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On Saturday, October 12th of 2013, I DJed a Spectacular Wedding Ceremony & Reception at River Stone Manor for Mr. & Mrs. Steve & Allie Wik!  They were such a great couple to work with in planning their Wedding Reception!  What a Party!!  Skip and his staff at RSM are always “On Point” with their “Award Winning” Cuisine and Service!  I also had the pleasure of working with “Rock Star” Photographer Tiffany Wayne and her assistant Julia!  Tiffany is amazing photographer, who truly has a passion for making your images POP!  We all had a blast that day!

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A few days ago I received the following 5 Star Review from Allie!

Mike Garrasi – the most talented, professional and amazing DJ in Upstate NY.

We officially tied the knot on October 12th and were fortunate enough to have Mike as our DJ.  Mike came HIGHLY recommended by numerous people in the Capital Region. Five minutes into our first meeting together over a year ago, I knew he was going to throw us a PARTY.  Mike amazed me when we met one month before the wedding, with his post-it notes, highlighters and files.  His organization and attention to detail made me so incredibly happy.  Mike remembered everything we requested, and was more than happy to satisfy our “wild and crazy” ideas…. he even helped us pull off a flash mob style conga line, father of the bride speech accompanied by music, and a wedding party dance number.

My husband and I cannot stress enough how absolutely incredible Mike was to work with.  His energy was contagious and he had the entire dance floor packed the whole night.  Mike has true talent – he knows his music, and more importantly follows his intuition, reading the audience and knowing exactly what to play and when, to get the guests moving.  We only had to give Mike a short list of our favorite songs for him to pick-up on our vibe and understand our style.

We had all our faith in the world in Mike.  To us, music was one of the most important elements of our wedding, and I can honestly say that we did not worry about this once! We trusted Mike and he BLEW US AWAY, as we knew he would.

Three weeks later our guests are still raving about our wedding, and how the whole night was filled with so much energy and laughter.  That is in LARGE part thanks to Mike.

Mike – we only hope we get to work with you again some time in the future!

xoxo- Allie & Steve

Thank you Allie & Steve!!  YOU ARE THE BEST!

Posted in Albany NY Weddings, Awards, Reviews, River Stone Manor, Schenectady NY Weddings, Schenectady Weddings, Upstate NY Weddings, Weddings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 5 Star Review at Schenectady’s River Stone Manor Wedding


On Sunday, September 1st, I DJed an incredible “Lakeside Wedding Reception” at Old Daley Inn on Crooked Lake for the new Mr. & Mrs. Jared & Alaina Bennett!  A Super “Hip” Bride & Groom!  Worked with an Awesome TEAM of Friends that day!  Janice + Marty at ODI and their crew knocked it “Out of the Park”!  Amazing cuisine!  Katie O’Malley and her assistant were “On Point”!  Cinematographers John Tegan and William Beyer of NuVue Cinema worked their “Magic”!  And last but not least, the Photographer’s you ask?  The “Legendary” Joe & JP of Elario Photography!!  They shot some of “Coolest” Photo’s I’ve ever seen that day!  We were all on our “A” Game for Jared & Alaina!  What a Reception!

Please check out the Highlight Film from NuVue Cimena below!

http://vimeo.com/75427400

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The knot best of weddings 2 0 1 3 pickOn June 28th of 2013, I DJed a very Elegant Summer Wedding Reception at The Canfield Casino for the new Mr. & Mrs. Christopher & Julie Nedwick!  They were a fantastic Bride & Groom to work with in planning their Big Day!  We had a few meetings and everything went absolutely “PERFECT”.  Julie & Chris + their guests danced the night away!

They ordered 18 “Soft White” LED Up Lights to Accent the Ball Rooms Large Columns during Introductions & Dinner Hour.  Just the right touch for a Classic Wedding Theme.  Once dancing began we changed up the colors to Accent the Energy on the Dance Floor!  WOW!

Julie had these kinds words to say about me in a recent 5 STAR Review she posted on WeddingWire.com –

“Mike Garrasi, the Music Man, was AMAZING!  He made our planning process fun and easy.  He answered questions, made great suggestions, pronounced every introduction perfectly (rarely happens!), showed up early and stayed as late as we needed him.  We found him online and knew after our first meeting that he was the DJ for us.  He listens to your vision and makes it your reality.  We cannot say enough good things about him. Also, if you’re thinking about his lighting, we suggest that you go the extra mile bc it really transforms your evening – we started with soft whites and then he added colors for the late night – it was perfect:) ”

You can check out this “AMAZING” Video which Alan Amato Photography filmed on their wedding day!  Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/73755666

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On Friday, August 9th of 2013 I had the pleasure of DJing for the Mr. & Mrs. Thomas & Laura Hopkins at Mallozzi’s!  What a PARTY!!  Cool Bride & Groom with “Amazing” Family & Friends!  They danced the entire night away!

