DJ: A really skillful DJ can really help to liven up the reception, and can engage with and respond to the audience. He will know how to balance songs between slow and fast, different styles, and set the right volume and feel to carry the event from dinner hour music through the last slow dance at the end of the night. As with the band, he can announce the arrival of the wedding party, instruct people when to eat, announce the cake cutting, etc. The benefit of a good DJ is that he / she can literally have 1000s of songs at the fingertips, and can take almost any request. He should be able to bring a very high quality sound and lighting system, if requested, and play any special songs you may desire. As with the band, make sure they have experience performing at weddings, and get references.
Make sure your DJ knows the following at least 2 weeks prior to the big day:
1) what time to arrive for their setup and sound check
2) who their point of contact is
3) where they can load and unload
4) who will let them in
5) where they can park
6) what time to begin playing, timing of any special songs
7) where their power outlet is located
how much of a sound and / or lighting system they will need to bring
9) attire (ie how formal)
10) whether food and drinks are included with their fee.
11) How they will be paid
DJ versus Live Band at the Reception: Part II June 26, 2009
DJs versus Live Band at the Reception: Part I June 25, 2009
The decision about whether to hire a DJ or a Live band is an important one for your wedding to be special. The right music can make the whole night, and have your guests dancing the night away! The choice comes down to several important personal factors as well considerations about the size and style of your event. The benefits and considerations of each choice is listed below:
Live band: There is just something about the creative energy and spontaneity of a live band that can not be re-produced with a recording. Vocals are a lot more powerful when live, and good musicians can draw on the energy of each other and the audience to create a more inspired, powerful performance. This in turn influences the audience. Great music is also a visual experience, with lighting, and the physical motions of the performing adding a whole new dimension to the music. Again, this is not possible with recorded music. With a live band, make sure they can handle a variety of styles of music, especially those songs or styles you want to hear, and have experience performing at weddings. Ask to see their songlist of most proficient songs, and try to go see a live public performance before hiring them. References can also be very important. Make sure you have the right space, sound system, and lighting requirements for the band, and work out agreement on any songs in particular you would like them to perform. Make sure your band knows the following at least 2 weeks prior to the big day:
1) what time to arrive for their setup and sound check
2) who their point of contact is
3) where they can load and unload
4) who will let them in
5) where they can park
6) what time to begin playing, timing of any special songs
7) where their power outlet is located
how much of a sound and / or lighting system they will need to bring
9) attire (ie how formal)
10) whether food and drinks are included with their fee.
11) how they will be paid
Set-up for Your Musicians June 24, 2009
It is important to plan ahead for musician set-up prior to the wedding service. Below are key questions to ask the musicians you hire.
Will you need to rent a piano or does the keyboardist have one he can bring? How about a small PA system for guitars, keyboards, vocals, etc.?
What space and power requirements do the musicians have?Will they require any sort of lighting? (playing in the dark is sometimes difficult and people will not be able to see the performers)
Do they know exactly what to play when?
Do you have a backup plan if there is an emergency, a musician is sick or a vocalist can not sing?
(the performer can usually suggest an alternate, and hopefully can deal with such a situation professionally)
If the service is to be outside, is there a tent they can setup under in the case of drizzle, and is there any type of heat lamp if the temperature is below 60?
(even a light drizzle can be very bad for guitars and electronic gear, plus any temp below 65 tends to make the fingers cold, and performing harder).
