The Old Mill Inn - Grain House

Small, quaint, but musically challenging.

As I walked towards the hall I noticed Chris setting up the system for the ceremony outside.  A walkway led to the gazebo where the bride and groom were getting married.

After the ceremony, guests walked in to the cocktail hour which was upstairs.  Every time we performed here, cocktail hour was held outside in a small courtyard outside of the main room.  I think the staff realized that holding a cocktail hour outside when it is 90 degrees and everyone is wearing long dresses and black suits...that it would probably be best to hold it indoors.

The cocktail hour room was nice and bright!  Although the food was served in this room guests were still able to walk outside on a patio and enjoy the shade.   One thing I really like about the Grain House is that it is secluded from main roads making it a peaceful place to just relax and enjoy the music and the serenity of nature.

There were 95 guests at this particular wedding and the Grain House seems to be great for smaller events.  The tables are set back away from the dance floor which may be a problem for some DJ’s, but not for us. 

As you can see in the picture above, the dance floor is almost in a separate room while the tables sit up and to the right.  The bar is to the left of this picture and we set up with our speakers basically facing the back wall.  We have no problem in room like this but inexperienced DJs may have an awkward time with volume levels and speaker positioning.

Overall it’s a nice place and the staff is wonderful.  Its a bit on the small side, but for small events, I think it’s perfect.

John Peterson of New Jersey's DJ
Contact Us For a QUOTE

D'Amico Entertainment
emorysfall@gmail.com
www.newjerseysdj.com

Il Tulipano and New Jersey's DJ

Il Tulipano and New Jersey's DJ

Rock the House.....
There is something special about Il Tulipano.  We don’t know what it is exactly or why it happens, but every time we perform at this room, guests are overly drawn to this magnetic looking dance floor.  We do hundreds of exciting weddings every year but we especially appreciate whatever magic this hall lends.

The entrance is one of my favorite part of this hall. It boasts wall windows, a grand piano, and just a breathtaking experience.

The dark granite floors in the banquet rooms and the bright windows give this hall a very unique appearance apart from Il Tulipano’s competition.   Up-Lighting in this room looks fantastic and should be considered when having your event at this hall.

Cocktail hour was on the first floor where Chris and I performed cocktail hour on piano and sax.  The acoustics of the cocktail hour room were decent but I wish the grand piano was tuned better.  Overall, cocktail hour was great.  Many of the guests were enjoying the courtyard in the rear of the hall while others were trying to stay cool indoors.

It was a great night and New Jersey's DJ looks forward to returning to Il Tulipano once again.

John Peterson of New Jersey's DJ
Contact Us For a QUOTE

D'Amico Entertainment
emorysfall@gmail.com
www.newjerseysdj.com

New Jerseys DJ at Crystal Point Yacht Club

New Jerseys DJ at Crystal Point Yacht Club

Where else should you have a wedding in July? The Crystal Point Yacht Club sits right on the bay . Oh It was still really hot, but the breeze blowing in from the bay certainly helped keep us comfortable.

This time, we were on one of the smaller rooms but it was still gorgeous.  The large windows gave all of us a great view of the bay and all of the big yachts.  You could just tell the guests were excited to go to a wedding reception at this place.

Bonnie was in charge of the room the day we were there.  She is such a sweetheart and a pleasure to work with.

There really isn’t anything that I would rate poorly about the Crystal Point Yacht Club.  The staff was great, the food was terrific, and the dance floor was packed. 

Oh just on a side note, and my associates laugh at me for this, but in regard to the food, I do this thing with a fork with MEAT that determines if it is good or not so good.  If I can cut the the meat with the side of the fork, be it chicken or beef, it is usually excellent.  I was doubly pleased because Bonnie gave us a piece of chicken and beef and my fork easily cut through both.  Nice Work Crystal Point Yacht Club!

John Peterson of New Jersey's DJ
D'Amico Entertainment
emorysfall@gmail.com
www.newjerseysdj.com

The WestMount Country Club

New Jersey's DJ at The Westmount Country Club 

I have been to many high end reception halls in NJ but this one I consider the cream of the crop. It lies about a minute off of Rt 46 in West Paterson down a beautiful side road with the classy gray stone pillar entrance on the left. Don't drive too fast or you'll miss the entrance as I had missed it the first 2 times I attended there.