Laura gave me a 5 Star Review on WeddingWire.com and wrote the following –

“Mike was fantastic at the wedding and before!  Mike walks you through everything and answers any questions you have.  He had everyone on the dance floor and definitely kept the energy up.

We highly recommend using Mike for your wedding!”

You have to check out this absolutely “Breathtaking” Film, shot by Ray, Niles & Shane at Niki Rossi Productions!

http://vimeo.com/75525961

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The knot best of weddings 2 0 1 3 pickOn Friday, July 19th of 2013, I had the pleasure of DJing for a “Super Cool” Bride & Groom at The Canfield Casino!  The new Mr. & Mrs. Dan & Kirsten Deitz!  From Start to Finish, everything went absolutely PERFECT!

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Their Reception was AMAZING!  A Crazy Packed Dance Floor the entire evening!  THE BEST!  The photo below will give you an idea of the ENERGY on the floor that evening.

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Kirsten & Dan’s Photographers were “Outstanding”!  Scott & Lisa of Scott Kretschmann Photography really “Knocked It Out Of The Park” with the images they captured that day.  I’ve posted a few of them on my blog.  Although you should really check out their blog post at http://www.scottkretschmann.com/blog/canfield-casino-wedding-photographers-kirsten-dan/ to get a better idea of exactly what I am talking about!

The knot best of weddings 2 0 1 3 pickShortly after the Wedding Reception, Kirsten wrote the following about my DJ services on Wedding Wire.

“Mike Garrasi was extremely professional in every aspect.  If you are able to book him as your DJ, consider yourself extremely lucky.  He is by far one of the best in the area and I have heard this countless times from other vendors and married couples who have used him as their DJ.  My husband and I can now say that we couldn’t agree more.  He knows what he’s doing!!  He was able to get almost every guest (including my 95 year old Grandma) out on the dance floor multiple times in the evening.  If you’re looking for an unforgettable celebration, Mike is the DJ to hire.”

Thank you Kirsten & Dan for the kinds words and for having me as your DJ on your Wedding Day!

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The knot best of weddings 2 0 1 3 pickWow!!  What can I possible say to describe the Wedding Reception I DJed on Saturday, August 17th at River Stone Manor!  It was definitely one of the “Coolest” Wedding Receptions I have ever DJed!  Let’s start with the above photo!  How cool is this!  Their background, you ask?  They are both musician’s and met at a Punk Rock Show!  The new Mr. & Mrs. Brendan & Shayna McGroggan actually performed the song “The Rainbow Connection”, immediately after being introduced and then went right into their 1st Dance.  Which I can only describe as something right out of “Dancing With The Stars”!  Every move during their dance was PERFECT!

They also went with 18 “Blue” Wireless Up Lights!  A “Custom Designed” Monogram Light for their Dance Floor and my “Brand New” Video Presentation Package!!

The photo below was taken by a great Photographer I worked with that day – Shelly Wood!  She is the owner of Shelly Wood Photography Studios!  Of course Skip Sgarlata and his 5 Star Staff at River Stone Manor knocked it OUT OF THE PARK!!  Amazing cuisine & service!

The knot best of weddings 2 0 1 3 pickYou can view Shayna & Brendan’s “Custom Produced” 1st Dance Video below!  Just beautiful!

Shanya was kind enough to give me a 5 Star Review on WeddingWire only a few days after her wedding day!!  Enjoy!

“Why haven’t you booked Mike for your wedding yet?  Seriously, our wedding was everything we could have wanted and so much more because of him.  Mike is so attentive to his couple’s needs and he makes you feel like the star of the show.  If you want to hire a DJ that is going to just be your personal iPod for the night then maybe you can find some other mediocre talent, but if you want someone who will entertain your guests and keep the energy up, then Mike is worth every single penny.  And definitely sign up for the uplighting.  His lighting packages give your reception such an amazing wow factor! There’s almost no need for any other decor with his lights and monograms.  I also cannot help but recommend his Custom Video Presentation Package. It made our reception so special for everyone there.  The whole night was magic, largely because of Mike.  This man is a pro, and if you want a wedding reception that will run smoothly, make you feel like a star, and entertain your guests and keep them on the dance floor, you need to stop reading reviews and book Mike Garrasi right now!!!!
The knot best of weddings 2 0 1 3 pickThank you Shanya & Brendan for having me DJ your Wedding Reception!!  You are both the “Real” ROCK STARS!!

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The photo says it all!  We, as a Team of Wedding Pro’s, LOVED working for Mike & Erica and had an absolute BLAST on their Wedding Day!

They had one of the most “Over The Top” Wedding Receptions I have ever DJed!!  INSANE!!  18 Up Lights, a Customize Monogram and the Best Family and Friends you could possibly invite to an Incredible Wedding Reception!  That was the story of Mr. & Mrs. Michael & Erica Dessingue’s Wedding Reception, which was held at Mallozzi’s on Sunday, July 28th of 2013!!   They were such a “Super Cool” Bride & Groom!

