DJ Origins – How Did Rob Alberti Become The Most Requested Wedding DJ In Western MA and Connecticut?
Many people ask how I got into DJing. With any good story, it starts way way back – it was around 1983 and I was attending Southwick High School. I was always actively involved in student government and we found ourselves trying to put on a dance as a fundraiser but we could not afford a band (DJs were pretty scarce back then – equipment was just about non-existent).
I was already a huge music buff and had a big stereo. I figured that if I wired my stereo together to my friend’s stereo, that we could hold our own dance. With a little ingenuity and a lot of sweat, the dance was a success and a light bulb went off in my mind. Why not do this to work my way through college?
I had plans on being a Mechanical Engineer and had been working at a local farm some 48 hours a week for the past 4+ years saving for college. (That’s what kids did back in the day – we saved for college and bought beer with whatever was left over) I thought Djing would be better than flipping burgers trying to put my way through college.
I took a large chunk of the money that I had saved up for college and bought my first set of DJ gear and a used Dodge Van tricked out with blue shag carpeting on the inside. Just about every weekend, I would make the trip from Troy, NY back to Western MA to DJ a school dance, party or bar. These were the vinyl and cassette tape days. You can ask your parents what vinyl was. (A little bigger than a CD and they warped in sunlight)
As my engineering career stared after college, I continued to DJ on the weekends to make some extra $. With layoffs in the early 90’s hitting the aerospace industry hard, I looked at DJing with renewed interest. I decided to stop treating it like a hobby and more like a real business. The business grew and soon I no longer had the time to go to my engineering job. I parted ways to pursue DJing full time about 10 years ago.
With over 15 DJs on staff, we have morphed into one of the largest event service companies in the area. Starting your own business is like having another child – I am proud of all of my children and how they’ve grown over the years. With more than 25 years in business, we look forward to many more fun filled years helping our clients create lasting memories. Thank you & thanks to all of my staff.
The School Street Bistro in Westfield MA – Westfield High Reunion Class of 1991
Reunions are always tough. It's more about setting the tone for the event v. dancing. With a mix of late 80's and early 90's music, we set the tone for this high school reunion. For the first few hours, everyone is interested in talking and catching up with old classmates. The last hour is really when people start dancing. I played some tunes that I have not played in year. Good times.
Class Reunion Top Tips
- Invite teachers!
- On nametags, have the person’s photo from the senior yearbook, so that everyone can identify each other more easily.
- Limit any raffles or speeches to 10 minutes or less (classmates are there to socialize and catch up - not win prizes)
- Make sure someone takes photos (hire a professional or designate someone to be responsible). These photos will come in handy for future gatherings
- Do not limit the music to your high school years. It is a great way to set the tone, but later on - your classmates may not want to relive their Frankie Goes To Hollywood and just may want to get down to LMFAO instead.
- Do not worry about decor or food - station style meal is fine. The food is not the reason they are gathering.
- Make sure there is ample time to socialize - designate an area with lounge furniture or a quiet area
Balise Lexus West Springfield – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Fashion Show
We started with an empty service bay at The Balise Lexus Dealership in West Springfield (see photo below)
With some pipe and drape, staging, chairs, sound and light - we transformed this space into The Girls Just Wanna Have Fun fashion show. Give us a blank slate and it's amazing what you can do. Check out the photos from our completed work.
We brought in over 300 chairs, 40' runway, a couple hundred feet of black pipe and drape, 20 3watt LED par cans, 6 Leko Jr stage lights, 2 Leko 10 degree gobo projectors, podium, pin spots, truss towers, 6 speakers, 2 amplifiers and a whole lot of cables, DMX wireless system and we completely transformed this industrial space. The next time you pull your Lexus in for service, think about what went on in this space with 38 models, 10 scenes, 300+ guests and one rockin' fashion show.
