Little Italy comes to The Candlewood Inn

Little Italy comes to The Candlewood Inn

The first of September as I remember it was a perfect day for a wedding. Vic and Crystal Vicenzi thought so too.

Vic and Crystal Vicenzi were married on September 1st at the Candlewood Inn in Brookfield during a beautiful Connecticut sunset with Candlewood Lake as their backdrop. Hues of orange and blue could be seen in the dusk sky as the sun began setting behind the mountains surrounding the lake. After this beautiful ceremony took place, the party began. Guests were treated to exquisite cuisine from the chefs at Candlewood. The music selection for the evening was reminiscent of a class of 1990 something’s prom. Artists like Bel Biv Devoe, Tony, Toni, Tone and  many other 90’s one hit wonders set the mood for this 30 something crowd.

The champagne was flowing, the singing was plentiful, and the dancing left guests looking like they had just run the Boston Marathon. Pryme Tyme Entertainment‘s funtastic photo booth also made an appearance and was a hit with guests. Mark Boisvert from mebCINEMA took video of the ceremony and festivities which will be featured in Pryme Tyme Entertainment‘s next wedding promotional video. The video should be out sometime in mid November and will be posted on YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, and many other media outlets.

All in all, this wedding was a 10 out of 10.

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grand oak villa wedding, kate & chris

Kate & Chris at Grand Oak Villa

Kate & Chris at Grand Oak Villa

On August 9th, 2012 –

Kate Fasano and Chris Keller sealed the deal and began their journey as husband and wife. Pryme Tyme Entertainment was fortunate enough to be a part of the festivities. After a lovely ceremony at First Congregational Church in Watertown, the Kellers, family, friends and guests made their way down to Watertown’s wedding destination, The Grand Oak Villa. Kate had known Aaron (President of Pryme Tyme) since grade school and after finding him on facebook asked if he could be her wedding DJ for her special day.

With over 4 weddings in the Fasano family this past year, the Kellers had seen many different DJs and were anxious to see what a Pryme Tyme Entertainment wedding would be like. The newlyweds and guests enjoyed an energetic party atmosphere and danced late into the night. Pryme Tyme Entertainment’s funtastic photo booth was also in attendance and was a big hit with guests and brought out the kid in everyone.

Thank you to Mr and Mrs Keller for choosing Pryme Tyme Entertainment for their special day at the Grand Oak Villa. We wish you many happy years to come and hope to see you again soon!

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Party in Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel

In June, Pryme Tyme Entertainment rolled in to the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel in Poughkeepsie, NY for the Valencia Sweet 16. We entertained over one hundred guests for an intimate Sweet sixteen party. Parents, kids, and grandparents alike enjoyed fabulous cuisine and a posh lounge atmosphere. There were a few of the guests that could have been taken for music royalty. And when I mean royalty, who else but the Jackson five. Well, in this case, the Jackson 4.

After dinner the room erupted into a full on dance club atmosphere that would leave five boroughs worth of New York City club jumpers green with envy. Friends and family of all ages danced the night away until the late evening and went home exhausted and soaked with perspiration. It was the perfect end to an already perfect evening. Poughkeepsie, YOU ROCK! We’ll see you on the road… Thanks to the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel for being fantastic hosts!

 

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Proms, Proms, Proms

Proms, Proms, Proms!

May was a fantastic month for proms here at PTE. We kicked things off with New Fairfield at the beautiful Ethan Allen Hotel in Danbury CT and rocked over 250 students. The whole night was a high energy Hollywood themed atmosphere.
Wanna see a video? Click the link below to check it out.

New Fairfield High School – Prom 2012

Next up we had an EMERGENCY PROM for Mercy High School. We loaded up 10,000 watts worth of sound system and a basic light show and headed to the Aqua Turf. All within an hour. Phew! It could not have gone better. I don’t think I saw so many smiling faces when I arrived and started playing. The energy of these kids was INSANE! They danced and sang all night long till the last song at 11:30. As Frankie Valli said, “Oh what a night” The students and faculty enjoyed themselves so much in fact, they scratched their junior prom dj the following week and asked PTE to entertain the junior class.

Check out the highlights by clicking the link below.
MERCY HIGH SCHOOL – PROM 2012 – Highlights

I assisted with a photo booth for a friend of ours and had a nice relaxing night at the Aqua Turf just a few weeks after Mercy High School’s prom and ran a photo booth. The students at Litchfield High School were some of the best kids I have had the pleasure of working with so far this year. The photo booths were JAMMING from the time the doors opened till 5 mins after the prom ended. **If you would like a photo booth for your next event, call and reserve yours with Pryme Tyme Entertainment!**

The last and final prom for the season was for Oxford High School. We headed to the Aqua Turf one last time and set up “CLUB PRYME TYME” The intelligent light show, fog, and killer sound system using our new MAXX STAXX brought the house down. Our videographer was there to capture it all on camera. CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IT! You would have thought we were at a concert. The dancefloor was PACKED all night long! One of my fondest memories of that evening was as people were leaving, a young man asked that I play just one more song for he and his girlfriend to dance to.  I dimmed the lights and just left a single spot in the middle of the floor on them. It was a picture perfect moment. Two hearts coming together right before my eyes. That moment will last a lifetime and I was happy to be a part of it.

