Planning a wedding is like shopping at IKEA

Have you ever been to an IKEA? If you haven’t and you are a bride or groom planning your reception entertainment and such, take an afternoon (because that is what you will need) to experience the IKEA shopping excursion but only after you’ve read this blog.

When I meet a couple for the first time almost always I see the exhaustion written all over their face from all the preparation that goes with planning a wedding reception. I immediately connect with them on this level because I totally understand. I have been a DJ for a long time but 1/3 way through my career I planned my own wedding with all the bells and whistles. In this instance my now husband and I were paying for the event which made the planning process even more exhausting. I had no idea how much was involved. It almost felt like a temporary fulltime job with no money coming in, just going out.

So after my wedding I saw all my potential couples in a different light and wanted to explain to them what the experience was like for me. This is what I have shared with them and after my explination I always get a good chuckle from the couple and a big sigh of relief as well.

Planning a wedding is like shopping at IKEA! When you walk into the IKEA showroom looking for that perfect dresser for your bedroom you know its there, you just have to roam the upper level of the store and literally bump into it. Once you find that dresser it seems like the heavens opened up because it has a glow about it that you can’t miss and a floating cloud above that says “Take Me Home”. You are so excited so you write down the number and walk downstairs to the WAREHOUSE. There you will roam the rows and rows of items looking for that beautiful dresser you just saw upstairs. You finally get to your destination because the number on your ticket matches the number on the shelf in front of you and much to your surprise there is a box that is staring you in the face. It too is glowing and has a floating cloud above it but this particular cloud says “take me home and oh I forgot to mention you have to assemble me too!”

So you take home the box, open it up and in that cardboard box there are a million pieces you have to put together. You think to yourself, how can I possibly put all these pieces together to create that beautiful dresser I saw in the show room? But after some quality time and some simple direction your beautiful dresser comes to life and so do you because YOU’VE DONE IT!

This is what your experience will be like while planning your wedding day. You will have this beautiful glowing vision in your mind, you will hire a bunch of folks to be of service on your wedding day and eventually after you assemble all the pieces it will all come together and be the most spectacular day ever.

The pieces that you use have to be of good quality. Plastic breaks but metal stands the test of time. Use that as your guide when hiring your vendors. It will be the difference between the dresser looking absolutely beautiful and exactly what you wanted or something that seems a little off center and like it might fall apart.

Written by Lisa Capitanelli Kasberg

Entertainment for a Wedding VS Entertainment for a Party

Entertainment for a wedding is quite different than entertainment for a casual party. There are so many moving parts at a wedding reception and the goal of the entertainer is to create a smooth and seamless event along with a fun and memorable atmosphere. As a result the role of an entertainer has definitely evolved in the last decade or two.

Over a decade ago a client would hire a DJ/Band for their wedding reception, a contract would go out, there might be one brief phone call to discuss music and some announcements and that would be the extent of it until the entertainer arrived to the event. In those days, entertainers were hired mostly to play at the reception and the party would be all of about four hours in length.

The trend these days are couples deciding to have their ceremony and reception at one venue. These particular sites are set up with one area for ceremony, another area for the cocktail hour and then the main area for the reception with sound provided in all three locations by the entertainer.

The DJ/band has a greater responsibility these days because they are now in charge of music/sound equipment for the whole day and creating that all important flow from beginning to end. These types of events are averaging about 7 hours of playing time.

Most professional’s who have been hired for the whole event will prepare and provide a timeline for the couple, discuss all the important sequence events and review a list of guests who will be participating too. They will also go over in detail the kind of music the couple would like played during the pre-ceremony, ceremony, cocktails, dinner and dancing.

Another important role for the entertainer is to be the timekeeper for all the sequence of events by warning vendors and important guests at least 5 minutes ahead of time so they are present when being announced for 1st dance, toasts, Father/Daughter and Mother/son, cake cutting etc.

As you can see there is a huge difference in tasks between a simple celebration and a wedding reception. The basic foundation for the entertainer(s) is to be a highly skilled at reading a crowd and knowing what your guests will react to. What makes a professional entertainer is understanding there is an art to running an event and knowing how to do so in every aspect of the day.