-Brent Moseley
PLANNING FOR MUSIC DURING THE SERVICE June 23, 2009
Music is an essential element that can truly make a service special and set the tone for celebration and create a classy atmosphere. The more unique, the more memorable! Music is typically performed at 6 stages of the wedding:
1) Before the service while people are walking in. This time works very well for a soloist, duo, or classical ensemble
2) As the wedding party is walking in (called the processional). Also great for a soloist
3) As the Bride and Groom are walking out (called the recessional)
4) After the service, while guests are walking out. Great for a soloist or duo
5) During the wedding dinner
During the reception / dance hour / cake cutting
Its important to plan ahead, hire the right musicians early, and decide on songs early enough to give them plenty of time to prepare. Unless they have excellent reading skills, a small ensemble (strings, horns, singer / piano, etc) will need on average one week per song when the music is something they have not performed before. So, if they will perform 5 songs, give them at least 5 weeks notice. Those that have experience performing at weddings may be able to make suggestions as to a song list – they will know through experience what works. Piano music while people are walking in, during the wedding procession, and while people are leaving the service can be especially nice.
-Brent Moseley, Point of View
Guest Blogger – Entertainment June 22, 2009
Finding the right entertainment is not always as easy as hiring a DJ and then seeing him at the wedding. My friend Brent Moseley, with Point of View Entertainment, has kindly agreed to be my guest blogger for the week. Brent has been gracing the Phoenix area with his musical talents since 1998. When he’s not entertaining, he teaches music to both children and adults. This week, Brent will discuss how to accommodate your musicians and what to consider when choosing between a live band and a DJ.
To know more about Point of View and to listen to their talent, click here. Brent can be contacted at Mus123@cox.net or 480-229-5966.
Bridal Fashion Debut June 2, 2009
In April, I talked about the pros and cons of bridal shows. Well, this Sunday you can form your own opinion. From 9:00-3:00 Sunday June 7, 2009, The Bridal Fashion Debut will be showing at the Phoenix Convention Center. This is a great opportunity to get ideas, meet and compare several vendors and talk to other brides. You can also win amazing things like a free honeymoon (I know someone who won two), champagne flutes, skin care products and the list goes on. Get your tickets and a map here.
Paying Vendors and Writing Thank You Notes May 21, 2009
Most vendors (if not all) will require payment on the day of your wedding. Depending on your contract, this could be before the ceremony or after the reception. The important part is making sure it happens. You wouldn’t want to come home from your honeymoon to be greeted by a collection agency or a nasty notice from vendors. So, I recommend having all payments ready before the day of the wedding and delegating someone else to distribute them. You won’t want to think about money on your wedding day. You’ll be too busy enjoying the best day of your life! So, here’s what you do.
Organize each payment in the form of check or cash and put them in separate envelopes with the name of the company and the contact person on each envelope. The envelopes should be sealed for safety. You can also include tips and a thank you note in these envelopes. Your wedding coordinator is an excellent person for the task of distributing payment, with one exception. The best man typically gives the officiant the tip.
Writing thank you notes is an arduous task. In order to lighten your burden post-honeymoon, begin to write thank you’s for the gifts that are delivered to your house (or your parents’ house) before the wedding. You can have your maid of honor mail them the day after the wedding. You can also start to put your return address labels and stamps on envelopes for the thank you’s that you’ll write when you get home. I highly discourage you from making fill-in-the-blank thank you’s. I repeat: don’t make fill-in-the-blank thank you’s! It is very tacky and obvious when a guest receives a note with a form letter that has the name of the gift that just barely fits in the space after “Thank you for the ______________.” It’s especially bad when the pen color of the gift doesn’t match the pen color of the rest of the note. I don’t care if it does match or fit perfectly. Just don’t do it! It will make a far better impression on your guests if you write a genuine note after the wedding. Besides, you have a few months before etiquette comes calling, demanding that you send them out. Be genuine and be courteous. After all, you spent all those dollars and all that time planning the wedding of the season. You don’t want the last impression your guests receives to be a bad one.
A Fun Wedding Resource May 15, 2009
Wedding Mapper is a great resource for brides and grooms. This is a website where you can find local vendors and venues in your area (or the area of your destination wedding). There is also a forum where you can ask questions or discuss topics with other people on Wedding Mapper. There are photo galleries, vendor profiles and reviews, and real weddings. My personal favorite part is that you can talk to other people in the area. You can ask a question of brides who have used the same vendors you are thinking about and Mapper will send out the email for you. Or, you can ask a question of local newlyweds about their weddings. There is also an “Ask the Expert” area where you can ask Sharon Naylor, a wedding expert any wedding question.
