockey and participating in Easter Seal’s annual walk for the second time now, I again had a super time with DJ Maria being a part of these life-changing services. It was so good to see all the nice people come out to raise revenue for children with disabilities and special needs. ANd you can bet that this year's Easter Seal’s summer Camp Colonie, in Albany will be a blast for them, as a result.

Camp Colonie, an Easter Seals program that I bring services to a few times a year, offers an educationally integrated camping experience for children with special needs. To ensure the full participation of its campers, the professional staff provides individualized educationally benificial programs that meet each camper's individual needs. For the past five years, I have brought my brand of karaoke/dance/fun to the camp, this walk, and all the smiling faces at the local Easter Seals.

To read the rest of the 2012 Walk WIth Me ALbany Fundraising event, CLICK HERE - Albany NY DJ Kenny Casanova.

2012 Wedding Songs

You must be lookoing for new wedding songs! There are so many old ones on the net. Hopefully this will help! Here is a very updated new and fresh Top 20 Wedding Songs for 2012. These tunes would be great to use as your first dance, or introduction at your wedding reception. This list does not include anything more than a year or so old, and most of the songs are slow songs.
The link provided will let you hear the song off of Youtube, to help you get a better idea of whether or not the song would be right for you.

TOP 20 SONGS FROM 2011 FOR 2012 WEDDINGS by www.TheDJservice.com

1. "We Are Young" - fun. Featuring Janelle Monae
http://youtu.be/Sv6dMFF_yts

2. "Just a Kiss – Lady Antebellum
http://youtu.be/Xs9X8NhQJF4

3. "Love You Like a Love Song –Selena Gomez
http://youtu.be/4ulaGjwiIbo

4. "Countdown – Beyoncé
http://youtu.be/2XY3AvVgDns

5. "We Found Love – Rihanna (featuring Calvin Harris)
http://youtu.be/1KzEu5hWmRY

6. "I Do," Colbie Caillat
http://youtu.be/rYzdfyB7vyQ

7. "Give Me Everything," Pitbull
http://youtu.be/qpqBAOpamJs

For the full 20 song list, check out our blog site www.TheDJservice.com at CLICK HERE

...DJ Kenny Casanova is a wedding DJ out of Albany NY.

French-Canadian Pig Trough Dance

The French-Canadian Hog Trough Dance by Troy NY Disc Jockey, Kenny Casanova

In an earlier blog, I covered the odd tradition of the French-Canadian Ugly sock dance (click here to read) which is a strange wedding custom involving a bride's older sibling who is ridiculed at her wedding. I discussed how this tradition was making a comeback in Ontario Canada and other French-speaking parts, and bleeding into the states.

This seemingly odd tradition that punishes single siblings for not already being married by spotlighting them in an odd dance has trickled down into our states. Now I have seen a handful of French speaking Canadian-American brides and grooms who come from our northern neighbors giving these traditions a shot. This custom has moved into Upstate New York and even down around around Troy and Albany NY. Now another similar custom is on it's way.

Another odd Canadian tradition somewhat related to the Ugly Wedding Sock Dance is here, and it is called The Pig or The Hog Trough Dance.

The funny mindset behind this Trough Dance is still the same as making someone dance in ugly socks alone on the dance floor for public mockery. In the case of the hog trough dance, the idea is to punish your single older sibling at your wedding reception for not yet settling down. Here, the difference is the sibling dances barefoot in a pig trough or a wash basin in the center of the floor with hecklers laughing at their expense.

in the most extreme cruel and unusual forms of this wedding torture tradition, early on, this custom really was for punishment. Dirty old hog troughs were pulled right off their farms and placed in the center of the dancefloor for a barefoot dance. That is right; with mud, steaming fresh pig droppings.

You can bet that pig droppings would have really left some lasting impressions on the guests faceas sitting near the dancer’s piggies later on. This is all the reason more to make sure you are married before your younger brothers and sisters pass on the family name.

However, in today's more politically correct version of The Dreaded French-Canadian Trough Dance, we see a more forgiving version. Now we see relatives pushing victims into the Trough Dance in a clean trough purchased just for the occasion.

A few other variations to this odd custom exist. One variation to this tradition includes adding a mix of beer and other alcoholic beverages poured in the trough first, which are later drank by the dancer upon completion of the dance. And yet another variation includes the addition of food in the trough that needs to be eaten upon completion of the dance.

