Absolutely Unique Wedding Venues in NYC – Part 1

If the vision and vibe you and your fiance have in mind for your wedding day is far from cookie-cutter, you might want to set the tone early, starting with an unexpected or unconventional wedding venue! You know, the kind of place that makes your wedding a unique and memorable experience rather than simply an event. 

Well, if you’re getting married in NYC, we’ve done some of the research for you! Here is a short (but great) list of some of the most unique, storied and jaw dropping venues in NYC!

The Beekman

If you’re any kind of a history buff, you’ll likely be amazed to know that at one time the site where The Beekman sits was home to NYC’s original theater district, and more specifically, The Chapel Street Theatre, where William Shakespeare’s Hamlet debuted in NYC in 1761!  5 Beekman Street went through several other reinventions over the years, before the Temple Court Building was erected between 1881 and 1883. The Queen Anne and Renaissance Revival style of the original section of The Beekman, along with the stunning 9 story atrium will add a dramatic atmosphere for your once in a lifetime celebration! 

Seriously, the atrium boasts tile-mosaic floors and gorgeous ornate iron railings, held up by cast-iron brackets shaped like dragons. The ambience is sumptuous and welcoming, and no detail is spared in the rest of the hotel either. The luxurious vibe continues with The Bar room, then into the award winning Temple Court Restaurant, and straight into pure French elegance at Le Gratin by Chef Daniel Boulud. 

The Beekman is able to host micro-weddings of up to 50, or able to host up to 90 guests for a more formal reception, with a large collection of event spaces, both  intimate and more grand, and indoor and out, creating a truly bespoke affair. 

The Angel Orensanz Foundation

The Angel Orensanz Foundation prides itself in maintaining the former Ansche Chesed Synagogue as a historical landmark. The former synagogue was built in 1849 and is the oldest Reform Synagogue in the US. Its distinctive neo-gothic architecture comes from the inclusive vision of the German Reform Movement, and more specifically from the synagogue’s architect,  Alexander Saeltzer. The building’s design borrows extensively from the Cathedral of Cologne, the Friederichwerdeschekirche in the Mitte in Berlin, as well as most heavily from the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

What I’m saying is that this venue is gorgeous, expansive, dramatic and historic! It might be just the place to host your out-of-this-world wedding! Just look at their gallery to see what’s possible with decor lighting in this space! Incredible! And, the vibe extends beyond the exterior, when you learn more about the Foundation that curates this space. 

The Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts was established in 1992 as an artistic and cultural resource that is open to artists, writers, thinkers and leaders from all over the world, and to the community all around us. Over the years the foundation has welcomed and been inspired by Philip Glass, Spike Lee, Arthur Miller, Alexander McQueen, Salman Rushdie, Maya Angelou, Alexander Borovsky, Elie Wiesel and Chuck Close.

And, if you have your heart set on a big wedding, The Foundations Event space can host formal receptions for up to 260 guests, so your guestlist can be just as epic as your reception space! 

Stay turned in the coming weeks for parts 2 and 3 of our Absolutely Unique Wedding Venues in NYC list!

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Crafting Your Personalized Wedding Playlist

However you are envisioning the music for your wedding reception — which is typically four to five hours of music, and amounts to around 80 to 100 songs if you happen to have booked a DJ. Or, alternatively, might only amount to 50-to-60+ songs (possibly broken into two sets),  if you have hired a live band — there will be plenty of behind the scenes coordination with your wedding entertainment to make your reception seem seamless.

But, one of the beautiful things about your wedding reception music is that it is free to be a little bit of everything: You’re welcome, and almost expected, to skip around between quite a few different genres, decades and styles that you both love. 

At Beat Train Productions, we believe that the wedding playlist should be thought of as the soundtrack to the couple’s love story. Couples should consider adding more songs that resonate with who they are, as well as any songs that remind them of why they love each other,  and songs that are tied to memories they have with loved ones are also super important. The music on their wedding day should be a culmination of songs that are linked to the best moments of their lives. So, after a couple of discussions everyone will have a crystal clear understanding of the overall roadmap and vibe for the day—including any must-have songs for key moments during your wedding reception (and ceremony), such as first dance songs or must-play dance floor anthems. But at some point, you also have to kick back and trust the talent you’ve booked to read the room and make that dance floor magic happen! 

