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hawks landing country club, hawks landing wedding, bellvista wedding, bellavista at hawks landing, connecticut wedding venue

Hawks Landing Tasting Event

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The Hawks Landing Tasting Event

is the perfect opportunity for engaged brides and grooms to get a taste of exactly what Hawks Landing has to offer. Bring your family, friends, and bridal party to help you pick out the perfect menu for your wedding or special event!

Enjoy food, fun, dancing, our photo booth and experience what some of CT’s best wedding vendors have to offer.

The tasting is from 6pm to 10pm at the Bella Vista Banquet Room this Saturday, February 13th 2016. It’s just $25 per guest and groups of 8 or more guests will receive $10 off of their total table.

Call Jamie at 860-793-6000 ext. 8 or email [email protected] to purchase tickets! We’ll see you tomorrow at HAWKS!

 

wedding ceremony music, wedding music, here comes the bride, wedding ceremony, wedding playlist, ceremony playlist

Top 50 Processional Songs to Walk down the Aisle To

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Top 50 Processional Songs to Walk down the Aisle To

You’ve got everything planned just how you like it. The perfect partner. The perfect venue and atmosphere, a killer wedding DJ, and an amazing wedding photographer. Now you just need the perfect song to walk down the aisle to. Since many wedding DJs offer ceremony sound systems, this really opens up the door to utilizing just about any song you could think of to walk down the aisle to. But choosing the perfect song that personifies your relationship with your soon to be spouse isn’t always easy.

We’ve taken the guess work out of it for you! Here are the top 50 Processional Songs! Enjoy.

1- Marry Me          Train

2- A Thousand Years         Christina Perri

3- Canon In D          Pachelbel

4- Over the Rainbow          Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

5- Make You Feel My Love          Adele

6- Come Away With Me         Norah Jones

7- First Day Of My Life          Bright Eyes

8- I Do          Colbie Caillat

9- Marry You         Bruno Mars

10- I Won’t Give Up          Jason Mraz

11- Everything I Do, I Do It For You        Bryan Adams

12- This Years Love         David Gray

13- Better Together         Jack Johnson

14- When You Say Nothing At All          Alison Krauss

15- All You Need Is Love        The Beatles

16- Here Comes the Sun         The Beatles

17- Ho Hey          Lumineers

18- Bless The Broken Road         Rascal Flatts

19- Only Time          Enya

20- Wanted         Hunter Hayes

21- At Last         Etta James

22- By Your Side         Sade

23- Heavenly Day          Patty Griffin

24- I’m Yours          Jason Mraz 

25- Good Life          One Republic 

26- God Gave Me You       Blake Shelton

27- Bitter Sweet Symphony         Verve 

28- I Do (Cherish You)         98 Degrees 

29- Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring         Acoustic Alchemy 

30- I Will          The Beatles 

31- In My Life        The Beatles

32- Angel Eyes          Jim Brickman

33- Yellow          Coldplay 

34- Lucky        Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat

35-  Wonderwall          Oasis

36- Home          Phillip Phillips 

37- 1,2,3,4 (I Love You)          Plain White T’s 

38- This I Promise You         NSYNC 

39- God Only Knows         Beach Boys 

40- Blackbird          The Beatles

41- Ode to Joy         Beethoven

42- Paradise         Coldplay

43- L-O-V-E         Nat King Cole

44- The Prayer          Celine Dion

45- Dixie Cups        Chapel Of Love

46- Extreme         More Than Words

47- You and Me        Lifehouse

48- You and Me          Dave Matthews Band

49- She’s Everything         Brad Paisley

50- Waitin’ On A Woman         Brad Paisley

 

Keeping the dance floor full – Story of a mind reader

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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.

10 things a smart bride never says

10 things a smart bride never says

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10 things a smart bride never says:

“It’s all what you make of it.”

You’ve heard your parents, grandparents, teachers, and friends say that phrase before. It sounds like a meme you’d read on facebook but, it’s short, sweet and to the point. When it comes to weddings, this statement couldn’t be anything closer to the truth.

While many people will tell you that weddings typically cost 5 times more than the average party, they’d be correct. There’s a reason for that though. When you lay your money down on the table for something, does it meet your expectations? Was it everything you wanted and more? What is the most important feature that you want for your wedding? And how do you get the most value from it? It’s all a matter of priority.

We hear many stories from once bridesmaids turned bride on what their experiences and the experiences of their friend (the bride) had at their wedding. Some are full of happy memories and some not. Here are the 10 things a smart bride never says.

