As the 2021 Wedding season kicks into high gear i’m reminded of one of our favorite weddings from 2020. 2020 brought many challenges to our couples and their family and friends but we had some AMAZING and FUN receptions and Dominic & Laura’s Wagner Winery Wedding on Seneca Lake was exactly that!
A beautiful ceremony followed by a fun reception made their wedding memorable. COVID Restrictions may have limited a few details but it was a really fun night. Guests danced all night and the room looked elegant with ambient uplighting providing accent on the walls and a beautiful backdrop that became part of the light show during the party when the lighting moves to the music and really helps set the tone for a fun dance floor. Coupled with great requests the dance floor was hopping all night.
Guests enjoyed the Magic Mirror Photo Booth and with the feature of sending the creations to their phone we were able to limit contact and keep everyone healthy and safe.
Congratulations to Laura & Dominic and I hope you enjoy the highlight video from Tyler Dean from FLE.
What can make your Finger Lakes Winery Wedding even more fun? A Photo Booth! Photo Booths at weddings have changed so much over the years. From simple kiosk style Photo Booths that only two or three people squeeze into that are nostalgic of the times spent in the mall with friends to the current state of the art mulit-media Photo Booths that offer incredible high quality photo output, an interactive experience for you and your guests and multiple sharing options from prints, to social sharing or sending to your phone or email. The options are endless.
Here’s what you need to know about Fingerlakes Entertainment and what we can offer for your Finger Lakes Winery Wedding Photo Booth.
The Photo Booths
Fingerlakes Entertainment currently offers two different Photo Booth styles/experiences.
Standard Style Photo Booth
The Open-Air style photo booth is an upright console that contains a DSLR camera, flash, touch screen computer and monitor and a fast photo printer. It also includes your choice of a backdrop. Many colors and patterns to choose from. The Open-Air style booth takes up very little space.
The Magic Mirror
The Magic Mirror is an AMAZING Photo Booth option for your Finger Lakes Winery Wedding. The Magic Mirror is a large guild framed vanity/mirror with the display screen and camera hidden behind the mirror and the mirror itself is a large interactive touchscreen. The Magic Mirror is as entertaining as it is functional. Most couples choose a backdrop to accompany the Mirror but it can be put just about anywhere at your wedding and serve as an attractive and upscale ‘selfie station’. The Magic Mirror has so many display options and interactive features its hard to list all of them. The most popular are the ability for guests to sign the screen and add their own names or message to their creation. They can also add emojis to personalize. Do you want to really customize it? Let me know if you have a favorite hobby, activity or sports team or band and I can create an emoji/stamp for use at your Finger Lakes Winery Wedding.
Props
Fingerlakes Entertainment provides a deluxe Prop Package for each of our Photo Booths for your event. Fun and colorful hats, boas, hand-held signs, sunglasses and more. You are more than welcome to bring and add your own. We also have ideas and suggestions for custom made props. Date and event specific cutouts and signs. Sports team or hobby props. So many options. Message me for ideas or to share what you would like at your party.
Prints
Giving your guests a keepsake and something to take home and remember your Finger Lakes Winery Wedding is really important. Fingerlakes Entertainment offers three different print or template layouts. Traditional 2″x6″ Strips and a multi-photo 4″x6″ or single photo 4″x6″ postcard style.
You have many options and templates to choose from. You’re sure to find a template that fits your style and wedding color palette. I can customize any text and color on each of the templates to match your wedding colors and decor. If you have your own artwork being created for other parts of your wedding, such as, invitations, save the dates, menus or ceremony programs, share this with me and I can incorporate it into your photo booth print template design.
Visit the Fingerlakes Entertainment Photo Booth Print Template Portfolio to get inspiration or to choose the best print option for your Finger Lakes Winery Wedding Photo Booth Print.
Social Sharing
Magic Mirror Sign Your Creation 
Fingerlakes Entertainment Photo Sign
Photo Booths do more than print. All of the Fingerlakes Entertainment Photo Booth’s allow you and your guests to share each Photo Booth creation to your smartphone in real-time. In addition to the specific photo a link each message includes a link to the online photo album. The photo album is available to you after the event and is such a great way to share the photo booth photos with friends and family via social media. Visit the Photo Site to see the fun!
