Now, Stephanie and Bryan had wedded in December on the beaches of Hawaii and wanted to host a reception and celebration back home for family and friends.  Being as this was the third couple in their “client family” – dating back to Kurt & Erin in 2010 – I had to try to outdo myself once again.  The only thing I could think of was to mix music videos live on the giant dual screens Mercer Island Community Center provided – and since Bryan and Stephanie’s vision was more of a party than a formal wedding reception – we had our WOW! factor element.

What I immediately discovered about video mixing and playback as that a whole new realm of possibilities became open to my creativity and imagination.  And thus, we created a first dance sequence that had never been done before at one of my weddings.  Beginning with a slideshow from the wedding in Hawaii, Stephanie & Bryan entered and began their first dance of the evening.  They had selected Lady Antebellum’s “When You Got A Good Thing” which the last 90 seconds is slightly awkward to dance too.  Thus, I obtained some wedding footage and over their song, played the kiss and introduction of the couple.  Designed to take everyone to the beach for that moment in time, it led to a round of applause and a wink and smile from Stephanie.  And that is why I work and rehearse so much for my couples – moments just like those.

The remainder of the night was party mode – with song selections from 70′s classics to today’s current hits – even the non-dancers were entertained by the music videos.  Just the fact they got to see a young Neil Diamond perform “Sweet Caroline” live was entertaining in its own right, as it took elder guests back to moments of their youth.  A fantastic night, a fantastic party and a fantastic couple to work for!

Backstory: Back in August, I was selected as the MC & DJ for Charlie and Kate’s wedding at The Canal in Seattle.  Chris and Kate enjoyed the morning-early afternoon reception so much, they called me up and schedule a time to meet.  I loved them immediately – talk about fun people!

Which brings us to Chris & Kate’s ceremony and reception at the Hollywood Schoolhouse in Woodinville.  After the ceremony, guests were invited up stairs for drinks and socializing – I provided a Bose L1 Compact for background music while downstairs, the room was transformed for the reception.  One thing to understand about the Hollywood Schoolhouse – it’s not exactly acoustic friendly.  The heater kicks on about every 12 minutes and plays a noticeable hum throughout the room.  However, thanks to wireless technology and Bose speakers, I was able to provide full audio coverage for the room – and eliminate the sound of the heater.

At every wedding, there is always at least one moment I will never forget.  For Chris and Kate’s reception, it would be the toasts.  From Paul’s Best Man toast to Kate’s father, Terry, teasing me a bit for my Wedding Toaster’s Manual advice – all in good fun! – all six toasters did a fantastic job.  And then the microphone came to Chris – and per my advice on how to do a groom’s speech – he made us laugh, he made us feel his love for Kate, and then he looked like a romantic stud as at the end, he asked Kate if she would join him for their first dance to the “Ooh” from all the women in attendance.  (Yes, I coached him on that – but he pulled it off in his style, in his own way.  Excellent work Chris!)

One thing Kate mentioned they had loved about Kate & Charlie’s wedding was how I was able to get everyone dancing, despite it being a hot August day.  I have heard of many DJs claiming there isn’t much dancing, if any, at a day time reception – and I find this to be erroneous – even in biblical times, dancing was considered the ultimate form and expression of celebration.  Every event I have ever done during daylight hours has featured dancing – it’s all about knowing who is a dancer and what music they will enjoy.  It’s why I ask for creative licensing when it comes to the dance floor set.  And from classic Motown and Oldies hits to LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It” – dancing was a fantastic way for friends and family to end the afternoon and celebrate Chris & Kate’s union!

Click This Link To Download

Why Should You Download This App?

1. You love me.
2. New mixes, every two weeks.  I promise.  If you like my style as a DJ (see #1), then you will love the ear candy coming your way!
3. Reward Badges.  By registering with the app, you can earn reward points.  I am working on a reward system as I write this – lots of potential here!
4. Connect with me through Twitter – but more importantly, connect with other App users.  For example, if you are a bride looking for a DJ for your wedding, you can connect with other brides that I have worked for!
5. Special Promo Popups – If you have my app, you may receive an exclusive deal or information that non-app users won’t!
6. This version is way cooler than the version before it.
7. You love me.  And there are more reasons why you should download my new app – I just don’t have time to list them all!

If you an Android user, I have good news for you – the Android version will be released shortly as well!  Stay tuned!

