Deciding on Wedding Reception Entertainment: A Band or Disc Jockey?

Being a guest at wedding receptions over the years that featured both bands and a disc jockey leaves a lot to ponder. Some receptions had very good bands, some were mediocre, and many that were just plain terrible. Certainly, modern brides seem to like the appeal of live entertainment at their special celebration because of the energy and excitement a band can bring. Some can play well and, from my experience, can be great at creating an atmosphere that ignites a crowd. They can also keep a dance floor going by extending a jam session. But for brides seriously debating between the two, here are 15 critical questions to ask a band, from the book “The Best Wedding Reception…Ever!” by Peter Merry:

1. How will you perform my special songs?
2. How many songs and genres can you currently perform?
3. How do you deal with special requests or dedications made at the reception?
4. Who will be making the announcements at our reception?
5. Can we see uncut video footage of wedding announcements you have made at weddings in the past?
6. What training have you taken to develop your skills as a Master of Ceremonies to maintain the flow of the reception?
7. What is your policy on taking breaks at our reception?
8. Do you have extra band members available so that breaks can be rotated?
9. What is your policy on meals? Do I have to feed everyone?
10. Do you have a DJ on staff to play a mix of requested recorded music during breaks?
11. How will you prevent “dead air” from occurring at my reception?
12. What responsibility do you take for directing the pacing and flow of my reception’s agenda?
13. How will you communicate with the other vendors about my agenda while you are performing?
14. How do you measure the volume at the reception and can your volume levels be adjusted and turned down if requested?
15. What can you tell me about your service and performance that sets you apart from all the rest?

On the DJ side, one thing to consider is that an experienced, professional wedding MC/DJ will often do much more than simply play music. Often, the wedding DJ becomes the one assumed to serve as the wedding Master of Ceremonies. This is the person solely responsible for building and facilitating all the highlights at your reception in a seamless, smooth flow – while simultaneously keeping guests involved and entertained (all without a break.)

DJs play a much wider variety of music than a band, often encompassing the 1920s to the current era, with every imaginable genre. A DJ’s music will sound exactly how it was played and recorded by the original artist instead of the band’s rendition of a particular song. A trained, experienced wedding MC/DJ that has played in a variety of venues should measure the dance volume multiple times, and adjust and control it as necessary. A DJ often takes far less space (and electric power) to perform – which can be a critical consideration, depending on the venue and guest count. Finally, in addition to the bottom-line cost, let’s face it: if you choose to feed the entertainer(s), with a band, that might require five meals (or more) versus just one for the DJ.

In the end, the decision is up to the bride and groom and the atmosphere they desire; but if a bride wants a band, the best advice might be to hire a professional wedding MC/DJ to work with and do everything the band cannot do (fill in during breaks with a wide variety of music; build and maintain the seamless flow as the MC; properly make announcements; coordinate with other wedding professionals, etc.) We’re being asked to do this more and more, and have enjoyed working with some fantastic bands and singers, like Steven Weinmeister and Steve Manshel from the legendary band, Firefall.

(Originally posted at:   http://www.colorado-destination-weddings.com/wedding-reception-entertainment-band-or-disc-jockey/)

How to DJ Your Own Wedding in 15 Easy Steps – Part 2

(to read part 1, please click below) 

http://www.colorado-destination-weddings.com/how-to-dj-your-own-wedding-in-15-easy-steps-%e2%80%93-part-1/

And now…for part 2

As the economy has been a bit tight lately, many brides are looking for ways to stretch their wedding budget. So, if it’s just music you want, then you could try to take a couple of iPods, ask Uncle Bob to run them, and take your chances. (For steps one through nine, please see previous article.)

Step ten: Find somebody to professionally introduce and properly emcee all the key wedding events using proper mic handling techniques, enthusiasm, articulation, intonation, breathing and inflection, along with the public speaking skills to effectively communicate in order to capture, maintain, then tastefully energize a seamless sequence of events and keep the flow moving – again, without any dead air.

Step eleven: Find somebody to coordinate with all the other wedding professionals involved in the festivities to seamlessly coordinate the hundreds of small things behind the scenes that have to be continually done so you don’t have to worry about it. (Like making sure the photographer is in the room and ready to go, Uncle Bob has the bouquet on hand, and that you are ready for the bouquet toss prior to Uncle Bob’s announcement that it’s time for the bouquet toss so there is no dead air, awkward moments, or lost dancing time looking for the bouquet, you or other wedding professionals, etc.)

Step twelve: Find somebody that has the creativity and experience to take your wedding ideas, wants and desires and bring it all together to fit your vision and make it classy, tasteful, unique and customized to reflect the two of you.

