Haters gonna hate, sure. But there are some wedding decisions that are so "Why?!" that even the least-judgmental guest can't shake 'em off. Here are five of the worst staid traditions.
Releasing Doves
A photo opp that even Instagram can't make look cool, releasing two
doves is considered a symbol of unity. For the sake of not diving too
deep into PETA territory, let's assume you hire a company that respects
the animals' safety. Even after taking proper precautions, there are
still only two thoughts your guests will have: 1.) "Those poor birds.
How long were they stuffed in that basket?" and 2.) "Am I going to get
pooped on?" In a matter of seconds, people are now thinking about animal
rights and poop. Not very bridal.
Wedding Favors with Your Name on the Front
We'll get right to it: Put your name on the back or the bottom of
whatever it is you're giving out. It's as simple as that. Your guests
love you, but no one wants your names front and center
in the middle of their home. This is included but not limited to:
coasters, candles, ornaments, mini photo frames, luggage tags, and itty
bitty boxes. Exceptions to this rule are shot or drinking glasses and photo booth strips.
Dollar Dance
If you've never heard of this, it's a dance during the reception in
which guests can pay $1 for a few seconds to dance with the bride or
groom. Even if you think this is a sweet tradition,
consider the guests who have already spent money on travel and gifts —
and how awkward it is that you're asking for an extra buck.
Tiaras
You're the princess for the day. We get it. But must you have a literal
crown atop your coiffed hair? Instead opt for something more modest (and
stylish) like a headband or flower crown.
Prison Sentences for the Groom
The cake toppers with the bride dragging the groom. The groom's shoes
marked "Help" and "Me." A ring bearer carrying a sign that says, "Uncle
[Groom], Last chance to run!" It might be funny to a guest in a
miserable marriage or your single friend who has never had a serious
relationship, but it's otherwise a lame way to demonstrate the bride's
authority in the relationship. A confident bride happily in love and
having a good time is the very best way to say, "Yep, I'm getting what I
want!"
Original Story from Brides Magazine:
http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2015/03/cheesy-wedding-trends-traditions.html?mbid=social_facebook
The Official Blog for The DJ Guy
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
5 Reasons It's Still Cool to Have a Photo Booth at Your Wedding
It seems like every time a fun new trend hits weddings,
someone is already declaring it "over." The photo booth is one of those
trends; it's gone from a fun novelty to a common occurrence at every
wedding. Now many couples are worried it's played-out. But before you
put away the funny props and fake mustaches, here are five reasons it's
still worth it to have a photo booth.
1. It's a good source of entertainment. Having a few activities besides dancing at your reception is a good way to make sure all your guests have fun. Sometimes people just want a break from busting a move, and the photo booth provides a nice escape. It's also a good place for people to gather and socialize.
2. It creates a wedding keepsake -- for you and your guests. A lot of guests will appreciate having a photo of themselves with their friends, their kids, or their date. But even if they don't care about that, you will love having fun pictures of your wedding guests. If you think of it like a modern guest book, it seems silly to skip it just because it's been done before.
3. Your guests don't spend hours looking at online inspiration. While your also-engaged maid of honor might think photo booths have become a wedding cliche, that's probably because she's got wedding planning (and attending!) fatigue. But your older relatives and guests who don't attend many weddings will likely still find the photo booth totally delightful and fun.
4. Just because a wedding trend is popular doesn't mean it has to be abandoned. If think your photo booth is going to be the coolest thing ever that none of your guests have ever seen before, you may need a reality check. But if it's just a new wedding tradition that you happen to like, who cares if it's been done before? Some elements of your wedding will be personalized and unique, but many others will be part of bigger traditions that started out as hip trends before becoming ubiquitous.
5. Every photo booth is different. The vibe at every wedding is so different, thanks to everything from the time of day and the venue to how strong the bartender is mixing drinks. That means every photo booth will be different too. Even if people are over taking pictures with their dates, they might love a chance to take silly pics with old friends or relatives whom they haven't seen in a while. Also, it's 2015...we're pretty sure no one is over taking pictures of themselves.