Enhancements
Fingerlakes Entertainment provides add-ons and enhancements for the Photo Booths. Flat screen monitors or video projectors and screens are available to play back the photos from the photo booth in a slideshow video format. Pipe and drape plush enclosure is also available to provide an upscale boutique and private experience for your photo booth. Want to block off a section and make it more of a “photo lounge” this is a great option.
Availability
The Fingerlakes Entertainment Photo Booth and Magic Mirror Photo Booth are great for your Finger Lakes Winery Wedding but they are also available for corporate events, private parties, commercial space, grand openings, school and youth events and so much more. Contact me at info@fingerlakesentertainment.com to get a quote or book a Photo Booth for your event or call or text (585) 749-6976.
So you have to give a Finger Lakes Winery Wedding toast or speech. What makes a great wedding toast or speech? It’s not easy, that’s for sure. Getting up in front of your family, friends, loved ones and probably strangers too and talking in public let alone about someone important to you can be a daunting task. Over the years as a Wedding DJ and MC I have seen the good, the bad, the ugly, the AWESOME and the OUT OF THIS WORLD level of toasts and speeches.
Step One: Be Prepared for your Finger Lakes Winery Wedding Toast
Having even a remote idea of what you are going to say is a necessary start. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone “wing it” and try to speak off the cuff. “Hey, if I have a few drinks and calm down a little bit, what could go wrong?” Well? A lot! You may not come off looking good, the person you are toasting may be offended, the guests might be also in the fact that you didn’t take even a brief amount of time to collect your thoughts and jot down a simple outline.
On the flip side, some of the really good wedding toasts and speeches I’ve witnessed over the years did come off mostly extemporaneously with the speaker using an outline or notes and predetermined order to their toast but speaking from the heart. If you’re confident you can pull this off and deliver a great toast.
Step Two: What do I Say?
You’re reading this so you have either found this article via google search or had the good fortune to come across this in perusing the web to put together the Best Man or Maid or Matron of Honor Speech at your friends or family members wedding. Welcome! You must be pretty important for them to task and trust you with this duty and honor so lets make you look like a star!
Step Three: Be Funny? Be Sentimental?
What’s your style? A little, or even a lot of humor are always welcome and a crowd pleaser but not everyone can pull it off. That being said, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Many speeches Ive watched over the years were technically “ok” but because the speaker, who wasn’t naturally a jokester or comedian made the effort, was organized and delivered a confident funny speech, it brought the house down and many compliments. Maybe you are funny, try being sentimental. Show a side that those who know you don’t often see to add depth to your speech.
A good balance of humor and sentiment is my go too and what I have seen guests and the guests of honor respond the best too over the years. Starting with a joke or funny story about you and the guest of honor is a good icebreaker and way to begin your speech.
Step Four: Tell us about the guest of honor and your relationship
After you’ve warmed up the crowd, maybe even embarrassed or made the bride and groom laugh it’s time to highlight your guest of honors strengths and your bond and to convey to the audience why you are standing there giving this important speech on this persons special day. It may seem hard but don’t overthink it. What about this person makes you friends? What bonds you together? What makes you proud or like this person? Share that with the group. Most times it can be communicated via a story or experience that defines your relationship. Or, it could be what I call a “postcard moment”. Those brief snapshots in your memory of a person or experience that when you think of it or them, that’s what you see or comes to mind.
One of the oddest but most memorable Finger Lakes Winery Wedding toasts i was present for was a best man who told a story of a Russian/Siberian Gulag and how it reminded him of the amazing relationship he had with the groom. I wish I could remember the setup and delivery but I can’t. What I do remember is the unique story/analogy and the way the crowd was relieved and understanding once the best man tied the story together and made it make sense. What am I saying? Don’t be afraid to get creative in describing your relationship with the guest of honor even in a weird or different way. Most likely your friendship is weird, ha!
Step Five: Don’t forget the new bride or groom
After you have established what an amazing, caring, funny, (insert quality here) person you are toasting, it’s time to talk too and about his or her new spouse. If you have a relationship with this person, let’s hear about it. If you don’t, share with the guests the positive affect they’ve had on the bride or groom since they’ve entered their life. A fun or sentimental story about your relationship with them or a story about the couples relationship is a great choice here.
Step Six: Wrap it Up
Ok, now it time to take some time to thank anyone who had a hand in assisting you with this speech, the days events and to convey to the audience that your toast and speech is coming to an end.
