Wedding Guest Book Painting

Wedding Guest Book Painting Idea in Troy

Are you tired of the same boring weddings? Are you looking for tips toward making your wedding more creative wedding and new? Here is a fresh twist to collaborative efforts for a wedding guest book, where you bring out the artists in your friends and family members!

I was the DJ at a recent wedding at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY.  the bride and groom decided to go alternative with their guest book.

You can totally do this!

This idea is very simple and and easy one that you can add to your wedding with very little preparation on your behalf. All you do is provide a canvas along with some paint brushes and paint, then finish it off with a few short instructions on a tiny chalkboard.

By the end of the wedding reception, the newlyweds now have a great keepsake that they can hang in their new home to remind them of their special day! You could have one , too! Be creative and try this at your own wedding!
Good people of Troy, New York...Whether you already knew it or not, Browns Brewing is a great place to have your wedding, where you too can set up your very own painting guest book just like this couple did! They have a hall set aside for private events in another section of the building. See Revolution Hall.

For more tips and wedding ideas like this one, Check out Troy NY Wedding DJ DJ Kenny Casanova's web site blog at www.theDJservice.com/blog.

Top 10 Ways to Save $$$ on Your Albany Wedding

There are many ways to cut corners at your wedding so that you don't have to break the budget to meet your vision of your very special day. However, sometimes people cut in the wrong places and the guests can tell.

Here is a list I created using tips from clients who were married around the area and found ways to make some real good savings.

This is a totally doable top 10 list of wedding-saving-ways to save that have tips that don't affect quality and actually works:

1. PRIORITIZE EVERYTHING – A couple of years back, I picked up a neat little tip I like to pass along my clients from the Williams, who got married at The State Room in Albany, NY… Here is what they said,
“Before you even begin planning your wedding and reception, you really need to sit down with your partner and make a list of your top five priorities. This way you know what absolutely stays and where cuts can happen.” With a list of what is important and what is not written out on paper, you both know what is important. This allows for everyone to be on the same page."

2. CAERING COSTS - LIMIT YOUR GUEST LIST – If you need to save money, don't waste your time corner-cutting on the DJ, the decorations, or the dinner, those are only savings that amount to pennies on the dollar… These can hurt the fun! The real best way to really save is to be ruthless with your head count. Keeping the guest list down as best as possible will drastically reduce your wedding cost, overall. The Sefik’s, a great couple out of Clifton Park, NY pointed out that, “most caterers, venues, restaurants and banquet halls charge per-person.” They noted that if you have a 150 guests and can cut it down to 125, there alone you will save about $1,300. So how do you do this? One tip if you see your guest list is getting out of hand, omit children and coworkers. Making category cuts across the board is the best way to make people not feel that they were being singled out.

3. FOOD & BOOZE – Research everything they have to show. Look at all of your options and never be afraid to ask questions. The Bovairs of West Sand Lake recommended that, “brides and grooms should consider a buffet instead of a sit-down meal, or break tradition all the way. Why not go with a dessert reception, or a brunch or luncheon instead of a huge sit-down multi-course meal?” Some people actually go with an all appetizer / finger food reception now.

4. LOCATION SELECTION IS KEY - There are boat-loads of options for low-cost or no-cost locations, including local and national parks, forest preserves, your own back yard or that of a friend or relative.

One groom said, "Lesser-known restaurants are usually a under-rated option. Many eateries would love to have your business and, at the same time have gorgeous tables and chairs, and décor. You could save a bundle, all around."


5. CLOTHING – You don't have to buy at a traditional bridal salon. You could purchase a gown at an outlet or from a department store in the special occasion’s off-the-rack area. One bride even told me, “You can score a pre-owned gown at sites like preownedweddingdresses.com and oncewed.com.

To read the rest of this blog, and FIVE MORE real good tips on how to save money at your wedding in Albany, NY Click Here... 


DJ Kenny Casanova is a high-profile wedding DJ out of the Upstate NY area.

Wedding Ceremony Music Ideas & Music List

If you are planning a wedding in Albany, Troy, Schenectady, or anywhere else in the world you know there are a zillion things to think about. The catering, the venue, the DJ, the cocktail hour, the clothing, the decoration, the centerpieces, the flowers, the bouquet, the favors, did I forget something? Wait! Have you even stopped to think about the ceremony yet?