Step thirteen: Bring all these people together. Coordinate. Practice together. Deliver worry free. Ensure it goes smoothly.

Step fourteen: Tear down gear, load out, return gear to rental company.

Step fifteen: Somewhere between each step, find about twenty hours for Uncle Bob to practice (with the rented gear and legal music library before wedding), focusing on music and dance theory. Practice. Rehearse. Practice over and over. Repeat with person designated as “Master of Ceremonies” for smooth flow.

Sounds simple…and could save you a little money.

However, according to national publications and wedding industry magazines:

AFTER THE VOWS: “almost 100% of Brides say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.”

 and

WITHIN ONE WEEK AFTER THE RECEPTION: “78% of all Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!” Most importantly, “when asked, 81% of guests say the one thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment above anything else.”

It makes sense when you think about it. Look back on a wedding you’ve been to in the last couple of years. You probably don’t remember much about the food, the color of the flowers, the style of the dress, the flavor of the cake or the veggie platter, but… you DO probably remember whether you had a good time – right? Dancing and music is only a small fraction of why a bride needs a proven, professional and experienced wedding MC/DJ.

(Originally posted at:  http://www.colorado-destination-weddings.com/how-to-dj-your-own-wedding-in-15-easy-steps-%e2%80%93-part-2/)

Robert and Cindy shared in a very special, intimate Colorado wedding at the picturesque Lakeshore Lodge (now the Estes Park Resort).  With only about 45 of their closest friends and family for their Estes Park wedding, we worked closely with Shree and Joe with JS McToya Images to ensure every special Colorado wedding memory was carefully captured.  (and we had plenty of special surprise moments we helped create for Robert and Cindy’s guests).

Robert and Cindy opted to have Amore’ DJ Entertainment also do the elegant wedding lighting to enhance their room and completely transform the main ballroom into an extraordinary wedding WOW!  (see before and after pictures below)

With a great and custom crafted selection of cocktail and dinner music sprinkled with their favorite artists, including Sam Cooke, the Four Seasons, and that classy, elegant feel, then slowly evolving into a more “hip” atmosphere towards the end of dinner to include David Gray, Coldplay, etc.  This created the perfect wedding ambiance to compliment the lighting and wedding décor we intentionally created inside the Lakeshore Lodge (The Estes Park Resort).

 Surprise #1…

 The grand entrance was fun.  Working in our studio, we prepared the perfect edit for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as Robert and Cindy strategically weaved their way through all the tables, taking the 40 seconds as we’d discussed.  Then, precisely on cue as Robert and Cindy set foot on the dance floor, the ending laugh of MJ’s song began – just as planned.  Their guests erupted into laughter and said, “that’s so Robert!”  He then gave a warm welcome to their guests.

Meghan Beard, Jamie Reed and their staff at the Estes Park Resort represented truly top notch service and some of the very best food for a wedding – ever!  It was simply incredible!  During dinner, we arranged some creative, and tasteful wedding “eater-tainment” just for Robert and Cindy’s special day that reflected the two of them, and their personalities.  Guests loved it!

 Surprise #2…

We had a couple of special toasts, then we had another wedding surprise for Robert and Cindy.  Marissa referenced a surprise photo montage in her toast, and ….within a minute, everything was set up for a surprise.  Robert and Cindy had no idea.  It was awesome!

We had a great cake, followed by a couple of special dances.

Robert and Cindy shared in their first dance to “Me and You” by Kenny Chesney….and they nailed it!

We meticulously created Amore’ DJ Entertainment’s “Signature Audio Tribute™” just for Cindy and her Dad Charles.  She chose “Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Champan – and what Dad had to say absolutely brought tears to everyone’s eyes (even Cindy’s if you look closely on her left cheek).  It was truly one of the most touching and memorable Father / Daughter dances we’ve ever produced! 

Robert shared in a special dance with his Mom, Inez, to Rod Stewart’s “Have I Told You Lately” followed by a dance to honor our wedding party. 

The dancing ramped up for all 45 guests immediately, and continued for 5 ½ hours…

After about an hour of dancing, we took a brief break for the bouquet and garter designed to do it in a very creative, fun way far beyond just a traditional toss…then back to great music and dancing!

To see more, see below:

Cindy’s comments on Facebook right after the wedding:

“MY DJ WAS THE BEST EVER!!!!! – Matt Matindale – Amore Enertainment – find him – work with him – truly the best!!!!!!”