This is a wonderful resource for couples at any stage of the planning process, whether you just got engaged or are a few days out from the wedding. It’s fun to buy all the books and magazines, but if they don’t answer your particular question, where do you go? I recommend Wedding Mapper. Look for the Designer Events profile under the “coordinators/planners” category of vendors.
Calendar of Phoenix Bridal Events April 30, 2009
Phoenix Bridal event hints:
Paris Veil and Accessory trunk show at Destiny’s Bridal in Scottsdale starting May 8th at 10 am and ending May 9th at 6 am.
The next Phoenix Bridal Show is May 17, 2009 from 10 am to 3 pm at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
The next Bridal Fashion Debut is June 7, 2009 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Do-it-yourself Flower Workshop by Ever After Florals in Phoenix on June 13 from 11 am until 1 pm.
East Valley Bridal Affair at the Windemere Hotel and Conference Center in Mesa on October 4th from 11 am to 4 pm.
Bridal Shows April 29, 2009
Now, after describing how difficult bridal shows can be, I must give them credit where credit is due. If you know what you’re doing, Bridal shows can be a wonderful thing. Here’s what I recommend.
Take a small purse. You should be given a big bag with brochures and magazines in it to begin with and you can store all the other information you get in there.
Know what you’re looking for. If you don’t have any vendors yet, expect to take a lot of time and energy finding the ones you want. Booths are organized in such a way that there won’t be competing vendors next to each other. This means that if you’re looking for a florist, you will have to either like the first one you meet, or walk through the whole show to interview every florist you can find. If you are looking for just the florist, however, you can skip over all the catering, photography and insurance booths.
If it’s something you’re interested in, sign up for the free stuff! By registering for the event, you have already given permission for these vendors to send you emails and snail mailings, so you won’t lose anything by giving them your email address and you might actually win something really cool! I have a friend who won a free honeymoon, and I won our champagne flutes for free. Now, in my case, I had to sit through a presentation for some cooking thing, but really, it was fun, I got to taste good, free food and I only had to sit there for like an hour to get my flutes. That’s pretty much worst case scenario.
Take a sharpie and a small notebook. When you take a business card or brochure or flyer, write on it what you liked about that vendor and what your reservations are about them. If you just throw it in your bag, you will go home with a bag of hundreds of papers and you won’t remember who any of them belonged to. If there isn’t space on their card to write, jot down in your notebook the name of the company and any important points to remind yourself later. Your notebook can also be used to sketch or describe any ideas that you see. You will see floral arrangements and catering ideas and table settings. Keep your eyes peeled for that perfect idea.
Take a breather. You can probably get through the first few aisles without a break, but you will soon feel overwhelmed. The last time I went, my sister and I actually stopped at each end of the aisles to get out of the crowd, slow our breathing and rest our feet. It is emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting, but if you take a break, it’s not so bad. You should also plan a little down time after the show to relax. You don’t want any stress-related break-outs, now do you?
Be honest with the vendors. If they launch into a spiel and you really aren’t interested at all, just say something like “you know, that sounds great, but I already have a florist” or “I’m still looking, but I’ll keep you in mind” or “That’s not really my style, but thanks anyway”. Be honest so that you aren’t wasting their time or yours. Now, if you are interested, tell them that too! You will be surrounded with people who want your business and if you look at one booth and think, gosh, that’s really great, but you just keep looking without talking to them, you may forget how great they were. If you aren’t sure, give your contact information to the vendor and tell them you’re still looking. I bet they’ll call you. And, if you already found another by that time, no loss.
Lastly, don’t go alone! This is a stressful environment and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. It’s nice to have someone you love with you to keep you grounded. They can also help you remember the good stuff. I recommend no more than two people with you.