After you turn left and drive up the driveway, you'll see a large car port with beautiful lighting and a polite valet service who greets you as you arrive.   The inside is pretty outstanding with marble and granite floors and ballroom has their own light-show lights either on the ceiling and on the walls.


Another nice feature of the WMCC is the view.  The country club sits on top of a hill looking down  onto the towns below. You won't see long green rolling hills, but view is pretty outstanding especially as the sun sets. 


The service is nothing short of outstanding.  Their white glove service and friendly smiles are inviting a professional to say the least.  They make sure your cocktail plates are full, your drinks are topped off, and make you feel at home.


The food is very good.  I've eaten at many NJ reception halls and have experienced good food and food I wouldn't give to my dog.  I would rate the food at about a 7.5 which is pretty darn good.   One thing I liked was that when I went to eat the Penne and Vodka again, the girl said do you like it, and I just told her to pile it on my plate, then she said she made it.  I congratulated her on a dish well prepared. She showed pride in her dish and she showed me that she loves what she does.  If the staff is happy, the guests are happy. Happiness is contagious.


The selection of the food at the cocktail hour was outstanding. I know it is the bride and groom's choice what to have served but when a reception hall can make all that food for a cocktail hour, keep the trays full and the quality high, they deserve a great rating.

The courses came out on time, the music was great, the place looked beautiful, and the staff made the event run like clockwork.  One quick note on the staff.  When I went to the bar, I noticed the bar tenders had name tags with their last names.  Mr. Jacobs was my bartender and he was great, not crabby or egotistical like other bartenders I have had the privilege (or not) of meeting.


The upper management seemed a little abrupt, stern, and to the point BUT without them leading the crew with authority this place would not run at the standards that they have achieved.


EXTRA Notes:
Notes for DJ's:  if using the piano for cocktail hour; The piano they have is a beautiful white Bergmann in their Continental room.  It plays a little hard and the pedal is tight.  The other Piano they have in the BIG gorgeous ballroom is pretty good.  I can't remember the name of it but I think it may play a little out of tune.


It's always a good idea to ask reception halls the condition of the piano before using it.  I have played in other Gorgeous Reception hall in NJ with really stinky out of tune pianos.  When playing out of tune, poorly maintained pianos, it makes you look like a doofus and the NJ reception hall look inadequate.


Notes For DJ:  They have many fastened dancing lights in their rooms. They add a really nice touch, but just keep this in mind when bringing your light show.

John Peterson of New Jersey's DJ
D'Amico Entertainment
emorysfall@gmail.com
www.newjerseysdj.com

The Sheraton Parsippany

Our experience at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel was pretty extravagant.   The room we entertained in was a bit on the small side and the florescent lights really made the room bright.  The staff was very responsive to guests and it seemed that everyone at the event had a great time towards the end of the night.  There was another huge banquet room nextdoor to ours and that room looked extraordinary.  If I were to book a room at the Sheraton Parsippany, I want that room!


The Sheraton Parsippany Hotel often hosts multiple events at the same time which can be a little confusing for guests and the entertainment due to the sheer size of the place. Finding the cocktail hour room was a little confusing even for us.  I had to ask 2 staff members where the room was.  The room was not bad.  It had a nice K. Kawai Piano Black Baby Grand, slightly out of tune though.  We provided some live entertainment and it sounded really flat as our sound dropped as guests began conversing.  I don't know if all the rooms have the same acoustics, but it's not a great room for live entertainment.


The Sheraton Parsippany Hotel provided a buffet for dinner.  I am a huge fan of buffets.  I have eaten hundreds and hundreds of top quality meals at the best reception halls in New Jersey and I am hardly ever impressed.  Buffets always seem to impress me even if the selection is limited.  I will never forget the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel for one reason..... Bow Tie Pasta served with a tomato and vodka sauce.  It was out of this world phenomenal.  The other food selections were just ok, but the pasta blew my mind.  That's what I love about buffets.  The guests are bound to find something they like!


Cleon did a great job making sure the guests were taken care of and treated the entertainment like royalty.  Linda, one of the staff helping bar tend also treated the guests and us like gold.  Thanks guys for making the night smooth for us and the guests.

John Peterson of New Jersey's DJ
D'Amico Entertainment
emorysfall@gmail.com
www.newjerseysdj.com

Mayfair Farms is located in West Orange NJ and is a true reception hall. Large rooms, gorgeous grounds, tall ceilings, two ballrooms, and great food, make the hall very desirable to couples looking for hall for their wedding.  keep reading to find out even more great information.