 Thank you Robert and Cindy for choosing Amore’ DJ Entertainment to share in your special day~

Boba and Aléna contacted Amore’ DJ Entertainment for their Denver wedding after attending a wedding performed in May that was also rich with Russian tradition specifically crafted for that wedding.  Boba and Aléna chose to have both their ceremony and reception at Jing Restaurant in  Denver for  their 60 closest friends and family, but…they wanted to “ramp up” the interactive wedding fun to resemble a wedding in Russia, and weave in a few special surprises for their guests to reflect just the two of them.

The ceremony was officiated by Ed Ward, the best wedding Officiant in Denver, who consistently embraces new wedding ideas and carefully weaves them strategically into each couple’s heritage, culture and tradition.  (Well done Ed!)  He included his customary “water ceremony,” then as a new twist, embraced Boba and Aléna’s idea of a “honey” ceremony with heartfelt writing that Ed authored specifically for them as we played “Beautiful in My Eyes” by Joshua Kadison softly in the background.  It was awesome! 

 The cocktail hour began in a separate room, as the Jing Restaurant staff quickly turned the ceremony room into a gorgeous setting for the fantastic dinner to follow….and so would the very interactive Russian wedding fun.

 …but, we like tasteful and well planned wedding surprises.

 We worked with Boba and Aléna as they wanted to do something very special for their guests.  Immediately after their introduction, Boba and Aléna would go immediately into their first dance.  However, not just any first dance…a special surprise.  They began their first dance to “I Will Always Love You” by Whiteny Houston, then after a strategic and perfectly timed record scratch, Boba ripped off his jacket, pulled out a rose, and they went into a choreographed wedding dance to a tango.  They did a tango to “Santa Maria” by the Gotan Project from the movie “Shall We Dance.”  It was AWESOME!

…and now, the fun was ready to spill over…Russian style.

You see, a wedding reception in Russia could last as long as two, or even three days – packed full of activities, and lots of never-ending fun.  Every song, tasteful activity, or interactive wedding game is specifically designed for the Bride and Groom with guests “playing” for either the Bride or the Groom.  We didn’t have two or three days for our wedding celebration, but just five short hours, but we were repeatedly trying to determine what the “purpose for the play” would be.  After lots of research and creative pondering, Amore’ DJ Entertainment decided to do this: what one household chore would either Boba or Aléna get a six month “pass” on?  Game on.

We had lots of tasteful Russian wedding fun for the next five hours…during cocktails, dinner, dancing and more!  (and the video below shows a lot more)

We took a break for some heartfelt toasts that were delivered in both Russian and English, followed by a great cake done by California Bakery. 

Then, back to the fun, more dancing, more music, and more interactive fun.

A short pause for the bouquet and garter, and back to the fun.

In the end, Aléna edged out Boba by just two points.  She gets a six month pass from vacuuming.  Sorry Boba.

To see more smiles, joy, laughter and wedding fun from Boba and Aléna’s wedding, just click below.

Jeff and Loren shared in a magnificent destination wedding at Della Terra Mountain Chateau in Estes Park with a gorgeous soft blanket of fresh, white snow with a touching ceremony and a few crafted surprises for our 52 guests. 

Steve Beguhn, American Idol contestant from season 10, sang “God Gave Me You” (originally sang by Blake Shelton).  He nailed it!   The ceremony concluded with “In My Life” by the Beatles; and “Let’s Get Married” by Al Green.

With an amazing cast for her wedding celebration, we carefully crafted a few surprises for their guests in good fun.  Our best man, Ben Anderson, was unable to attend last minute due to his wife going into labor with their child (good call Ben), but we still wanted to make sure Ben was there to fulfill his role.  He was…

Ben was ready with his smile, attentive and alert for the grand entrance.  Immediately after the introduction, Jeff and Loren went straight to their first dance.  We had a surprise though…

 Surprise #1…

Jeff thought he and Loren were going to dance to “Big Brass Bed,” BUT we had a surprise.  Loren actually pre-recorded and sang “Ave Maria” to Jeff.  She has an amazing voice that stunned everyone!  Our Groom,  Jeff, looked happily surprised. 

Jubilations did a great job with the food, as a photo montage was played on the TVs.  After dinner, we had a series of fantastic, touching toasts (including our Best Man, Ben) and a cake done by Colorado Rose. 

Time for surprise #2…

Loren sang and recorded a second song: “Heavenly Day” – which was incredible!  She started the dance with her Dad (Peter) and half way through, Jeff and his Mom (Denise) joined in. 

We opened up the dancing with Michael Franti’s “Say Hey (I Love You)”, then went into a packed dance floor with the dancing continuing for 6.5 hours.

Time for surprise #3…  

After some dancing, we had some pre-planned fun with the bouquet and garter in an “un-traditional” toss….”capped off” by what our Groom Jeff tossed….and as many guests commented, “that’s so him!”   

