Many couples opt for live entertainment whilst others choose a wedding DJ. Either way if the wedding music isn’t right then the party will fizzle out.

There are many benefits of choosing a wedding DJ which include among other things a larger song selection. Whilst the wedding DJ is on a break and during meals, music can still be playing. A good wedding DJ can also be your wedding MC as many can do both. This is obviously more cost effective than a wedding band and is more professional than asking a friend or relative to MC.

Finding a wedding DJ may be difficult. You may choose a wedding DJ that you have seen play at another wedding or event. Another way to select a good wedding DJ is to ask the venue for a list of good DJ’s they have worked with in the past. Most venues will be able to provide you with this list. It is often best to choose a wedding DJ who is familiar with the venue and its sound requirements.

When choosing your wedding DJ it is advisable that you meet them in person to discuss the music. You will need to have a plan as to when the first dance should be played, the genre of music you prefer to ensure that the wedding music suits your personal preferences. A consultation with your wedding DJ is vital especially if they are going to be your wedding MC as well.

Another factor to consider when choosing you wedding DJ is their experience. Be sure to ask for testimonials, referrals and references. You should also ensure that you and your DJ have a good rapport and that you feel comfortable with them. This is important to ensure that communication is easy between both parties. It is also a good idea to ask the wedding DJ if they have played at your venue before as well as other types of venues they have played at. This will give an idea as to whether they are familiar with the venues size and the type of equipment they need to bring to the event. Finally make sure you have a written agreement in place.

The perfect wedding DJ will be flexible and organised and have a plan on the night. Combining a wedding DJ with live entertainment is becoming more common and is a contemporary twist for today’s weddings. With more cultures intermarrying the wedding DJ may need to share the stage with a wedding band and other wedding entertainment.

The ideal wedding DJ is professional, experienced and has similar taste in music to you. They will punctual and understand the atmosphere you are trying to create. They will be able to keep the wedding party lively and everyone on the dance floor. After all your wedding day is one big celebration.

Live music contributes a certain quality of atmosphere to any event and a wedding is the perfect event to be enhanced by it. While DJ’s may seem cost effective, there is a great deal a DJ cannot provide in terms of mood that a live wedding band can. With this in mind, let’s explore several important tips for choosing wedding bands and working with musicians that will help to aid your collaboration with your chosen wedding band so that you can work together to create a unique and inviting atmosphere for your wedding ceremony or reception.

Let’s discuss some essential tips for choosing wedding bands. First and most importantly, you will want to have your ceremony and reception sites booked before hiring your musicians. This is essential, because most sites have at least some specific guidelines detailing aspects such as sound, band size and so on. Some sites, such as churches and synagogues, will have a list of preferred wedding musicians that they would like you to work with. After you have secured your locations and determined their rules and specifications, you will want to book your band as early as possible. However, before you can do this, there are some important suggestions you should follow in order to make your search as easy as possible. These include:

To find musicians who will fit both your taste and budget, interview at least three different musicians or go through a music management company.

Try to attend the interviews as a couple, as both the bride and groom will have input.

Bring a pen and notepad with you to all of your interviews to quickly write down any information or questions you may have throughout the interview.

Most importantly, consider these aspects both before and after interviewing wedding musicians in order to make an objective and informed decision:

Budget: Do not “cut corners”. Quality should be of the utmost importance to you. However, that doesn’t mean you should go beyond your budget, either. Try to find a happy medium between your budget and the atmosphere you want.

Theme / Mood and Atmosphere: Consider the theme of your wedding as well as the mood and atmosphere you want to achieve.

Musical Taste: Keep your own musical tastes in mind; ultimately, it’s your wedding.

Location: As previously mentioned, the location of your ceremony and reception may have certain rules or restrictions. In addition, certain décor lends itself more easily to live music. For example, hardwood floors and minimalist decorations create wonderful acoustics, where carpeting and tile ceilings can absorb sound so more amplification may be required.

Guests: Live music is an excellent choice for your reception, as it entertains guests during particular events such as while you are being photographed. Your guests will take their cue from you; if you are enjoying the music, so will they.

Hiring a Professional Wedding Band with Experienced Musicians helps you to plan a day full of festive, romantic music for your occasion. These musicians are faithful to schedules, always prepared, and most importantly able to help you choose the most fitting music for your event based on circumstances such as location and theme. Be ready to trust their judgment.