Mayfair Farms is located in West Orange NJ and is a true reception hall. Large rooms, gorgeous grounds, tall ceilings, two ballrooms, and great food, make the hall very desirable to couples looking for hall for their wedding.


The grounds are large, lush, and nicely maintained.  The back lawn has a great staging area where wedding ceremonies are often conducted.  Having the wedding ceremony on the site of the reception hall really makes the day simple and convenient for both the couple getting married and the guests. When the ceremonies finish, guests  walk thirty yards into the hall where cocktail hour is served.  


There are two main ballrooms in Mayfair Farms; downstairs and upstairs.  The downstairs ballroom opens up to a large brick patio where guests are able to sit at cozy round tables and socialize away from the music if they wish. 


The downstairs ballroom has a decent size dance floor but it's nothing compared to the dance floor upstairs. The upstairs dance floor is enormous.  This is a very large banquet hall and is highly recommended for parties over 200.  The room looks vacant with when smaller parties occupy the room.  


In the downstairs ballroom we really like the mirrors as they make the room look brighter and more spacious.  There is even a large floor-to-ceiling mirror behind us in the DJ booth and It's pretty entertaining to see guests checking themselves out.  Every once in a while, it looks like they are flirting with us, when in fact they are greatly admiring themselves.

We really enjoy our experience at Mayfair Farms in New Jersey.  We are Mayfair Farms recommended DJ and it just happens to be one of our favorite halls to perform at.  The rooms sound great when the music is playing, the food is fantastic, the space is perfect for dancing, and the bride and groom always look so incredibly happy.  Mayfair Farms should be one of the halls to consider when planning for your wedding.

John Peterson of New Jersey's DJ
D'Amico Entertainment
emorysfall@gmail.com
www.newjerseysdj.com

New Jersey's DJ at The HighLawn Pavilion

The Highlawn Pavilion located in West Orange NJ has one of the greatest views a reception hall can offer.  Last weekend was a day that all brides would be jealous of.  It was 75 degrees, clear skies, no humidity, and a reception hall with a view worth a million dollars.

 The Highlawn pavilion sits on the top of Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange NJ.  Guests are able to appreciate the New York Skyline and can also experience a beautiful World Trade Center memorial built to commemorate the people who perished in this great country.  God Bless America!

This Highlawn Pavilion has the feel of a large mansion instead of a factory reception hall. It has cozy rooms, green plants, and warm colors.  As you can see in the picture above, it boasts a large elegant entrance. As people walk in, they are greeted with champagne and are escorted into the cocktail hour room on the first floor.


The cocktail hour room once again feels homey.  Its the large windows in the Highlawn Pavilion that truly warms up the hall.  The food was pretty good, conversation was good, and there was fun had by all.  On an entertainment note, kudos to the hall for the Piano.  The piano was a black Yamaha Baby Grand and it was perfectly in tune.  For some reason some halls are over the top fancy, but the pianos are not taken care of and sound terrible. After Cocktail hour is over, the guests are invited upstairs to the main room.

As an entertainer, I can't like this room, but the guests may absolutely love it.  As the guests walk up into the room, they are walking right onto the dance floor.  Through the dance area to the opening at the other side are where the tables are set up.  The guest tables are set all along the big beautiful windows and the entertainment is on the dance floor which is somewhat separated from the guests.

We are live/DJ performers (keyboard, sax, singers). When we are performing on the dance floor while people are eating, they have no ideas that we are performing.  It just sounds like music is playing.   The dance room is also slightly on the narrow side, so volume can be an issue while people are dancing.  it is also more difficult to motivate people to dance.  When people are dancing the dance floor can pack nicely.   I will admit that because it is more closed in, people are less timid to strut their stuff.


Again, the Highlawn Pavilion has a "mansion" feel to it.  The large windows make this hall warm and bright.  The guests had a great time while we were there and we enjoyed performing for them.  Although the live performances were a little awkward, the DJ was able to get people on the dance floor, even in Mid-Day.  If you like a mansion feel, great views, and a bright event, the Highlawn Pavilion is a good place to consider.

John Peterson of New Jersey's DJ
Contact Us For a QUOTE

D'Amico Entertainment
emorysfall@gmail.com
www.newjerseysdj.com