Things You Can Learn From “Four Weddings” To Make Your Wedding Day Memorable
Have you ever watched that reality TV show called “Four Weddings” on TLC? If you watch enough of them, you really can get a sense of what is important and what is not at a wedding. Having a bigger budget is not always the way to guarantee a bride wins the honeymoon. Spending your wedding budget wisely and paying attention to the flow of the day is really what makes a wedding GREAT.
Here are some of my observations from watching this wedding TV show.
The Ceremony:
- Make sure everyone can hear you exchange your vows- watch out for distracting surroundings and have someone professionally microphone the ceremony.
- Keep it short – but not too short (15-30 minutes)
- Make it personal – no one wants to hear a generic exchange of “I Do’s”
- Be on time. If you are late starting the ceremony – it will impact your entire day’s plans.
- Dress up your ceremony site – give it that “wow” factor
- Having your ceremony outside? Have backup plans in case of bad weather. Do not chance it – if there is a chance of rain – just fall back to your rain plans. The same goes for high temperatures, low temperatures, extreme humidity and wind. Do not chance it. Plan around it.
- No one likes random people watching the ceremony- keep it private
The Cocktail Hour:
- People love a change in scenery between the ceremony, cocktails and dinner.
- Make sure you have enough space – do not overcrowd your guests.
- Give your guests places to sit and relax
- Verify that there will be enough bartenders on duty. (1 for every 50 guests)
- Keep it upbeat and entertaining – set the tone for the rest of the event during your cocktail hour.
- Food. Food. Food. Make sure there is enough for your guests and give them more choice than just cheese and crackers
The Venue and Meal:
- Give your guests options for meal choice.
- Most people hate buffet lines – but “station meals” are OK
- Do not drag out the meal and bore your guests.
- Keep toasts SHORT as to not impact dancing time. Try to have them completed by end of dinner.
- Older guests can be volume conscious – keep volume appropriate so people can talk and mingle.
- Air conditioning should be set so room is cool enough so people can dance without passing out due to heatstroke.
- Make your event flow – your entertainment and wedding planners can help you with this. Do not listen to your venue – they are concerned with food service and not the flow of your party.
- Pay attention to “reception aerobics” – you do not want your guests standing up, going over here then back to their seats then standing back up, etc. Make activities make sense.
- Ever been to an event where there were lines for the bathrooms? You should plan for about 1 stall for every 25 guests.
Dancing:
- No one wants to wait 3 or 4 hours before dancing starts.
- Pace the festivities so you do not bore guests and you do not do everything all in one lump (people only have about a 10 minute attention span)
- Personalize your entertainment and be involved
- No one likes it when the bride and groom are missing during the reception – keep group photos to a minimum during this time
- Once dancing starts – do not interrupt it – not for speeches or desert stations
- Dim the lights and set the mood for dancing
- Create memorable moments with your entertainment (special send off, flash mob, highlight friends with special songs)
- Everyone loves a photo booth
- Nothing kills the party mood like a bad DJ
Umass – Video Dance Party in Amherst MA
We just did a video dance party at Umass up on the 10th floor of the Student Union building (ask us about our green laser pointer sometime - funny story).
Summer Camp – Video Dance Party
DJ Jesse and I were up in NH this summer for a video dance party with kids aged 10 -17. Our 14' music video screen was a huge success.
Our New Website – Launched
We are excited to tell you that our new website has launched! Same web address - www.robalberti.com but a much more up to date feel to it.
We've streamlined the navigation and updated information to make it more in-line with our blog format. What do you think?
Red Cross – Tornado Relief – Western MA
I had the opportunity to tour the damage in Springfield and West Springfield this past weekend. I just returned from the Monson and Sturbridge area from a client meeting. The devastation is just amazing. Rob Alberti's Event Services has donated to our local Red Cross disaster relief fund. Our thoughts are with all of you who were affected by this disaster.
Click the above Red Cross logo to be brought to the Red Cross website. Please consider donating.
Sincerely,
Rob Alberti
Westfield State University – Seniors Graduation Last Night Out Party
The Huke Lau in Chicopee was home for Westfield State University's end of year party. We worked in conjunction with a hypnotist again this year. The students had a great time. Check out the video.
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