For additional information on French Canadian Wedding customs, read French-Canadian Ugly sock dance (click here to read)

To book DJ Kenny Casanova to be the disc jockey for your wedding, check out www.TheDJservice.com



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Avoid Wedding Disasters Top 10 List

Avoid Wedding Disasters Top 10 List There are so many checklist items that, when overlooked, can throw your wedding into the unfortunate "Wedding Disaster" category. However, many of these things can be avoided with at little no cost to the bride and groom. Here is a simple list of things to think about and ponder when you planning your wedding so you, too,can avoid a wedding disaster.

1) Avoid placing your wedding date on a holiday - this creates a built in competition quandary for your guests and you may find that your wedding is not everyone's #1 priority.

2) Try to always plan for Saturday Night Weddings - Fridays people sometimes have to work and Sundays people have no day to recover/travel.

3) Have Rain Check Back Up Plan for outside weddings - whether it is the ceremony or the reception, have a back up plan in case it rains.

4) Give plenty of time for the invitation - Some people see that up to 6 months before the event is a good heads up time to RSVP. Others say even more time is essential to the success of your guest list attendance.

5) Keep the invite list numbers as low as possible - Don't invite just anyone. Your biggest expense is usually your venue/catering. Keeping your numbers down can save hundreds of dollars with only a handful of guests.

6) Seat older people away from the DJ - Even if old Grandma Smithers has a hearing aid and really can't hear well, she sure will hear the DJ if she is placed right by the speakers. She will also want the music turned down to practically nothing.

7) Don't force your lifestyle on your guests - If you are vegetarian or vegan, it may not be a good idea to only offer these dishes at your wedding. A good host tries to accomodate their guests desires in order to make them happy, not force something on them. This goes for food as well as music selection.


To see the rest of the list, go to Kenny Casanova's web site by CLICKING HERE.


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Country Western Theme Party / Wedding Ideas

Okay, so you have decided to host a Country-Western theme party, or corporate event. You already know that snakeskin boots, leather chaps and cowboy hats would probably all be great ideas to get over a great Country Western Theme event. But do you think you still need more, partner?

This blog is chock full of western party ideas that will help you come up with the party invitations, decorations and activities that will make your hoedown throw-down one that nobody will forget.

Party Invitations
Start the theme at the very get-go. Use your imagination to round up your western theme party guests. The more creative your invitations are, the better response you are likely to get.

DRESS TO IMPRESS REMINDER - Make sure to request that your guests come to the party wearing the invitation (the hat, not the paper). Whatever you choose to do, make sure and instruct your guests to dress in the appropriate regalia dressed for the occasion at hand. Let them know that as the host, you'll be decked out in denim, and hope they do the same. Offer ideas right in your invitation including clothing options like leather fringe, cowboy boots with spurs, a western bolo tie, a sequin cowboy hat, holster or a nice cowgirl vest/skirt combo.
WANTED / REWARD POSTER INVITATIONS - use one of these as the invitation to your party! Use parchment colored paper and black lettering, and if you are really feeling like a cowboy, dip it in coffee to age it or burn the sides. Roll the poster up with all of the party details on the inside, and tie it with some cheap twine, or maybe a bandana.
COWBOY HAT INVITATIONS - Deliver a colorful cowboy hat to all of your guests. You can put all the party details folded up on a Wanted Poster style flyer inside of the hat.

Decorations & Party Supplies
A wise cowboy once said, “there are three things you have to think about when planning a Country Themed Party; location, location, location.” If you can get a rented barn or ranch, this would be a great setting for all your favorite buckaroos to gather at. If you can pull this off for your venue, you have a lot of your must-have decorations already built in.

