The Importance of Loving the Wedding Vendors you hire
Posted by Jason | Filed under Event Planning Tips
Our Event Planning Intern, Leslie has been very eager and excited to learn all about Weddings. Recently I assigned her the task of researching other Wedding related Blogs and telling me about some of her favorites so I could re-post those articles on our site, for our clients to read and enjoy. Here’s one article she found and what she said about the article:
From Leslie, Elegant Event Entertainment Event Planning Division–
“I found a great Blog on Planning that caught my attention…’Planning…Forever Events Blog‘, . The blog is titled, “love your wedding florist“, and it’s from the site’s special series, “loving your wedding vendors.” I am quite knowledgeable on how a wedding DJ gets their “amazing” title due to working with Elegant Event Entertainment’s DJ division, and reading all of the blogs on the EEE site; however, I didn’t know many of the details about other wedding vendors. Reading this blog gave me a better understanding that the wedding florist is just as important as any other planned detail of the wedding. I now know that one should trust their wedding florist, due to the simplest fact that being a florist is their chosen profession and it’s what they do week in and week out, they are a Professional in their field, they make it their business to know a zillion kinds of flowers.
This article’s “behind the scenes” was a great story.You see that a well trained florist can work under any amount of pressure. When problems occur at the last minute, they get worked through and fixed versus simply saying, “too bad, the bride is going to have to deal with these arrangements, and like it.” The florists in this article showed how important it is to put the bride’s needs first by giving everything they had to the event and rearranging the flowers to the bride’s highest expectations. This also showed dedication and professionalism, which is a necessity in the wedding industry.
Read the rest of this entry »
A Backyard Wedding, Executed Perfectly!
Posted by Jason | Filed under Event Planning Tips
There’s something about having a wedding on your own property that can be really special and unique. But, don’t assume that any old backyard will do. If you’re planning to have a backyard wedding, I hope you’ll get a few ideas from the following story about a wedding that our Ventura County DJs were hired to perform for Susan and Thad’s big day in Ojai California in mid-August.
A few tips for pulling off a successful Backyard Wedding:
1. Have the catering done professionally.
Our clients used Green Acres Catering in Simi Valley, CA and had a variety of gorgeous fruit and cheese trays beautifully displayed on the back porch as well as passed appetizers during the cocktail hour. The main buffet line was set-up under very nice tents on the driveway, BBQ style, and the caterer even grilled the food on-site! It smelled and tasted wonderful.
2. Hire a Professional Mobile Bar or Bartenders.
Catered Cocktails of Ventura were hired to provide Bar service, and they did a great job. The family didn’t have to tend to any food or drinks all night, and the beverage cleanup was done by the professionals as well!
3. Make the Ceremony Unique and Sentimental
The couple asked their friend Sonya Shelton, founder of “Being Present To Win” to officiate their wedding ceremony. Sonya is a leadership and spiritual guide as well as an ordained, non-traditional minister. She incorporated Buddhist traditions in this truly beautiful ceremony. Read the rest of this entry »
Wedding Toasts: 10 Helpful tips; 10 Worst Toasts
Posted by Chris | Filed under Event Planning Tips
I’ve been a Los Angeles DJ for 20 years and I have seen thousands of Wedding Toasts. Many have been really good, some bad, a few immensely entertaining, and several downright bore fests. I have also had the honor of being Best Man on two occasions, and I quickly realized I’m no expert in giving toasts. However, I know that a wedding toast is an opportunity for the best man, maid of honor, family members or friends to share in their joy for the newlywed couple. When I was asked to be a best man at my Brother’s and Best Friend’s Wedding, I thought about and planned what I would say for months. Even though I am a professional DJ, I still found that I was nervous about giving a toast at a Wedding. A toast is an intimate moment, all eyes and ears are on you, and this moment will be remembered by most in attendance, especially if it goes poorly.
But, don’t worry if you’re not a professional speaker, you don’t need to be. Just keep these few points in mind:
1. Don’t get long winded, keep it under 3-4 minutes. Rehearse the basic points of what you want to say, do not just grab the microphone and start talking.
2. Don’t give the audience an entire history of how you know the Bride or Groom. Give some basic points about the nature of your relationship to them and talk about how happy you are for this couple.
Read the rest of this entry »
Choosing the Father Daughter Dance Song
Posted by Jason | Filed under Event Planning Tips
Here is a list for you to consider when choosing your Father Daughter Dance Song, followed by a more detailed article with helpful hints for choosing a song.
20 Father Daughter Song Suggestions:
1. Wonderful World- Louis Armstrong
2. Unforgettable- Nat King and Natalie Cole duet
3. In My Life- The Beatles
4. The Way You Look Tonight- Frank Sinatra
5. Daddy- Kendall Payne
6. Because You Loved Me- Celine Dion
7. Have I Told You Lately- Van Morrison/Rod Stuart
8. I Learned From You- Miley and Billy Ray Cirus
9. There You’ll Be- Faith Hill
10. She’s Got A Way- Billy Joel
11. Tupelo Honey- Van Morrison
12. I Loved Her First- Heartland
13. My Girl- Temptations
14. Isn’t She Lovely- Stevie Wonder
15. Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle
16. How Sweet it is- James Taylor
17. Father and Daughter – Paul Simon
18. I Hope You Dance- LeAnn Womack
19. Stand By Me – Ben E. King
20. Beyond The Sea- Bobby Darrin
Your Father/Daughter dance is a tradition rich in history. At one time this dance truly symbolized one of the last times a Father would be able to share such an intimate moment with his daughter – it was his chance to “say goodbye” after giving away his daughter in marriage.
The symbolism behind this dance – a tender moment after a father has given away his daughter to create a new household – is the reason that many traditional songs used in Father/Daughter Dances are very sentimental. Some of these songs are considered too sappy and I have even heard clients describe a few songs as “icky,” suggesting some sort of incestuous lyrics. In the last few generations the family itself has changed – many families are “blended” from among multiple marriages and divorce is commonplace, meaning Fathers are sometimes people who come along much later in a person’s life. So a wide range of emotions may be in play during your Father/Daughter dance and it doesn’t have to be a drama fest.
Here are a few suggestions Read the rest of this entry »
Cafe Firenze Restaurant in Moorpark-A True Touch Of Italy
Posted by Chris | Filed under Event Planning Tips
On May 2nd, 2009, my wife and I celebrated our 11th Anniversary. We decided to go to Cafe Firenze in Moorpark, California, recently made famous by it’s owner Chef Fabio Viviani who made it to the finals of Top Chef on Bravo Network.
From the outside, you see a restaurant in a strip Mall, Cafe Firenze doesn’t look much different than most eateries in Southern California, but when you walk in… Read the rest of this entry »
If you are an experienced wedding DJ who loves working to serve the needs of your clients,