bad music, cardi b, baby its cold outside, bad song, inappropriate music, wedding music, cha cha slide, ymca, chicken dance

Inappropriate Wedding Music

/in /by

Is there such a thing?

Wedding music. We’ve all heard the term. But what is wedding music? Is it the YMCA? The Chicken Dance? Maybe the Cha Cha Slide? Is it inappropriate wedding music?
NOPE!

Those are all organized group dances. They can be played just about anywhere to get people moving. But when it comes to wedding reception music, there’s a lot more than you think. Sure there’s the top 200 wedding list that can be found on just about every other wedding website. But what if you’re looking for something other than the same music you’ve heard year after year. And wedding after wedding?

First, let me just tell you, there is a reason why there are as many repeats as there are. Most guests will attend 2 maybe 3 weddings in their lifetime. And many guests, especially our more senior guests, probably don’t get out to the club that often. While your parents, aunts and uncles want you to have the time of your life, they also want to hear Don’t stop Believin and Brick House. It’s what they’re accustom to. It’s what they like. And let’s not forget about the rat pack. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. Grandma loves her Sinatra. 

But, when it comes time for you and your clique to get out there on the floor, what do you like? And what’s appropriate? We’ll get to that.

It’s 2018. Social media is buzzing with angst about a classic christmas song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside“. Apparently, it was mis-interpreted as a song that encourages date rape. On the flipside, we also have Cardi B on the airwaves inviting listeners to engage in extreme sexual acrobatics. But either way, whether you’re a fan or not, it’s where we are in music today. 

Innuendos in songs are a favorite in music since the dawn of popular music. The difference between your grandma’s Elvis record and cardi b is that Elvis simply “hinted” at the topic of sex with witty one liners. Today, it’s all out in the open and there’s no hiding from it. 

So how should we handle this? The same way we’ve been handling music for years. With discretion. Thankfully, professional wedding DJs subscribe to music services like Promo Only, Primecuts, XMIX, and DMS. All very reputable resources for getting the latest and greatest music that everyone wants to hear. They also do a fine job of ensuring radio friendly music is readily available to wedding djs. 

Because of that peace of mind, we can play just about any song because they are radio friendly songs. And if the beat’s alright, your guests will dance all night.  There’s no such thing as a bad song. It’s all in where you put it. Actually I stand corrected. A bad song clears your dance floor. A good song keeps it packed all night long. 

So how do you prevent the DJ from playing inappropriate wedding music? Be up front with your music expectations. Tell them what you like and what you don’t. Share with them experiences you may have had at weddings you have attended. And last but not least, trust your DJ. Music is their life. 

bidding on dj services

Bidding on DJs to get the best price

/in /by

You’re a thrifty shopper. You look at those reward points after leaving the grocery store and smile with pride because you know you just saved a ton of money by buying that extra value pack of toilet paper. Nicely done!

But when you’re shopping around for DJ services or ANY services for that matter, you’ve got to get down to where the rubber meets the road to really see if all things are equal. In a DJ forum tonight, someone asked the question, “DO you give people a price sheet at your meetings for when they leave?” That’s a good question. Shopping and bargain hunting is what we as humans are programmed to do. In most cases, it’s a great ideology for things like shopping for home heating oil, electricity and canned goods.  Those are common commodities that have very little variation from one to the next. But when it comes to something as specific as wedding djs, they are miles apart in preference. In the end, the value is in the eye of the beholder.

So Aaron, if you’re telling me that bidding on DJ services isn’t the right way to find my dj, what does that mean?
There’s a few things to consider when you’re looking for the right person for the job. With what we offer, it’s a personality based service. Just like your favorite actors, musicians, comedians, etc. One person’s Lewis Black might be another person’s Louis CK. And even though these two comedians are often lumped together for their raw and edgy performances, they are in fact 2 different people with 2 different offerings. The same can be said for DJs.