Then, lots of smiles, joy, fun and more dancing at Della Terra Mountain Chateau with great music played by Amore’ DJ Entertainment.  We had 6 ½ hours of dancing for their 50 guests~

 A special last song to cap off the night…with a group hug~

Congratulations Jeff and Loren!

See even more of Jeff & Loren’s fun Colorado destination wedding held at Della Terra Mountain Chateau below:

Colorado Weddings Magazine – Best of Colorado Weddings featuring Amore’ DJ Entertanment with a wedding performed in Estes Park at Della Terra Mountain Chateau.

For the full read of Hannah and Ryan’s wedding, see the original post here as seen on Colorado Weddings Magazine:  http://coweddingsmag.com/2011/12/09/mountain-wedding-in-estes/ 

This post features amazing photography from Hannah and Ryan’s wedding held at Della Terra Mountain Chateau as taken by Benjamin Buren from Alive Studios at http://www.alivestudios.com/portfolio_w_2.php

How to DJ Your Own Wedding in 15 Easy Steps – Part 1

As the economy has been a bit tight lately, many brides are looking for ways to stretch their wedding budget. So, if it’s just music you want, then you could try to take a couple of iPods, ask Uncle Bob to man them, and take your chances. Here’s what to do…

Step one: Find and rent an amateur-grade sound system (hoping it works), then figure out how to run it.

Step two: Find and acquire appropriate liability insurance (as more and more venues require proof of insurance prior to set up). It will cost you $300 to $500 for the annual policy since it’s not available for a single day’s use.

Step three: Figure out where to legally purchase the appropriate music across multiple genres (big band, top 30, rap, alternative, country, etc.) for a wide variety of tastes based on the range in ages of your guests.

Step four: Find somebody to program the music in a logical dance flow.

Step five: Find somebody to transport all the gear. Once there, determine the appropriate electrical power load and where to set up based on sound configuration, dance theory and event flow. Set up the gear.

Step six: Find somebody with the experience to “read” a wedding crowd (based on the 11 critical crowd reading reception criteria) to play the right song at the right time for the right reasons. They need to know how to read and then lead your audience in the right sequence, at the right time through the application of proper wedding knowledge and extensive wedding experience by using multiple music genres, tempo, styles, and trends to create or change the energy in a room.

Step seven: Find somebody to take, maintain, and then play song requests, hoping you have all the requested music with you.

Step eight: Find somebody to smoothly transition the music from song to song without any dead air, while seamlessly enhancing key wedding events with music, exactly on cue.

Step nine: Find somebody to tastefully interact with guests, maintain audience participation and crowd interconnection.

For steps ten through fifteen, and interesting statistics from national publications, be sure to read part two.

(Originally posted at:  http://www.colorado-destination-weddings.com/how-to-dj-your-own-wedding-in-15-easy-steps-%e2%80%93-part-1/)

     

 Fact #1: When Brides are asked what they want to remember about their wedding day five years from now, the typical response is: “that everyone had a great time,” “people danced,” etc. Why? Simple. Because no matter how perfect everything else is, people will always remember if they had a good time – or not.

Fact #2: Over the last several years, Amore’ DJ Entertainment has specifically asked our brides, “what significance did the professional DJ you hired have in making your reception a total success?” The typical response has been: “Amore DJ Entertainment had at least an 80% responsibility” as to why the reception was a total success above and beyond anything else! (In fact, most of surveys state 100%)

 Fact #3: According to The Knot (2011), the average U.S. bride spent $27,800 for her wedding. At 6 hours for the ceremony and reception, that’s $4,633 per hour! Fortunately, it’s a little less here locally in Colorado, but surprisingly, not by much. The average 2011 bride spends between $19k and $21k for her wedding in Colorado. Most quoted “Wedding Experts” suggest that a practical bride should expect to spend from 5% (as an absolute minimum) to up to 10% of her budget for QUALITY reception entertainment for her wedding. So, broken down based on that methodology, here’s a range to expect for QUALITY entertainment for just the reception:

• 5% of $19,000 = $950
• 6% = $1,140
• 7% = $1,330
• 8% = $1,520
• 9% = $1,710
• 10% = $1,800

(*Add in an average of $300 to $500 for QUALITY ceremony music, musicians, and/or ceremony sound support for the ceremony.)

Most importantly, “The amount of money a couple spends on their reception entertainment is in direct proportion to the quality of entertainment they will receive…and ultimately, the sole impact on the total overall success of the wedding reception.”

 Simply put, a mere 5 to 10 percent of the average bride’s total budget is responsible for 80% of the wedding reception’s total success, and…as the old adage states, you get what you pay for.

