New York DJ

Many clients we've worked with have told us they wanted to use a favorite restaurant for their receptions, but they often find that they aren't able to do it because the restaurant doesn't have the resources to handle wedding receptions, or the price to rent the restaurant is too expensive. Thus, many clients end up going with their second choice - a reception hall with in-house staff. We've been DJ-ing in and around New York City for a long time, and our experience has taught us not every reception hall offers a rushed, generic or "cheesy" feel, but let's just say the image of the reception hall as having "cookie-cutter" services is at times based in reality.

The reception halls often will say they can make your celebration special and one-of-a-kind, but since these venues are designed to pack in many events they usually need to run them with an assembly-line mentality, and we've seen it's not very easy for these halls to pull off a feel of originality. At a restaurant, it's often easier for a couple (or a couple along with their DJ and other vendors) to craft a structure and feel for an event with a more personal style - since venues that don't do weddings every weekend often are more open to being flexible with the elements they recommend including in a reception and how to "flow" them. But, when thinking of choosing a restaurant for their reception, couples ask: can restaurants run weddings smoothly? Is there enough space to dance after dinner? And is it affordable? Well, just like every hall doesn't hold ten wedding receptions at once, we've found through working all over the city for many years that there are many excellent restaurants in and around the city able pull off wedding receptions that satisfy all these criteria - and the best thing is, there's an impressive diversity in styles (and unexpectedly great locations) out there.

In this post, as well as more posts soon to follow, we'll spotlight a few restaurants in and around New York City that are some of the best we've seen over the years for having a wedding reception. We've co-ordinated closely with these establishments and their accomodating staffs, observed guests raving about their food, used their layouts to provide a comfortable space for dancing, and know that the couples we've worked for who've booked these restaurants aren't millionaires. In short, these establishments give couples the whole package if they're looking to hold a reception at a restaurant and do it with style.

Thalassa - This Tribeca restaurant (pictured left), serving Greek and Mediterranean, is sleek and modern in its decor but has just enough exposed brick walls and mahogany wine cabinets to give it earthiness and warmth. The guests always remark how the food is excellent; the staff effortlessly knows how to handle the increased pace, coordination, and larger scale of a wedding; the managers are flexible with timelines and structuring the special moments of the reception like entrances, first dances, etc.; and after dinner, the space is just the right size to accommodate a decent-sized dancing area along with a portable bar nearby. For bigger parties, or simply for added flexibility in planning, there is also a downstairs wine cellar big enough to be used for either a lounge, dining room, or a dancing area. Go here for a sample of events we’ve DJ-ed at Thalassa over the years. Their website is www.thalassanyc.com

Golden Unicorn - Just south of Thalassa, in Chinatown, is the Golden Unicorn (pictured right), a gourmet Chinese restaurant that offers some of the best Chinese food in the city. This isn’t your typical food you may know from the corner Chinese place either. This is much more upscale and attractively-prepared. Dinners here for receptions feature an over 10 course meal of what essentially are small plates for each guest of more exotic and eclectic Chinese food. Its taste is always extremely delicious and accessible to even conservative palates - we know, as we've been there before watching hundreds of people of all cultures really enjoying the food. The courses come not too fast or not too slow, but just right - a clear sign that the restaurant is very used to handling wedding receptions. The venue’s atmosphere is in places grand and traditional, with plenty of red and, well, golden, creatures like unicorns and dragons present. But because most of this decor is centered around the dancing area, it makes the vibe feel very festive and fun, as the lights go down and people pack this part of the space. Of course, the restaurant is a great venue for Chinese weddings or multi-cultural weddings with a Chinese side, but it's a credit to the atmosphere and quality of the food that we've been here not just for Chinese weddings. For its slight grandiose atmosphere, the restaurant is so down-to-earth and friendly in terms of the staff's attitude. The managers we’ve worked at the Golden Unicorn also are able to help with Cantonese and/or Mandarin translations along with MC's if extensive translations are needed throughout the event, as some of the events we've done here have gone beyond the basic Chinese announcements that we often use in our MC-ing at Chinese weddings. Go here for a sample of events we've DJ-ed at the Golden Unicorn. Their website is www.goldenunicornrestaurant.com.