Securing Your Wedding Music: A deposit of one-third or one-half of the total cost should be paid in advance. Many times, the balance will be asked for two weeks in advance. Also keep in mind that patrons of the arts (in this event, you) are obliged to provide food and drink for your hired musicians. Musicians work exceptionally hard and need food, drink, and rest occasionally.

Using a Wedding Coordinator may help take the guesswork out of planning your own wedding. Hiring one is highly recommended.

Your day is one that both yourself and your guests will remember always. Following these tips will assure you peace of mind on your special day, and your guests will revel in your happiness!

Do you want to dance your way to I do? Great, well we have provided in this article guidelines that will enhance the Monterey wedding music you decide to go with. Keep in mind, that there are two separate events you might need music for. This includes your wedding ceremony and wedding reception afterward.

The music should be in keeping with the style of wedding you have chosen (formal, semiformal, or informal. This is achieved through the use of traditional, sacred, and contemporary music). You can combine one or more type of music for a pleasing effect.

If you are being married in a church, the church organist can offer many suggestions of appropriate wedding music and acquaint you with any possible restrictions on the type of music that may be used.

You may elect to use only one selection of music for the entire processional or choose to have one of the entrances of the other members of the bridal party and another for yourself. When only one selection is used for the processional, the instrumentalists may increase the volume of the music to indicate your entrance. When a separate selection is being used for your processional, the organist could chime the hour, play a fanfare, or add a flourish of trumpets or chimes to signal your entrance.

Each selection of music may be played a little faster or slower, a little louder or softer. By changing the pace and the level of sound, a selection may be appropriate for use as either a processional (slower) or a recessional (faster).

When using more than one instrumentalist for the processional (i.e.duet, trio, quartet, or quintet), it is recommended that you ask them to attend the rehearsal to practice the timing of the entrance of the entire bridal party. Find out also whether the church requires you to use only their own musicians before you ask someone else to participate. Your choice of instrumentalists and vocalists may be restricted by the ceremony site.

Be sure you have heard the individuals perform before asking them to be part of your wedding day. Be prepared to pay each musician either a fee set by the individual or union scale. Give them a payment envelope at the close of the wedding rehearsal, if they attend, or upon arrival the day of the wedding.

If the performers need any special music, you are responsible for getting it to them as soon as possible. They will need time to work any necessary rehearsals into their schedules. Have the musicians be responsible for setting their own practice times, dates, and locations with each other. You might check later to see if they are prepared.

Use the same procedure in hiring musicians for the reception as you do for the wedding. You might consider using the same musicians for both. Especially with groups, be sure you are hiring the musicians you are hearing. Feel free to use a combination of musical styles to entertain your guests (classical, broad way tunes, pop, rock, ethnic).

To provide continuous music, you may use a combination of live and taped music. You may also decide to have only recorded music. A Michigan DJ is usually an experienced emcee and is able to entertain your guests with a variety of music styles.

Be sure to set a limit on the level of sound for any amplified instruments. The sound level should not hinder conversation. Payment to the musicians should be made immediately before they leave the reception area. You might also consider inviting your guests to have a special part in your day by sharing their talents during the reception. On a final note, you want to select music from a top wedding song list so your entertainment can give you what you desire.

The main goal is to make sure it fits with your style, whether this is class or fun. Every bride wants the best wedding ever, so take your time with your decision and enjoy these stages in planning your special day.

If you want to have a wedding in a tropical paradise setting, then a Florida wedding is the right one for you and your loved one. A Florida wedding comes complete with all the right ingredients for a perfect romantic wedding you can ask for. It will surely make your big day an unforgettable one.

A Florida wedding package can be affordable in which you can invite just a handful of friends and family members. You can also opt for lavish beach weddings where several hundred guests can attend to make your matrimonial day an event to remember to last a lifetime of memories.

Most Florida wedding packages are arranged with the help of a wedding planner who includes all the details right down to your reception and even the itinerary of your honeymoon afterwards. But if you prefer anything more unique, wedding planners can suggest any location you like from the Pan Handle to Key West to Miami to Tampa. Anywhere literally includes those outlying barrier reef islands!

There is a Florida wedding package to suit your tastes which range from historical, tropical, romantic, beach or island paradise locations. Even city locations are included if you like a traditional indoor wedding ceremony. A Florida wedding is your chance to realize your affordable dream wedding.

