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Featured Articles
What you need to know about booking musicians for your wedding ceremony.
First thing's first, choose what type of musicians you need for your ceremony. When you close your eyes what musicians do you envision for your ceremony. There are many beautiful and traditional instrument combinations; String Quartet or Trio, Violin and Cello Duo, Violin and Guitar, Flute and Guitar, Solo Classical Guitar, Solo Violin, Harp, Piano or Organ. Most of these instruments are great for indoor or outdoor weddings. All of our musicians are affordable so don't be affraid to go for exactly what you want.
Don't worry about limiting yourself if you can't narrow it down to just one group or instrument. We will send you a package with full CD's of asa many groups as you like, that way you can listen to each group and see what resonates with you.
After you review the musicians to your satisfaction call us at Premier to guide you through the booking process. We'll send you the documents you need to secure your musicians.
After you choose exactly what group or musicians you want for your ceremony, the next step is to to choose your music selections. The musicians you will get from Premier Music perform at wedding ceremonies consistently throughout the year so they perform all the traditional material, and can often accomodate non-traditional requests depending on the instrument combination you choose. | |
Finding The Perfect Wedding DJ
So your getting married and you and your future spouse decide it’s time to start planning for the big day. Besides the venue, the caterer, photographer, wedding gown, rings, cake, flowers, and more, you have to get a DJ or a band for your musical entertainment. There is a big difference in the cost so that concideration alone might help you make your decision. Bands cost anywhere from $1200 to $5000 depending on which band and how many people are in the band... the more people the higher the cost. DJ service with Premier costs $550 for 4 hours and $75 for additional hours. Let’s say you decide to choose a DJ over a band. One thing you should keep in mind is that a lot of the better professional wedding DJs get booked anywhere from 6 months to 18 months in advance, so typically you would need to start looking very early, especially if your wedding date is in May, June, or July. Premier Music's DJ service has between 3 and 5 full time professional DJ's that are exclusive to Premier and ready for hire. So even if you forget to book your DJ until the last minute call us at 1-888-751-4687 and we will provide you with one of our top-notch professional wedding DJ's and our other free services that keep you on track and organized.
Some of the ways people find DJ's are by asking friends or family, checking the internet or print ads, asking other vendors, etc. It's enough to make your head swim, how can you be sure that our DJ will have the personality that fits your expectations for your wedding. A common mistake by most people is that they tend to believe that all DJs are pretty much the same, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It is important that you find a DJ that specializes is weddings, has references from past clients, has a huge variety of music, and has professional grade equipment. The style of your DJ is important as well, let Premier know that you want a DJ that is low-key and formal, or one that organizes group dances, games that involve music and give-aways. Our DJ's are trained for different types of events, weddings, corporate events, dance parties, sweet sixteen, Mizvahs etc. Through our consultation with you we will figure out the appropriate style that you will want your DJ to have.
Now that you know where to find a DJ, and the basics of what to look for, it’s time to start contacting DJs and start making appointments for interviewing. Keep in mind you want a professional for your wedding, not a hobbyist, this is your wedding day, and you only get one chance to do it right. As soon as you start to contact DJs you’ll know very soon which are professionals, and which are just “weekend warriors”. If no one answers the phone when you call, or they don’t return your inquiry promptly (no later than 24 hours) move on to the next one. Why? If a DJ can’t return your phone call or e-mail promptly, that shows a lack of reliability and professionalism. If they’re too busy to return your inquiry, more than likely they may be too busy for you when you have questions, plans, or issues which will arise.
Now you have to look at your budget, what percentage of your wedding budget should go towards your musical entertainment? On average most brides spend about 5% on a DJ, but numerous articles in bridal magazines and the internet stated that most brides said that if they could do it all over again they would have spent probably 10%-15% of their wedding budget on a better DJ. So the price of a DJ shouldn’t be your only factor in choosing a DJ.