SHUTTER DOORS - “must-have” decoration to set up the old western bar shutter doors wherever you can. This will make your guests enter in style.
TOWN BANNER - Welcome your guests with a long banner at the entrance to the party that says something like “Company Hoedown” or some other creative title that follows the theme. This should look like what you would see in the movies when the town was celebrating something, with the Sheriff or town Mayor on a stage.
VARMINTS - Place rubber rattle snakes all around the ground, but fear not, your cowboys and cowgirls will surely be able to handle them.
CACTUS - Get some real cactus plants for decorations. If it isn’t in the budget, try cactus cutouts.
TUMBLEWEEDS - A number of large tumbleweed balls to kick around would really be a mood setter.
SADDLES - Borrow or rent a horse saddle and put it somewhere like on top of one of the bales of hay.
COWBOY BOOTS - Western boot danglers are an easy and fun party decoration. Use them all over the room or highlight a special area, like the buffet. Either use real boots from a thrift store, perhaps, or cutout paper ones.
WANTED POSTERS - Hang up silly wanted posters all over the walls with funny crimes listed under the mug shot. You can personalize the posters with the host/hostesses pictures or even ones of key guests.
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To read the rest of this blog, with far more ideas, CLICK HERE, to visit Kenny Casanova's DJ site.

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Russian Wedding Tradition List

Setting aside mail order Russian brides, there are some very different traditions that revolve around Russian weddings. Whether you are a Russian bride or groom-to-be, this is a great list of Russian traditions that may help you come up with some great ideas to commemorate and celebrate your ancestral roots of Old Mother Russia.

For one, did you know that traditional Russian weddings are much longer than the traditional American wedding of today in that they typically go on for two full days?

THE KISS PRINT NAPKIN - Before the actual wedding ceremony, there are things to do and it’s tradition for all Russian grooms to accomplish a few prenuptial traditions. For example, when he comes to pick up his bride, the groom may be handed a napkin with lipstick prints of the bride and her attendants on it. In the unfortunate case that the groom can’t pick out which is his bride’s kiss print, he must pay a fine to the bride-to-be. In jest, Grooms who guess wrong may have to cover a shawl with money to reassure her.

PRE-CEREMONY REGISTRATION- The very official traditional Russian ceremony is only one part of the entire wedding event. To start things off, the bride and groom arrive in separate cars and are lead into different rooms that are ideally a decent distance apart before filling out the regestration papers. Next, the couple wait until they are called.

PRE-CEREMONY BUTTEFLY TOSS - Once the Russian bride and groom exit the civil marriage registration office, it’s time for picture taking to commemorate the occasion. Friends and family members toss flower petals, coins, and sometimes release butterflies to wish the couple good luck. And before they leave, it’s tradition for the groom to sweep the bride up in his arms and kiss her in front of all assembled, among flying butterflies.

PRE-CEREMONY BREAD PRESENTATION - Before the actual exiting the registration hall, a member of the bridal party, or sometimes another special person is assigned to present the bride and groom with the ceremonial bread and salt tray, which will be an important part of the Russian wedding tradition. Next, the bride and groom are lead into the actual ceremony hall where the actual rites and vows are to be held.

BRIDAL PARTY SASHES - It has always been tradition for the Russian best man and the Russian maid of honor to wear sashes over their clothing.


RUSSIAN WEDDING RUG - For the actual ceremony iteslf, the bride and groom always stand on a traditional homemade wedding carpet created just for the wedding, usually by a loved one. In front of the specially-crafted carpet, the officiant reads a welcoming speech and then asks the bride and groom to confirm their reason for being there. Very much like our American tradition, the Russian bride and groom then engage in an exchanging of rings, the couples sign in the registry, and then the witnesses sign and the couple are pronounced man and wife.

There are too many to post here! For the rest of DJ Kenny Casanova's Russian Wedding Tradtion List Blog click below...

For the rest of DJ Kenny Casanova's Russian Wedding Tradtion List Blog including the Bridal Five Stop Wedding Tour and the Bridal Dove Release... CLICK HERE


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Dubstep Music - Top 100 List for 2012

Dubstep Defined- If you are not really familiar with Dubstep music, get ready, because it is starting to make an impact on the charts. Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music is best described as a dark and weird robotic remixing sounding, with overwhelming wobbley bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, and clipped samples.

It is a musical genre that only features occasional vocals, however, in strategic places. Dubstep has become a very popular rising variety of music of late and is crossovering into movie soundtracks, as well as television commericals.

Making Mainsteam Waves – Dubstep and tracks with Dubstep influence are now significantly making their presence felt the Billboard hot 100 charts. This means this brand of music is a genre now making mainstream appeal, whether the undergroud fans like it or not. Back in 2008, another DJ artist as seen above, Deadmau5, saw “Ghosts N Stuff with Rob Swire," reach number-one on Billboard’s Hot Dance Airplay chart. This year, 2012, marks the first year we really see Dubstep tracks grabbing mainstream attention, with one of its biggest artists, Skrillex, being nominated for five different categories in the Grammies, and actually winning 3 of them.