Wedding professionals can get you through all the minute details of a Florida wedding from the marriage license to contacting all the wedding vendors (wedding cake, refreshments and catering) right down to the musicians (if you want live music to make your wedding day a truly romantic wedding).

You can contact wedding planners that specialize in a Florida wedding even on-line and get a free cost estimate. They can customize a dream package for your Florida wedding whether is just for 2 people or for a full-blown entire family affair. What’s more important is that prior consultation can get you special arrangements to honor your culture, tradition and religion.

It is no wonder couples planning to get hitched choose a Florida wedding rather than Las Vegas- style weddings because of the added solemnity and the spectacular surroundings and background. A Florida wedding can be held almost anywhere you like such as bed and breakfast settings, a quaint chapel, an outdoor gazebo, a country club setting or a lush tropical garden setting.

A Florida wedding can set your imagination free for that perfect and very personal wedding you had always dreamed about. A Florida wedding will exceed all your expectations and make even the most jaded person cry for the sheer romance and beauty of the ceremony.

When planning a wedding one of the key components is what kind of music to have on your wedding day. You can choose form a DJ, Live Band or a String Quartet and some people li0ke to do a mix of several choices.

Learn How to Have : The Perfect Wedding

You will need to choose the Wedding Music for your ceremony as well as your reception but keep in mind that you want to choose a style of music that fits both the bride and groom. The guest at your wedding will remember the music that you play so make sure that it is something that you are proud of.

Learn how to get Free : Wedding Advice

When meeting with the person who is in charge of the music make sure that you make a list with them of the type of music and when music will be played. It is important that when the father – daughter dance is on that there song is played.

Make sure that when you are deciding what type of music you will be playing at your reception that you wan to take into account the age of your guest. You will want to make sure the music that is played will cover all age groups so that some of your guest do not feel left out.

Choosing Music for your wedding can be a fund thing to do but make sure that you are organized and make a list of what music will be played and when. This is one of the best times of your life to get married and being organized will help reduce any stress.

You’ve now taken the plunge and said you to his marriage proposal. You’re excited but have some trepidation about the next step. Embarking on wedding preparations can be a daunting experience. But don’t worry there is help at hand. This beginner’s guide to wedding planning will give you a good starting point for planning the biggest celebration of your life.

The First step is to consider the date. Do you want an autumn wedding or do you prefer the symbolism of a springtime celebration. Whichever you choose you need to allow yourself enough time to book your venues as most a booked months in advance.

The budget is the next step in planning your wedding. How much you are willing to spend will determine the type of wedding you’ll have. Big or small. Extravagant or simple. A fully catered event or a cocktail party. To put a budget together you should estimate the cost of everything and then try to keep to your budget. Make sure you expectations and budget are realistic.

Research suppliers and vendors you think you might use for your wedding.   Below is a suggested checklist with timelines.

12 TO 24 MONTHS BEFORE WEDDING

o    Announce your engagement to family, and then friends

o    Decide upon a budget and list who will pay for what

o    Determine wedding style and degree of formality of your wedding

o    Meet with clergy. Arrange for pre-marital counselling or classes suggested by clergy

o    Select ceremony site (have alternative plan if wedding is held outside)

o    Select reception site (have alternative plan if wedding is held outside)

o    Set date and time of wedding and reception

·         Note: You must coordinate your ceremony site, reception site, date and time of wedding, budget and size of the wedding before any other definite plans can be made

o    Both families begin to compile guest lists. (Set a definite date for final lists.)

o    Develop a record-keeping system for all wedding details, contracts, etc.

o    Develop a record-keeping system for guests, invitations, gifts, and thank-you notes

6 TO 9 MONTHS BEFORE WEDDING

o     Select colour scheme and wedding theme

o      Select photographer/ videographer

o      Select music for ceremony

o      Select reception entertainment

o      Select florist

o      Select limousine service or other transportation

o      Select caterer (if not provided by reception site)

o      Select and order wedding cake

o     Choose your attendants including bridesmaids and groomsmen.

o      Shop for your gown, veil, headpiece, jewellery and accessories

Note: You should order your gown at least 7 months before your wedding date.

o     Select bridesmaid’s gowns

Note: These gowns should also be ordered at approximately same time as your gown. Obtain a swatch of fabric to coordinate all other wedding colours.

o    Select shoes for you and bridesmaids.

o    Select formalwear

o    Finalize honeymoon plans

o    Apply for passport and arrange for inoculations (if necessary)

o    Select beauty consultant

o    Make arrangements for rehearsal dinner.

