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5 Wedding Time savers to get you to the dance floor.
Weddings are a cause for celebration and there’s no better way to celebrate than to let loose on the dance floor. And along with the dancing, there are many ceremonious events from parents dances and bouquet tosses that often occur during the course of a reception. One of the unfortunate things we hear from time to time are stories from couples who have recently attended a wedding and spoke of how long they were waiting to get to the dance floor. A lot of that can be attributed to the amount of events that take place during a reception and trying to jam as much into 5 hours as possible. So what are some great wedding time savers to help you maximize your time?
This is where a good master of ceremonies really shines. Your master of ceremonies is the keeper of the keys to keep things moving and on schedule. They are the voice of the celebration to help you and your guests get the most out of your special day. But in addition to hiring a professional wedding entertainer, there are a few things that you can do to save some time during your celebration.
HERE ARE 5 WEDDING TIME SAVERS TO GET YOU TO THE DANCE FLOOR
1. BE ON TIME
This is a big one. We’ve all heard of the wedding that runs late. Things happen from time to time. Maybe makeup and hair took a little longer than it should or a bridesmaid had to use the restroom just moments before the processional at the ceremony. It happens. But being prepared is key to the success of any event especially when it comes to weddings. Arrive to the ceremony location or venue at least an hour early to ensure that you and those who are a part of the ceremony are present and accounted for and start the ceremony right when it’s supposed to happen. Every minute counts and lost time adds up and ultimately delays the festivities.
2. GET YOUR PHOTOS DONE BEFORE COCKTAIL HOUR
If you get your formal photos done prior to cocktail hour or at the very least, the majority of them, this will allow you and your bridal party to enjoy cocktail hour with your guests as well. It also gives your photographer more time to get you the shots you are looking for and there is less pressure to get to the venue. If you go over a little bit, no worries, at least you’ll be on time for your introductions and your dinner will be ready when you arrive.
3. HIRE PROFESSIONAL TRANSPORTATION
This is one of the best investments you can make with time saving in mind. A limo or transportation company is in the business of travel and know the roads better than most because driving is what they do. They know where the venues are and shortcuts to get you there faster. Not to mention, you can sit back and relax with a glass of bubbly while your chauffer handles the cross town traffic and gets you to the reception on time.
4. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Pinterest is great for inspiration in weddings. But be careful not to load up your 5 hour celebration with too many trends. The more you try to jam into your celebration, it may complicate things to the point of taking time away from you and your guests enjoying time on the dance floor. Timing is everything so be sure to keep your wedding dj, venue, and photographer abreast of any details you would like to put into your special day.
5. USE VENDOR REFERRALS
A wedding team that works well together is a sure fire way to get the most out of your wedding. When the venue, photographer, and DJ are familiar with each other, they work like a swiss watch and can work around any unforseen circumstances that may arise. We’re all here to help you enjoy your special day.
Why Professional DJs Don’t use playlists
Why Professional DJs Don’t use Wedding Playlists:
Playlists. They are the new DJ replacement according to some. What’s better than your own customized playlist for an event? Nothing! But, a playlist made by one person only caters to one person. If you’re having a wedding for example, that would mean that there would only be one or maybe a handful of people in the room who might enjoy your playlist. But being realistic here, the average wedding is around 150 guests.
That’s 150 different personalities, age ranges, music preferences, and dance preferences and thousands of possibilities for what will help guests to the dance floor to celebrate. This is why professional djs don’t use wedding playlists. A professional DJ is a master of observation. Every moment of every event we do, we are constantly scanning the room with our eyes to see who is in attendance and look at the demographic as a whole. Then we throw out a few tests to see what kind of an audience we have. Once we get the reaction we are looking for, we can then customize what we play on the fly seamlessly to ensure that all of your guests, young and old are able to enjoy the music and have fun.
It’s a speculation but, by all of the stories that are heard at meetings and events themselves, I can understand why some people are steering towards the playlist over having their DJ do their own thing. And that’s a matter of preference. But you have to go beyond the typical DJ stereotypes. When I do a wedding, it’s not the Aaron show. It’s all about the celebration. It’s my job to make sure that the people in attendance know that and are able to enjoy themselves as much as possible. But if you’ve ever experienced a DJ who wasn’t quite up to snuff who played only what their preferences were and did not fit the environment, that’s the equivalent to making your own wedding playlist. It’s the same result just driven by different means.