(article by
1. It's a good source of entertainment. Having a few activities besides dancing at your reception is a good way to make sure all your guests have fun. Sometimes people just want a break from busting a move, and the photo booth provides a nice escape. It's also a good place for people to gather and socialize.
2. It creates a wedding keepsake -- for you and your guests. A lot of guests will appreciate having a photo of themselves with their friends, their kids, or their date. But even if they don't care about that, you will love having fun pictures of your wedding guests. If you think of it like a modern guest book, it seems silly to skip it just because it's been done before.
3. Your guests don't spend hours looking at online inspiration. While your also-engaged maid of honor might think photo booths have become a wedding cliche, that's probably because she's got wedding planning (and attending!) fatigue. But your older relatives and guests who don't attend many weddings will likely still find the photo booth totally delightful and fun.
4. Just because a wedding trend is popular doesn't mean it has to be abandoned. If think your photo booth is going to be the coolest thing ever that none of your guests have ever seen before, you may need a reality check. But if it's just a new wedding tradition that you happen to like, who cares if it's been done before? Some elements of your wedding will be personalized and unique, but many others will be part of bigger traditions that started out as hip trends before becoming ubiquitous.
5. Every photo booth is different. The vibe at every wedding is so different, thanks to everything from the time of day and the venue to how strong the bartender is mixing drinks. That means every photo booth will be different too. Even if people are over taking pictures with their dates, they might love a chance to take silly pics with old friends or relatives whom they haven't seen in a while. Also, it's 2015...we're pretty sure no one is over taking pictures of themselves.
(article by
Friday, September 11, 2015
It's been a while and it's been a busy summer!
Some of you may be wondering... what happened to the blog posts and the venue reviews?
Well, to be honest... I've been focused on my clients and improving my offerings. This summer has been quite busy. Many of the venues I've done this past summer are either repeat locations that I've already reviewed or private backyard events that wouldn't really help you too much in your planning.
Not everything is old though. I've worked with a few outstanding vendors this summer and I always want to give credit where credit is due.
I did an amazing wedding at a private campground in Dexter on 8/22/15. While the scenery was beautiful, there were some issues with zoning and I can't comfortably recommend this location for any event.
The one thing I can say is that the caterer was AMAZING! If you like grilled food, KING-Q BAR-B-QUE is your guy! There were so many choices and so many items that could have been done just average, but everything in this arsenal of BBQ barnyard friends was kicked up to an amazing level.
The variety of food isn't reflected in the picture above as I would have needed THREE plates to show everything off. Pulled pork and chicken, BBQ chicken, ribs, beef brisket, custom sausages, homemade cornbread, homemade coleslaw, mac n' cheese, southwestern veggies, mashed potatoes, grilled veggies, grilled salmon, grilled duck and I'm probably missing a dozen things. Every bit of it was excellent.
I also had the opportunity to try something new with the lighting. Tree lighting!
The outdoor bar was themed out very nicely. An old antique rowboat created the bar shelf to hold bottles. The background for photos was picture perfect as you can see from this photo (taken with my phone, believe it or not).
I'll try to get a new post up, each coming week over the next month. While I don't have a lot of new venues to review, there's a few unique ideas and new vendors.
As always, thanks for reading and be sure to visit The DJ Guy on our website and Facebook page.
Well, to be honest... I've been focused on my clients and improving my offerings. This summer has been quite busy. Many of the venues I've done this past summer are either repeat locations that I've already reviewed or private backyard events that wouldn't really help you too much in your planning.
Not everything is old though. I've worked with a few outstanding vendors this summer and I always want to give credit where credit is due.
I did an amazing wedding at a private campground in Dexter on 8/22/15. While the scenery was beautiful, there were some issues with zoning and I can't comfortably recommend this location for any event.
The one thing I can say is that the caterer was AMAZING! If you like grilled food, KING-Q BAR-B-QUE is your guy! There were so many choices and so many items that could have been done just average, but everything in this arsenal of BBQ barnyard friends was kicked up to an amazing level.