Playlist Inspiration

Before you hand your musical entertainment the keys, so to speak, take a moment to read through this list, of some of the most requested wedding reception songs ever! This wedding reception playlist inspiration ranges all the way from gold-standard classics to more modern dance classics, with plenty of fresh takes thrown in for good measure.. Just remember: This is your celebration. And, a good rule of thumb is, If the newlyweds are happy, it’s pretty much guaranteed that everyone will have a good time!

Most Requested Songs At Weddings:

“I Want to Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” Whitney Houston

“Dancing Queen,” Abba

“Let’s Dance!, ”David Bowie

“Dreams, ”Fleetwood Mac

“(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher,” Jackie Wilson

“Kiss,” Prince

“Once in a Lifetime,” Talking Heads

“Time After Time,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” Cyndi Lauper

“Rock Lobster,” The B-52’s

“Golden Years,” David Bowie

“Cha Cha Slide (Original Live Platinum Band Mix),” DJ Casper

“Crazy in Love (feat. Jay-Z),” Beyoncé

“We Found Love,” Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

“Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift

“You’ve Got the Love,” Florence + The Machine

“Can’t Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton),” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

“Mr. Brightside,” The Killers

“Ho Hey,” The Lumineers

“Cosmic Girl,” Jamiroquai

“Hey Ya!,” Outcast

“I Gotta Feeling,” Black Eyed Peas

“SexyBack,” Justin Timberlake feat. Timbaland

“About Damn Time,” “Juice,” Lizzo

“Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),” Kate Hill

“Rasputin,” Boney M., Majestic Remix

“Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Elvis Presley

“This Will Be (An Everlasting Love),” Natalie Cole

“Perfect,” Ed Sheeran

“Just the Way You Are,” Bruno Mars

“First Day of My Life,” Bright Eyes

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Exciting Beat Train Team News!!! Our Fresh Prince of Rhode Island, DJ Jeff D, is delighted to announce he is the official Ballpark DJ for the Worcester Red Sox’s 2023 Season!! You can catch him and his sweet tunes in Polar Park all summer long. And as a bonus- if you want your favorite baseball teams DJ at your wedding, Jeff still has dates available for the 2023 season! Check out the link in our bio for more info ⚾️🎧 . . . #worcesterredsox #woosox #bostondj #newenglanddj #weddingdj #beattrain

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We Just Got Engaged!! Now, What?!

Don’t Rush! Enjoy This Moment!

Before you and your fiance jump right into wedding planning, stop and take some time to bask in your newly engaged status! In other words, this is a huge milestone in both of your lives, so it’s important to take the time to celebrate your engagement! And we’re not necessarily talking about hosting a formal engagement party; although, those are great too! 

We simply mean taking a little time as a couple to revel in – and share – your new relationship status before getting all wrapped up in the busy process of wedding planning. But, why, you might ask!? Well, because it’s a huge life event and should be properly acknowledged. Whether that means a quiet date night in with your fiancé, a casual backyard BBQ with both of your families, or maybe even a full-on catered cocktail style engagement party! Marriage is for life, there’s no need to rush!

Pick a Date (or Date Range, or Season)

Unfortunately, even if you have your heart set on a certain date, you may not know your actual wedding date for a while! Because the truth is that the day you say “I do!” depends on many factors, one of the biggest being the actual availability of your top 3 potential wedding venues. So, go in with a plan, but also be flexible!

That being said, settling on a general date range or season will allow you to get some of your planning process started. For example: “Spring 2024” or “Next fall” will give your plans a little structure, and make it seem much more real! It will also feel good to have an answer when all your friends and family members start asking, “Sooooo, when’s the big day?!” Because, trust us, they’re going to ask!!

Set Your Priorities and Budget

Setting your budget and deciding on the ‘wedding day must-haves’ should be the first items you discuss when planning your wedding! It’s crucially important that you and your fiancé start this planning journey on the same page when it comes to priorities and budget! Now is a good time to consider your overall financial situation, as well as savings, possible family contributions to the big day, as well as your current debt load (including student loans). 

Then, prioritize having “the money talk” to come up with a ballpark budget range. Once you come to a ballpark figure, you can start brainstorming and getting in touch with vendors for pricing information. This will also help to hone your priorities, as in, “We definitely need to have a photo booth at our reception!” or “We’re not interested in having a traditional wedding cake at our reception.”

Get Organized!