It is for this reason that it is so important to really choose the RIGHT dj for the job and not just the cheapest one that you found on Thumbtack.
Still not convinced? Here’s an example.
2 years ago I was helping a couple celebrate their wedding in Simsbury and the bride was VERY specific as to what she wanted played at her wedding. She was a huge fan of hardcore hip hop. Not the light and fun stuff you’d hear on the radio but, underground and pretty heavy duty hip hop. She handed me a wedding playlist at our last meeting and said, “Play these songs in this order from start to finish. Do not derive from this list you are not to take any requests. This is MY day, it’s not about them. It’s about me.”
That’s a pretty bold statement. And when you make that statement, you take 100% responsibility for the success of your wedding. The DJ becomes no more than a jukebox or ipod at that point. Because I always put my best foot forward to make my clients happy, I obliged her demands and during the wedding, started playing her list from start to finish. Besides the dirty looks I was getting from the audience, it was only her and 2 friends on the dance floor. Everyone else sat and just watched with a look that burned a hole in my stomach. I felt bad because I wasn’t able to do anything for her guests and my hands are tied. A few songs into it, she ran up to me and said, “Why aren’t they dancing? Make them dance.” I reminded her of our conversation and she simply replied, “They should be dancing, this is good music.”
When she left the room for the safety of her bridal suite, I snuck in a few favorites and like magic, the guests ran to the floor to dance but when she returned, she demanded that I not play anything except for her wedding playlist, so we went back to it and everyone sat down and began to leave early in groups of 5 and 10.
Remember, what one person’s favorite song may be, might be someone elses least favorite. Think about your guests and the outcome. 2 things that a guest will remember most about your wedding are if the food was any good and if they danced.
Top 50 Processional Songs to Walk down the Aisle To
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.
2- A Thousand Years Christina Perri
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
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
23- Heavenly Day Patty Griffin
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
33- Yellow Coldplay
34- Lucky Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
35- Wonderwall Oasis
37- 1,2,3,4 (I Love You) Plain White T’s
48- You and Me Dave Matthews Band
49- She’s Everything Brad Paisley
50- Waitin’ On A Woman Brad Paisley
Wedding music for the non-conformist
Wedding music for the non-conformist couple.
Manly beards, craft beer, and daisies. Enter the hipster.
2015 was the year of the hipster. It was a non-conformists paradise. And with that came the rise in wedding music that was anything but typical. From childhood superhero theme songs like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to “Gold on the Ceiling” by the Black Keys, no stone was unturned and all bets were off.
Many wedding djs found themselves in a challenging position because we tend to play it safe with what wedding music we know works. But this past year, I loved the challenge. It really forces you think outside the box and really LISTEN to the music to find a place for it.
What we found was a treasure trove of ideas that really focused on a concert like experience rather than the chicken dance, electric slide, and YMCA which just proves… you don’t always need a knock down drag out dance party for the wedding to be successful. Maybe you really enjoy sing alongs and power ballads. Some of the most memorable music makes a cameo on a goof in a movie.
Here’s some non-conformist wedding music that we played this year. There are no rules to have a good time. Just let your wedding music move you.
Black Keys – Gold on the Ceiling
Dropkick Murphys – Shipping up to Boston
Annie Lenox – Walking on Broken Glass
Harry Belafonte – Banana Boat Song
The 20 Happiest Wedding Songs Ever
20 Happiest Wedding Songs:
Weddings are one of the happiest times in a couple’s life. It’s a time to celebrate and throw caution to the wind. And the music plays a big role in the happy memories. Check out the 20 happiest wedding songs that will have you tapping your feet and singing out loud.
- Burning Love – Elvis Presley
- Pon de Replay – Rihanna
- Crazy Little Things Called Love – Queen
- Freedom – George Michael
- Bust a Move – Young MC
- Dancing on the Ceiling – Lionel Richie
- Love Shack – B52s
- Single ladies – Beyonce
- ABC – Jackson 5
- Marry You – Bruno Mars
- Zoot Suit Riot – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
- Dynamite – Taio Cruz
- I wanna dance with somebody – Whitney Houston
- Let’s Groove – Earth Wind and Fire
- I gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
- Celebration – Kool and the Gang
- Good Feeling – Flo Rida
- Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
- Let’s Groove – Earth Wind and Fire
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – The Beatles
Get the party started! 21 Reception Entrance Tunes
Vows given, rings on, let’s party.
