How to make your wedding reception first dance memorable -On a Cloud

Enhance this high point with a cloud that gently floats on the surface of the dancefloor! You and your guests will remember that moment forever!

Congratulations Caryn and Bob! This is such a beautiful setting! While it is happening, you can hear gasps of delight from guests!

Caryn & Bob’s names and wedding date are reflected in the mist where we projected them on the dance floor.
Their wedding colors are complimented by our uplighting in the background.

Here we are at Traditions at the Glenn Resort in black and white for that timeless memory feel.

Congratulations Mark and Emily! What a beautiful wedding reception!

Floating in the background, you can also see our elevated flat screen to project a slideshow and pictures from the photo booth.

Another angle and in color! Notice how the cloud enhances the feeling!

An intimate moment surrounded by the bridal party and a backdrop of our uplighting complimenting their bridal colors:

Ask us how to get this effect included into your wedding package!

At the Riverdale in Endwell NY

Why You May Want Silent Disco at Your Wedding Reception.

Silent disco works great at weddings too

It is exciting, unique, memorable and more fun:
 Silent Disco is endorsed by Martha Stewart’s Wedding Magazine as a hot, growing and incredibly fun form of reception entertainment. Silent Disco is also listed by Wedding Wire as among the hottest reception trends for 2017.

You want guests to be able to talk more easily:
What is the biggest concern for all guests at all weddings? They are worried the music will be too loud to talk. With Silent Disco they ask, “how can people talk with headphones on?” Then they realize that the headphones can be easily removed for a quick chat in a normal conversational voice. This is much easier than having to yell in order to be heard over the typical sound system at full dance volume.

You want guests to stay longer:
The biggest reasons that guests leave is that the music is too loud for them to talk to each other. With Silent Disco formats, that doesn’t happen. Not only do the headphones have an independent volume control, but the traditional sound system is playing quiet pleasant background music to enhance conversation; -it is never too loud.

Headphones have independent volume controls, three channels & change color to show which one you are listening to.

You want your reception to go later:
Especially if your reception is outdoors or in a location that has noise ordinances requiring the loud music to shut down at a certain time; Now the party can keep going as late as you want it to. Outdoor receptions, barn receptions, and even hotels that rent rooms within earshot of the banquet hall benefit from Silent Disco.

How does Silent Disco work at a wedding reception?
Usually there is a traditional sound system for the cocktail and dinner music as well as for the introductions, announcements, and special dances. The sound system continues to play soft music throughout the reception.
Guests use the headphones when they want to dance.
The headphones have independent volume controls and three different channels which allow three different dance types to play simultaneously. Often, one channel is the Bride’s playlist, the second is the groom’s playlist, and the third is the live DJ taking requests and reading the crowd. The headsets light up in a different color to show which channel guests are listening to. You can literally be dancing with your partner who is listening to a different song. 

Want to learn more about my Silent Disco?
I have it available for you on this page.

You already have your DJ and just need to rent the Silent Disco Equipment?
I can help you with that too. Check here for prices and how my rental works.

Here is an article from the New York Times describing their take.

Wedding Uplighting and Monogram at Binghamton Holiday Inn’s Carousel Ballroom

Wedding DJ Johnny Only from Binghamton NY

“Thank you so much for being at our wedding! Johnny, you were an amazing DJ and Master of Ceremonies. Everything from the lighting, to the music, and the newlywed game was perfect and better than we could have ever imagined…” “…The photobooth was also epic…” “…Thank you again! We love you guys!” Michelle and Raymond



I was the DJ for the first wedding reception in the Carousel Ballroom of the Binghamton Holiday Inn last weekend. Enhanced by uplighting and a projected monogram, the reception was as elegant as it was fun!

Uplighting helps to bring out the colors in the wedding cake
Uplights near the cake help to bring out the wedding colors.

Wedding Cake highlighted by green uplighting
Green on one side, yellow on the other for balance.

wedding uplighting
The uplights behind wedding soloist Hannah make her even more beautiful than usual!

Professional vocalist, Hannah Truman performed at the ceremony.
Contact her at hannah.truman@cortland.edu
if you need a soloist.

Notice how uplighting brings life to the room even while sunshine is still streaming in through the windows.

Uplighting and Monogram

From the guests veiwpoint, the monogram is right side up:

Wedding Couple's projected monogram on the dancefloor

Looking even more striking during the dancing!

Groom's name highlighted on the bride's dress
Groom’s name highlighted on the bride’s dress

Absolutely radiant shining through the brides dress!

Uplighting and Monogram
Projected monograms look awesome even with a full dancefloor

Added visual excitement during the dancing as the uplights change color to fit the mood. Made possible because my uplights are wirelessly controlled from my computer.