As you start the planning process, you’re going to end up with a ton of ideas, checklists, vendor and venue recommendations, wedding photo inspiration, wedding magazines, bridal show tickets, contracts, etc. So, it would be prudent to figure out an organizational system ahead of time, so that you can keep track of all that information right at your fingertips! That way you’ll have it on hand when you meet with potential wedding vendors or your wedding planner. The organizational system can be a Google Document full of links, Evernote, a dedicated Pinterest board, a calendar app, a good old fashioned wedding binder or maybe you’d like to use a combination of several systems. The most important thing is that it works for you and your fiance! We promise that getting yourself organized early on in the planning process will help to minimize pre-wedding stress, so you can hit the ground running with all of those important wedding decisions!

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All About Signing The Ketubah (Jewish Marriage Contract)

The Ketubah is a Jewish marriage contract, and is considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish marriage. The Ketubah outlines the agreed upon rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to his bride, and it is most assuredly not a bill of sale. In modern practice, the Ketubah has no monetary value, is an important ritual, and usually uses modern texts that stipulate equality and love within the marriage. And, it is seldom enforced by civil courts, except in Israel.

The History of The Ketubah

The Ketubah or marital contract has been an essential part of Jewish weddings for many thousands of years. There are even mentions of the wedding contract in the bible, specifically stipulating how much a groom’s family would have to pay the bride’s family upon marriage. The earliest surviving historical Ketubah is from around 440 B.C.E and is written in Aramaic.

In some Orthodox communities around the world, the text hasn’t changed, and is still written in Aramaic. However, in nonorthodox communities, couples generally use more modern (English or Hebrew) texts that speak about equality and love within the marriage. It’s also fairly common these days for the bride and groom to take on writing the contract themselves, as the Ketubah has grown and evolved to fit every couple and every ceremony. It now happily includes LGBTQ+ and non-binary couples in Reform or Interfaith ceremonies. 

Much like a prenuptial agreement, the Ketubah lays out details such as what a wife gets if there is a divorce or untimely death and what the husband promises to provide to his wife, and outlines a husband’s marital obligations to his wife, it also lists all the details of the wedding: the date, the name of the bride and groom, and more.

The Ketubah Ceremony

The signing of the Ketubah takes place in a ceremony before the official wedding ceremony under the chuppah. Some couples make this an intimate family-only affair while other couples, especially Orthodox couples, do the ketubah signing at the Chatan’s Tisch (the groom’s reception, which takes place before the chuppah) Some couples even opt to do the signing the day before the wedding in a private ceremony for close family and friends.

Once it is signed the Ketubah is read out loud at the ceremony, and after the wedding it is usually framed and displayed in the newlywed’s home. 

Who Signs The Ketubah?

Surprisingly, in Orthodox Jewish weddings, the Ketubah isn’t signed by the bride and groom, and is instead signed by two witnesses, unrelated to the couple. The signers in Orthodox Jewish Ceremonies also must abide by Jewish law and be male; however, in modern or reform Jewish practices, the witnesses can be anyone the couple wants. In this instance it doesn’t matter whether they are male or female or observant or not. Some couples even choose to have more than two witnesses, and it’s common for the bride and groom to both sign their own Ketubah, signifying their lifelong commitment to one another. The Rabbi or officiant also signs the document.

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All About Dancing The Hora at Jewish Weddings

The Hora dance, sometimes also referred to as the chair dance, is a dance traditionally performed at Jewish weddings. During the Hora dance the newlyweds are lifted up into the air on chairs while their family and friends dance in circles around them. The couple holds hands, or each person holds one end of a handkerchief or napkin to signify their new union. It’s a very high energy affair and can go on for hours at some weddings! It takes stamina, but it’s lots of fun and is generally considered one of the biggest highlights of the entire wedding celebration! 

History Of The Hora

It surprises some people to find out that the hora was not actually a Jewish dance at all until it traveled to Palestine from Romania, where Zionist pioneers, or halutzim, adopted it in the early 20th century. And, the word “Hora” comes from the ancient Greek word khoros, which is also the root of words such as “chorus” and “choir.” 

In fact, traditional circle dances that have derived their names from the Greek word khoros can be found all over the Balkans and even southeastern Europe!  These dances include the Turkish and Romanian Hora, the Bulgarian Horo, the Montenegrin and Macedonian Ora, and the Russian Khorovod. The dances all have a long history and are danced in a similar style!