By Lisa Capitanelli Kasberg

DJ Verses Live Entertainment For Your Wedding Reception

The burning question for many folks on the heals of hiring their reception entertainment is “Which is best, a Band or a DJ? Who better to ask this question than me! I have been both a band member and a DJ so I am pretty versed yet neutral when it comes to this very subject and I will tell you why.

If we look back a few decades ago, bands were dominating the wedding industry. It was just a natural progression to hire a live band for your wedding reception. A DJ was just one person, whereas with a band you had from a 4-10 musicians playing live music at your event. There was nothing like the excitement of hearing all those musicians play your favorite wedding tunes live and in person.

In the early 80’s, DJ’s really came onto the party scene. There seemed to be a trend of folks wanting to hear the original version of the latest music being played on the radio rather than it being recreated by live musicians. Since then DJ’s have been the obvious choice.

So here’s my take on all of this. Whether you hire a band or a DJ you are going to get what you pay for. It is exactly the same in both the band and DJ industries. I started off as a musician but then segued into being a DJ and because I have experience with both I always have explained it this way. If you are going to spend some serious money on entertainment and you love the idea of having that live music presence, then hire a band but I want to stress not just hiring a “good” band. You need to hire a “really great” band. If you don’t have the big budget (professional wedding bands start at around $4000) then I say go the path of a DJ but let me be very clear once again; don’t scrimp on your entertainment. This is an investment for a very important day with all your friends and family attending. Your entertainment will absolutely make or break your party and could be the difference between your guests staying for the whole event or going home right after dinner. The average price for a professional DJ in Southern California can range from $1500 to $2500 based on the companies reputation, what your needs are and how many contracted hours.

There is one more choice that has become very popular as of late and that is a Band/DJ combination. This is by far the best bet for your entertainment because of one simple reason. You have the best of both worlds. You have live entertainment playing all the classic identifiable party songs that gets all ages on the dance floor and then having the DJ (during the band breaks) playing all the current music that is sometimes hard to recreate unless you have a superb "Top 40" wedding band playing at your event.

Ask your entertainment company if they offer this kind of package. We’ve had this service for about 5 years now and it has made good sense for a lot of our clients. Essentially it keeps all your guests happy.

By Lisa Capitanelli Kasberg

Avoiding iPod Wedding Receptions

This is one blog I really want to share. Several years ago someone had the brainstorm idea of publicizing on a DIY format that an iPod was a fabulous replacement for live entertainment whether it be a DJ or a band in order to save some money. As soon as this idea went viral it really changed the course of history for many brides and grooms. Here is the reason why….

Imagine planning a wedding (or should I say the most important day of your life up until if you decide to have children) for a whole year. You’ve picked out your dress, ordered your flowers, picked out the wedding rings, hired your photographer and selected a venue just to name a few items on your to do list. The planning is just about done and one of the last things on your list is to hire your entertainment, which by the way should be one of the very first items on your list.

By that time your wallet is exhausted and there are really no more funds to hire someone to play music and run your wedding day. So you decide, “I know what kind of music my guests like” and you pick out some 100 songs and randomly throw them into a playlist on your iPod that says “Wedding Reception Music”. Then you have one of your wedding party bring that iPod to the reception with there home sound system (ya get where I’m going). You put that person in charge of setting up the speakers and then pressing “play” on the device thinking that is all they’ll need to do but then you realize when you arrive to your celebration that all the planning along with all the money invested in this special day are going out the window because of this one particular element that was not thought out properly and not in place.

Now you are in a panic and all of a sudden you say to your self “ who is going to do all the announcements” like the Grand Entrance or First Dance? Luckily, Uncle Frank who has a charming personality says he can be the Emcee. You scramble together a list of things for him to announce and cross your fingers that between the person pressing play on your iPod and Uncle Frank, the night will go off without a hitch. Unfortunately rarely does it unfold this way.

After the dust has settled most couples who have chosen to do an iPod wedding have so much regret. Mostly because all that they had envisioned did not come to fruition. These couples didn’t realize until after the fact how very important it is to have a professional handling the music, reading the crowd and making those oh so very important announcements. Don’t be fooled by the iPod. They can pull you in so easily but it is ultimately a set up for disaster. This is too important of a day to make a mistake such as this.