1. Aww man, I wish I could have done this instead of that.

2. I had a buddy of mine take care of (insert assorted wedding service here) because he was cheap and available.

3. We really wanted a photo booth for our wedding because they were so much fun but we figured, people are just gonna take selfies in the bathroom anyway so, what the hell.

4. Thank god we opted for the chair coverings and chocolate fountain. It really made the wedding more amazing than I had hoped.

5. I didn’t allow my DJ to stray from my playlist and as a result, I loved the music. Nobody was dancing though, that DJ sucks.

6. It’s my wedding. The guests are there for me. They should be happy to get a free meal.

7. I spent $10,000 my dress that I will wear for exactly 14 hours in my lifetime and now I don’t have enough money to buy all the things that Pinterest told me that I need for my wedding.

8. I am going to wear these 5 inch heels if it kills me.

9.  My DJ never showed up and he kept the $300 we paid him even after he promised he’d do my wedding.

10. My wedding SUCKED!

Check out this DJ’s package.

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Check out DJ Packages.

It’s the first line of nearly every email that we get. “HI I’m Samantha and I would like to know what your dj packages are. Thanks.”

Of course you do! You are trying to plan your budget for your wedding dj or event. It makes sense. The first question anyone asks when trying to get all of their ducks in a row is about price. And why shouldn’t you? It’s an important question. But think about this. If you’ve ever called a cable company or a satellite provider and set up service, you probably know their schtick by heart. And it probably sounds a lot like what you’d expect a DJ to say. So many DJs across the country are also programmed to respond with tantalizing packages to make the largest one seem appealing. But, what if you’re not looking for 100 uplights, two 90″ TVs with hip hop videos and a 2 man entertainment team? What if your wedding is supposed to be a laid back affair with family and friends? DO you really need all of that stuff? Or better yet, does the venue you chose for it’s beauty and charm really fit with the 2016 equivalent to Studio 54?

If not, that’s ok! But, if you did want to go for the gusto, you could always have those options. Ultimately, the choice is yours. If you look at our wedding dj prices page you’ll notice that there are just 4 things offered on that page. These are our most popular options that people ask for. You certainly aren’t limited to those four and there are many more enhancements to choose from depending on your preferences but, we don’t want to limit you to what you can or cannot have by forcing you into a decision that just doesn’t work. Much like the cable tiers that include the basic channels, about 40 more that you don’t care about, and if you act now, they’ll throw in a month of Starz and 20 home shopping channels if you sign a 3 year contract today, you know and I know that you’re probably going to watch about 10% of what they are offering. And if you did want just one channel that isn’t included in that tier, you’d have to upgrade to a lot more undesired channels to get the one you’re looking for and pay exponentially more. In that scenario, who comes out on top?

We have a simple philosophy that we work from. “Take care of the client and everything else takes care of itself.” That’s why we don’t offer vacuum sealed, pre-made, postage paid packages for the events that we do. When you sit down at your first meeting, we want to know what YOU want so that WE can help you reach your goals for getting the wedding dj, lighting, photo booth, and any other amenities that you’re looking for. And by forming that partnership with you, it allows us to create one of a kind experiences for you and your guests.

So grab a pencil and a pad, and dream away. It’s not the Pryme Tyme show, its all about you.

Do I really need lighting at my wedding?

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Do I really need lighting at my wedding?

Weddings are a very personal experience for many couples. The majority of couples that we meet have the same goal when it comes to their entertainment. Make my guests dance.
But in 2015, the role of wedding djs has evolved into more of an events production approach and that’s where lighting comes in to play.

If you’ve been to a wedding at The Riverview, Waterview, Aqua Turf, or Aria this year, you’ve probably seen uplighitng in the ballroom. Come to think of it, the majority of Connecticut Wedding Venues has installed uplighting as an option for couples to take advantage of and give the room a dash of color. Because these wedding venues have installed permanent uplighting, you can rest assured that the lighting that they have installed will compliment the room and enhance what is already there. Uplighting is a great option as you have many different color combinations available to create a vibrant environment.

But what about other types of lighting?

If you’ve ever been to a wedding where the room is very bright, you notice that it is more difficult to get people to let their guard down and head to the dance floor. Nobody wants to be the only one out there and especially in plain view of the other 150 guests attending the wedding. So, when the house lights are dimmed, it helps to lose those inhibitions and head to the floor to move, shake, and sing. But turning the lights down only goes so far.