The Hora as we know it today, only dates back to 1924 when a welcome Hora was performed for the Jewish settlers arriving in Palestine. The Hora dance then became associated with joy and celebration, and has since been performed at special occasions like weddings, both in Israel and America. In more traditional Jewish communities men and women still dance the Hora separately in their own circles, while in more modern Jewish communities men and women dance together in circles with the couple in the middle.

When Should The Hora Be Performed?

The Hora dance is generally performed during the wedding reception, after dinner and before the dance; however, there is no set rule for when in the festivities it should be completed. Many couples opt to dance the Hora as part of their grand entrance, and many couples wait until after dinner is done, and use dancing the Hora to open up the dance floor for the evening.

Who Joins In On The Hora?

The short answer is everybody who wants to and is able to, is welcome to join in! And, because all the guests are encouraged to join, it is recommended to have a large dance floor and enough space in the ballroom to accommodate the Hora dance. 

Who Is Lifted Up On Chairs During The Hora?

While the couple (of course) is always lifted up on chairs, sometimes other honored wedding guests also join in! For instance, sometimes the couple’s immediate family members such as parents, and siblings are also lifted on chairs into the middle of the circle.

Who Does The Lifting?

Anybody can get in on the fun and do the honors, as long as they are strong enough! After all, It can be hard work, so it’s quite common to swap people in and out as the dance goes on. Sometimes lifters are decided beforehand while other times, lifters spontaneously run into the middle of the circle to do the honors.

Who Plays The Hava Nagila, And For How Long?

The couple can choose either a live band or a DJ for the music for the Hora! They will just have to make sure to plan it all in advance and discuss the details with their DJ or live band, i.e.: when they want the Hora to take place during the reception, what music they would like for dancing the Hora, and the crucial detail of the length of the dance as well! After all, all of these factors are variable when it comes to dancing the Hora!

But, no matter how the newly wedded couple chooses to dance the Hora at their wedding, our wish for them will remain the same! May today’s joy continue to fill your life forever! Mazel Tov! Congratulations!

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The Ins and Outs of the 360 Photo Booth Experience

First things first… what have you heard about 360 Photo Booths?! If the answer is “Nothing!” Keep reading and we’ll give you the whole lowdown on how it works, what all the buzz is about, and why you need to hire one!

This new photo booth craze is sweeping the wedding and events industry, so if you hire a 360 photo booth for your wedding or your next event, you’ll find yourself right on the cutting edge of a new trend in fun and interactive event entertainment!

The most important thing to know is that 360 photo booths create an even more dynamic and engaging experience at events and weddings, than a more conventional photo booth experience. The 360 Booth accomplishes this by giving attendees a truly immersive experience they will remember forever. But, just how does it all work?!

So…What Exactly is a 360 Booth?

The 360 photo booth, also known as a 360 camera booth, is a truly amazing piece of technology that uses a rotating camera mounted onto a wheel swivel, which is set on top of a pedestal. The camera then slowly rotates around the standing platform while capturing multiple images, then the software compiles the images into a highlight reel worthy photo op that can integrate photos, video, GIFs, and  maybe even slow-motion effects into the final product. 

The 360 Photo Booth experience includes trained and knowledgeable attendants, and all of the required equipment to make sure the experience runs smoothly for the duration of your party.  The 360 video booth is a fantastic option for weddings, holiday events, corporate galas, and other life events and parties. 

So, if a mesmerizing, immersive and interactive, high-quality photo adventure that’s unlike anything you ever thought possible sounds good to you, please keep reading or simply get in touch to secure your date today.

Why are 360 Photo Booths so Popular?

There are several reasons why 360 spin video/photo booths are gaining popularity at events around the world:

Easy Setup!

When we arrive at your event we can be set up and ready to go super quickly, meaning less disruption if we are setting up during your event, as opposed to before.  The 360 photo booth comes as a complete unit, including an all-in-one easy setup.

Lots of Fun!

Events are about cutting loose and having fun after all, and a 360 photo booth adds excitement, making users feel like the center of attention with all eyes on them! It also helps to put your guests in a party mood, which will make them ready to get down on the dance floor later on!

Gets People’s Attention

Once your guests start to see the 360 booth in action it’ll attract the crowd’s attention meaning more engagement and capturing more memories!

New and Different!

A 360 photo booth offers an entirely different experience from a traditional photo booth (even though we think they’re pretty awesome too), so it’s likely that the experience will be new to most of, if not all, of your guests, making it extra memorable and enjoyable!

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