Boca Grande, Sarasota Wedding Photographers

When planning your wedding a key element is the music you play.  You want your guests to walk away having had a really great time.  Choosing the right entertainment is key.  That's why we have as our guest blogger Barry from Nights Of The Sound Table.  His name alone tells you he is creative and would a great choice for your event.  We are so excited to have Barry as our guest blogger this week!  Read his top 5 tips! 



FIVE TOP TIPS: THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

Planning a memorable wedding involves lots of decisions--some big and some small, all important. According to Barry Mantel of Nights of the SoundTable, a San Diego–based full-service entertainment company, there are two decisions that matter the most. "The two most important things at a wedding are food and music," he declares. "You want your guests to say, 'They fed us well, and we partied all night.'" Mantel offers these tips on keeping entertainment energized so you create the wedding of the year:

• Ask Yourself: Band or Deejay?  :When choosing between deejayed and live music, the decision often comes down to the couple’s budget and preference. Mantel suggests considering a package that includes both. "That way you’re not raising the energy and then dropping the energy when the band takes a 20-minute break," he says. The deejay plays during breaks to keep the crowd on its feet.
• Pick a Personality Match: : "With both parties--the betrothed couple and the deejay--the personalities have to match," Mantel advises. "The deejay has to have a firm understanding of what the client wants, and the couple needs to have a real understanding of the deejay--the pilot of their event, so to speak."
• Beware the Bait-and-Switch: If you’re hiring your entertainer through a larger entertainment company, be sure that what you see is what you get. "You need to know the actual face of the person who will show up at your wedding," Mantel warns. "I’ve heard horror stories about companies meeting with brides and then sending someone completely different on the day of the event."
• Choose Your Music: Share your music ideas for the day with your deejay, expecting that he can play roughly 12 songs per hour. Let the deejay know what songs you definitely want and which ones you absolutely don’t ("Chicken Dance," anyone?). But allow room for leeway: "If the couple wants to completely program the day, I suggest they leave 10 to 12 percent of the song list for guest requests," Mantel says. "At all times, I’m talking to the guests, enticing them to suggest whatever will get them on the dance floor--always keeping in mind the couple’s needs and never playing songs they don’t want."
• Enlist the Help of Others: There’s nothing more tear-jerking than a father-daughter dance, so pick the perfect song by asking dear old Dad to help. "When you talk to your parents about these special songs, you’re endearing them to your day," Mantel adds. "There may be a song your dad has always wanted to dance to with you." Today is the day.

For more information about Nights of the SoundTable, call 619-370-7746 or visit www.nightsofthesoundtable.com.


Toni Nelson
www.weddingimagesbynelson.com
941-662-0022


As Boca Grande wedding photographers we get to hear a lot of entertainment.  Even when we are the videographers at a wedding we notice the music.  Make sure the entertainment you choose has the proper equipment so that you and your guests get the most out of the experience.  It's always a great idea to go and hear your DJ before you hire them.