You know you have a great event when royalty shows up at your wedding.  That's nice and all, but not necessary to create a memorable event for you and your guests.

First, let's get the Queen reference out of the way.  According to our sister site, the FW.com.  This couple actually invited "Liz"  to their event, and she actually showed up!

According to our sources:

Frances and John Canning of Manchester, England scheduled their wedding at the town hall and learned that the British monarch would also be present at the venue on the same day. As a gag, the couple sent the Queen a wedding invitation.

I guess she has a good sense of humor, because she showed up.  That's pretty cool, huh?

Of course,  you don't need to do that to make YOUR wedding special.  But having DJ'ed umpteen receptions myself, I think I can rattle off a few things that WOULD make your event memorable, and since people are planning this time of year, it just may help you out:

1. Get an experienced DJ (as he clears his throat).  No, seriously.  There are a ton of DJ's out there, but few have the background  to be ENTERTAINERS as well as record spinners.  There are three that I can think of "off hand".  Between us we have over 60 years of experience.  Hire a 'GNA DJ!  We play everything!

 

2.  Make sure the venue is right.  Don't necessarily assume that bigger is better.  Sometimes the small, intimate one-owner venues are best.  There are several big ones as well, so I'm not necessarily eliminating them as a choice.  I've played them all around here in my ** years of doing this.  I've got my top 5 choices.  I plan to do one a week -starting now.

The Altamont Manor ranks right up there as one of my all time favorites.

 

Altamont Manor
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Besides being a beautiful place with  a gorgeous setting inside and incredible food, the owners,  Harvey and Donna Abbott Vlahos are true multi-taskers.  They not only run the place, they also are excellent photographers, so they can make it "one stop shopping" for you.   They're very creative behind the lens.  Here's a few sample shots.

 

Altamont Manor shot 4
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Peterson Spong Altamont Manor
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A beautiful "before" shot, photographed right on their grounds. While there are a lot of great places for photos all around the grounds at the Altamont Manor,  and most photographers can do a decent job with what's there. a lot of the creativity happens when the shot is enhanced with an artistic vision, making a nice shot, really great. Harvey has a keen eye for creating a romantic essence after the shot is taken.


Peterson Spong 0209B Altamont Manor
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An even more awesome "after" shot

The Altamont Manor was given an extremely high rating, by the way, from WeddingWire.com, which is associated with Martha Stewart Weddings. The bridal couples themselves actually do the reviews on there, so you are getting an unbiased opinion.   I, on the other hand have become very biased, having done over a dozen events there.  You will have an unforgettable time there, guaranteed.

So there you go - just one example of the fantastic venues in the Albany area that I have had the privilege of playing. These are places that will treat your bride like a Queen without actually having to put one on the guest list.  (I wonder if she gave a nice gift?)

They'll be more reviews in the weeks to come, by the way.  And if you have any that you'd like to mention, please leave your comments below.    Happy hunting!

 

 

 

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