Lauren and Jerome’s Wedding Reception at the Crystal Plaza: “It Was More Than I Could Ever Ask For”
If you have 400 people on your guest list, the Palazzo Ballroom at The Venetian or the The Westmount Country Club would be my initial suggestions for New Jersey venues that boast a modern-elegant flair and opulent decor. However, if you are planning a more intimate affair in the 125+ range and would like to celebrate in a Platinum Wedding- worthy ballroom with first class hospitality, The Crystal Plaza in Livingston, NJ. deserves your consideration.
Lauren and Jerome definitely made the right choice with regards to the venue and event professionals, but what really took this reception from ordinary to extraordinary was the way they chose to personalize their event. At their initial design session last year, I gave them a copy of The Best Wedding Reception… Ever! It features ways to make your once in a lifetime experience more fun, unique and unforgettable. You’ll see from the candid video testimonial below that you’ll get to choose your own adjectives when it’s your turn.
The personalization highlights started in the cocktail hour with an endearing conversational presentation. Jerome and Lauren supplied us with 75 photos leading up to the reception so we could produce a photo montage. Not only did the collection include plenty of Kodak-worthy images featuring the newlyweds, the 7 minute media clip also featured cameos by everyone on the guest list. The final version of the montage included 3 of their favorite songs and was given to Lauren & Jerome on dvd as a keepsake. (The version we played during cocktails was looped and muted. This way, their requested background music programming for the hour which was playing could be enjoyed without distraction… more importantly, the guests didn’t have to hear the same three songs over and over for the hour. .. and because the montage was playing in loop mode on an unobtrusive plasma screen, their guests could enjoy the photos at their leisure and convenience.) It was a wonderful way to instantly reconnect all of their guests by sparking sentimental memories and lively conversation.
Another highlight was the father daughter dance. Since Lauren and her dad couldn’t choose between four of their favorite songs, we produced a custom audio mix that included all four tracks. After several weeks of tweaks and fine-tuning, we came up with a version that made the once in a lifetime dance with her dad a moment she’ll never forget and one he’ll always remember fondly. In case you are curious, the final mix included specific clips from Tim McGraw’s My Little Girl, Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately, Celine Dion’s Because You Loved Me, and Frank Sinatra’s The Way You Look Tonight. It was a great way to make what could have been a traditionally ordinary moment …refreshingly extraordinary.
Jerome and Lauren made a lot of classy moves throughout the afternoon like taking a few minutes after the cake cutting to thank all of their guests and playing their parent’s wedding songs later in the reception. The love and respect for their parents was also evident during the grand entrance introductions when all the guests cheered for Jerome’s dad, who was given the honor to serve as Best Man!
I think my favorite part of the wedding, (besides everyone singing and clapping along to one of the coolest first dance songs), was seeing Jerome dance with his mom. Mrs. Genarelli worked in the guidance office of Indian Hills High School where I was a student volunteer. Over the four years, I can’t tell you how many times she told me about “my Jerome”… like any proud mother would adoringly tell people about their son. And then there I was, nearly 20 years later, watching her dance with him on his wedding day. Between Mrs. Genarelli and Lauren, Jerome should thank his lucky stars. 
Special thanks to Nella Mellace and Marco Chivarillotti from the Crystal Plaza for their hospitality and professionalism. It’s always a pleasure when we have the opportunity to collaborate. Kudos and appreciation also goes out to Scott Bush from Scott Photography for sharing his photos for this entry. Like I always say… when your venue, photographer and entertainment can work well together and are at the top of their respective games, you can focus on your job as a VIP guest of honor… relaxing, taking it all in and having the time of your life.
Marcello Chosen to Moderate Performance Roundtable in Miami
Gansevoort Hotel, Miami
You know life is good when your profession takes you to places like the Gansevoort Hotel in South Beach. If multiple Ferraris and Rolls Royces’ are parked out front and LeBron James is working out at the gym next door, it’s a pretty safe bet that you are in the place to be. I know there’s no place like home, but if you have to travel… this ain’t a bad spot to stay for a few days. Running a few miles along the mangrove-lined beach and swimming in the ocean-view infinity pool each morning really does wonders for the mind, body and soul.
I was in town for a national conference that promotes continuing education and idea sharing for some of the most successful entrepreneurs, event producers and entertainment company owners in the industry. In addition to attending this impressive gathering as both a student and human sponge, I was asked to share some of my expertise and lead a 90 minute discussion on performance.
We covered several elements that are essential to entertaining a discerning clientele on the social and corporate scene . Everything from timing, creativity, awareness and the importance of fitness and grooming were discussed in detail. I was very pleased with the level of participation and amount of content shared among these industry notables.
I’m looking forward to sharing these advanced concepts with my clients at our design sessions and implementing them into our future events.