The variety of food isn't reflected in the picture above as I would have needed THREE plates to show everything off. Pulled pork and chicken, BBQ chicken, ribs, beef brisket, custom sausages, homemade cornbread, homemade coleslaw, mac n' cheese, southwestern veggies, mashed potatoes, grilled veggies, grilled salmon, grilled duck and I'm probably missing a dozen things. Every bit of it was excellent.
I also had the opportunity to try something new with the lighting. Tree lighting!
The outdoor bar was themed out very nicely. An old antique rowboat created the bar shelf to hold bottles. The background for photos was picture perfect as you can see from this photo (taken with my phone, believe it or not).
I'll try to get a new post up, each coming week over the next month. While I don't have a lot of new venues to review, there's a few unique ideas and new vendors.
As always, thanks for reading and be sure to visit The DJ Guy on our website and Facebook page.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Nine Tips to Save On Your Wedding
There are a lot of relevant stories in the news from time to time and this is one of them.
I read this article and there are a few points that I disagree with, but most of it is accurate. I take issue with tip number two, advising brides to negotiate prices with vendors.
Most vendors, including myself, have set prices that are NOT negotiable. We have to make a living, just like you. We have bills to pay, in fact, we have more bills to pay. Insurance, equipment, employees and so on. Unless you're hiring someone who is NOT a professional, don't expect any negotiation. You should also expect to get what you pay for. We have several packages with various prices so that our clients can pick what best suits their needs. Our DJ services are prices well below the national average of $1150. In fact, for another $50 ($1200), we're including our photo booth (current special at the time of this article's publication - 4/25/15)
I do appreciate that the article suggests a DJ over a band. I've worked with bands several times in the past and more often than not, they tend to empty out a full dance floor.
With that being said, here are the tips by PAUL KATZEFF, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY:
I read this article and there are a few points that I disagree with, but most of it is accurate. I take issue with tip number two, advising brides to negotiate prices with vendors.
Most vendors, including myself, have set prices that are NOT negotiable. We have to make a living, just like you. We have bills to pay, in fact, we have more bills to pay. Insurance, equipment, employees and so on. Unless you're hiring someone who is NOT a professional, don't expect any negotiation. You should also expect to get what you pay for. We have several packages with various prices so that our clients can pick what best suits their needs. Our DJ services are prices well below the national average of $1150. In fact, for another $50 ($1200), we're including our photo booth (current special at the time of this article's publication - 4/25/15)
I do appreciate that the article suggests a DJ over a band. I've worked with bands several times in the past and more often than not, they tend to empty out a full dance floor.
With that being said, here are the tips by PAUL KATZEFF, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY:
• Work the budget. Start by making a list of what you want to include, and then get a price — or a range of prices — for each line item. It's best to ask several vendors what they charge for each product or service. You may want to ask the ones that differ the most why their charges vary.
• Negotiate. Once you have a list of products, services and charges, you can dicker. "Negotiating is a two-way process," said Heather Bandur, of Heather Bandur Events & Designs in the Big Apple. Be prepared to take less of something or downgrade to get a lower price.
• Watch the calendar. Venues and vendors typically cost more during the high season. Consider another time of year.
Ditto for the day of the week. Saturday night is prime time. Switching to a day and time other than Saturday night can save 15% to 20%, Bandur says. That can cut thousands of dollars from your bill. Monday tends to be the least expensive day of the week.
• Use a disc jockey. A DJ can save you up to 90% in music cost vs. a live band. And many guests would rather listen to the original versions of songs than to ersatz covers, Bandur says.
• Cut your guest list. The average number of guests fell to 136 last year from 141 in 2010. If you trim your guest list enough, you can spend more per person and still cut your bottom line, Miles says. Stick with close friends and family.