When you enter your reception, you’ll be introduced as newlyweds for the very first time. Imagine your family and friends cheering you on as you make your way to the center of the dancefloor with a roar of applause fit for a king and queen. The big reveal of the new couple should be complimented with music that is high energy that will set the pace for the rest of the reception. After all, it’s the celebration of you!
Depending on your style and the style of your bridal party, you might elect to have a special song played for every pair of your bridal party or maybe you just want one theme for the whole entrance. It’s up to you. Here are 21 entrance songs sure to start your reception off right.
1. Crazy in Love – Beyonce, Jay-Z
2. Beautiful Day – U2
3. Let it Rock – Kevin Rudolph, Lil Wayne
4. I gotta Feeling – Black eyed Peas
5. Turn Down for What – Lil Jon, DJ Snake
6. Happy – Pharell Williams
7. Fancy – Iggy Azelea
8. Summer – Calvin Harris
9. Best day of my life – American Authors
10. Classic – MKTO
11. When I ruled the world – Coldplay
12. Love & Marriage – Frank Sinatra
13. Rock n Roll all Nite (Party Every Day) – KISS
14. Shipping up to Boston – Drop Kick Murphys
15. Feels Good – Tony! Toni! Tone!
16. It takes Two – Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
17. Blow – Ke$ha
18. Fireball – Pitbull
19. Good feeling – FloRida
20. Calypso – DJ Snake, Big Ali
21. Rock this Party (Everybody Dance Now) – Bob Sinclair
Wedding Throwbacks: Show your ‘O’ face at your wedding.
Wedding Throwbacks: Show your ‘o’ face at your wedding.
Wait. What?
Yes, you read that correctly. Showing your ‘O’ face at a wedding has a little different meaning than one might think. It’s the face you make when you hear a song that brings back a memory. Typically followed by the phrase, “THAT’S MY JAM!” Maybe it was a high school dance with friends or that song you and your girlfriends used to sing together in college using hair brushes and curling irons as microphones. What ever it is, it was a great time in your life.
What not a better way to commemorate those glory days with a guilty pleasure song. So what’s your guilty pleasure song?
In the 80’s it may have been Mony Mony.
If you were a 90’s kid, it was probably a boy band like New Kids on the Block or Backstreet boys.
Either way, the songs that you publicly shame and secretly love are a great way to get people up and moving. So the next time you are thumbing through your wedding playlist, add a guilty pleasure to the mix and watch your guests making the ‘O’ face. If they do, it’s their guilty pleasure song too.
Wedding Ceremony – Dancing down the aisle
Jill and Kevin LOVE to dance anywhere, any time. And their wedding ceremony was no exception. Watch as Jill, Kevin and the rest of their bridal party rock this church with the BEST WEDDING INTRO EVER! Their bridal party moved, shook, and dropped down the aisle to Chris Brown’s 2007 love infused hit “Forever” from the album “EXCLUSIVE” This fun and happy song is a favorite amongst couples for introductions but as you can see by the video, it really set the vibe for the rest of the reception.
Which just goes to show you, you don’t have to wait til you get to the dance floor to have some fun on your wedding day. So put on your dancing shoes and then head to the church to ask permission from your pastor about foregoing hearing “Here comes the Bride!” on a bombastic pipe organ rattling from the rafters and instead playing secular music in the church. If the church does not have an adequate sound system for music play back, be sure to ask your wedding disc jockey if they would be willing and able to lend a hand by upgrading to a ceremony sound system for the church. GOOD LUCK and DANCE DOWN THE AISLE!
Visit www.jkweddingdance.com for more information or to donate towards violence prevention.
Wedding Vows: The secret to til death do us part.
WEDDING VOWS: The secret til death do us part.
The words, “To death do us part” are common place during a wedding for wedding vows. For some it’s just words but think about it for a moment. What does it mean to be together forever? How do you see your partner? How will you see them in 10, 20, or 50 years from today? This song and it’s video is the perfect definition of what ‘FOREVER’ means. Dontchange by Musiq is a soulful look into the perfect marriage. The sense of togetherness, longing, responsibility, partnership and communication are all featured in the video.
WATCH: DontChange by Musiq