o    Reserve wedding night hotel suite

4 TO 6 MONTHS BEFORE WEDDING

o     Finalize guest list, eliminate duplicates

o     Enter guests’ names, addresses, and phone numbers into appropriate record book.

o    Delegate duties to the bridal party i.e planning bachelor/bucks party and brides party/hens night

o    Select wedding rings

o    Select bonbonniere. (If they are to be made, begin preparations.)

o    Make appointments for hairdresser, nail salon, makeup, tanning salon

o     Try new hairstyle now, rather than just before wedding.

o    Order invitations, wedding stationery, personal stationery with your married name, etc.

o    Reconfirm plans with ceremony and reception sites, clergy person, caterer, florist, photographer, videographer, ceremony and reception musicians, baker, and travel agent for honeymoon plans.

o    Check on status of attendants’ gowns.

o    Write and review wedding vows, if appropriate.

o    Ask special people to do reading at the ceremony.

o    Design wedding program handout for ceremony and arrange to have wedding program printed.

o     Make sure all deposits are paid, and contracts signed.

2 TO 4 MONTHS BEFORE WEDDING

o    Address wedding invitations. (Invitations should be mailed six weeks before wedding date.)

o    Select gifts for attendants

o    Compile bridal shower guest lists.

o    Purchase garter, cake top, knife, toasting glasses

o    Set up a Bridal Registry

1 TO 2 MONTHS BEFORE WEDDING

o     Have fittings for gown and attendants’ gowns

o      Obtain marriage license. (30 days before wedding date)

o      Purchase wedding gift for fiancé.

o      Prepare seating list for reception and make place cards, if appropriate.

o      Confirm ceremony details with officiate.

o      Finalize wedding music

o      Finalize music list for reception. Request special dances, songs, etc.

o      Make an itinerary for your wedding day. Give to all wedding party members,   parents, and wedding consultant.

o     Make sure all transportation arrangements for wedding party have been finalized.

o    Confirm that all men have been fitted for formalwear.

2 WEEKS BEFORE WEDDING

o    Call guests who have not responded to invitations

o     Confirm time and date of wedding rehearsal with all wedding party members.

o    Obtain travel tickets, itineraries

1 WEEK BEFORE WEDDING

o    Try on wedding gown to check fit and make sure it is pressed.

o    Reconfirm all wedding plans: ceremony and reception site, florist, photographer, videographer, musicians, baker, and   honeymoon plans.

o     Give caterer/reception site final head count.

o     Make final payment for any services that require prepayment.

o    Verify that all attendants have wedding apparel.

1 DAY BEFORE WEDDING

o    Set aside everything you will need at ceremony site: gown, headpiece, veil, accessories, shoes, stockings, slip, purse, brush and hairspray.

o     Attend rehearsal

o    Get a good night’s sleep!

WEDDING DAY

o    Forget any details that run amok.

o     Eat a good breakfast.

o    Take a relaxing bath.

o    See hairdresser for wedding hairstyle.

o    Have makeup applied.

o    Don’t forget rings and wedding license.

o    Thank everyone for their help.

Want to get married in a unique wedding location that is as unique as the two of you? Forget the same-ol’-same-’ol venue and go for something wet, wild or wacky.

Wet

You have many choices when it comes to water weddings. You can have a submarine wedding in Hawaii, a snorkeling wedding in the Caribbean, or a wedding on a tall ship in Chicago. Or, you can push the envelope just a little bit further and go for something truly unique – a wedding in the world’s only underwater hotel.

The Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida is truly underwater, with guests having to scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea and enter through an opening in the bottom of the lodge. Wedding ceremonies are held inside the lodge, which consists of a wet room entrance area, two bedrooms and a common room, which is a combination kitchen, dining and living room area. Imagine having your honeymoon underwater, snuggled in your bed while watching the fish pass by your window.

Your wedding ceremony is conducted by a notary public, who dives down for the service, followed by a toast and the cutting of the cake, which, yes, has remained dry. For dinner you are offered a caviar appetizer and choice of two entrees, either lobster or steak and a hearts of palm salad and dessert. Your meal is prepared by a chef who scuba dives to the lodge. The chef will also scuba dive to the lodge the following morning and prepare breakfast. The Jules’ Undersea Lodge wedding is perfect for those who wish to elope to an unusual location.