• Think a la carte. Compare your venue's prices for items like flowers with an outside vendor's. And rather than order floral table centerpieces for the reception, consider having your event planner reuse the bride and bridesmaids' bouquets from the ceremony as table settings, especially if the reception is at a separate location. Also, do you need a videographer, who averaged fees of $1,794 last year, in addition to a photographer?
• Say yes to another dress. Plan ahead so that you can take advantage of floor sample sales, which can save you up to 80% off prices that averaged $1,357 last year. Also, if you're aiming for separate dresses for the ceremony, reception and after-party, consider a convertible dress for the ceremony whose train, for example, detaches by zipper so the bride can dance in it.
• Avoid frills. Send save-the-date notices by email. With the subsequent actual invitations, forgo embellishments like raised lettering and die or laser cutting.
• Don't outsmart yourself. Think you can save money by selecting an unconventional venue rather than a full-service hotel or function hall? If that funky venue can't provide everything from tables to chairs, cutlery and kitchen equipment, you may have to pay extra to rent them separately.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
More than just DJ services...
Fourteen years is a plenty of time to build a business and let people know you're an experienced, professional DJ - BUT... did you know we've been offering Photo Booth services for the last two years? We've also been doing event lighting for the last 5 years! How about video services? Yes, we do that too!
Our photo booth is such a big hit with our customers, that we added a second booth last year and added Red Carpet Photo Station service this year! There's even an option for our corporate clients to add a custom backdrop to get brand exposure!
We'll beat ANYONE when it comes to a side by side comparison of our photo booth services, just take a look at the chart below:
When you think entertainment, think of the DJ Guy! We'll be happy to provide you with only the best - whether it's DJ, Photo Booth, Lighting, Video or any combination of those!
You can visit our new redesigned Ecobooth Photo Booth website at:
http://photobooth.thedjguy.info
Call us or send us an email: 517-404-0418 ed@thedjguy.info
We'll beat ANYONE when it comes to a side by side comparison of our photo booth services, just take a look at the chart below:
When you think entertainment, think of the DJ Guy! We'll be happy to provide you with only the best - whether it's DJ, Photo Booth, Lighting, Video or any combination of those!
You can visit our new redesigned Ecobooth Photo Booth website at:
http://photobooth.thedjguy.info
Call us or send us an email: 517-404-0418 ed@thedjguy.info
Monday, February 9, 2015
Valentine's Bridal Show - Sunday, February 15th - 12 to 3 PM
Don't miss our ONLY bridal show of the year, this Sunday (2/2/15) at Chemung Hills in Howell. Sign up now and save $1 off the door charge and receive a swag bag.
Online sales will end at midnight this Saturday, so don't wait!
Online sales will end at midnight this Saturday, so don't wait!
Monday, January 12, 2015
The Truth is Out There...
That was the tagline from David Duchovny's character, agent Mulder in the X-Files. The same is true for DJs. The proof is there, you just have to look for it.
Last year, I participated in a bridal show that was offered to me free. There were three DJs there. Myself, another experienced veteran from the Howell area and a new guy. The new guy was charging less than us. We both agreed, there's no way to offer the prices he was charging and stay in business. A real business has expenses and you just can't cover them if you don't price things properly. Regardless, I asked him for a card and filed it away in my card case.
In the past month, I've been putting together my own bridal show to take place on the same weekend, as the last one was hosted by a venue that has since changed into a brewery. I decided to go through my card case to invite vendors and I came across that card. I looked him up online...
He's no longer in business.
There's no telling how many couples had to suffer a horrible day because he didn't have the experience to run a proper business.
The truth is out there and it's quite simple:
You Get What You Pay For.
Remember, call a professional... call The DJ Guy!
In the past month, I've been putting together my own bridal show to take place on the same weekend, as the last one was hosted by a venue that has since changed into a brewery. I decided to go through my card case to invite vendors and I came across that card. I looked him up online...
He's no longer in business.
There's no telling how many couples had to suffer a horrible day because he didn't have the experience to run a proper business.
The truth is out there and it's quite simple:
You Get What You Pay For.
Remember, call a professional... call The DJ Guy!
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