But beyond personality types, what else should you look for when the sticker shock sets in? You need to look at experience. If when you ask questions during a meeting, the person you’re speaking with has all of the right answers, chances are they’re a good fit. If they answer questions you didn’t know you had or addressed concerns before they were considered, they are most DEFINITELY a good fit. There are other things to consider as well. Things like service offerings. If you are looking for a wedding dj in ct as well as a ceremony sound system and intelligent lighting for your celebration, chances are, it’s going to run you somewhere in the neighborhood of $1900-2500 respectively. But if you’re meeting with a DJ who is willing to give away the farm for $650 and claims they can deliver the same experience as the $2500 DJ with a proven track record, you should be suspect of them.

Think of your wedding dj as an investment in an asset. Your home for example. Would you want to put peel and stick tile that is susceptible to peeling and cracking within 5 years in your kitchen, or would you rather have ceramic or marble tile installed that will last decades? Buy it once and never worry about it again. The same can be said for your wedding dj. Choose the best option and you should be worry free for your wedding day or roll the dice and hope for the best. The choice is yours.

how to hire your wedding dj, book wedding dj, wedding djs in ct, connecticut dj, connecticut wedding dj, connecticut bride, wedding planning, planning your wedding, wedding nightmares, book the dj, connecticut wedding, choosing the right dj for your wedding

Getting over the fear of choosing the right DJ for your wedding

/in /by

Getting Over the Fear of Choosing the Right DJ for YOUR wedding.

 

2016 has been a great year for us at Pryme Tyme Entertainment. Hundreds of couples looking for Connecticut Wedding DJs have come in to meet with us to tell us about their plans for their special day. And in many cases, tell us some wedding horror stories of their own. We love that. With each meeting, every couple is a little different from the next. Each individual couple has their idea of what the perfect wedding would look like. And some, don’t have a clue and are counting on those who are more experienced (parents, friends, co-workers and more) to help them make informed decisions. And in all of the cases, one thing holds true… The one thing that they all remember most about the weddings they have attended was the DJ. Did they dance or not? Did it take too long for the party to get rolling or was the night flawless?

Meeting with so many different couples is really great for us because, it’s as much a learning experience for us as it is for the couple sitting on the other side of the table. When they share their experiences, we take notes to see if there is anything we can do to be better at what we do and improve the client experience for all of the future events that we do. That is so important to us because you, the client, are what keeps us in business.

One of the most common items that we discuss is personality. At nearly every meeting we have with our clients, undoubtedly the question, “What kind of DJ are you?” comes up. That is a great question to ask your DJ when you’re sitting down with them. What we do is highly personality based. If you’ve been to a wedding and the DJ and guests didn’t click, that’s a sure fire sign that the wedding DJ isn’t paying attention to the room and is pre-occupied with their own agenda. Or quite possibly, they took on a wedding that they weren’t comfortable with just to book it. All of which is a very risky proposition for not only the couple but the DJ as well. If he doesn’t perform and knock the socks off of his clients, it’s a memorable reflection on him. And vice versa.

So when you’re at your meeting with your DJ, pay attention to the body language. If they seem nervous, over talkative, or seem to be trying to flood your mind with equipment specs, chances are, they aren’t the right DJ for the. job. You tell them what your goals are and they tell you whether or not they are qualified for the task at hand.

Another thing that many of the clients that we meet with comment and compliment us on is our attention to detail and responsive communication. And as your mother always told you about marriage, communication is the key to any successful relationship. That’s what this is. The relationship between you, the couple, and your wedding dj. After reading a few entries in the WeddingWire forums, I saw a few that talked about the lack of communication that some couples were facing with their wedding djs. This is especially distressing for the couple who has invested so much time, effort, and money into their wedding day. When there’s money on the line and the phone stops ringing or the emails stop coming, it’s cause for concern.

And let’s face it, in this day and age, everyone is connected 24/7 and also very busy for one reason or another. So allowing 24/48 hours for a response isn’t unacceptable. But if you send your DJ an email a month before the wedding to set up a final meeting to go over all of the details and they don’t respond for a week, try again. Email them, call them, whatever it takes. And don’t worry about being “That Bride”. We have a standard here at Pryme Tyme Entertainment. “Treat the client like they were your ONLY client.” It is an honor to be considered to help you celebrate one of the most momentous occasions in your life, the least we can do is return your calls.