We topped our list with the big Skrillex crossover track “Bangerang! feat. Sirah” which has topped the national charts for a number of weeks now in March 2012, finding its way onto top 40 pop playlists everywhere. So, here is the Top 100 Dubstep list that I have compiled of the top 100 Dubstep songs by 2012, by looking at multiple fan-favorite lists online.

TOP 100 Dubstep List for 2012, DJ Kenny Casanova
1. Bangerang! feat. Sirah (Original Mix) – Skrillex (Original Mix)
2. Oh Snap! (Original Mix) – Eptic
3. Must Be The Feeling (Flux Pavilion & Nero Remix) – Nero (UK) Nero (UK), Flux Pavilion
4. Stars Come Out (Datsik Remix) – Zedd & Datsik
5. Levels (Skrillex Remix) – Avicii & Skrillex
6. Light It Up feat. Heather Bright (Original Mix) & Flinch, Heather Bright
7. Headrush feat. Belle Humble (Original Mix) & 501
8. Whiskers (Original Mix) – Feed Me, Gemini (UK)
9. Make My Whole World (Original Mix) – Trolley Snatcha
10. Fire Hive (Original Mix) – Knife Party
11. Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix) – Nero (UK) & Skrillex
12. Station Seven (Original Mix) – Downlink
13. Phat Sack (Original Mix) – Triage, The Bassist, J-Sonic
14. Brutal (Original Mix) – Excision
15. You Got To Go feat. Zoe Johnston (Seven Lions Remix) – Above & Beyond, Zoe Johnston & Seven Lions
16. Must Be The Feeling (Kill The Noise Remix) – Nero (UK) & Kill The Noise
17. Kiss My Lips (Original Mix) – Dev, Borgore
18. Never Change (Original) – Hulk, Messinian
19. Ghosts N Stuff -with Rob Swire – deadmau5
20. Difference (J:Kenzo Remix) – DJ Madd, TMSV
21. Led Astray (Culprate Remix) – Friction & Culprate
22. Come Find Me (Phrenik Remix) – Ascendance, The Nineties, Cori Pena & Phrenik
23. Patron & Kush (Calvertron Kush-Step Mix) – Sporty-O & Calvertron
24. Split The Atom (Kito Remix) – Noisia & Kito
25. Altered States (Original Mix) – Mesck
26. Breakn’ A Sweat (Original Mix) – The Doors, Skrillex
27. Deathray (Original Mix) – Eptic
28. Love Drunk Feat. Dom Liberati (Original Mix) – Fei-Fei
29. Party Alarm (Original Mix) – Downlink
30. Crowd Control (Original Mix) – Excision, Downlink
31. Flesh & Bone feat. Rod Azlan (Dismantle Remix) – EmalKay
32. Somebody To Love (Original Mix) – Rusko
33. Falling Skies (Original Mix) – 501
34. Storm (Original Mix) – Dark Tantrums
35. Hit Me (Original Mix) – Zeds Dead
36. Lights (Bassnectar Remix) – Ellie Goulding & Bassnectar
37. Fire (Original Mix) – Hot Noizes
38. Still Getting It feat. Skrillex (Original Mix) – Foreign Beggars, Skrillex
39. Like A Boss (Original Mix) – Eptic
40. Phat Sack (Radio Mix) – Triage, The Bassist, S-MAK, J-Sonic
41. Turn To Me (Original Mix) – Monty
42. DIY (Original Mix) – Savoy
43. Fully Blown (feat. Snak The Ripper) (Original Mix) – Datsik
44. Solace One Ft. Black Sun Empire (Datsik Remix) – Black Sun Empire, Foreign Beggars & Datsik

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To see the rest of the Dubstep Top 100 List For 2012, check out my web site and CLICK HERE.


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...Thanks for taking the time to read this blog! - DJ Kenny Casanova - www.theDJservice.com

Don't Place Your Wedding On A Holiday

Face it. Aside from your one Uncle Jerry who farts a lot, and the one cousin Sarah who gets extremely drunk even at communion, for the most part, you really want your all of your friends and family to be able to make to your special day. However, there is one mistake that a lot of party planners seem to make when selecting when the day should take place... AND THAT IS PUTTING THE DATE ON A HOLIDAY.