The cost for the Jules’ Undersea Lodge is $1,495 plus tax. If you have any extra guests attending the wedding you will be charged an additional $60 per guest. Call (305) 451-2353 for more information.

Wild

What could be more wild than a shotgun wedding or a wedding at a haunted hotel?

With a wedding and honeymoon in Oatman, Arizona, you get both. Where’s Oatman, you ask? It’s an historic ghost town 20 miles southeast of Laughlin, Nevada, formerly a thriving mining town during the gold rush. Oatman today is a tourist town with daily wild west shootouts and shotgun weddings. Oatman is also where you’ll find the Oatman Hotel, where, in 1939, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their wedding night.

It’s said the Oatman Hotel is haunted by numerous spirits, including, some say, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, a former chambermaid and an Irish miner who once lived there. It’s said staff and guests of the hotel have heard the spirits of Gable and Lombard laughing from their honeymoon room. There are also reports of the sound of bagpipes coming from the room of the Irish miner, whose spirit is referred to as “Oatie”

For information regarding shotgun weddings, you can call 928-768-8063 or 928-768-3839. For reservations to The Oatman Hotel you can call 928-768-4408.

Another wedding venue which many consider haunted is Thayer’s Historic Bed and Breakfast in Annandale, Minnesota, which is owned by a psychic, Sharon Gammell. Thayer’s specializes in interactive mystery dinners, ghost huntings, psychic readings and small weddings, which, if you choose, can be officiated by Gammell. Built in 1895, Thayer’s Historic Bed and Breakfast is said to be the home of several ghosts, including the original owners, Caroline and Gus Thayer and some of their friends. And, for you cat lovers, Thayer’s is also the home of three resident ghost cats (as well as some living cats).

Annandale is just a little over an hour’s drive from the Twin Cities International Airport. For more information call 800-944-6595.

Wacky

For one of the wackiest wedding experiences, try Star Trek the Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton, where you can have your ceremony on the Bridge of the USS Enterprise 1701-D. You minister will perform your wedding ceremony dressed in Starfleet outfits while intergalactic wedding music plays in the background. Depending on the Wedding package you choose, you can have your choice of one to three Star Trek characters present at your wedding: Klingon, Ferengi or BORG.

You can also choose to have your wedding reception inside Quark’s Bar or the Captain’s Lounge, depending on the size of your wedding party. You can have your choice of different reception menus, but I’d definitely go for the Romulan Warbird, which is a marinated chicken ****** served with wild rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables. Wedding cakes come with the Star Trek logo on them.

Hopefully some of the above wedding ideas will either appeal to you, or get you thinking about other creative and unique ways to celebrate your wedding. Maybe wet, wild and wacky weddings aren’t your thing. Maybe eloping to Hawaii or Las Vegas is what you want. Whatever you decide to do, make it special.

Whether it’s a traditional, formal or off-the-beaten-track wedding, you’re putting the whole event together yourself by planning its every phase. These days, with so much available on the Internet, it’s easy! All you need is some time and a clear idea of the feeling you want to get across.

Start with a theme and you’ll have a coherent image you can use throughout the entire wedding. You may be surprised, in fact, how potent just a word or concept can be, once applied as your marriage theme.

Love angels, for example? What could be more perfect than finding ways to incorporate angels in every phase of your wedding?

From the flowers to the guest favors to the vows, you can find a way to carry out the theme through the entire event. Is it to be a casual wedding of two Renaissance types? The Renaissance theme is compatible with the wedding ritual, and makes for an unforgettable event.

Getting married on February the fourteenth? Hearts and flowers are perhaps the most traditional and best beloved of all wedding themes!

When you’re planning your wedding, save time to choose the music with care. Get together with whoever is providing the music and talk about the right pieces for the two of you. There is nothing that sets the tone like music, and your wedding music will live in your memories for the rest of your lives.

The rings, the vows, the wardrobe…all the choices you must make to create an intimately personal expression of your love, are made so much easier by following a theme. But the idea behind it all is what counts.

You can choose one word to describe the spirit you wish to be your wedding, as if the coming together of two hearts creates a separate entity with one quality.

Is it joy? Is it contentment? Is it a giddy, bubbly, mirthful adoration? Pick a word or a phrase and keep it in mind. It’ll tie everything together and make the experience more perfect. And your wedding theme can become a foundation throughout your marriage.

For your wedding.

For each other.

For your life.