By Lisa Capitanelli Kasberg

How To Choose Music for your Wedding Reception

There are a few things to consider when it comes to choosing the music for your event. On average, from the beginning of the ceremony until the very last song played there are approximately 80 songs played. If you would like to be more "hands on" with your music selection here are some helpful hints to keep in mind when making your selections.

What are the age ranges of the guests that are attending your event?

Your reception entertainer will have the important task of accommodating all ages that evening. From the kids, to young adults, to parents and aunts and uncles and finally grandparents there will be an array of music to choose from. Yes, you want to personalize your event with the music you love but keep, in mind not everyone has the same tastes in music and some may enjoy music for other eras while others will not.

How many songs should you choose?

If you are a couple who would like to participate in the song selections for the event, a good rule of thumb is to select approximately 25 songs divided up throughout the night. Choose a handful of songs for cocktails and dinner and then the rest for dancing. If you are taking pictures during your cocktail hour then have the entertainer choose the songs for cocktails and have your personal selections played during dinner when you are present. Finally the dance music should have a universal vibe to it. This will allow all your guests to participate in the celebration and create an atmosphere in which the music will bring everyone together on the dance floor.

How involved should your reception entertainer be in the music selection?

The DJ or band leader should play an important part in this process. Involve him in the planning prior to your event as you will find yourself wondering if the songs you are choosing will be appropriate. In addition, and most importantly, involve him on the on the day of the event planning, as you have hired him to use his expertise to read the crowd and create a party atmosphere. Trust the judgment of the professional. It will make all the difference in the world!

Should you create a Do Not Play List?

Creating a "do not play" list is an absolute must. In some instances it is more important to have a do not play list than an actual play list. This will give your entertainer an open window into your world of music and eliminate any assumptions about certain songs being played. You don’t want any distractions the day of your event.

By Lisa Capitanelli Kasberg

Seeing Reception Entertainers in Action Before Your Event

I’ve often been asked this familiar question by couples who are interviewing me: “Can I see you perform at an event?” As a rule we consider all of our client’s events to be private. Asking if you can take a peek into someone’s event so you can see the entertainer in action can be a very difficult thing to pull off and it may not be the best opportunity for you to see your reception entertainer in action because every party, guest list, venue and couple are different.
Fortunately there is a great way around this problem. Typically our couples are planning their wedding day at least a year to a year and ½ in advance. Within that year our brides and grooms are attending at least one or two weddings. This is the perfect opportunity to take notes and decide what kind of entertainer you would like representing you on your big day. Here some key things to look for in your entertainer while attending an event.

An Entertainer Who is Engaged with Your Group but Not Cheesy

Wedding entertainment is what helps generate the overall ambiance and atmosphere. Imagine being at a reception waiting for the bride and groom to enter as a new married couple with no introduction. The discomfort of walking in without a beat or sense that the party has begun can be more than slightly awkward. It is so important for your wedding entertainer(s) or DJ to have the ability to interact with your guests whether on a really small or big scale. The goal of an entertainer is to create an optimistic and loving atmosphere for your guests, so everyone feels welcome. This is a sign of true professionalism.

* An Entertainer Who Can Create a Flow and is Ahead of the Game*

A wedding reception entertainer(s) or DJ should pay particular attention to the flow and always be two steps ahead. The correct flow is going to create the difference between an ok wedding reception and an incredible wedding reception. Flow is crucial especially when it comes to the traditional parts of the reception, such as the grand entrance, first dance and the cutting of the cake just to name a few. Carrying out the flow helps the entertainer build momentum and avoid the unwanted lulls at a wedding reception.

*An Entertainer Who Knows How to Read a Crowd and Keep the Event Upbeat *

An entertainer and/or DJ should instictively know how to interpret the crowd from the moment the party starts. A professional will do some homework ahead of time by asking questions like, ‘what are the two to three concentrated age ranges of your guest list” and “are there more family or friends being invited to your event”. This information will help to set the stage. In addition a DJ needs to continually watch and listen for signs. Nodding of heads, tapping of feet, dancing and relaxed smiles are normally clear signs that people are enjoying the event and the playlists. By Lisa Capitanelli Kasberg