If you don’t do or use any of the above please use and at least do this. Reset your speech, thank and state or restate your sentiments and best wishes to the couple and then have everyone raise a glass and share a toast to the new couple. This is imperative! If you have a special or fun toast to close out your speech its always a nice way to end.
Resources
You don’t have to do this alone! If the guest of honor has a great DJ/MC for their Finger Lakes Winery Wedding, hint hint… we/they can be a great asset. Maybe you want to tie a song or movie clip/quote into your toast for comedic or dramatic effect. We can help. Don’t be shy or afraid to reach out the the MC to ask questions about the timeline or order so you can be assured that your speech is the success you want it to be. I promise you, the DJ/MC wants you to kill it too! If we can help we will.
Props: I’ve seen speakers use props for both comedic and dramatic effect. I once had a best man put a movie poster of Harry and Lloyd from Dumb & Dumber on an easel as a backdrop and provide himself and the groom with the iconic bright top hats and canes from the same movie during the toast to describe a visual representation of their relationship. The props alone were cute but the preparation and delivery made it memorable. Props can be a big hit .
Combine forces: A number of brides and grooms have more than one person speaking on their behalf. If you find yourself in this scenario an attractive and fun option is to combine your speeches. If you go this route make sure the DJ or MC is aware so they can accommodate extra microphones or assist you with any necessary equipment.
Practice Makes Perfect: You have a mirror and a smartphone. Use those to practice and get comfortable leading up to the big speech. Have your roommate, friend or fiend watch and give you some feedback.
Leave Power Point in the Board or Classroom Where it Belongs: Many of us have been subject to dry boring power point presentations at work. Don’t bore your audience by doing this during a speech. Audio and Video as an aid or prop is a great tool and resource but do so in moderation and you should be giving the speech, not a flat vide presentation.
Need more help with your Finger Lakes Winery Wedding toast? Here are a few links to speech resources and websites with additional helpful information.
The Best Man Speech: https://www.thebestmanspeech.com/
Top Wedding Sites-Speeches: https://www.topweddingsites.com/wedding-blog/category/guides-tools
Theft is the ultimate form of flattery”. It doesn’t hurt to visit YouTube or Vimeo and search for examples of other great wedding toasts. Here’s a video to give you a start.
The 2021 season is ready to begin! It feels like just yesterday that we were able to be a part of Cait & Will’s wedding ceremony at Glenora Falls followed by their wedding reception at Glenora Wine Cellars.
Their wedding showcased everything that makes a Finger Lakes Winery Wedding amazing. A ceremony at a private picturesque and semi-secluded waterfall and a fun, energetic wedding reception at Glenora Wine Cellars.
Glenora Falls Wedding Ceremony
Even though I have driven past Glenora Falls before, it was the first time that I have been part of a couples wedding ceremony at Glenora Falls. Highly recommended. If you are planning a wedding in the Finger Lakes and looking for a wonderful spot to hold your ceremony, Glenora Falls is a great option! Click here to visit the Glenora Falls website.
Glenora Wine Cellars Wedding Reception DJ
If you are planning a Finger Lakes Winery Wedding, Glenora Wine Cellars needs to be near the top of your list. A beautiful facility with all the amenities that go into making your guests comfortable and ready to celebrate your reception. AWESOME food, great ambience, and the VIEW!!! Glenora Wine Cellars is on the west side of Seneca Lake. With the sun setting to the rear of the facility, when the cool night air takes hold, dancing and a packed dance floor is always the experience.
DJ Service, Master of Ceremonies, Photo Booth and Lighting, Nathan Baker delivers an elegant and incredibly fun experience for you and your guests using his experience working with and at Glenora for many years. Lighting and Photo Booth are very popular options and additions at Glenora Wine Cellars. Please contact Nathan to inquire about availability or to ask a question about your wedding or his services.
Finger Lakes Winery Wedding Videography
I mentioned the view, right? Finger Lakes Wedding Videographer, Tyler loves waterfalls and weddings more than just about anything. NO JOKE! He was in heaven working Cait & Will’s wedding and it shows. If you’re planning a Finger Lakes Winery Wedding, Videography is a solid choice for your wedding memories and capture investment. Please view the highlight video from Cait and Will’s Finger Lakes Winery Wedding at Glenora Falls and Glenora Wine Cellars.