A big thank you to New Fairfield High School, Mercy High School, Oxford High School, Robert and Don @ the Aqua Turf for a fabulous Prom Season! You guys are the reason why I love what I do. Keep rockin, and we’ll see you next year…

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Pryme Tyme Prom DJ to the RESCUE!

Pryme Tyme Prom DJ to the RESCUE!

I was sitting home on the first Friday night I have had off in quite some time. The house was quiet and my wife had taken my son to Pennsylvania for the weekend. I was sitting in my office contemplating what I might have for dinner when suddenly the phone rang.

It was one of my fellow colleages, Mike.

Me: Hello?
Mike: Hey guy! How ya doing?
Me: Not too bad. What’s up?
Mike: Hey, whatcha doin’ tonight?
Me: Nothin’. Why what’s up?
Mike: Feel like doing a prom?
Me: Ummmmm. Yeah! Sure. Why not. Give me the details.

Mike had told me that there was a school at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville who’s prom DJ was a no call no show for their prom. The students were arriving and sitting down to dinner when he had called. He said, “Ya better get movin. How long till you can get there?” “An hour” I replied.

I loaded my van faster than I ever had before and raced off to the Aqua Turf. Mike and Don (Assistant Manager at the Aqua Turf) helped me load in as quickly as possible and in 15 minutes flat, we had a 10,000 watt sound system and a simple color wash light show for the prom. Here is a video from that night…

I had found out a few weeks later that the prom DJ who was supposed to do the prom had closed his business and didn’t tell anyone. The school could not be more thankful and had invited PTE back the following week for their Junior Prom.

I had gotten a call just a few days after the junior prom from yet ANOTHER school who had paid their DJ in full and they had not heard from the company after countless attempts to contact them. I remember the adviser telling me, “One of our teachers saw your EMERGENCY PROM video on Facebook and said that you were able to save the day. If I can’t get a hold of this guy, can you be ready at a moments notice?” I happily replied, “I am at your service.”

Their DJ did eventually get back to them 24 hours before the prom and the show went on as scheduled. Both schools had chosen the bargain basement prom DJ for their prom and paid them in full. In the first instance, the school lost their money and now had to pay PTE for their Senior and Junior proms. And both schools were not met with the professional courtesy of open communication.

When choosing your entertainment for your next event… Be it a wedding, a prom, a sweet 16, or any other occasion, just remember one thing. You get one shot. Make it count. No one has ever left an event with the memory of chair covers and matching bows for each chair, the dinner rolls, or the chocolate fountain. They will however remember if they danced and enjoyed the evening. Your Prom is a once in a lifetime experience. Don’t you deserve the best?

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Hawks Landing Wedding – Steve & Laureen

Last weekend PTE had the pleasure taking part in the celebration of Steve & Laureen’s wedding at Hawks Landing Country Club in Southington, CT.

The first thing that I noticed when I arrived is the very down-to-earth, cozy atmosphere that Hawks Landing had in the room. Seeing as it was the first wedding of 2012, this was a very welcoming experience to ring in the new season. I was greeted by the  event coordinator, Jamie. Jamie is new to Hawks Landing and was recently promoted to her new position. She handled the wedding VERY well. She has a passion for what she does and made Steve & Laureen’s guests, wedding professionals, and most importantly the bride and groom very comfortable. That is a DREAM for every wedding vendor. When the venue takes into consideration every little detail from a services perspective, the wedding is an absolute success.

The afternoon started at about 4pm with some light refreshments and conversation. The music that Steve & Laureen had picked out was not your typical “Weather Channel Kenny G“, instead they wanted a repertoire of classic rock, and some familiar songs that everyone likes to sing along to. Sweet Caroline was a big hit during dinner and it was clear how many Red Sox fans we had in the room.

Steve and Laureen elected to skip some of the typical formalities and get right to heating up the dancefloor following cake. The first song out of the gate was ‘It takes two’ by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock. Although there were MANY different genres played that evening, most of the requests came from the late 80’s through today. We played motown, funk, new age, hard rock, hip hop, r&b, techno, and threw in a polka for good measure.

By 8:45, people were starting to wind down a bit. But they weren’t getting away that easy. We ended the night with a killer mix and sent the people home to ‘The Time’ (Dirty Bit) by the Black Eyed Peas. By this time, the suit jackets were off, the heels are nowhere to be found, and the guests who were wearing their Sunday best looked as if they had hit the treadmill at the gym.  It was then, when both the bride and groom came to me with open arms and said, “Thank you Aaron. This was perfect. You were amazing. It couldn’t have gone any better.”