Holiday Inn Binghamton wedding reception with uplights and monogram

Johnny,
Awesome! You did an amazing job with the music. We received so many compliments throughout dinner of the song choices. The volume was perfect. and the up lighting and monogram was a hit. Thank you so much for making our day so special and perfect. Hopefully my cousin didn’t step on your toes! You both did awesome together!!!

I appreciate everything you did for us. I am so happy I picked you and you made the night!!!! Thank you so so much!!!!

Kristen & Walt 5/30/2015

DJ Johnny Only’s uplighting and projected monogram

In addition to my DJ/MC services, I supplied the uplighting and the monogram on the wall over the head table.
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I also placed uplighting under the head table skirting and the cake table skirting as well to enhance the effect.
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Below, there was an empty wall space here featuring a photo table. I placed the uplights at an angle to fill the space and to emphasize the table.
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The material hanging from the ceiling and the chair covers were supplied by the House of Treasures.

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What you don’t see is a projector blocking guests or traffic. It is off to the side on a tall stand above people’s heads and uses horizontal keystone technology to keep the projected monogram image symetrical.

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Why Your Wedding DJ Should Be Able To Do All Types of Events

Binghamton NY wedding DJ

In short, a wedding DJ has all of the different demographic groups together in one audience.

Therefore, a wedding DJ needs to know old trends, new trends, how to work with young people, old people and all people in between. They need to know how to work with large weddings, small weddings, elegant weddings, casual weddings, personalized weddings, traditional weddings and radically non-traditional weddings.

A DJ develops the ability to meet your unique needs by working in varied environments.

The more variety a DJ is capable of, the more fun and personalization they can bring to your reception.

Here is me DJ’ing for a pre-awards gathering in 2013. Organizers told me there were around 2500 people in the room at the time. I decided to lead an impromptu Harlem Shake bit.

What can you learn about me as a DJ, just by looking at this 30 second video?

You want a DJ that can do more than just weddings. Cutting edge music and entertainment styles emerge from outside sources. If your DJ does nothing but weddings, they are not being exposed to those newest trends, so they are not able to bring as much cutting edge excitement into your reception.

You want a DJ who can come up with an idea and follow through. I did not plan on doing this routine, nor did anyone else. It just came to me as an idea that would be fun. Thirty seconds before I played the song, I gave instructions to the crowd and look at the response!

You want a DJ that can lead crowds of different sizes and get results. Do you want guest participation at your reception? Do you want your reception to be the first time your DJ has tried it? No, you want them to be practiced and polished in front of live audiences.

You want a DJ that has different speakers for different room sizes. Obviously, my speakers here are filling a huge space. I don’t bring those speakers to your wedding reception unless you are having 450 guests. But you want your DJ to have different options available for you.

You want a DJ that can step outside the box and do what is fun for your guests in that moment. With the same group at a different time in the event, this may not have worked. Similarly, that trend was for 2013. I would not try it today. But I keep track of the latest trends, so it would be something different for 2015 and beyond.

Being a quality DJ is a skill that needs to be practiced. A DJ that only works 30 or so weddings per year will never be as smooth, polished or as effective as a DJ that works 150 or more major events per year.

The more time a DJ spends in front of live audiences, the more skill they will have with Master of Ceremony work, with both new and old music, with dance-floor trends and of course, sensitivity to your guests.

Lastly, tastes in entertainment change over time, it is the DJ that is out there working all types of events that will pick up those changes first and bring them to your wedding.

Choose a DJ that that puts in the hours and your reward will be guests talking about your reception years later and saying they still remember how awesome it was!

1000 people dance to Cotton Eyed Joe

Most people don’t invite 3500 guests to their wedding reception, but wouldn’t it be nice to know your DJ could handle it if you did?

It was my privilege to be the DJ for the New York State Odyssey of the Minds finals. With about 1500 students competing, there were an estimated 3500 people assembled to see the final awards. When I played Cotton Eyed Joe, I pulled out my phone to take a quick video.

Being your DJ & MC is an art-form

I believe that being a DJ/MC is an art-form beyond the function of just a job or an income. Yes it is my job and my income, – but also an art-form whose function is to edify the public and to take people to a higher place, so I give my all to satisfy your unique needs and tastes as well as those of your guests.
~Johnny Only

MC Master of Ceremonies Broome County
Master of Ceremonies at a Broome County event.

Wedding guests love surprises!

Wedding guests always love something different or unexpected. Two guests are pictured below serenading the bride and groom with an acoustic guitar accompanied love song. They got a standing ovation from the entire room!

Bride and Groom serenaded with acoustic guitar and song
Bride and Groom serenaded with acoustic guitar and song.