Intelligent lighting is an enhancement that excites as much as it’s soothes. We’re not talking about the type of lighting that you’d see at a roller rink or bowling alley but more like a theater, concert, or nightclub. Computer controlled and motorized lights (moving heads) are the tool of choice for professional entertainment companies like Pryme Tyme Entertainment. With these very powerful lights, you can add new dimensions to your wedding. Imagine for a moment dancing in the center of the dance floor for your first dance as a soft white light follows you around the floor. It’s an intimate moment that can turn your first dance from ordinary to extraordinary. And with the same type of lighting, it can also be used to enhance an otherwise blank ceiling during dinner service by projecting patterns and colors. During dancing, these moving heads will dazzle your guests and create an exciting environment to help them to the dance floor.

Pinspotting has become a very popular option as of late. By focusing a beam of light on certain objects such as centerpieces, the wedding cake, or sweetheart table where the couple sits, it creates a tasteful contrast in the room. When uplighting is used on the walls, the middle of the room becomes dark and everything turns into a silhouette. Especially if cool colors like the very common blue and purple uplighting you see at nearly every wedding. Pinspotting centerpieces  ensures that your investment in wedding decor doesn’t get missed out on and makes them stand out.

Image projection is another very dramatic effect. From a simple monogram of the couple’s names in lights being projected to a fully patterned wall, image projection gives a 3 dimensional look to a plain wall, ceiling, or floor. Stencils or “gobos” are used in front of the light source to project just about any pattern or stencil of your choosing.

Dry ice or “Dancing on a cloud” is an old favorite. Some of the great features to using this theatrical effect are a bride’s white dress that seems to stretch to the far reaches of the dance floor during a first dance and paired with intelligent lighting makes for a very beautiful and dramatic effect. The other benefit is that the fog stays low to the ground and will not set off smoke detectors in the venue and is non-toxic.

Atmospheric haze is the best way to enhance all of these lighting effects. When a light is refracted (and reflected) off of a small amount of haze, it creates a beam. If you’ve ever driven through a fog and have seen headlights, you’ll see the beam. Although haze makes for an incredible lighting display and is safe to use, many venues do not allow this effect unless a fire marshal is hired to supervise and ensure that the venue’s smoke alarm won’t falsely alert the fire department.

When it comes to weddings, lighting is a great enhancement that can help you create an exciting and beautiful environment.

Classically Trained Pop Musicians

4 Famous artists who are classically trained musicians

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4 Famous Artists who are Classically Trained Musicians

Joining the ranks of the elite in the music industry for many has just been a matter of being at the right place at the right time. For others, it may have been youtube or some whacky on-stage antics that got them noticed. But for these 20 music titans, it’s all about their passion for music.

  1. PSY
    Gangnam style was one of the most infectious songs of 2013 with it’s deep hooks and who could forget the dance moves that swept the nation. But for Park Jae-Sang, his journey as a professional musician started in 1996. (Wikiquote) After attending an English-language summer course and studying for one semester, Park dropped out of Boston University and applied to study at Berklee College of Music instead. During his time at Berklee, Park took core curriculum lessons in ear training, contemporary writing and music synthesis, but he soon dropped out and returned to South Korea to pursue a career as a singer, without having attained a degree from either Boston University or Berklee.In South Korea, Psy made his first appearance on Korean national television in 2000 after his dancing caught the eye of a TV producer.

  2. John Mayer
    John Mayer was born  John Clayton Mayer in 1978 in Bridgeport, CT. This Fairfield, CT native dominated the airwaves with his 2001 Grammy Award Winning Album, Room for Squares but before 2001, John had attended Berklee in Boston and later had moved out of New England to Atlanta Georgia. Since then, John has shared the stage with some of the worlds most respected musicians including Eric Clapton, BB King, and Buddy Guy. Although for a short time, John was known for his off stage persona as a ladies man and wild child, this 37 year old’s dedication to his craft is one of the most respected in modern rock music.

  3. Billy Squier
    William Haislip Quier was born on May 12th 1950 and grew up in Wellesey Massachusetts. Starting off as a piano player, Squire was bribed by his grandfather to keep going with piano lessons but when he discovered Eric Clapton at age 9, he grabbed the guitar and never looked back. This Berklee student went on to write one of classic rock’s most memorable arena anthems, “The Stroke” and in the mid 2000’s toured with Ringo Star. Later, rap artist Eminem would sample Squire’s “The Stroke” for the 2013 release of “Berzerk”

  4. Pat Benetar
    You’ve heard it and you’ve probably sung the chorus a time or two. Hit me with your best shot, was Pat Benetar’s most successful hit song. This Brooklyn NY native and Julliard School graduate went on to write 17 Billboard chart toppers and win 4 Grammys.

dj aaron demarest

Getting the most out of your wedding dj

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Getting the most out of your wedding dj – get on the floor when ever you can.