When you are picking a date to throw a big event like a wedding, one you should approach things with a good business mind. That means, KNOW YOUR COMPETITION.

Yes, at first, itseems like a novel idea; getting married on Christmas Eve, or The Fourth of July, perhaps. Your guests already have off, and it is fun be able to say we are getting married on New Years Eve, or something. However, placing your special day on a date where your guests may already have plans/yearly traditions is usually a really bad idea.

For one, holiday choices sometimes can make some very important people in your lives have to pick between attending either their yearly plan/tradition, or attending your function. This can upset your guests or even you when you see what their decision is. It is a bad position to put people in on both sides. An easy way out of this stress is to pick a day when nothing seems to be happening.

Another reason chosing a holiday for your special day is often not a good idea is you may loose some of the fun people who might have attended that are not all that close to you. That can mean less people you haven't seen in a long time, or even worse, less of a good time overall.

So when selecting a date, think twice before choosing that holiday for your big special day. If you create competion for your event by choosing a bad day from the start, you are only setting yourself up for potential heartache.

Seating Tip For Elderly at Wedding Reception

Just a tip... I know it seems like the best idea to put the elderly up front and close to the action at your wedding reception, but be careful. Do not put them right by the DJ or band set up.

The reason you do not want to make this common mistake is that even though old people tend to not be able to hear, well, the will not react well.

Typically, for some reason, the elederly also have sensitive ears, so loud music will bother them. Ultimately, they will not like the experience and request to have the music turned down, or just leave early.

Keep this in mind when creating your seating charts and everything will turn out fine.

It's best to always put a younger table near the DJ.

Outdoor Wedding Tips

If you remember Hurricane Irene last year hitting us on a busy wedding weekend over the summer, you know that Mother Nature can have a way making, or ruining your special wedding day.

When people plan an outdoor reception, they often do so bringing to the table the “it would never happen to me” attitude. This is not a good practice, no matter how positive thinking-oriented you may be.

In the past two recent years, I have seen some pretty rainy outdoor weddings, of late. While an outdoor wedding can be totally awesome, when the weather does not cooperate, it can be a disaster if you do not have some planning, in order.

Click the link below to read the checklist off of my home site, to help you prepare for everything, when planning an outdoor wedding.

Outdoor Wedding Planning Sheet

You should totally take a look, in case you are planning a tent wedding outside!

-Thanks guys!

Kenny Casanova

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Wedding Gratuity Guidelines

The following is just some guidelines to tipping those who helped make your wedding day special. Actually, no tipping is mandatory ever, but if you enjoy the work someone does, this list can give you an idea. Some people are happy with $25-$50 extra... Below is a percentage list:

Caterer/Banquet Manager
15% to 20%, this is usually included in contract, however, if the hall caterer or manager has done a great job, an additional $25-50 may be in order.

Waitstaff
15% to 20% (usually included in contract.)

Bartenders
15% to 20% (when the bartender isn't accepting tips from guests, an additional 10% is suggested, but it is not required.)

Limousine Drivers
15% to 20%

DJ's
15% - 20% (gratuity is not usually required, however, if you feel that the DJ has done an exceptional job, a tip is a nice gesture.

Bands
Usually there is not a percentage, and most do like $25.00 per band member. As is with the DJ, gratuity is not usually required, however, if you feel the band members have provided extra or special services, a tip is a wonderful gesture.)

Restroom and Coat Check Personnel
$0.50 - $1.00 per guest (if not accepting gratuity from guests, the host would be responsible for tipping personnel at the end of the event.)

Parking Attendants
$1.00 - $2.00 per car (if not accepting gratuity from guests, the host would be responsible for tipping parking attendants at the end of the event.)

Officiants
$75.00 - $100 .00 (Note: It is appropriate for a clergy member (priest, rabbi, minister, etc.) to accept gratuities or a donation along with their regular fee (if any), however, civil officiants (judges, clerks, etc.) receive a flat fee and are usually not allowed to accept gratuities.)