Money can also be an intimidating factor when planning a wedding. Yes indeed, things cost money and weddings are no different. But like anything else, you get what you pay for. A wedding DJ has many responsibilities that far surpass hitting play on an itunes playlist and walking away. They guide the flow of your day and are the keeper of the keys when it comes to your wedding timeline. Choosing the right wedding DJ for your wedding is the difference between a fancy dinner with background music (which you can get at your neighborhood italian restaurant) and a lifelong memory of the happiest day of your life with an amazing celebration. With all of that responsibility and one shot to get it right, that comes with a price.

Now we understand that everyone has a budget that they have to fit into but, this is where prioritizing comes into play. Ask yourself the question of what is more important to you? If you want to dance all night and have a seamless wedding, the DJ is definitely something to splurge on. But if it’s not that important, there are many low budget options available. The best piece of advice I could give you would be to plan on between $1000-$3000 for your wedding DJ in Connecticut. This is the market standard for professional wedding djs in ct. This will allow you to cherry pick who you want from the top of the pile (much like your dress) and you won’t have to settle for anything less than what you want for your wedding. Many DJs offer flexible payment options to help you book their services.

Follow these tips and get over the fear of choosing the right DJ for your wedding.

how to hire your wedding dj, book wedding dj, wedding djs in ct, connecticut dj, connecticut wedding dj, connecticut bride, wedding planning, planning your wedding, wedding nightmares, book the dj, connecticut wedding

Keeping the dance floor full – Story of a mind reader

/in /by

Keeping the dancefloor full – Story of a mind reader:

I had just gotten through several consultations this past week for everything from weddings, to sweet 16’s, proms, etc… You get the idea. The one question that seemed to be on everyone’s mind was… “How do you get people dancing and keep them dancing?”

I’ll give you a few guesses as to how a DJ does this. It’s not mind reading or ESP. It’s not a roll of the dice or a lucky guess. Being able to read an audience takes many years of practice and execution in addition to some good music programming. Let me put you into the eyes of a disc jockey for a moment…

Lets say we’re at a wedding. A wedding with about 150 people in attendance. All of the age groups are represented. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, children… You get the idea. Now you may ask yourself, how is the DJ going to get all of these folks to get up and dance?

One way is to screen the crowd. By going around and introducing yourself to all of the tables during dinner, you break the barrier between you and your audience. Ask the guests what do they want to hear. Start by making genre suggestions and see if anyone bites. Once you have collected your information, you now have a general idea of what you are going to do.

Now, because you want to keep your floor packed all night and maybe even go into overtime, you don’t start off with your best set. If you do that, you will run out of high energy material for the rest of the evening really quickly. Instead, by using a series of peaks and valleys in your music selection.

Start cocktail hour slow and play some neutral music like light jazz or what I like to call, “The Weather Channel Soundtrack” Move to dinner and pick it up a notch. Throw a few in for grandparents in between courses so they can enjoy cuttin’ a rug with their partner like it was 1940 all over again. Build the party atmosphere little by little during dinner to get the audience’s gears turning. By the end of dinner service, they are ready to go. Play a B-Side track to disengage the audience and then hit the lights.

Wedding Bouquet Toss

Bouquet Toss Alternatives

/in /by

Bouquet Toss Alternatives

The one wedding formality that you see in every movie, every wedding album and video is the bouquet toss. But what is the bouquet toss all about? It’s kind of like passing the torch. The bride has reached a zenith in her life by marrying her partner and the bouquet toss is symbolic of passing on good luck and best wishes to one of her single friends in hopes to find happiness in marriage some day. But for some brides, they may not have any single ladies in need of a wedding bouquet on their special day. Or maybe the idea of throwing $200 worth of flowers across the room just doesn’t sound appealing. Either way, if you’re hung up on trying to find an alternative for the traditional wedding bouquet toss, consider a few of these options.

1. The anniversary dance: 

The anniversary dance has been around for quite some time as a fun wedding tradition seeking out the oldest married couple. Your wedding dj will play a timeless slow dance tune and invite the newlyweds and all of the married couples up to the dancefloor. And then the dj will instruct couples that were married closest to the wedding date of the newlyweds to make their way to the side of the dance floor. He will repeat this process in 5, 10, 15 year increments until the last and longest married couple remains. As an alternative to the bouquet toss, the bride can award the longest married couple with her bouquet as a sentiment to honor them. It’s fun, sweet, and is a good way to segue way to open dancing.