After the ceremony, guests were invited to the bar while the room was flipped for the reception.  While they enjoyed signature drinks, they also entertained themselves with a photo booth from Act1 Photo Booths (yes, it is one of my companies).  Meanwhile, in a very intense 30 minute window, I setup my booth for the reception and coordinated the surprise element of the Grand Entrance.  We will get to that in a second.

Blue Ribbon is a small venue, but with a guest count of 125+, there was some overflow into the hallway for dinner.  Using Bose speaker technology and wireless audio feeds, I was able to make sure guests were aware and in-tune with everything that was going on.  It also helped for the bar area – which was on the other side of the building.  This is where 10 Wedding Party couples made their grand entrance from.  Which leads to…

The Grand Entrance.  Taking an idea from my Wedding Presentation Notebook, Jason and Jennifer’s wedding party members all picked theme songs for their entrance as a couple – which led to some amazing dance moves down the hall and into the reception room.  It really set the energy level high (as if this group needed to be motivated to party – with much of them coming from around the country, this was THE event they  came for!)

After a fabulous family-style dinner feast, it was time for toasts and cake cutting.  The toasts were so much fun, as Jason & Jen’s best friends mixed the perfect balance of humor and meaning.  I’m sure Jason & Jen will love the audio recording I sent them of their toasts.  While everyone was partaking in the cake cutting ceremony, we prepared the room for dancing – and I kept the dance floor rocking for two straight hours.  Jennifer requested only music from 2000 to current to be played – so I took the best songs of the last decade and mixed it all up for an electric mix that led to fist-pumping, jumping, and singing-a-long.  The energy level was insane – on a scale of 1-10, it was a 12!

All-in-all, an amazing start to the 2012 wedding season.  Congratulations Jennifer & Jason, and best of luck!

Yes, A Wedding Book For Dudes

I know what you are going to say, “A wedding book for guys?  Tony have you lost it?”

But no, I haven’t.  This book is a must read for any groom-to-be.

Be The Man: The Man Registry Guide for Grooms comes from Chris Easter, founder of The Man Registry (which is another site you should be visiting, fellas!)  Inside this book, which you can pick up on Amazon for just $9.99, is a comprehensive guide from engagement ring shopping to everything you need to know after the wedding day has come and gone.  There is even a section on legal advice and issues, from vendor contracts to getting a marriage license.

It will even tell you the appropriate way to ask for cash as a wedding gift, without coming across as tacky and inconsiderate.

For example, for many guys, it is there responsibility to plan the rehearsal dinner.  Nine to twelve months prior, you should already be scouting venues and caterers, if needed.  If you wedding is four months away, you are already behind.

And it is written in a style men can understand.  Here is an excerpt from the chapter on Engagement Ring Shopping:

Setting your bling budget is the first (of many) important decisions you’ll make throughout the wedding-planning process.  But remember, this isn’t the time for hasty decisions or impulse buys.  Try thinking of this ring as a pair of World Series tickets.  If you had one chance to pick any seat available, you’d pick the best one you could afford, right?  Your decision may mean staying in one night per weekend for the next six months or buying a 42-inch TV instead of the 60-inch version, but it’ll be worth it.

- Be The Man, The Man Registry  Guide for Grooms

Again, it’s over 200 pages of information dudes need to know.  Brides, I know you are reading this blog post – pick up a copy for your man.  He may question why you bought it, but trust me, when you aren’t looking – he will read it!

(And brides, this would be a great read for you as well.  It might help you understand what he is thinking throughout this process, because face it, most guys won’t tell you what frustrations or struggles they are dealing with.)

The Good

The Bad

“You know, I’m just waiting once for the gal to say no.”  Talk about karma, Mr. Play-By-Play Announcer.

All the details are posted there, but do note the following: For your ballot to count, you must vote for 15 vendors!

And of course, make sure you vote Tony Schwartz Weddings for Best DJ for Reception

If you are stuck on vendors and would like to see who I voted for, feel free to email me at Tony@TonySchwartzWeddings.com

A) this put a smile on my face and it has to do with weddings

OR

B) this blog needs some Bieber Fever!

Watch the video first, then vote in the poll below for why I posted it!

VOTE

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

As you may remember in a prior post, Joya & Emre set the wedding industry ablaze with their lip dub video of the Black Eyed Peas – “The Time (Dirty Bit)”.  Now, we have yet another one for your inspiration, Melinda & Nick’s lip dub of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – “Home”.

The video was produced by One Tree Photography.  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Check out the awesome reaction on Gustabo’s face when he sees the storm approaching.

Did anyone else see the irony in the sand ceremony?