Ceremony Staff
$35.00 - $75.00 is suggested for organists/musicians. $5.00 - $25.00 is suggested for altar boys, sextons, etc. (gratuity is not usually required, however, if fees for the above are not included in the ceremony site fees, the suggestions above are appropriate.)

Photographer / Videographers
15% (gratuity is not usually required, however, if you feel he/she has done an exceptional job or has provided extra or special services, a tip is a wonderful gesture.)

Florists
15% (gratuity is not usually required, however, if you feel he/she has done an exceptional job or has provided extra or special services, a tip is a wonderful gesture.)

Bakers
15% (gratuity is not usually required, however, if you feel he/she has done an exceptional job or has provided extra or special services, a tip is a wonderful gesture.)

Wedding Planners / Coordinators
10% - 15% (gratuity is not usually required)

WWE Nasty Boys at The Black Cat in Cohoes, NY

After a smooth autograph signing and awesome training seminar at the "In Your Face" Wrestling Gym in Cohoes, NY, we tag teamed up the former WWE Tag Team Champions, Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs, for some buffalo wings, Polish food and Sunday Night football action at the famous sports bar, The Black Cat.

As many of you know, before becoming a wedding DJ, I was mostly known for being a ring announcer with experience at WWE wrestling and other independent leagues. Therefore, this past weekend, I had the "pleasure" of reconnecting with my roots by having dinner with The WWE Champions The Nasty Boys in Cohoes, New York, on Sunday, January 8th, 2012.

The Nasty Boys enjoyed the scrumptious homemade perogies smothered in onions and downed a massive nasty-size order in record time. Jerry Saggs, an avid Polish cuisine enthusiast discussed recipes with The Black Cat owner, as well as enjoyed looking at the artwork on the walls and the pictures in my phone. Before the night was done, we all enjoyed the Giants game in full Black Cat style.

The pub fare at The Black Cat was outstanding, as is the atmosphere. At $3.99 for about a dozen wings, five bucks for clam steamers, and other good deals on sandwiches and Polish food, The Nasty Boys found themselves right at home, in "Pitty City."

For my wedding readers, while The Black is a small bar, it does have a bigger eating area in the back that I am sure would work well for an engagement party, or wedding rehearsal party. Your event could really work here, especially if you are looking for an intimate place in Cohoes.


Many of The Black Cat bar's older seat-warmers recognized The Nasty Boys for their former WWE Tag Team championship reign, back in 1991. Some of the younger people at the pub recognized Brian Knobbs for his many more recent appearances on VH1's reality series "Hulk Knows Best" & spinoff "Brooke Knows Best."

Aside from my business partner in crime who showed up late to the party as usual, Marty "The Party," having to provide the ravished 320 plus pound Nasty Boys with Hot Sauce on demand, it seemed that a good time was had by all. The Nasty Boys gladly oblidged with autographs and photo opps for any of the locals who asked.

"In Your Face Wrestling," known for bringing in former WWE talent on occasion, will also be having one of their own shows featuring WWE Legend Tony Atlas this Saturday in Ballston Spa, NY. See http://www.iyfwrestling.com/ for more information.

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...More wedding & DJ Kenny Casanova information at www.TheDJservice.com

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How to Pay For Your Dream Wedding In Today's Economy

Do you want the wedding of your dreams, but think you just don't have the money to do so?

Maybe the fiscal cliff has been solved, but that doesn't matter. Wedding bills sometimes make people feel like driving off a cliff. It is true. Paying for a even a moderate traditional wedding can be very expensive, getting everything you want. I mean think about it, if you were to pick up the tab for 150 people at a restaurant, it is going to be big bucks. Now, add booze and entertainment to the list! However, there are ways to prepare for your wedding and supplement your income so you don't have to cheap out, and still get what you want in the end.

HOW TO AFFORD THE FOOD - No matter how you slice the proverbial wedding cake, your biggest bill overall at any wedding will what you pay for food. If you will be hosting say 120 guests or so, by today's stanards you are probably looking at $50 a plate, or more. Then, add this $6,000 to additional venue costs, and whatever you are choosing to pay for boozing, and you find yourself close to a $10,000 bill. If you are like many people in today's economy, you may think you simply cannot afford it.