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I worked with great team of friends that day!   Mallozzi’s awesome staff!  Daniel & Jaime Ross of Best Bytes Media!  Joe Rossi of Capital Region Photobooths and Legendary Photographer John Viscosi along with his son Zach of Viscosi Photography!

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Mike gave me a huge shout out on WeddingWire at 5 Stars and wrote an awesome review too!  Thank you Mike & Erica!  You ROCK!

“Unreal professionalism.  We threw everything we could at the guy and he just kept bending his back for us.  He created a custom monogram that covered the whole dance floor, helped light the crap out of our entrance into the reception with his crazy cool wireless LEDs, and kept everyone dancing all night long.  Did I mention his professionalism?  I will keep his number in my wallet for every future DJ occasion.  Your life will be less stressful if you hire Mike.  Period.”

Posted in Mallozzi's, Reviews, Schenectady Weddings, Up Lighting, Upstate NY Weddings, Weddings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mike & Erica’s “Over The Top” Wedding @ Mallozzi’s!


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Congrats are in order for the new Mr. & Mrs. Matthew & Katelynn Staalesen!  They celebrated their Wedding Ceremony & Reception @ The Old Daley Inn on Crooked Lake on Saturday, July 27th of 2013.  I was lucky enough to be their DJ and also work with my friends – Marty Keary and his “Top Notch” Crew at The Old Daley Inn!  In addition to working with Photographer Rob Spring of Rob Spring Photography,   Dan Keese of Dan Keese Photobooths and Robert Karandy of Video Memories!  A Great Team for a Great Night!  Matthew & Katelynn’s Family & Friends NEVER LET THE DANCE FLOOR the ENTIRE EVENING!!  It was definitely a “One More Song” Crowd!  I love those kinds of guests!

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Check out the photos shown of their Ceremony Site and Ballroom at The Old Daley Inn.  Sweet!

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Please check out the 5 Star Review I received from Katelynn just a few short days after the Wedding Reception!

“Mike was absolutely fantastic to work with!  He was very helpful and quick to respond with any question throughout our entire planning process.  Our wedding day ran perfectly thanks to Mike!  He got the party started and kept it going all night!  We can’t thank Mike enough for the awesome job that he did!!”

I can’t thank Katelynn & Matthew enough for having me as their DJ!

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DJed a Beautiful Wedding Reception on Friday, August 2nd at Key Hall @ Proctors for the new Mr. & Mrs. Christopher & Christine Elliott!  A “Super” Couple with Great Dancing Friends!  I love this Ballroom!  Right out of a Cinderella Story!

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Worked with an All Star Team of Friends!  Emily Miller & Colie + her 5 Star Crew @ Key Hall / Mazzone Hospitality, Videographer Brian Moak of Moak Films and Jennifer Moak of Images By Moak with 2nd Shooter Seth Guistimbelli!!

You can view their Wedding Day Cinematic Highlight Film below.  Produced and Filmed by Brian Moak of Moak Films.  Breathtaking!!!

This week I received this AMAZING 5 Star Review on Wedding Wire this week from Christine & Christopher!

“I cannot say enough good things about working with Mike from Music Man Entertainment.  He was always a pleasure to converse with while planning the wedding – it immediately felt like we were talking with an old friend!  He pulled off our bridal party entrance perfectly, as we had chosen a specific song for each couple as a surprise, and kept our guests of all ages dancing throughout the night.  He fulfilled all of our specific song and artist requests (yay, Justin Timberlake!), as well as requests we made throughout the night.  When my husband requested a specific song Mike didn’t have, he purchased it on the spot for us.  It was a truly amazing evening and we cannot thank Mike enough :)”

Thank you Christine & Christopher!

Posted in Awards, Key Hall @ Proctors, Mansion Catering, Mansion Catering by Mazzone Hospitality, Reviews, Up Lighting, Upstate NY Weddings, Video, Weddings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Key Hall @ Proctors Spectacular Schenectady Wedding!


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The Hall of Springs Ballroom

Have you been considering going with Monogram & Up Lighting for your Wedding Reception?   Then this Blog is exactly what you have been looking for!  It features some of the New Monogram Designs which I have been displaying this summer at the Top Wedding Venues in New York.  I’ve incorporated Up Lighting to tie in with the overall effect of enhancing the Monogram Designs.  Please feel free to contact me at anytime to discuss Monogram Designs & Up Lighting for your upcoming Wedding Reception.  Enjoy!

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The Canfield Casino Ballroom

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The Canfield Casino Ballroom

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The Desmond Ballroom

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Mallozzi's Ballroom

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The State Room Ballroom

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The Pruyn House Barn

 

Posted in Albany NY Weddings, Mallozzi's, Monogram Lighting, The Canfield Casino, The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center, The Hall of Springs, The Pruyn House, The State Room, Up Lighting, Upstate NY Weddings, Weddings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Monogram & Up Lighting Ideas!