It’s no secret. Weddings can be an expensive endeavor. Most wedding receptions last 5 hours and when you’re trying to jam in cocktail hour, a formal dinner service for 180 of your closest family and friends, dance with your father, your groom dance with his mother, toss a bouquet, do a couple toasts, have a blessing before dinner etc… the time flashes by quicker than you might think. Your wedding dj is the keeper of the keys when it comes to your wedding timeline. They will guide you and your guests through the events of the day ensuring that everything is set to plan with the coordination efforts of your wedding team. But there are times where things take a little longer than expected or maybe dad is in the restroom right when it’s time for the father/daughter dance. It happens. But fear not, you can still get the most out of your wedding dj.

When you think of wedding djs, the mind thinks first of the dance floor. The goal of most couples is to get to the dance floor as soon as possible and have the maximum amount of dancing time to enjoy with their guests. Depending on the meals you choose, and the formalities that you add to your timeline, each thing plays a role and takes a certain amount of time which in some cases can take away from open dancing. So how do you get the energy up and keep it going to have a fun and memorable wedding reception and get the most out of your wedding dj?

There is no right or wrong time to dance. If you’ve ever heard your favorite song come on and it just compelled you to dance or at the very least, tap your foot to the rhythm, you know this is true. A great opportunity for dancing is the bridal party introductions. Your wedding dj will introduce your bridal party and then your grand entrance followed by your first dance. Now this is when the magic happens. Either towards the end of your first dance or shortly after, have your wedding dj invite everyone to the floor to join you and kick off the night with a high energy song to get everyone in the mood and set the tone for the rest of the reception.

Although it’s not customary to do this, it’s a great way to keep your guests wanting more. If you’ve been snacking on finger food for an hour, followed by a 4 course meal that could feed a small army paired with some spirits and wine, that’s a recipe for a food coma. But if you get them all on the floor from the start, it’ll get their blood pumping and get them excited for what is to come. Another great way to get more out of your day is to dance in between courses. Your dj might instruct everyone to stand up and push in their chairs and then head to the dancefloor for another short and powerful set. This does 2 things. It offers more dancing time but also is a great way to help the waitstaff clear tables in between courses without having to reach around guests and efficiently serve the next course.

Following this, once the newlyweds are done with their meal (because they will be the first to be served), this is a great opportunity for the cake cutting. By doing the cake cutting before parents dances, this allows the catering staff to cut and plate your cake to be served while your parents dances are happening and give your guests another focal point so that they won’t be waiting for the next event to take place. The goal is to always keep them moving. After that, it’s time to toss that bouquet, maybe do an anniversary dance to get your married couples out on the floor and then in to open dance until the end of your night.

Proms and alcohol, principal cancelled prom

Principal cancelled prom

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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.

thumbtack, dj, wedding dj

Should I use Thumbtack to find my wedding DJ?

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Should I use Thumbtack to find my wedding DJ?

Technology has made it easier than ever to have the world at your fingertips. You can order a pizza and have it delivered to your house, do your grocery shopping, and lots more. But there are some things that require a personal touch that can’t be satisfied with a few easy clicks of the mouse.

Thumbtack is a business listing website that connects consumers to companies relevant to services or products they are searching for. So, if you are looking for a wedding dj, how does this pertain to you? It’s kinda like priceline but for DJs. Here’s how it works.

You sign up for an account and input your contact info. Find a dj in the service directory. Then fill out an inquiry form including the date, location, and budget for your wedding. It asks you if your venue will supply audio and lighting for your event or if it is the responsibility of the DJ. It even asks you if you want a fog machine for your wedding. And last but not least, what kind of music you’re in to. You click the submit button and you’re on your way to endless emails from DJs trying to outbid each other for your business. Sounds like a dream doesn’t it?

Now those criteria might be perfectly acceptable for a 13 year old’s birthday party at the VFW, but we’re talking about weddings. A pivotal moment in your life where you make the commitment to your fiance for the rest of your life. Something as important as a wedding needs to be handled with care. Imagine your grandma banging her head for 4 hours to some David Guetta like she was at the Ultra Festival in Miami. On second thought, let’s not.

The point is, your wedding guest list will be the culmination of a variety of genders, ages, personalities, and music tastes. The first thing that comes to mind when you think of a DJ is the dancing and the music. But when it comes to weddings, your DJ holds a much higher responsibility of keeping things running smoothly and guiding you, your guests, and your wedding team through your wedding day. From introductions to the last dance, every detail great and small is tended to and executed to ensure that you are getting the most out of your reception. In terms of music, the job of your wedding dj is to cater to the masses and ensure that you and your guests young and old have an enjoyable experience throughout the day.

You won’t find that kind of dedication, attention to detail or expertise by filling out a generic form and hiring the lowest bidder.