The selection for the music for your wedding ceremony is always a difficult task. My customers from Albany NY to Saratoga Springs come to me all the time and say, "Kenny! Where do I start?" It's actually not so difficult.

Here is the traditional wedding ceremony outline:
PRELUDE - Before things get underway, bout four or five songs played as a prelude when the guests are seated. This sets the atmosphere. (When there is no music playing, it feels more like a funeral!) The music selections are typically light and/or elegant. A different song is often selected when the mothers of the bride and groom are seated, as a symbol that things are about to begin.

PROCESSIONAL - Everything starts when the groomsmen and the groom move to the front from the side. The men do not typically walk down the aisle, because that spotlight will now be reserved for the women. There are two songs during the processional: one song is chosen for when the bridesmaids enter, and the other song is to be the most dramatic choice, selected for play when the bride walks down the aisle.

RECESSIONAL - One last song is played after the kiss for the bride and groom to walk back up the aisle to. Think happy atmosphere when selecting the song to be played here! The music played in the recessional, should symbolize the happiness of the couple’s new life together.

Most people often want the traditional classic wedding music, but have absolutely NO IDEA what the songs are actually called. I can help you with that.

Here is my playlist when I am told to play the traditional favorites:
1) PRELUDE: Spring, Canon in D, Four Seasons Winter, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,
2) PROCESSIONAL: Air of The G String
3) BRIDAL MARCH: The Traditional Bridal March Song “Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin” Richard Wagner (also known as “Here Comes the Bride.“)
4) RECESSIONAL: The main familiar one that everyone knows is by Mendelssohn— “ Wedding March” from Midsummer Night’s Dream (Traditional Recessional), some also select Beethoven’s “Ode To Joy” from Symphony No. 9: Movement 4.


CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS WEDDING CEREMONY TIP LIST ON MY WEB SITE THEDJSERVICE.COM !!!

You can totally customize the song selection to fit your taste. There are tons of great selections out there that may be better suited for you than classical music. One of the most moving bridal marches I have seen was set to Enya’s “Only Time.” However, the most memorable one was last summer, when I had a bride who walked down the aisle to Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” so go figure.

If you are interested in more about Albany, NY DJ wedding disc jockey speialist, DJ Kenny Casanova & DJ Maria... Check out his site at TheDJservice.com

Streaming Boxes Save $$$ On your Cable Bill

Roku vs Apple TV

If you are like me, you are looking at a monthly cable bill above $100 a month. Are you paying that monsterous monthly cable bill with ease in today's economy? Does it seem like the fight of paying additional movie or add-on fees never ends? Well, maybe you could unsubscribe to some of those expensive add-on movie channels and pick up a streaming media box. It lets you see channels from the internet for FREE! That's right. Plug in a box to your television and get more channels without an additional monthly charge. A web-based television experience is the way of the future.

I became a big fan of TheCoolTV on cable. It was a syndicated music video channel that decided to, in their own words, "take over where MTV left off." CoolTV played a great mix of everything music video, and took pride in an ONLY music video format with no reality tv or programs. When my local TimeWarner stopped carrying this “.1” channel, I thought it was gone forever. But I was wrong. I soon learned that I could see the coolness once again perhaps through streaming media boxes like Roku and Apple TV.

OTT (Over The Top) or Set-Top boxes like The Roku and AppleTV Box are devices that receive the “media broadcast” or content over the Internet by streaming. All you really do is plug a little wallet-shaped box into your HD television and your wireless router does the rest. They range from $60-$120 or so and offer loads of content without a monthly fee.

These little streaming media boxes warriors have subscription-based services like Netflix, HuluPlus, and Amazon along with other web-based media “channels” that provide audio and video content from the internet. Plugging one of these into your television’s HDMI connection brings to your screen an alternative platform to your cable provider that is similar to “On Demand” channels. Some of these channels you pay for, and some you don’t. Some channels have either live streaming programs, or an archived show library, or a combination of both.

There are a bunch of these boxes out there, but only two of them are really cornering the market; Apple TV and The Roku.

To read the rest of this blog.... and see if I recommend the Apple TV or The Roku, CLICK HERE

WHICH IS BETTER??? ROKU OR APPLE TV??? Click & read the above link from my web site and see why I recommend one over the other.



DJ Kenny Casanova

How To Pay For Your Dream Wedding

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
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.

 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

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.