Congratulations to Steve & Laureen on their marriage. We are so happy we were a part of one of the happiest days of your life. Cheers!

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The Evolution of the Wedding

The Evolution of the Wedding

An interesting topic came up in a Disc Jockey forum on facebook today. The topic of photo booths at weddings. Is it a trend that’s here to stay or will it fizzle out?

Thinking about weddings in general, weddings have evolved and changed a great deal in the past 20 years. 20 years ago, it was very common to see 200-300 people at a wedding. Everyone dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns. And all the formalities you could jam into an 8 hour period.

Now we see everything from the classic and conservative to the wild and crazy club atmosphere, to the backyard barbecue and everything in between.

Instead of a formal 8 course meal, we’re seeing more buffets or multiple food stations with all sorts of food that we crave. Instead of cookie trays and pastry tables, brides are electing to have candy bars and jelly bean buffets.

And when it comes to entertainment, we have gotten away from the Mexican sombreros, blow up instruments, and the cheesy rendition of Tom Cruise in Risky Business or the Blues Brothers. Now we have glow necklaces and funky sunglasses and people singing, “I’m sexy and I know it.”
The demand for extras is at an all time high. Everything from uplighting a room to match the colors of the wedding, custom monograms to put the couple’s name in lights, and photo booths to send the guests home with a commemorative piece of history from their friend’s wedding.

So what’s next? Pinball machines? Virtual Reality games? Pyrotechnics? Any way you slice it, trends will come and trends will go. I’m just curious to see where we go from here.

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Wedding advice, experiences, and concerns.

 

Wedding advice, experiences, and concerns…

When a newly engaged couple begins planning their wedding, often times they will seek out wedding advice from parents, aunts and uncles, friends and others to learn about the wedding process. But this is 2015 and with the power of the internet, couples can find the wedding advice they are looking for with the click of a mouse. Weddings have evolved over time. And the modern wedding is happening right now as we speak.

In todays world, we have been able to network with the world with a single keystroke. So, because of this the wedding industry has been able to put engaged couples together to discuss their thoughts and ideas on their wedding day. This has proven to be a great tool for most in assisting with the planning and grand design that is your special day.

Take a moment to visit the weddingwire bridal forums. There you will be able to find brides just like you to share your experiences and ask questions and advice on what you should do to make your wedding day a fun, memorable, and STRESS FREE affair for all to enjoy.

Check it out by clicking the link below. And don’t forget to visit us on WeddingWire. Enjoy!
http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-forums

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PTE Press Release (Brides Choice Award)

Pryme Tyme Entertainment wins the Brides Choice Award

Hartford, CT – January 23, 2012

For immediate release:

– WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Pryme Tyme Entertainment has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for their excellence in entertainment & customer service.!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Pryme Tyme Entertainment was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Pryme Tyme Entertainment is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Pryme Tyme Entertainment for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Pryme Tyme Entertainment is one of the very best entertainment firms within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/pryme-tyme-entertainment-winner-of-the-2012-brides-choice-award-prospect/e3910f841d8badbd.html.

To learn more about the Bride’s Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.
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School Dances: Back to the grind

School Dances: Back to the grind…

I recently saw a post in a mobile DJ forum that seems to be a hot button lately for school dances. The grind issue.
Now speaking from my experiences from when I went to high school, the “dance” trends were a little different. It was all about who could show off their best MC Hammer or Michael Jackson moves or maybe a battle of the headbangers would ensue when Metallica was played. My parents did the twist and the stroll. And their parents did the swing and the foxtrot. But kids today are pushing the envelope and grinding teachers and faculty down to a fine powder.

So what is grinding exactly? To put it metaphorically, it is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire. This type of “dancing” is inappropriate for people of this age group and teachers are counting on us as entertainers to enforce strict “no grinding” policies when it comes to school dances. That being said, where does the responsibility lie? The DJ is there to provide music entertainment for the students and faculty. The chaperones and teachers are there to ensure that the school dance is a safe environment for the students. A true experienced professional who specializes in youth events would never encourage his audience to participate in destructive or lewd behavior.

So, what can we do as DJs to help create a fun environment without grinding? It’s simple.
Every consult that I go to with a school I always say the same thing. “Grinding for kids is like a big red button. The more you tell them not to push that button, the more likely they will.” I’m sure we can all remember when we were teens, we pushed boundaries and tested the waters to see how far we could go. The truth is, most students are there to have a good time. Not all kids participate in grinding. The best thing a school could do is to leave well enough alone and take care of the few “bad seeds” when necessary. The DJ can also support this by playing more upbeat songs with a higher BPM. Engaging the audience with a simple, “PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR. NOW EVERYBODY SCREAM” is a sure fire way to keep the excitement up and the grinding to a minimum.

All of these small steps can be taken to keep the kids happy, the faculty happy, and the DJ happy. So just remember the next time you are planning your next school social event… Don’t stress over grinding. Just plan on having the time of your life…

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