2. The Scavenger hunt:

Now as a child, you’ve probably played this game at summer camp or on the playground in middle school. But with weddings, the finds are a tad more upscale than finding the snapping turtle by the creek. Hiding the brides bouquet at a wedding in a sea of floral centerpieces isn’t too hard and can be done prior to the reception. It’s a fun opportunity for dinner service while people are eating because they will be able to get together in teams and while mingling be on the look out for the bouquet.

3. The mother/son dance:

She raised her son to be a gentleman who will treat his bride with the love and admiration she deserves. As a thank you, a sweet gesture might be to offer her your wedding bouquet. After the mother/son dance, the bride can come to the center of the dance floor and give her mother in law the bouquet and a warm embrace. This also makes for a great photo opportunity!

 

Proms and alcohol, principal cancelled prom

Principal cancelled prom

/in , /by

Principal cancelled prom claiming the cost to parents and students is too much to bare and is a risk due to drug and alcohol abuse

Headmaster Chris Beirne of the Beaulieu School for girls had made the decision this year to eliminate the school’s end of year prom. The cost of prom to parents and pupils was just too much to bare. He had also said that it was ‘no longer reasonable’ for staff to be expected to supervise the school event, ‘in an era of increasing safeguarding risk to students and the staff themselves.’

According the the Jersey Evening Post, Headmaster Bernie was also quoted as saying, “The price of pre- and after-prom parties and the significant focus and distraction this event causes in the academic year, not to mention the growing expense and luxury foisted on parents in the preparation for this event.”

Now for the solution:

Proms are big business. Over 1 billion dollars is spent in the US alone on prom dresses, tux rentals, tanning, flowers, limos, and disposable themed cardboard cutouts. There is so much emphasis on keeping up with the Jones’ to outdo each other with the amount of money spent on these items. But that isn’t the goal of prom. Prom is an opportunity for students to celebrate their school spirit and enjoy a special night just for them with friends and classmates.

The truth is, you don’t need to spent a small fortune to have a good time. But you do need to prioritize your goals. Proms and weddings are miles apart when it comes to planning. For weddings, the majority of the attendees are adults. They want to be wined and dined and enjoy a 4 course meal with all of the trimmings, have an open bar, and dance the night away. But with proms, you’re dealing with teenagers. These are the folks who have 20 minutes for a lunch period and are done with a meal in 10 minutes. They want to dance and let it all hang out for a night. Dinner is for sustenance. Sure it has to be good considering the price per person but, instead of opting for a plated meal, consider a buffet. The students that eat a little bit can take what they want and the students with a healthy appetite can grab a little more if they wish. Everyone is happy because they get to choose what they want.

Centerpieces are pretty, but they make a better door than a window.  And if you’re doing 3 foot hurricane glasses filled with an acre of wildflowers, it’s going to impede on the students’ ability to chat with each other during dinner.

PROM THEMES! This past year, The Great Gatsby was where it was at. The decadence of Hollywood is so popular for proms. It’s the student’s opportunity to spoil themselves and feel like royalty for the night.  But this theme, and many more can be satisfied when it comes to the individual choices in apparel. By saving on disposable decor that will inevitably find it’s way to the landfill 8 hours after it’s set up, you can pass the savings on to the students for other things like limo services, coach buses, and formal wear.

Last but not least, and certainly the most important… Your Entertainment matters the most. Your entertainment is what makes or breaks a prom. Choose the right one and you’ll be a hero to your students and administration. Choose the wrong one and the students will spend the night on their phones or leaving early or at the very worst, succumbing to the clutches of alcohol and substance abuse.

It is completely understandable that the administration in this particular case wants to protect his students from the dangers of substance abuse but by the same token, if you give the students an opportunity to enjoy themselves and put the focus on what is important to THEM instead of what you THINK they want, by giving them an environment that will have them dancing long and hard, singing at the top of their lungs, clapping their hands in the air all night long, they won’t want to turn to drugs & alcohol. They’ll be having too much fun to want to leave.