(Originally posted at: http://www.colorado-destination-weddings.com/three-critical-facts-you-should-know-before-hiring-a-professional-dj-entertainer/)

The music presentation ultimately sets the tone for a wedding celebration. Certainly, music comes in all styles. It can be casual or sophisticated; classical or rock; reggae or jazz; polka or pop; country or R&B, and everything in between. It can be loud or soft; fast or slow. Music appeals to young and old alike. It can make you feel lively or lethargic, calm or excited, or change the mood and morale instantly.

Music subtly augments a cocktail party and enhances dinner guests’ conversations, creating the mood for a celebration, and adding more joy to the experience. Then, if well read, planned and properly programmed by an experienced wedding DJ, it energizes a dance floor continuously for hours before dancing even begins.

Music is a common element for our everyday lives, but with your wedding celebration, the music should be, well… nothing less than extraordinary. That’s exactly what an experienced wedding DJ must be able to consistently do from the first song to the very last dance.

An experienced wedding DJ should play a wide variety of music styles as part of their music programming, to embellish the dancing portion of your special day and help make it a huge success. It is possible to seamlessly combine ethnic tunes, oldies, and today’s hottest hits masterfully and strategically into a cohesive presentation to allow your guests the opportunity to participate in your celebration and enjoy themselves on the dance floor.

How does this all work?

Music releases a chemical in the brain that has a key role in setting an environmental mood – dopamine. It produces a feel-good state in response to other certain positive tangible stimuli like food, lighting and more. A professional wedding DJ clearly understands that guests often express their identity through different types of music. It triggers certain emotions shared by guests, enabling them to connect with and convey their inner feelings, without needing to define them. The ideal soundtrack for a wedding affects emotions and behaviors and helps create a sense of belonging.

Something as simple as tempo has a big impact. The tempo (or the speed and pace) of specific music selections affect a guest’s perception of time. A slow tempo creates a sense of well being and makes guests want to stay longer, while a fast tempo increases emotional feedback and makes customers perceive waiting times to be shorter.

An experienced wedding DJ should understand this and know precisely which music selections will enhance the environmental flow to create the atmosphere and enrich something as simple as the cocktail and dining experience. It goes far beyond just playing Kenny G or Yanni for these two hours like many amateur DJs do. Proper music selections in the hands of a professional are just as important as using the right colors, lighting and temperature to create a festive atmosphere.

(Originally posted at: http://www.colorado-destination-weddings.com/and-now-the-music/)

Do you want the DJ to take music requests from the guests at your wedding reception – or not? Some couples do, others prefer not to. There is no right or wrong answer; but please remember, when a guest requests a song, that it’s not possible for a DJ to have every possible song that might be requested – no matter how big a DJ brags his music repertoire is.

Challenges

There are other challenges that requests can present. Sometimes, guests may request songs that simply do not “fit-in” with the music programming, or a requested song may completely alter the mood or environment contrary to what you want. Playing heavy metal or gangsta’ rap, for example, will likely upset or displease some of your guests, especially the older ones. Certainly, songs containing objectionable, foul or sexually graphic language should not be played.

It’s just tacky to play any song with the “f-bomb” being dropped every fourth word at a wedding. Even though you may like a particular song, you’ll survive if you don’t hear it. Obviously, you don’t want to cause anyone to feel uncomfortable. Your wedding celebration won’t be hampered by a song that isn’t played, but could be significantly and instantly damaged by a song that is played.

An experienced wedding DJ will use their personal experience and professional judgment to know when it is acceptable to honor requests, while amateur DJs may be inclined to play any song that is requested.  (Remember, if inappropriate requests are played, these songs will make you look bad.)

Your Special Songs

You may have specific songs that you want to hear during your reception, dinner or dancing. That’s great, but there’s certainly no need to pick them all. That’s why you are hiring a truly polished professional wedding DJ. That person should know how to properly read a crowd, play the right tune at the right time, maintain music volume and seamlessly enhance the atmosphere.

In fact, outside of your special wedding dances (1^st dance, father/bride dance, etc.), all you probably need to do is select a handful of songs you especially like to provide a flavor of what you wish to hear. Maybe it’s the first song you kissed to, or the very first song you danced to. If you would like supply an additional list or specific artists or songs beyond just a few, it’s often best to permit the experienced wedding DJ read the crowd and mix them in where and when appropriate.

(Originally posted at: http://www.colorado-destination-weddings.com/how-to-handle-music-requests-at-your-wedding-reception/)

*Featured image on home page used courtesy of Brian from a mutual wedding:  http://brianpettitphotography.squarespace.com/