Make sure that the DJ has references, is willing to meet with you, see the venue, has quality equipment, and probably most important, has a written contract. I receive about 5 phone calls a year from brides whose DJs never showed up, or cancelled at last minute, and the bride never had a contract with the DJ to begin with. Before signing a contract, discuss any overtime
fees, your plans for your wedding, special songs, their back-up plans for personnel, transportation, and equipment, etc. After signing a contract with any DJ, the key to a successful wedding reception (and sometimes the ceremony) is communication. I can’t stress this enough, don’t wait until the last minute to inform your DJ of exactly what and how you want something done. Most professional wedding DJs do much more than just play music, some are pretty much the wedding coordinators also. They make sure that everything goes smoothly and all your “wedding events” such as the cake cutting, toasts, garter and bouquet toss, special dances, etc get done in a reasonable time frame. So stay in contact with you DJ, keep him/her informed, and this way you’ll both be on the same page for your special day.
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Wedding Speeches 101
Wedding speeches are reserved for the most important members of the wedding party and closest family and friends.
If you are one of the ones expected or asked to do a wedding speech, then preparing is a must. Winging it just won’t cut it especially when your wedding speech will be on video from now until eternity.
Wedding speeches should not last more than three or four minutes. It reminds me of that famous quote by John F. Kennedy,
“Public speaking is the art of diluting a two-minute idea with a two-hour vocabulary.”
It’s actually much harder to do a short wedding speech than a long one which reminds me of another quote,
“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” --Mark Twain
You have to have an opening and closing. You probably want to throw in a story and at least one piece of humor. And it all has to make sense. Please, please, please don’t apologize for how bad you are as soon as you stand up, which reminds me of yet another quote by Kin Hubbard,
“Why doesn't the fellow who says, "I'm no speechmaker," let it go at that instead of giving a demonstration?” hahaha I love that one.
Here’s a quick outline for a wedding speech:
Note: each one of the bullet points below could have many variations
· Opening – Could be comments about the lovely affair
· Comments about the bride and groom
· Story about your interactions with the bride, groom or both
· Humor- Pick something that applies to them and is appropriate
· Closing – Something touching
· Toast – Brief and touching or funny
You’ll rarely be the hit of a wedding because of your wedding speech and rightfully so. The bride and groom are the stars. But poor preparation of your wedding speech certainly could make you the laughing stock.
Remember, you are going to perform your wedding speech live, but you’ll be on video forever. Take the time to prepare.
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Outdoor Weddings
It is a little known fact that outdoor weddings tend to be more expensive than indoor weddings. How can this be? Well, you will need to rent everything, then pay to have it all set up. This is something that you don't have to consider if you are using an event center.
You will need a tent to help shield people from the hot sun during the day, as well as from any sudden downpours you may unexpectedly receive. You will also need to rent the tables, chairs, tableware, etc. then pay for someone to set it all up for you. With an indoor wedding, all of these items are supplied by the location of your choosing. So, be prepared to budget more for an outdoor wedding and be sure you get estimates (in writing) from various vendors.
Be prepared to book most of your services early...at least 8 to 10 months in advance. However, Premier Music specializes in last minute bookings so don't stress too hard about your music. After you have secured your site, be sure you book and consult with your caterer to determine whether they know how to handle and accommodate an outdoor wedding. Make sure to have on-site consultations with all your vendors, including the tent rental company, the caterer, the florist, the decorator, the musicians, etc. You will need to give each of them a run-down on how you want the area set up and where items (and people) will be located. You will also need to determine with your vendors how much advanced time they will need to set up. Also be sure to make arrangements to have everything dismantled after your wedding. Remember to budget this into your costs as well. It might be a good idea (if you budget allows) to hire someone to oversee the setup on the day of the wedding, so that nothing goes wrong.Ask your Premier Music Agent for our recomendations of vendors including event planners. Having an outdoor wedding can be very romantic and fun, but it does take a lot of advance planning and coordination. Keep a small notebook handy so you can quickly jot down all upcoming appointments, ideas (which often appear at the strangest of times), vendor names and phone numbers, plus anything else that you think is relevant. This will become your "little wedding bible" as your special day draws nearer and you will probably refer to it quite often. Remember, advanced planning and budgeting will keep everyone happy, healthy and sane. |
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