So Raise Your Glass! A Toast to Alyssa and Vinnie’s New Year’s Eve Engagement Celebration at The Brownstone

Posted by Marcello on January 11, 2011 · 1 Comment

This photo pretty much says it all… the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Penna sharing a moment in time filled with a few of my favorite things; passion, joy, possibility and contentment.

I’ve noticed a trend since the start of the new millennium. When my clients were looking for the perfect date to celebrate a special occasion, especially a Wedding or an Engagement, they put New Years Eve right up at the top of the list for potential considerations. Think about it: 1) Like any date that falls on a holiday, your guests will have the next day off from work. 2) Like Thanksgiving, all of your family and friends will already be in town visiting. 3) Like any celebratory moment, you want to share it with all of your family and friends… *see #2. 4) And who doesn’t enjoy getting dressed to the nines once in awhile, feasting on gourmet cuisine, drinking fine wine and dancing the night away while celebrating new begininngs? Exactly!

Not only were the VIP’s and guests full of year-end enthusiasm and positive energy, most were professionally coiffed as well. The bride-to-be, Alyssa, owns a very successful salon in Hawthorne, NJ, called Blush. And in case you’re wondering if anybody gets out of hand at a private New Years Eve celebration, the short answer is, ‘no’… especially when the groom-to-be is a well respected officer at the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department.

One of the highlights of the night took place about ten minutes before midnight. Just about all of the guests had made their way onto the dance floor to watch a live simulcast of the Times Square ball drop on our plasmas. They were barely able to keep their feet on the ground as the anticipation for 2011 grew to a fever pitch. This surreal vibe was intensified by the Red Bull-worthy tracks we were spinning. They included custom remixes from my Signature Event partner, Jason Jani, and one of the hottest tracks of 2010… Raise Your Glass, by Pink. I kept wishing that it was possible to bottle-up some of that feel-gooded-ness and share it with the rest of the world.

With a little help from my friends at Golden Note Entertainment, confetti cannons filled the air with a colorful display of paper rain drops. Special thanks to Vinnie’s cousins, Joey D. and Gerry Siracusa for supplying the special effects and for their assistance with our production from start to finish. Additional thanks go to Gerry for sharing the cover photo for this entry. I also want to recognize my good friend and production associate, Mike Wieder, who creates personalized visuals for all of MMP’s clients who treat themselves to our multi-media package upgrade. We made sure that Alyssa and Vinnie’s unique branding was tastefully visible at specific points of their reception.

Photo credit for all the candid pictures below go to Issac, MMP’s production supervisor for the evening. He took paparazzi-stlye photos throughout the event and then displayed them our dual plasma screens during dessert to create a real-time montage. As always, this premium service was a big hit and was enjoyed by all of Alyssa and Vinnie’s guests.

New Year’s Eve has become one of my favorite nights of the year. Since I’m usually in bed by 9:30 pm, it’s now a great excuse to stay up late and ring in the New Year with style, class and of course… great company. The Penna and Shackil families were a pleasure start off 2011 with.

Thank you for letting me be a part of such a memorable and exceptional evening. Best wishes! -mp

Encore Gallery:

Filed under Wedding Ceremonies & Receptions · Tagged with Blush, Gerry Siracusa, Jason Jani, Joe Di Pietro, Mike Wieder, MMP Entertainment, Pink, Raise Your Glass, Signature Events, With A Little Help From My Friends

Grand Slam- Gerry’s Communion at The Venetian

Posted by Marcello on May 24, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Gerry’s Communion was held at The Venetian, a first-class banquet facility located in Garfield, New Jersey.

Gerry and the Siracusa family definitely know how to throw a party. His dad, Gerlando, owns Golden Note Entertainment, a company like mine that provides entertainment and event production for milestone events.

Like his dad, Gerry is one of the biggest New York Yankees fans I’ve ever met. He had his parents decorate the ballroom with blue and white LED’s, Yankee-themed balloons and centerpieces, and two huge plasma screens showing the back of Gerry’s unofficial Yankee uniform shirt. Everybody who walked in the room was blown away by the impressive décor. Kudos to Gerlando and his lovely wife, Nellie, for their attention to detail.

Among many, one of the highlights of the day was the Grand Entrance. One of Gerry’s favorite players is Mariano Rivera. If you’re a Yankees fan, you know when he’s taking the field because the stadium sound system blasts the song Enter Sandman by Metallica. When it was his turn to enter the ballroom, the spotlights panned to the top of the Venetian’s staircase and all of the guests began to pump their fists. Then Gerry made his Grand Entrance and official Yankee debut as the chorus kicked in. It wasn’t quite 50,000 screaming fans, but it sure felt like it.