Riverview - This cozy but slyly chic restaurant (pictured left), located on the waterfront on the border of the Astoria and Long Island City neighborhoods of Queens, is a true hidden gem. It's located in a quiet, pretty area that day or night gives you spectacular views of the midtown Manhattan skyline; there's a broad-ranging, eclectic menu of food that always tastes fresh, a breezy, ethereal atmosphere that mingles angular modern decor with organic touches like a variety of flower and small tree branch arrangements; a stylish circular lounge/bar area; and a dining room that is both elegant and casual. Also, there's a room off to the side of the dining room where wedding ceremonies can be held. We and our clients have worked with the staff here and the managers are extremely flexible at planning a reception structure that fits any style, from "indie" or eclectic to more traditional or formal. The openness of the dining room also makes the transition from dinner to dancing very easy for guests. Go here for a sample of events we've DJ-ed at Riverview. Their website is www.riverviewny.com.
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On July 24th, New York State’s law allowing same-sex marriages went into effect. Throughout the state, and in New York City, a huge number of couples waited to take their vows in the early morning hours at various marriage bureaus. From the start of the day it seemed every news report on television, the internet, and in newspapers that you came across all remarked strongly on the intense feeling of thrill, giddy disbelief, and often the joyful release of emotions long-held inside.

We feel great that same-sex couples have finally won these new rights, but also, for a company like us that loves to plan and spin at all kinds of unique weddings – be  it same-sex marriages or those “other” kind – and has been doing it for years, this is also exciting for us professionally as well. Recently, Dan and I were interviewed for UK radio, on BBC Radio 1 (and featured in their on-line article), in which we talk about our enthusiasm for same sex weddings. The interview is below, and you can read the article here.

We anticipate there will be a huge increase in same-sex couples wanting to marry, and just like the other couples who tend to be attracted to our approach, gay and lesbian couples are going to want it to be a wedding personalized to them, and not some generic, cookie-cutter party with tired music and over-long or obnoxious MC announcements. We’re excited to what the future will bring, and to get to know what each of these couples see as their vision or vibe for their special day. Whether a couple envisions a celebration that’s more traditional, or wants a large-scale bash at a huge space, or prefers an eccentric, low-key lounge vibe, or desires a cozy gathering at an old converted brownstone – whatever the case, this kind of customization is what has been our specialty for a long time. We’re looking forward to working with more same-sex couples in this way – while also looking forward to integrating new ceremony or reception moments for these couples that may emerge as being popular crowd-pleasers at same-sex weddings

As a DJ company that is already experienced in planning and spinning at same-sex weddings, it’s really going to be fun and special for us to take that experience and match it with the joy and enthusiasm that we know so many gay and lesbian couples will have for planning their wedding, now that they are, after a long wait, official.

BBC Radio 1 Interview with djnyc

When we meet to talk with clients about music for their event, often the first thing we notice is that they've already dejectedly decided the music they really like and want to hear won't be able to be played at their event.

It may be a designer in a fashion show thinking that the music she wants to use for her fashion line will be too ethereal a sound to keep the audience interested. Or a couple who loves moody acoustic indie pop but thinks it would be too much of a downer to play a little at their wedding Or an organizer of a corporate party who worries that the employees won’t dance because they tend to like raw Southern hip-hop and their bosses wouldn’t. Whatever the case, whatever the event, it seems this kind of unfortunate premature musical censorship is everywhere.

It often comes from a good place of common sense or consideration, like an organizer at a art opening knowing that prospective buyers might not want to hear his beloved deep cuts of ‘70s classic rock all night long. But some of our clients’ decisions that their favorite songs or genres won’t work comes not from a good place at all, but instead from having met with conventional, unimaginative DJs that tend to work for bigger, more cookie-cutter DJ companies. We’ve heard from these clients that some of these DJs have told them straight up that the only way to get a party movin’ is to play disco all night.

Whatever the reason for clients' doubts in the music they love, one of the first things we tell them – no matter what their event –  is to open up their mind, revisit their CD collection or iPod, and make their “dream list” of songs they want to hear, with no censoring allowed. Put anything in you would love to hear. Not only does it make the process of selecting music easier, but also more fun. It will get you excited about the possibilities of hearing this music, as opposed to nixing songs right away and feeling frustrated that the soundtrack to the event is already not what you would like.

Now, will all these "dream songs" end up making the cut when the event arrives? Sometimes many of them do, sometimes they don't. But what always happens is that when we see these “dream lists” and talk a bit with the client to see what music is most important to them, we can then use our experience in knowing what of these songs will work given the mood that is wanted at the event, as well as what kind of guests will be there, and what kind of structure the event will have. Then we can suggest which songs to keep, which to think about not using. For example, a pair of melancholy indie songs at the more sedate moments in a wedding can feel absolutely right and even moving. So can a set of obscure hardcore punk during the more boisterous moments of a corporate party. And even a little experimental progressive rock can enhance the feeling of an art opening, if played at the right time.