MINIMIZE YOUR GUEST LIST - Take a deep breath. An elementary way to really save money is by keeping an eye on your invite list down to save on catering. That means you only invite the important people; friends, family and the people you really care about in your life. Keep the guest list number low! If this is not something you really can do, keep in mind that many brides & grooms have been same boat that you are in, and have come up with ways to still make their dream wedding happen, with a little planning and organization.


ONLINE INCOME OPTION - If you are like many people today and do not have a whole lot of time in your week to work extra hours all the time, offering a skill on Craigslist is a great way to pick up some extra hours according to your availability here and there, to generate extra income. If you do well with landscaping, carpentry, housekeeping, babysitting, or even bartending, you can go online to craigslist at any time and pick up some extra temporary work to supplement your income. Make a hobby of this and see what happens!


SELL SOMETHING !!! - If you have a product you can sell, do it! Both Ebay and Amazon, and even your local Craigslist offer storefont potential with no overhead (rent) and many people earn almost an additional full-time income from junk they sell online! That means, if you have a product you can sell, you can do so on these sites and reach tons of customers, without having to pay rent or employees to man a store.


If you don't have anything to sell, some of my customers have told me that they make thousands by finding collectibles at yard sales and reselling them on Ebay/Amazon.

PART TIME JOB - However, I have found that a number of my DJ customers have decided to treat their wedding budget the same way as some families treat huge Christmas lists; by taking on a part-time job for a short period of time to make it happen. Grabbing up part-time job really is perfect for making that little bit of extra money needed, with the potential to just ease go back to your comfortable lifestyle, soon after the wedding kitty is full. Here are some good resources to use, in case you are thinking about taking on some side work, so that you can have the wedding of your dreams!


However, if you don't mind throwing a few hours into the dream wedding kitty, a part time job with an additional hundred or two dollars of income for a few months may really be the way to go!


PROFESSIONAL RESUME - I also teach a career-based class at The Capital Region Career & Technical School in Albany, NY. I explain to my students that, to get that extra little job, you really have to stand out from the rest of the people applying for a position in today's competitive economy. It is alll about packaging.


If the position you are interested in is skill-based, bringing a portfolio to your interview with lots of great pictures is a good idea. But first of, you need to have a professional resume to get your foot in the door. Sometimes 100-500 people may apply to the same job, so you have to stand out from all the rest. Professional resumes are not just lists of dates and addresses, today they have finely crafted bullets with action phrases displaying what it is you did at a past work experience


Also being a certified English teacher, I have writing resources that I would like to share with you, in order to help your dream wedding become a reality.

Resume Template - Here is a link to a great RESUME TEMPLATE that I have created. TIP- make sure to make EVERYTHING uniform on your resume. This is your first impression to a potential employer. Make it count!


Resume Action Verbs - It is always important to add ACTION VERBS under your work experiences. These will help the potential employer understand what kind of experience you have that may be a good match for them. This link is a list of those words that will better help them to visualize you working for them.


a href="http://www.thedjservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Adam-Apple-computer-student-sample.doc">Resume Sample
 - Here is a sample of what the RESUME might look like when you are done.

ADD A COVER LETTER - Don't forget to add a COVER LETTER along with your resume, before sending it out. Here is a few links to some cover letter resources that I have created to help make your resume stand out from the rest:


COVER LETTER logic - Here is a link to a list of things to think about when writing your cover letter.


Cover Letter Sample - This is a sample of what a cover letter might look like when it is done.


Cover Letter Template - Here is a template on how to write a cover letter.


If you enjoyed this blog... check out my web site at www.TheDJservice.com

Party Planning - Plenty of Time

It is really best to allow six months ahead for planning big events like weddings. WHile it is always important to think ahead, there are two very important reasons why this is so:

For one, lots of people have things that they like to do in the summer. Many plan all year for a little bit of time that they can have together when it gets warmer, here in Upstate New York. Therefore, if you want a good turn out, you need to give your huests plenty of time to make sure your wedding will be a priority.

The other reason is vendor availability. Coordinating the three important facets to your wedding's success is crutial. The hall/cateror, the disc jockey or band, and/or any sort of photographer & videographer, are often booked up sometimes in upwards to a year in advance. This means if you have someone in mind for each of these roles, you have to give yourself plenty of advance time to make sure that they will be available. Also, keep in mind, the real good vendors book up even faster.

If you follow these ideas, everything will turn out great! Good luck!