By far, many more of the songs you really want at your event then you ever think you can play are actually able to be fit in, but not only that, they can be made to add to the atmosphere of the event. But to do it, you have to begin by letting the DJ know what you really want to hear. And if that DJ looks at your list, smirks, and says something about how you can't have a party without having "the Y" on your list, well, you know the time has come to find a different DJ.

If you’ve decided to have a Hora at your wedding, we've learned from many years of performing at Jewish or half-Jewish weddings that you then need to make sure you consider a few elements for making the Hora successful that we find couples or even wedding planners fail to address – mainly because these factors are so elementary that they're often not thought about during the overall wedding preparation.

(To help determine what type of Hora to have, or other, less-common but still enlivening ways to include Jewish music at your wedding, read Part I of our “Avoiding Hora Drama” post.)

The Hora, as many probably know, is a type of circle dance that usually results in the bride and groom and sometimes other family members being lifted up in chairs. It has long been popular at Jewish or half-Jewish weddings – something evident from the covers of these two vintage mid-century albums of Jewish music pictured. Part of the Hora's appeal is in how simple it is to create, and how suddenly it can provide a burst of festiveness. So, you might think, what preparations does there need to be? Just make sure everyone’s in the reception room, throw on “Hava Nagila,” have guests grab a few chairs, get a few strong guys and the bride and groom, and Mazel Tov! You’re totally partyin', mensch.

Well, the Hora often seems to happen with that impromptu feel, but just because of that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some planning and choices behind it. Here’s what we've found in are the most important elements often overlooked when it comes to the Hora:

1) Do It Before The Guests Are Too Drunk – Many couples don’t realize as much as they should that too much alcohol and heavy bodies being held aloft in chairs for several minutes could be kind of dangerous. So, if you know your guests are the kind who will be drinking a lot through the night, it might be better to get the Hora out of the way early, at the beginning of the reception, while at least the strongest guys are in control of themselves to not drop anyone. If you know the drinking will be lighter, you have a bit more freedom to do the Hora later in the reception, such as after the main course. If you’re not sure about how much drinking will take place, always assume there will be more, just to be safe, and have the Hora earlier – not necessarily as the first element in the reception, but perhaps in between the first courses or at least before the main course. The one timing recommendation that we can say applies no matter what is to never have the Hora much later than right after the main course, the reason being that not long after this, people are usually a bit tipsy and even tired due to a few solid hours of imbibing and dancing.

2) Always Have the MC Announce It – Though most people, especially in and around New York City, know what the Hora is and what to do when it starts, we find that you usually can’t just put on a well-known festive Jewish song like “Siman Tov” or “Hava Nagila” and have guests suddenly rise to their feet and start singing and dancing like the cast of Fiddler on the Roof. An instance comes to mind where, over our polite objections, a wedding planner insisted we not announce the Hora because, who knows, she figured a movie moment like described above could magically happen. Well, we did what she said, and when the song began, the guests looked around, confused. We knew they were thinking something like, so, wait, do we do the Hora now? A moment later, seeing nothing was going to happen without some guidance, we announced the Hora, and just like that everyone got up happily and started to party. The lesson is simple: Guests need to know the Hora is happening when it is about to happen. They may think it is when they hear the familiar opening melody of a song, but because guest usually don’t want assume too much and risk embarrassment, and because the bride and groom or best man don’t have time to ready all the guests on their own, the reception needs a simple announcement that the Hora is about to begin. This also builds a bit of anticipation as people come out to the dance floor, gives guests a moment to round up some chairs and to get the bride and groom ready, and to get any stragglers back from the bar.

3) Consider How Much Hora They’re Going to Want – Though it’s often difficult to predict how long a Hora will last or how wild a Hora will be, it’s important to spend a few moments at least considering it. Think of your guests a bit – is there a group that you know that really loves Hora dances from other celebrations you’ve attended with them? Or are you having the Hora not mostly because you want it but simply to please your parents or other relatives? Do your guests as a whole tend to be a more rowdy group, or do they need some encouragement to let loose? Do the bride's and groom's sides know each other, or is there not much crossover of friend groups between the two sides? Considering factors like this may help you determine how long of a Hora should be played, and if the traditional songs can go deeper than the usual favorites or if there should be simply a quick medley of the most familiar festive Jewish songs. Once you’ve decided on the length and type of songs, or if you simply can’t determine it – you can then, in the case of the former situation, ask if your DJ has the appropriate length and/or song selections you need, or, in the case of the latter situation, make sure the DJ is prepared with a variety of songs to play it by ear and let the MC know to be ready to possibly encourage the crowd a bit if they're a little shy.